Ben Segal and Rodrick Heffley grew up practically joined at the hip. Rodrick spent his adolescence dreaming about the perfect romance with the perfect girl, while Ben longed to spend the rest of his life with his childhood best friend. Yet, every cl...
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"Dad, could I have some gas money?" Rodrick asked his father. It was almost midnight, the lazy evening air filling the living room of 12 Surrey Street. "The van's been acting up."
"You know what, Rodrick, can you come here, please?" Frank asked, pulling up a chair for his son to sit in. The normally-airy dining room of the Heffley family felt claustrophobic and airless in the evening, and Rodrick's chest tightened as he took the seat beside his father.
"Yeah..." Rodrick trailed off, confused. He passed his classes with B's and C's, and was reasonably content with what he had accomplished thus far; he couldn't think of a reason why Frank would be upset at him. "What's up?"
"We need to have a talk, son," Frank stressed, standing up from his seat, "About your future. Your brother already has a job, kid! What are you planning on doing with yourself?"
"I'm gonna drum," Rodrick shrugged. "And if that doesn't work out, I'll sell my...plasma," he said, half jokingly.
"Very funny, Rodrick, but what if you lose an arm and can't drum anymore? Where are you gonna get the money for travel fees? Instrument repairs? Are you just gonna sit around all day and not do shit?! How are you gonna provide for your family?!" Frank retorted, suddenly losing his temper.
"What if I don't want a family?!" Rodrick said, with the sole intention of provoking his father. "What if I don't want kids? What if I just wanna make music with my friends?! I don't want your life, Dad. Just let me live my dream."
The tense atmosphere of the room seemed to crumble all at once, everybody's emotions flying out like a stab wound to the heart.
"That's how you wanna act, huh, friend," Frank sighed, getting down to Rodrick's level. "How are you supposed to live your dream if you're nothing?! You have no motivation. You have no future. Don't expect Susan and I to save you when you're at the bottom of the barrel. And don't expect any sane woman to, either."
"And what if I don't end up with a woman, huh, Frank?! What the hell would you do?" Rodrick scoffed, spitting at Frank. Having never thought about his sexuality before, Rodrick only sought to spite his father.
"We don't talk about that unnatural behavior under this roof!" Frank roared, standing up to face his son. "It's that Ben kid, isn't it? And his sorry excuse for parents. You're so impressionable, Rodrick. Don't let a kid like that influence what you do with your life! Do you wanna be a lowlife, good for nothing piece of work like his sister is?!"
"What are you gonna do?" Rodrick played along, clearly under the impression that his father believed him to be queer. "Send me to Spag Union? Your worst fear just might come true."
