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𝟷𝟶:𝟹𝟶 𝙰𝙼
feeling the sun peak onto my closed eyes, i finally woke up. not fully though. of course not.
"janey, mom made breakfast"
"mhm thanks jo i'll be down"
i tried to rub the tired from my eyes and sat on my bed staring at the wall for a couple seconds before gaining the ability to stand up and get ready for the morning. i walked downstairs to see that my mom had already hung up most of the paintings and family pictures we had brought with us.
the smell of coffee and bagels filled my nose as i walked into the kitchen, hoping that joey didn't grab the good ones yet.
good shit.
"we're meeting with the heffleys across the street today, i talked to the woman named susan there and she invited us over for lunch! how sweet!" my mom gushed.
heffleys?
my eyes widened and i looked up at her with the bagel hanging from my mouth as joey started talking excitedly about how he met greg heffley at the roller skating rink last night.
does this mean hottie tamale lives across the street from me?
"that's perfect for you then joey! they also have a 17 year old and 3 year old boy you know, so all you guys can become friends!" my mom looked at me expectedly while i gave her a nervous smile.
3 boys? poor susan.
i wasn't afraid to meet this guy and his family, nor did i have a crush on him. its just been a while since i've liked someone, so even the idea of being so drawn to him was enough to make me a little nervous.
and when i say it's been a while since i've liked someone i mean it's been a fat fucking minute. could you blame me though? getting cheated on isn't the most uplifting thing for your self-esteem. for 6 months i couldn't even look at anybody and think they were cute without dreaming about them cheating on me and stabbing me with a glizzy at the end. i remember telling my mom and joey about these dreams which resulted into my mom getting me a therapy session while joey laughed until he cried and fell off the couch.
i'm so much better now though. i feel like i can easily get back out there if i wanted to. do i absolutely desire to do so though? that was debatable. anxiety and fear will always creep up on me whether i like or not, but in all honesty, it just be like that. dating someone wasn't too high of a priority for me anyways.
but fuck it whatever happens happens.
𝟷𝟷:𝟷𝟻 𝙰𝙼
the lunch was at 12, meaning i had 45 minutes to make myself cute after getting lost in my thoughts while my celebrity skin vinyl played in the background. i haven't been using my dad's old record player as much as i should've, so i was trying to change that.
i did my makeup as quickly yet carefully as i could, going for the most natural glam i was able to do. this to me meant a normal makeup look but with the slightest of a shimmery brown eyeshadow with extra highlight. i was content with it. i guess.
"WE'RE LEAVING IN 5!" my mom yelled from the master bedroom. fucking hell.
i drenched my face in setting spray, straightened my bangs, tousled my shag around, and threw my clothes (that i still haven't unpacked) around my room like a scene in a teen movie until i settled on my comfy wide bell bottom jeans, fitted red sweater vest, brown flannel, and some necklaces
running down the stairs, i saw my family already in the middle of the street walking towards the heffley house.
"jesus-WAIt" i yelled while struggling to put my shoes on, nearly tipping over.
"lock the door on your way out!" my mom reminded me, already stepping onto their porch and being greeted by a woman.
i groaned and grabbed the keys in the kitchen and made my way towards our neighbor after figuring out how to lock the door. trudging to the heffley's door, i stopped in front of it. do i knock? i don't wanna be rude and just walk in like i'm the shit.
as i was about to raise my fist to knock the door opened.
"YA UH DON'T WAIT UP FOR ME GUYS IM JUST GONNA G-oH"
oh shit.
"hi" i smiled up at him. if my knees were to buckle right now i would simply understand.
his eyes were wide and he gulped.
"rodrick what are you doing?? let her in!" a man's voice rang and he came into view as well.
rodrick. didn't dana mention a rodrick?
"hello i'm frank, this is my son rodrick who won't move out of the... dang way" the man introduced himself while pulling rodrick back into the house.
i thanked him and walked in, beginning to feel nervous.
"actually... i think i'm gonna stay for a little.... ben said he was sick so...." rodrick slowly said as he took a seat next to greg while his mom rolled her eyes. i headed towards a seat next to joey, saying my hellos to everyone.
"and this is my oldest mary jane!" my mother introduced me.
