Chapter Text
Rodrick leapt from bar to bar, looking around in hope. He stops and balances himself, the bar he landed on shaking just a bit more than he anticipated. “I know I tossed it up here last night. Where did it go.” He mumbles mostly to himself.
Drew, who was keeping watch in case anyone walked into the auditorium, whispered to him, “Dude! Careful! Could you not just get a new drumstick?”
“I could not! It’s irreplaceable! That’s like telling you to get a new bass guitar!”
“That’s not similar at all, dude. Why’d you throw your stick anyway?”
“It was an accident! Our performance at the talent show was good, and I wanted to celebrate. My hands were just sweaty. Just help me look or keep watch.”
Drew looks around the catwalk whispering loud enough that it’s just breathy speaking, “Which one? OH! Dude! The door’s opening! Hurry up!”
Rodrick grabs a cable to help himself across to the next light rig, making a note of its odd lack of slack. He hopes the lights aren’t moving enough for the faculty walking through down below to notice. He moves across the beams and finds what he’d been looking for. He silently pumps his fist and slowly kneels to grab it.
The rig shifts, the drumstick drops between the lights and Rodrick reaches for it. His arm bumps the floodlight, and the entire rig creaks with decades of age, but he got the stick. He cringes at the sound and looks over to Drew who is looking away from him, watching the teachers down below, listening to their conversation echoing into the ceiling where they reside.
And then the unthinkable happens. The bump on the spotlight makes that cable’s tautness completely understandable as the cable disconnects, the hinge holding it up snaps and the light plummets onto the stage. It lands with a glorious crash, the sounds of crunching metal and shattering glass echo through the auditorium, punctuated by the principal shouting, “WHO’S UP THERE!?”
Drew looks at Rodrick, he looks back, and immediately hops back to the catwalk, vaults over the railing and the two of them book it for the stairwell back down to the stage. At this point silence is not of any importance, so they clatter down the metal stairs, hoping to make it before anyone catches who they are. Lo and behold, waiting for them at the base of the stairs are the principal, superintendent, and a teacher Rodrick had never seen before, probably someone to do with the theater department.
“Rodrick Heffley. Why am I not surprised.” The principal began. “I want to see the both of you in my office immediately.”
“Rodrick broke the light! I was just keeping watch!” Drew blurted, pointing at his friend.
“Dude!” Rodrick threw his hands up in surprise.
The principal placed a hand in front of them to silence them, “You were still complacent in this dangerous act. Both of your parents will be contacted and there will be a meeting as soon as they get here.”
The room outside of the principal’s office is one Rodrick had seen many times, and each time he’d been delivered detention, in-school suspension, and only once, out-of-school suspension. Drew’s parents arrived first, and his meeting went fairly quickly. When he left the office, Rodrick looked up anticipating what Drew’s punishment was. He responded, “I got suspended.”
Suspension isn’t so bad. Rodrick has been suspended plenty of times. How expensive could that little light have been anyway?
When his parents, and Manny, arrive, they are silent. The scary kind of silence, not the we’re-here-to-take-you-home-and-ground-you silence. Something is very wrong.
The principal lays out a folder of paperwork, “I’m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Heffley the only option we have is expulsion. We can consider the spring semester to be completed, and his transcript is included in the folder. But this amount of property damage and previous activity is unforgivable. The damage to not only the light, but the stage and the rigging is more than Three Thousand Dollars. Due to the rules of this school, Rodrick is liable for the damages and either him or the two of you are required to pay.”
Rodrick’s head felt like it was full of water. His ears burned. He didn’t hear the rest of the conversation and felt like he was going to pass out. He drove home in silence, following his dad’s car.
When he arrived home, he sat in the van for minutes just preparing himself for the conversation he’s about to have. He takes one final deep breath, turns off the car, and heads inside.
Waiting for him in the living room are his parents, and Susan pats the couch next to her, “Have a seat Rodrick.” Her tone is eerily normal. He does as asked and sits down.
Frank begins speaking, and Rodrick immediately clocks his on-the-brink-of-unbridled-rage tone, “First and foremost, you are grounded until we say that you aren’t. That means no band practice, no going out, and no TV. We are going to pay off the damages, but you will need to get a job to pay us off. The only two places you will be this summer are the house and whatever job you get. We will work to find a school that will be willing to accept you and your… record.”
Rodrick nodded. He had nothing to say, sulking in his seat.
“And we’re selling your van to help pay for the repair costs.” Susan added, looking at Frank for him to agree with her.
Frank leaned in to whisper to her, “No he needs a car to drive himself to a job, I don’t think you’d want him to drive your car, and I don’t want to drive him while I’m on my way to work.”
