Doesn't Know

1.3

Edited/Rewritten

The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed faintly as Rodrick and Y/N walked through the crowded hallways of Plainview High. The first day of school was in full swing, and the building was alive with the sounds of slamming lockers, shouted greetings, and the unmistakable din of teenagers trying to reestablish their place in the social hierarchy. Y/N glanced around, frowning at the sight of teachers and hall monitors stationed like sentinels at every corner.

The "Welcome Back Students!" banner hanging crookedly over the main staircase did little to lift her spirits. Summer was officially over.

"Back to prison," she muttered under her breath, shifting the strap of her backpack higher onto her shoulder.

Rodrick smirked beside her, his hands stuffed lazily into the pockets of his ripped jeans. "Relax, princess. You've got me. Could be worse."

Y/N rolled her eyes, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "You're my survival kit, huh? You—the guy who spent all summer stealing the remote, hogging the AC, and eating every last pizza roll?"

"Hey, those pizza rolls were fuel for creativity," he shot back. "And you didn't complain when I let you sit in on band practice."

She snorted. "Oh, yeah. Hours of you guys arguing over how loud the bass should be. What a dream."

Rodrick shrugged, unfazed. "You loved it."

She didn't answer, but they both knew he wasn't entirely wrong. Spending the summer at the Heffleys' house had been chaotic—Rodrick's endless drumming, Greg's antics, and the general noise that came with three boys under one roof—but it had been better than staying at her own house, where the constant tension made it hard to breathe.

A familiar voice cut through the noise of the hallway. "Y/N!"

Before she could even turn around, Jenna came bounding toward her, arms outstretched. Y/N barely had time to brace herself before her friend threw her into a bear hug.

"Oh my God, I missed you so much!" Jenna exclaimed, squeezing her tightly.

Y/N laughed, patting her back. "Jenna, we literally saw each other two days ago."

"Two days too long!" Jenna declared, pulling away. Her attention immediately shifted to Rodrick, who had been standing behind Y/N, watching the interaction with mild amusement.

"Hey, Rodrick," Jenna said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Her voice had taken on a flirtatious lilt that made Y/N suppress a groan.

Rodrick raised a hand in an awkward wave. "Uh... hey, Jenna."

Y/N caught the faint grimace on his face and smirked to herself. Jenna's crush on Rodrick had been painfully obvious for years, but Rodrick's complete lack of interest only made it more entertaining.

"Anyway," Y/N said, cutting in before Jenna could launch into full flirt mode, "Rodrick and I need to find our classes. Catch you later?"

Jenna's expression faltered slightly, but she recovered quickly. "Yeah, of course! See you at lunch!"

Grabbing Rodrick by the wrist, Y/N tugged him away from the scene.

"You're welcome," she muttered once they were out of earshot.

"For what?"

"Saving you from that train wreck."

Rodrick chuckled, shaking his head. "You act like I can't handle myself."

"Oh, sure. You were totally handling it. Looked real smooth back there," she teased.

They made their way through the hallway, dodging clusters of students and the occasional rogue backpack. When they passed the entrance to the school's courtyard, Y/N stopped abruptly, pulling Rodrick toward the door.

"Where are we going?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Anywhere but class," she replied.

Outside, the air was cooler, and the courtyard was mostly empty. The school hadn't gotten around to replacing the cracked benches or repainting the peeling walls, but it was a nice change from the claustrophobic hallways.

Y/N dropped her bag onto the ground and leaned against the wall, pulling a blunt from her back pocket.

Rodrick grinned. "Well, well. Didn't think you had it in you, princess."

"Shut up," she said, laughing as she lit the end of the blunt. She took a drag before handing it to him.

Rodrick took it eagerly, leaning his head back against the wall and closing his eyes as he exhaled. "Now this is how you survive the first day of school."

"Stop hogging it," Y/N said, snatching it back from him.

The two sat there in companionable silence, passing the blunt back and forth as the sounds of the school faded into the background. For a brief moment, it felt like summer hadn't ended after all.

The moment was cut short by a loud voice. "HEY!"

They both froze, turning to see a hall monitor marching toward them with a stern expression and a badge that screamed "overachiever."

"Crap," Y/N muttered, hastily putting out the blunt and grabbing Rodrick's arm. "Run!"

Rodrick didn't need to be told twice. The two of them bolted across the courtyard, laughter bubbling up as they dodged benches and darted around corners.

By the time they made it to the parking lot, they were both out of breath but grinning like idiots.

"What now?" Y/N asked, leaning against Rodrick's van.

Rodrick pulled his keys from his pocket, twirling them around his finger. "We could grab food. I'm starving."

"Of course you are," she said, rolling her eyes. "Fine. Burgers?"

"Burgers," he confirmed, unlocking the van.

As they climbed in, the school bell rang in the distance, signaling the start of first period. Y/N glanced out the window, watching as students filed into the building, and felt a small pang of guilt.

But then Rodrick turned the radio up, and the opening chords of a rock song filled the van. He shot her a grin as he pulled out of the parking lot, and she couldn't help but smile back.

First day of school or not, they had the whole day ahead of them.