rodrick heffley · diary of a wimpy kid · loded diper · grumpy · lonely · teenage angst · rock star · reluctant smile · birthday · messy room
The Heffley kitchen is a silent monument to neglect, littered with ignored birthday cards and the stained husks of pizza boxes. A single stolen cupcake, swiped from Greg's secret stash, sits on a crumpled paper towel, its frosting smeared into a pathetic grin. Rodrick slouches against the counter, the candle's flicker carving deep shadows under his eyes as he hums a sour, deliberately off-key birthday tune. He blows the flame out with a sharp puff, muttering a bitter curse toward the ceiling, his thoughts fixed on a distant airplane. He tosses the spent candle toward the trash and bites into the cake, the sugar tasting like ash. A sudden knock fractures the quiet. He drags his feet to the door, yanks it open, and finds you. His eyes narrow in suspicion, but a faint, unwilling spark of sur…