"hello honey, i'm susan" the kind lady held her hand out to me to shake and i gladly took it with a smile.
"and this is little manny" i looked at the little boy sharing a seat with rivi. they were both giggling and playing with their food not caring about anyone or anything around them.
"and greg" the boy sitting across from joey gave me an awkward smile and a wave, trying to come off as cool. i couldn't help but grin at him.
"and my oldest boy rodrick, but you already met him" susan chuckled and continued the conversation she was having with my mom before i came. i took my time to look up at rodrick across from me. he had a slight blush and a little gleam in his eye.
"hey"
i was slowly feeling my panties drop.
"hey"
"oh! after lunch you should show mary jane your drums rodrick!" susan suggested with her eyebrows raised to the roof and widely smiling.
frank leaned into his wife and whispered, "susan, do you really think it's a good idea for rodrick to-"
"be supportive!"
"o-okay"
rodrick closed his eyes and sighed in embarrassment while i told susan that she could call me mary or mj.
lunch continued on and everyone was chatting it up and getting to know each other. greg and joey were raving about a new game they both wanted to get. rivi was feeding manny a sliced carrot while giggling. susan and frank were telling my mom about places to eat around town. but rodrick and i were acting like we both didn't exist to each other. he was pretending to be overly interested in what his mom was saying, causing frank to look at him weirdly and i tried to gauge into joey and greg's conversation.
"i JUST finished twisted wizards 1!"
"me TOO!"
"DO YOU THINK HE'S GONNA BE ABLE TO SHOOT PURPLE FIRE ON TOP OF HIS DRAGON NEXT GAME?!"
i glanced over at rodrick out of first instinct once the nerdiest conversation i've ever heard got louder and louder.
he had the same reaction in mind when we made eye contact, smirking and rolling our eyes.
"dorks" we simultaneously mumbled.
we shot our heads up and chuckled, high fiving each other. greg and joey complained about us being bullies and went back to their conversation.
"so what school are you going to new kid?" rodrick asked amidst of everyone's overlapped talking.
"umm crossland i think"
way to sound fucking stupid mary.
rodrick leaned back in his chair, feigning a cool persona.
"cool cool........."
i got slightly disappointed, thinking he wasn't attending the same school i was.
"i go there too" he awkwardly added, leaning back up again.
"oh? really now?" i chuckled at how quickly he dropped his cool persona, thinking it was cute. he was really cute. like really really cute.
"ya, you should let me be your tour guide or something " he tilted his head with confidence.
i felt myself blushing ever so slightly.
chill the fuck out mary don't give in THAT quickly.
even though you really really want to.
"sure thing heffley"
"oh my god are they flirting???"
i twisted my head to look at joey and greg with wide eyes. they both just stared at us with disgusted faces. rodrick gave his little brother a glare.
"you little shi-"
"RODRICK! what did i say about cursing at the table???"
"......sorry mom"
greg and joey stood up quickly, telling everyone they were gonna go meet up with rowley in the front lawn and ran towards the front door. they also probably left to avoid rodrick and me.
"i'm gonna go show her around" rodrick stood up, telling his parents.
why are my hands getting wet?
"okay kids have fun!"
he glanced at me and i stood up as well, following him into what seemed like a similar attic/room to the one i had next to my room.
i couldn't help but take in his physique in front of me. he was definitely much taller up close. and lean.
"mi casa es su casa" rodrick said as he dramatically opened his arms to introduce his room like it was a passion project. there were colorful lights circling the walls and he had many many posters and vinyls of different bands. his bed was messy and there was some clothes scattered on the floor but it was nothing unexpected.
"oh wow the vibes"
"shut up it's cool"
"no seriously! it's genuinely really cool i dig it rodrick! it suits you"
he smiled at me, looking proud of my approval.
"oh no way you like harvey danger??" i stopped gawking at him when i spotted the poster next to his bed.
he leaned against his wall like he was about to say the most impressive shit.
"get this, my buddy ben tried to get us to open for them last year when they went on a national tour, but when they heard a sample of our songs they.........." rodrick raved until he awkwardly looked to the ground like he remembered something.
"declined us"
i was still impressed.
