Bookmarked - A Rodrick x Reader Fan Fiction

Chapter 3 - The Popsicle

Finally making it into town, each shop was stacked by bricks and had large storefront windows. People were milling about, going into stores and leaving them, saying hello to others if they crossed paths. You parked your car near the park, which was in the center of everything. There were large trees that loomed overhead, creating shade and dropping the temperature about 10 degrees. It was small, but had a large fountain for people to throw their wishes into and benches for people to watch. Currently, there was a kids birthday party going on, a large bounce house included.

Walking towards the ice cream shop, which was shaped like an ice cream cone, Rowley was talking about his classes finishing up for the year. You were glad to hear that he was doing well in his classes. Greg was an entirely different story.

"My mom is going to make me take summer school with a tutor. I can't have that happen. I need time to play games and relax this summer. Junior year is super important. My parents won't buy me a car if my grades are bad. My mom said for my 17th birthday, she'd buy me a car. Only if my grades in my first semester of junior year were good." Greg seemed both upset and excited. It kind of makes sense that his parents would set that rule. You probably wouldn't have half the stuff you did if you weren't a good student.

"So you're taking summer classes this summer?" You ask, kicking a rock that had fallen onto the walking path back into the grass. Walking with the two of them felt natural. You were still very obvious of the age gap. You felt more like a mentor, if anything. This was the line of work you wanted to go into, with children and just speaking to them and listening if no one else will.

"Well, my mom was able to work out a deal with my teachers. In a month, if I take a test that covers all my failing classes and pass, they'll give me a D for my sophomore year. I'll pass those classes, but barely. So I have to do better Junior Year." Greg seemed like he was really hard on himself about this. Loads of kids weren't good students for a number of reasons. They could have something physically or mentally wrong going on in their life, personal family things, or they weren't receiving the right support for school.

"Well, coming from someone who's been in school longer than you have, I know what works and doesn't work as a student. Why do you think you're failing classes at school, Greg?" You ask him, hoping it was something you could help him with. Obviously his older brother couldn't give him any advice judging by how he treated you.

"Well, my teachers don't take what I say seriously. They all think I'm just like my brother and will screw up like him. They give other kids multiple chances on tests and assignments, but me? I don't get any slack or redos or sympathy. Just because of Rodrick, that asshole." He whispers that last part, as if saying it outloud would summon him.

Rodrick, that was his name. That name was in the Bible, you remember. While you weren't necessarily the religious type, you did once read the Bible just to see what all the fuss was about. You didn't discriminate on books as a reader. You just simply read whatever you could get your eyes on. It was good to have a diversified portfolio.

Rowley tenses at Greg's language. Rowley may have been a 16 year old boy, but he would never swear. He said once Greg tried to pay him to do it and he still refused. Other kids at school got involved and the pot went up to like $300. It then got shut down when a teacher found out or maybe it was when a teacher also tried to bet. You didn't remember that story too well because it honestly didn't seem real.

"Yeah, when I was at your house..." You wondered how to phrase what had happened. There was no way the boys in the car could see what you saw, which was his entire backside. "He seemed like a real piece of work." But that also was a bad way to phrase it because he WAS a real piece of work. You hadn't seen many nude males, well let's be honest here, none in real life that wasn't an actor in a movie. You weren't sure if it was a good or bad thing that you couldn't get his body out of your mind. Or that you wondered what the front of it looked like.