“Rodrick actually got ahold of my LAST journal a few weeks back, and it was a disaster.”

At the beginning of the novel, Greg explains why he will have to be extra diligent when it comes to protecting his new journal. Greg has always been self-conscious about the fact that he writes in a journal at all, and with an older brother around who loves to pick on him, Greg is afraid of being teased relentlessly. In this passage, Jeff Kinney implies that something terrible happened over the summer, and it had something to do with Greg’s journal.

“I took one look at the picture on the CD and told Rowley that Joshie was supposed to be for six-year-old girls, but he didn’t believe me. Rowley said I was just jealous because he was the one who ‘discovered’ Joshie.”

Although Greg and Rowley call each other best friends, their friendship is full of tension. Greg cares deeply about being cool and fitting in, whereas Rowley never hesitates to do what makes him happy. However, Rowley can hold his own against Greg, and he won’t allow Greg to bully him into giving up his interests.

“Rodrick is the only one who knows about this REALLY embarrassing thing that happened to me over the summer [...] So if I ever tell on him for anything, he’ll spill my secret to the whole world.”

In Rodrick Rules, Kinney dangles a mystery in front of the reader in the opening chapters without fully explaining the embarrassing situation until the very end of the novel. By dropping small hints and constantly reminding the reader that Rodrick can spill Greg’s secret at any moment, Kinney builds tension throughout the novel, which comes to a head when Rodrick decides to get revenge on Greg for “ruining” his shot at fame after the talent show fiasco.