Susan nods and agrees, “Oh, that’s true…” she turns to Rodrick, “You’ll keep your van.”
The next few weeks were a blur. The beginning of his summer mostly involved trying to find a job and sitting in his room. Each place he applied for a job either didn’t get back to him or actively denied him. And today was no different, another restaurant denied his application. When he got back, Susan called from the kitchen the moment Rodrick walked in, “Rodrick! Get in here.”
He did as asked, and spoke quietly, “What is it, mom?”
“I’ve been calling a number of schools around the town and county, and none of them were willing to accept you for senior year.”
“Okay…?” He started to get worried, unsure of what she’s about to say.
“So I started calling family, seeing who had space for you and a high school near their house. And Your Aunt Cheryl has a guest room, and the house will just be your aunt and uncle in the fall since your cousin Aaron is going to college.”
“Aaron!?” Rodrick whined, “He’s in Illinois! That’s so far!”
“Yes but I already called the school, and they said they’d gladly accept you.”
“Gladly?” He cocked his head to one side.
“Well you better start packing your bags, you and your father will be heading to Evanston in a few days.”
Rodrick’s stomach dropped, “Wh-, mom what do you mean?”
“Well school starts in about two weeks-”
“TWO WEEKS!? Hasn’t it only been like, a month?”
“It’s the middle July, and there’s some paperwork that needs to be submitted in person with a parent present.”
Rodrick stood bewildered, his mouth hanging open. Susan taps his cheek, “Chop-chop! Get to packing!”
Rodrick was awoken by Frank not very bright and much too early, “Rodrick, get up. We need to get on the road here soon. It’s 4. We need to leave by 4:30 to make it to Evanston by night. Your van’s packed, so just get dressed and downstairs.”
He did as he was asked, wearing comfortable clothes to prepare to bare the long drive. He sulked downstairs with his final bag, and tossed into the back of his van. “Am I following you?”
Frank shook his head, “We’ll both drive your van and I’ll fly back from Evanston. We’re going to switch drivers ever couple of hours. I’ll start, give me the keys.”
Rodrick shrugs, tosses his keys to Frank, and gets into his passenger seat to fall back asleep. A couple of hours later, when the sun is finally up, Frank wakes him up for the next part of the drive. This continues for the rest of the drive, with Rodrick being the final driver.
He pulls into the driveway of his aunt’s house, and practically falls out. His legs feel dead and his arms are much the same. Frank speaks as he gets out of the van, “Okay. We’ll go to the school tomorrow and then we’ll find you a place to get a job since you still need to pay off us.”
Rodrick gives a thumbs up not fully comprehending words, and grabs his bag from the back. Unpacking is tomorrow’s activity.
Frank leads the two of them into the house, “I’ll keep the conversation short since I know we’re both tired. We’ll head to the school tomorrow morning.”
Rodrick gives him a thumbs up, heading inside right after him. The foyer of his aunt’s house feels slightly different, but it’s been so long since the last time he was here that he can’t seem to place what’s different.
Cheryl squeals with excitement at seeing the two of them enter, “Oh my goodness! Hi Frankie!!”
Frank rolls his eyes and goes in for the obligatory side hug, “Hi Cheryl, thank you so much for- Ow.” She cuts him off with a lifting hug, shaking him a little bit, “Okay, okay, can you put me down I’ve been in a car for hours.”
“Oh right! So sorry!” She sets him down and sets her eyes on Rodrick, “You’re so big! I haven’t seen you in forever!! How’s my nephew!”
Rodrick gives a half-hearted smile and accepts the hug loosely, “Tired.”
“You two are probably exhausted, yeah! Well, there’s leftover pasta in the fridge if you want it before bed, but if not, Rodrick you’ll get the guest room, and Frankie you’ll be on the couch. It’s a pullout so you’ve got a bed!”
Frank gives a weak smile, “Thank you again Cheryl, I do think we’ll both be heading right to bed, where’s Aaron?”
“Oh, you know him. He’s out and about with his girlfriend Cady. C’mon Rodrick, let me show you the room that you’ll be staying in.” She waves her hand to show him up the stairs.
He follows, looking at the family photos and photos of Aaron. He’s certainly done well for himself, a number of sports teams, a girlfriend, and a college only a town over. Hopefully he’s not as overbearing as Rodrick remembers.
“Well sweetie, here’s the room! It’s a bit bland since it’s the guest room, but I’m sure you have some posters to liven it up a bit!” She gives him another hug, “Sleep well Rodrick!”
He blearily waves at her, kicks off his shoes, and flops onto the bed. He should probably get out of his day clothes before falling asleep.
He doesn’t.