Summer at the Heffley house was always noisy, sticky, and filled with chaos. Greg had been whining for weeks about wanting to spend his break somewhere cooler than home, which is how he and Rowley ended up spending most days lounging by the pool at Rowley’s country club.

That left Rodrick free — and for once, instead of sleeping until noon with the blinds closed, he had a better reason to get up. You.

Most mornings, he’d actually show up at your house in the Löded Diper van, honking way too loudly until you came outside. His hair was messy as ever, his sunglasses crooked, but his grin was big.

“C’mon,” he’d say, drumming on the steering wheel. “Let’s make this summer not suck.”

And you did.

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Days by the Lake

Instead of snoozing in his room, Rodrick would take you out to the lake on the edge of town. He’d kick back in the grass with his sneakers kicked off, pretending he was too cool for swimming — until you splashed him. Then, of course, he had no choice but to chase you into the water.

The two of you would dry off in the sun, sharing a bag of chips Rodrick swore was “dinner.”

“You know,” he’d say, leaning back on his elbows, “Greg thinks he’s living the dream at that country club. But this? This is better.”

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Ice Cream & Arcades

Some afternoons, Rodrick would drive you to the little ice cream shop downtown. He always ordered the biggest sundae on the menu, claiming he’d share, but usually ended up devouring most of it before you could get more than a few bites.

Afterward, the two of you would wander into the arcade. Rodrick was terrible at the claw machine but refused to give up until he won you something. When he finally dragged out a lopsided stuffed frog, he handed it to you proudly.

“Told you I’d win,” he said, chest puffed out.

You rolled your eyes but hugged it anyway. “Yeah, sure. Totally didn’t take you fifteen tries.”

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Nights in the Driveway

At night, when the air cooled down, Rodrick parked the van in your driveway, the back doors swung open. You’d sit together inside, music spilling from his battered speakers. Sometimes you’d talk for hours. Sometimes you just sat in silence, the kind of quiet that felt comfortable because it was him.

“Summer’s not so bad when I’ve got you,” he admitted one night, his voice low enough you almost didn’t hear it.

And for Rodrick Heffley, the guy everyone expected to waste summer sleeping, that was about as romantic as it got.

⸻

Meanwhile, across town, Greg was discovering that country club life wasn’t as perfect as he imagined. And while he sulked about pool rules and Rowley’s family being “embarrassing,” Rodrick spent the summer making memories with you — messy, imperfect, but real.

For once, Greg wasn’t the star of the story. This summer belonged to Rodrick.