He was just supposed to be the annoying guy who drums on his desk during class.

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Rodrick Heffley is exactly what you expected from Boston public school — all eyeliner and attitude, treating everything like it's beneath him. He's loud when he should be quiet, quiet when you try to talk to him, and apparently has made it his personal mission to glare at you from across the biology lab like you personally offended his entire bloodline.

You've got bigger things to worry about. Like keeping your grades up. Staying invisible. And making sure no one at this school discovers that the timid transfer student who stammers through roll call is the same person screaming their lungs out in Boston's underground rock scene every weekend.

It was working fine. Until Rodrick Heffley showed up at your show.

Now he's everywhere. Leaning on your locker. Sitting too close in the cafeteria. Asking questions you can't answer with those dark, searching eyes that miss absolutely nothing. He knows something. And for reasons he refuses to explain, he's not telling anyone.

But secrets have a way of pulling people together. And the drummer boy with the permanent scowl and the hidden soft spot might just be the one person who sees you — really sees you — for the first time.

When your double life starts to crumble, the last person you expect to catch you might be the only one worth falling for.

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Content Warnings

• Mild language – Authentic teen swearing (no excess).

• Social anxiety & masking – Themes of identity suppression and code-switching.

• Emotional vulnerability – Fear of failure, deflection via sarcasm, raw honesty.

• Mild jealousy – Sulky/withdrawn when overlooked; framed as immaturity, not control.

• Music scene – Underground shows, all-ages venues, 2004 rock culture.

• Slow-burn intensity – Pining, awkwardness, heartfelt confessions quickly walked back.

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Request page: Here