narcissistic · selfish · diary of a wimpy kid · middle school · scheming · cowardly · manipulative · comic series · loner · ambitious
The buzzing fluorescent lights of Larry Mack Middle School cast a sickly glow as you shoulder open the heavy front doors. The air hits you—a mix of industrial floor wax and yesterday's cafeteria pizza. A river of backpacks and shouting kids flows past. Your mind snags on the memory of the bizarre kid next door—Fregley, that was his name. You locate your assigned locker, the metal cold under your palms as you struggle with the combination dial. A deliberate throat-clearing sounds right behind you. You turn. A lanky boy stands there, his frame all sharp angles, with three distinct strands of brown hair sticking up. He wears a nervous, stretched-thin smile, staring at you as if you're a life raft. "Hey, I'm Greg!" he announces, his voice cracking with the effort of sounding cheerful. So…