Chapter Text
The Goodwine house stood exactly where Rachel remembered it. Same pale siding. Same crooked mailbox that had leaned slightly to the left since Rachel was ten. Same giant maple tree right next to her bedroom window that dropped helicopter seeds every fall and clogged the gutters. Oh how much she loved to hear the leaves rustling in the late summer nights when she kept her window open - she loved the smell of fresh air in the evenings.
Plainview hadn’t changed much. At least from the first impression upon the Goodwine family return. Rachel noticed that the second she stepped out of the car the day they moved back. The sidewalks were still cracked in the same places. The neighbors still had those plastic flamingos stuck in their lawns. It felt like coming back to something that has been kept stubbornly the same, while everything inside you has already changed. It felt a bit triggering and Rachel couldn’t help but sigh. Plainview had the strange ability to make you feel small and huge at the same time. Small because everyone somehow knew everyone. Huge because if you didn't fit in, it felt like there was nowhere to hide from all the prying eyes of your neighbours and people you barely even knew.
Now Rachel stood in front of the bathroom mirror, the disappointment of coming here on Friday had long settled in the pit of her stomach and she was staring at her reflection while holding a hair tie between her fingers. The dreadful Monday has come and she has to begin again, at a completely new school. She couldn’t stop her leg from anxiously pacing. Rachel spent all weekend helping unpacking all the things they brought with themselves and even though the progress has been incredible, the boxes still seemed never ending. As did all the dust everywhere. But at least when she was busy she didn’t have time to sulk and overthink everything, but now she felt overwhelmed.
Rachel stared at her own reflection, her hair was soft and blonde, with a single dyed black stray of hair, falling in natural waves that she usually tied back before school. Not because she didn't like it. Just because it attracted less attention that way and… it was just easier. Not like she felt like she had to perform in any way, but she sometimes wished to try to be different. She caught herself like this a few times already - she would get used to new school, be labelled as the quiet and smart girl that always hanged out with the same two people and barely spoke without being asked to, and then she would get annoyed saying things to herself like “they view me this way, but if I had a chance to try again I could definitely be one of the popular kids, but now it’s too late” - and eventually she would move, get a new chance at a new school and always miss it. Today felt the same. And she knew she wouldn’t fight it.
Rachel twisted the hair tie around her wrist and opened the bathroom cabinet. Inside were the same old shelves their mom had installed years ago. She noticed a small letter “R” carved on the lower shelf and she reminisced on the time she got her hands on a pocket knife when she was a child and started adding her initials everywhere around her room and bathroom - as if she desperately wanted to label things as her own. Rachel sighed and shook her head.
Everything here felt familiar.
Too familiar.
Which was exactly the problem.
Rachel pulled on a simple oversized sweater and straightened the sleeves. The fabric hung loosely enough that it hid most of her shape. Paired with plain jeans and white sneakers, it created the exact effect she usually aimed for.
Safe and predictable. Paper perfect example of a quiet, nice and smart girl everyone always viewed her as. Rachel stared at herself for another moment, visibly struggling with her thoughts. She knew she wasn't ugly. She'd heard that enough times before. But she also knew that when people looked at her, the first word that came to their minds was always the same. The quiet girl. The one who probably reads books during lunch.
Rachel hated that version of herself, because she just knew it wasn’t true, but she was scared. Scared of being judged if she were to attract more attention than she was used to. So she just let it be. Play it safe.
Downstairs, a loud bang echoed through the house.
Rachel closed her eyes.
"ROWAN!" her mother’s voice boomed from the kitchen.
Too late.
Rachel already knew chaos had begun. She put her glasses with thick black frames on her nose and rushed downstairs.
The Goodwine household had never believed in quiet mornings.
Rachel walked into the kitchen just in time to see Rowan, her youngest brother aged 12 years old, sliding across the hardwood floor in socks while holding a cereal box like it was a trophy.
"I FOUND THE CHOCOLATE ONES!"
"PUT THAT BACK!"
Karen Goodwine stood in the kitchen wearing her police uniform, arms crossed like she was about to arrest her own kid.
Rowan froze mid-slide.
"But Mom-" he begged.
"No sugar cereal before school."
"But this is the FIRST DAY!" Rowan argued dramatically.
Karen didn't even blink.
"Exactly. You should start it HEALTHY."
Rowan looked personally betrayed.
"You became a cop just so you could force us to do stuff."
Karen pointed to the cabinet.
"Oatmeal. It’s the best I can do."
Rowan groaned loud enough for the entire block to hear and Rachel amidst the chaos quietly slipped into a chair at the table.
Rick was already there. Of course he was. He had three books open, a laptop running, and a notebook full of tiny handwriting that looked more like scientific equations than actual notes. Despite him being Rachel’s twin brother, they couldn’t be more different. I mean, Rachel obviously was smart, but Rick? He was a human encyclopedia and Rachel was pretty sure he didn’t know what feelings are.