"you're in a band?"
and i thought he couldn't get any hotter.
surely being in a band didn't mean shit. not every girl drops their panties the second they hear a guy's in a band. and i was definitely apart of that demographic on a normal day.
but this wasn't a normal day. and by day i also mean boy.
rodrick looked down with an open smirk, looking like he's been manifesting this moment the second i ran into him at his front door.
my confidence was at a high right now, thinking about the possibility that i was starting to live a y/n life but with my now hot next door neighbor.
"come with me" he grabbed my arm lightly and started leading me downstairs to the garage.
if i wasn't a normal human vessel i would've been convinced my arm was about to singe off from the contact.
i need to gain control over myself.
"i guess they love your mom, they never share their wine like that" rodrick furrowed his eyebrows with his mouth slightly open as we peered over at them in the kitchen laughing their asses off at one of frank's stories.
we continued walking into the garage and i found a nice wooden box to use as a chair. i shimmied my butt on it when i sat down, not wanting my big fat juicy ass to break it.
just kidding.
there were colorful lights too in the garage as well as a drum set, some posters, and a tapestry all reading LÖDED DIPER. i wonder what the band name was.
"okay, get ready to have your mind Blown" rodrick said sitting behind his drums.
"ONE TWO THREE FOUR!"
he started playing a beat that was surprisingly funky. in a couple of seconds i was engrossed. i was focusing on the way his arms flexed every time he hit a cymbal or the way his head bopped to the beat he was making or the funny faces he had.
i was really expecting to hear something similar to a spoon in a garbage disposal, but he was easily playing the opposite and unfortunately it ended shortly.
"it's n-not done, i'm still in the works of it. how-how'd you like it though?" rodrick was panting, but still staring at me with that charming smile he always carried.
"that was actually so fucking good dude holy shit!" i beamed at him.
"SWEAR"
"SWEAR"
"i knew you'd like it" he smugly said and i rolled my eyes jokingly.
"hey don't get cocky, i'll take it back"
he gasped, pretending to be scared by my threat and flipped me off.
we held in our smiles for 2 seconds before we both bursted out laughing.
"MJ YOUR MOM SAID IT WAS TIME TO GO!" greg yelled next to joey and rowley from the door, interrupting us.
rodrick groaned and looked up at the ceiling.
"get outta here you bug"
"hey don't shoot the messenger!"
"HI MARY!"
"hi rowley"
"YOUR MAKEUP LOOKS REALLY PRETT-"
"GET OUT!" rodrick pointed at the door with his drumstick.
rowley and joey screamed while greg stuck his tongue out at his older brother before leaving with the two boys.
rodrick shook his head before turning back to me and asking,
"wanna do this again?"
"what? you playing the drums and me feeding you with compliments?" i jokingly replied.
"no, just us hanging out" he said with a small smile.
"i know dummy i was joking, gimme your phone" i made grabby hands at him to give me his phone. he pulled it out and went to start a new contact, walking away from his drum set to hand the phone to me.
i put my number in and set my contact name to 'maryjuana' before handing it back to him.
"cmon i gotta go" i nodded towards the door we came from, not wanting to keep my mom waiting for too long even though she was probably still occupied with susan and frank.
rodrick was looking down at the new contact i added and started grinning.
"you're stupid" he chuckled.
"what about it"
walking out to the front lawn, i saw my mom and the heffley parents swapping each other's contact information, talking about the next time they'd hang out again. it was like they were teenagers again. good for them. good for them.
"see ya tomorrow?"
i whipped around to see rodrick leaning against the door frame while he ran one hand through his hair and held his drumsticks in the other.
oh wow.
"of course guapo" i smiled up at him before turning back around in the direction of my house with the tiniest smirk.
"WAIT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN"
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hello again :* as i was writing the part where mary runs into rodrick at his front door, i accidentally left my phone with my writing on full display on a counter in the shop i work at and when i walked back i saw my co-worker snooping and reading what i wrote im litrylyl SO HUMILIATED i tried my best to come up with a bullshit excuse that i was reading some long ironic diary of a wimpy kid shitpost on tumblr where greg murders manny but idk.......................i dont think i could ever show my face at work again yall my ego is Crushed