Chapter Text
It has been eighteen hours and forty-three minutes since Rodrick left his bedroom. He stared at the poster pinned to his wall and zoned out. He didn’t think of anything; his head was empty. It was the last day of summer, a summer he’d spent in the new, unfamiliar town of Medford. “Rodrick,” he heard his mother yell, “dinner is ready!”
Rodrick groaned and rolled out of bed. He leaned against his nightstand, blinking away the black spots that took over his vision. He stumbled down the stairs to face his family. “Look who finally decided to join us,” his father commented.
Rodrick only rolled his eyes. He kept his head down, and barely registered what was happening around him. It was only when his mom tried to get his attention that he looked up. “What?” He asked quietly.
He was met with his mom’s worried stare. She answered, “I’ve been trying to get your attention for a couple minutes. I know things have been different lately, but just think, you’re starting school tomorrow! It’s a new school, with new people, and new opportunities. You should really try to make the best of it.”
“Yeah, because high schoolers are known for being just the most welcoming people ever.” Rodrick quipped.
He took a bite of his food and put his head back down. He felt his mother’s gaze, and listened as his father said, “Don’t get smart with me, now. You know what she meant. Just be sure to get up in time. Clearly, you’ve had no problem sleeping in. You missed church again this week.”
“Yeah yeah,” Rodrick mumbled. He stood up from his seat, and wordlessly left the dining room, retreating upstairs.
As soon as Rodrick closed the door behind him, he pulled open the top drawer of his dresser, taking out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He slipped them into the pocket of his jeans and opened the window. His window was just above a small ledge of the roof–the perfect spot to sit and think. He opened the pack and brought a cigarette to his lips. He flicked the lighter, cupping his hand around the flame, lighting his cigarette. He inhaled, closing his eyes as the smoke filled his lungs. He exhaled heavily, and laid back staring at the blank, dim sky.
Rodrick sat on the roof for a long while, taking in the cool night air. He put out the cigarette and sat up to head inside. As he sat up, he heard a door slam. Curiously, he peered over into the neighbor’s yard. A boy, who looked to be about Rodrick’s age, stormed into the yard. The boy paced for a bit before sitting down on the porch step, putting his head in his hands. Rodrick simply climbed back through his window, hid his cigarettes, and climbed into bed.
Rodrick woke up to his alarm clock blaring. He felt around his nightstand, silencing the alarm. He buried his head in his pillow and groaned. Reluctantly, he pulled himself out of bed and got ready for school. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he made his way downstairs, mentally preparing himself for the day. “Well look at you,” his mom said, “aren’t you excited for your first day of school?”
“Not one bit,” Rodrick replied honestly.
His mom frowned, and commented, “Well, at least try to enjoy it. You decide what type of day you have. And don’t forget to pick Greg up after school.”
Rodrick only nodded and grabbed his keys out of a basket on the counter. He rushed out the door and climbed into his van. He sped out of the driveway, turning up the radio as he drove. Once he reached the school, he haphazardly pulled into the parking lot and pulled into a spot. The parking was crooked, but Rodrick didn’t care. He only got out of the car and walked into the building.
He walked through the halls, trying to find his locker. After what felt like far too long, he finally found it. Just as he was about to open it, the first bell rang, signaling that he needed to get to class. Rodrick raced to class, taking a seat at a table towards the back of the room. The other seats filled quickly, as kids raced to get a seat by their friends. The second bell rang, and the classroom quieted down as the teacher began her introductions.
As the teacher droned on, Rodrick felt himself beginning to drift off. Just before he could fall asleep, a noise from the front of a classroom captured his attention. He watched as a curly-haired boy burst through the classroom door, looking like he had just run a marathon. The teacher scowled, but simply said, “Find a seat Cooper, and you’ve got detention for being late.”
The boy made his way through the classroom and took the seat next to Rodrick. He sighed as he sat down and put his head down on the table.
The rest of the school day went by slowly, and Rodrick found himself not being able to pay attention to the teachers and their ranting. When lunch rolled around, he made his way to the cafeteria and was quickly overwhelmed with all of the chatter. It was all too much to handle, so he snuck out of the cafeteria and to the parking lot.
As he was walking to his van, he noticed someone walking a short distance behind him. He turned around to find the boy from first period. Rodrick looked over at him, and the boy looked back. “I guess we had the same idea,” the boy said with a heavy southern drawl.
“Yeah,” Rodrick laughed, “I’ve been ready to get out since first period.”
The boy chuckled, “Yeah. I was late. Missed my alarm and everything. Sorry I had to sit by you though–you probably wanted a table alone.”
“It’s all good,” Rodrick assured, “sometimes company is nice. I’m Rodrick, by the way.”
“I’m Georgie,” the boy replied. He looked at Rodrick, and asked, “Are you new here? I ain’t seen you around before.”
“For the most part,” Rodrick replied, “we moved here in July. My dad got a new job, so we didn’t really have a choice. I haven’t really got out much. I don’t have any friends here.”
“Well,” Georgie said, “you’ve got me now. Want to get out of here?”
Rodrick nodded. “Hop in,” he said.
The two boys got into Rodrick’s van and peeled out of the parking lot. “So,” Rodrick asked, “what now?”
“I don’t know,” Georgie answered, “we can’t go to my place. My mom is home.”
“We could go to my place,” Rodrick offered.
“Works for me,” Georgie stated.