"Technically speaking," he said without looking up, "the nutritional disparity between chocolate cereal and oatmeal is significant enough to justify Mother's decision."
Rowan stared at him.
"No one asked you, nerd."
Rick blinked. He definitely did not expect him to say that.
Rachel reached over and stole one of Rowan’s chocolate cereal pieces from the box before he put it back into the cabinet.
Rowan gasped.
"Betrayal."
Rachel shrugged.
"I get my privileges as your only sister. Get used to that."
Across the table, James leaned back in his chair like he owned the house. He had already changed into his athletic hoodie with his favorite basketball team logo across the front. Not that Rachel cared enough to know which one that was. He was a year older than her but somehow acted as if he always knew better. James Goodwine had always been popular. Even when they moved schools. It came effortlessly to him every single time.
He glanced at Rachel and immediately frowned.
"That's what you're wearing?"
Rachel froze mid-bite.
"...yes?" she answered confused, already prepping to argue with him.
James pointed his spoon at her sweater like it personally offended him.
"You look super plain, as if you didn’t have a sense of style. I just think you could dress better, that’s all." As always he had to share his own opinion, no one asked him about.
Jake, the oldest brother, two years older than Rachel, entering his senior year in high school spoke for the first time from the counter where he was calmly making hot cocoa. He rarely raised his voice, but when he did everyone listened.
"Leave her alone."
James rolled his eyes.
"I'm just saying." he choked out, mouth full of oatmeal.
Rachel leaned back in her chair, appetite already lost.
"Good morning to you too." she sighed shooting blades from her eyes at him from across the table.
Jake walked over and placed a mug in front of Rachel.
"First day." he stated.
Rachel nodded, not really looking at him. He studied her for a moment. Jake always noticed things.
"You're nervous."
Rachel shrugged, not able to say much.
"New school." she felt as if she said more she would explode here and there.
"Not really that new." James snorted.
Rachel paused. Plainview High, technically it wasn't all new.
Rachel had lived in Plainview here until she was ten. Back when life was easier. Back when friendships meant riding bikes and playing in backyards instead of worrying about social hierarchies.
Back when-
Rachel stopped the thought.
Rowan suddenly leaned across the table like a spy.
"So guess what."
No one really asked, but that never stopped him from talking. Rowan grinned anyway.
"I already know someone in my class."
Karen glanced over.
"Oh?"
"His name's Greg Heffley. I met him when I was biking on Saturday.”
Rachel froze and her stomach twisted slightly. Because Rachel remembered exactly who had that surname.
But that was years ago. People changed, kids grew up.
Rachel grabbed her backpack and tossed her thoughts aside.
It could be someone else with the same name.
Karen checked her watch.
"Everyone out in five minutes."
James stood up and Rachel followed. Just as she reached the door, Rowan whispered loudly to Rick.
"Who wants to bet Rachel won’t talk to anyone at all at school on her first day?"
Rachel sighed and rolled her eyes.
Rick nodded thoughtfully.
"It is very satistically probable."
Rachel stepped outside into the morning air of Plainview and took a breath. It calmed her just a little bit but still the anxious thoughts kept creeping in.
New school.
New start.
Maybe this time she will allow things to be different. But she had to try first and the first impression from her clothes wasn’t exactly working in her favor.
The Goodwine driveway was barely big enough for Karen’s car and the mountain of boxes still waiting to be carried inside. Rachel slid into the backseat quietly, pressing her backpack against her knees while the rest of her siblings piled in.
Karen drove an old dark 8-passenger SUV that still smelled faintly like coffee and her flowery perfume.
Jake took the passenger seat like he always did. James and Rick squeezed right behind, while Rachel was stuck in the back with Rowan who bounced around non stop.
Karen started the engine and immediately the radio crackled. A dispatcher’s voice murmured something about traffic on Main Street. Karen reached forward and turned it off.
“No chaos before eight in the morning,” she muttered.
Rowan leaned over the seat.
“School is pretty chaotic to me.”
“Seatbelt” Karen said without even turning around.
Rowan sighed loudly but obeyed.
The car pulled away from the curb and began rolling down the quiet Plainview street. Rachel watched the familiar houses pass by the window. Everything seemed to look the same. The weirdest part about coming back somewhere you used to live was realizing the place had stayed exactly the same while you had changed completely.
James stretched his arms behind his head.
“Man, I forgot how small this town is.”
Rick adjusted his glasses.
“Plainview has a population of approximately-”
“Please spare me with robot talk.” James groaned.
Jake glanced back at Rachel. She could see him asking her “You okay?” with just one look. Rachel nodded quickly and turned her head away. She wasn’t.
Karen turned the corner and the Westmore Middle School building appeared ahead. Rowan already unbuckled his seatbelt which led to Karen giving him a lecture about driving safety. When he finally got off he seemed to completely forget about the lecture the moment he saw a familiar face of Greg Heffley at the front of the building. The boys greeted each other and disappeared into the hallways. The SUV drove away right in the way of Plainview High. When the building appeared, Rachel felt her stomach twist. She noticed all the clusters of students standing everywhere like little social ecosystems already forming. And she was about to step right into it. Students everywhere. Laughing. Talking. Already belonging. And Rachel is the new girl now, again.
Karen parked near the front curb.
“Alright,” she said, shifting the car into park. “Everyone out.”
James stepped out first, stretching like he had just arrived at a sports event instead of school and Jake followed him calmly. Rick carefully gathered his books like he was transporting fragile artifacts. And… Rachel stepped out last.
Rachel adjusted the straps of her backpack and followed her brothers toward the entrance, a few steps behind, as she didn’t want to be associated with them really.
Inside the hallway the noise multiplied. Lockers slammed, while people shouted greetings across the hall. Someone skateboarded past before a teacher yelled at them.
Rachel kept her eyes forward. This was it. A new chance. She straightened her back and tried to appear confident, hoping posture will make her appear less stressed.
She scanned the hallway in search of anyone who could help her be more than just the quiet girl she always became, even though the thought of bringing attention to herself felt like playing a russian roulette. She spotted them though.
Three girls standing near the lockers by the staircase.
Perfect hair. Perfect makeup. Perfect outfits that looked effortless but were probably carefully planned. The popular girls.
Rachel slowed down. Her heart started beating faster.
Just try, she told herself.
If she didn’t try now, she knew exactly what would happen. She would become the quiet girl again.
Rachel took a breath and walked over before her brain made her want to run away.
“Hi,” she said.
The girls looked at her and Rachel immediately became aware of everything about herself. Not in a good way.
Her oversized sweater and plain jeans. The thick black glasses that screamed “NERD ALERT”.
“I’m new here,” Rachel continued, forcing a small smile. “My name’s Rachel.”
The girls exchanged quick looks, and Rachel already regretted her decision.
One of them, the tall beauty with shiny blonde hair and a shiny pink lipgloss tilted her head.
“Oh,” she said.
Then she looked Rachel up and down. Another girl covered her mouth slightly, trying not to laugh.
“Cute sweater,” she said.
Rachel could immediately tell it wasn’t meant as a compliment. The blonde girl smiled in that way that didn’t really look friendly.
“Well… good luck with that.”
The girls turned back to their conversation and walked away, leaving Rachel behind. She heard a small burst of laughter. Her face burned.
Okay.
The first attempt was a definite failure. Rachel turned the corner down another hallway. And that was when she saw a group of football players walk past the trophy case. One of them stood out immediately. He was tall, had broad shoulders. Confident posture like he knew exactly where he belonged in this building. His dark hair was slightly messy like he had just come from practice.
Rachel slowed without realizing it.
He laughed at something one of his teammates said. And Rachel felt something strange flutter in her chest.
Oh. Well that was new.
Rachel quickly looked away before anyone noticed her staring.
Focus, she told herself.
But she still caught herself glancing back once.
Just once.
Right as she turned the corner-
And slammed straight into someone.
“Whoa-”
Rachel stumbled backward as papers and drumsticks clattered onto the floor.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” she said quickly, kneeling to pick them up.
The boy in front of her groaned slightly and looked down at her. Not even attempting to help her.
“Yeah, well maybe watch where you're-”
He stopped mid-sentence and Rachel looked up.
The boy had messy dark hair and tired eyes like he had stayed up too late. With a little bit of leftover eyeliner on his eyelids, like he didn’t care to wash it off completely. He wore a black band T-shirt and looked like someone who definitely didn’t want to be at school right now.
Rachel studied his face. Something about him felt… familiar, but older.
He frowned slightly like he was trying to place her.
But then when Rachel stood up, he immediately grabbed the drumsticks from her hands.
“Thanks,” he muttered nonchalantly.
Rachel nodded awkwardly.
“No problem.”
For a split second they both hesitated. Trying to figure out why the other seemed vaguely recognizable. Then the moment passed and he walked down the hallway muttering something that sounded like “Later”.
Rachel watched him go.
Her brain slowly catching up.
Wait.
Was that…
Rodrick Heffley?
Rachel blinked. She barely recognized him.
The messy kid from years ago had somehow turned into… that thing.
And apparently he didn’t recognize her at all.
Rachel adjusted her backpack.
First day of school.
And somehow it had already managed to be embarrassing, confusing, and slightly overwhelming. Which probably meant it was going exactly how first days usually went.