* Roderick's popularity rises: Roderick, Greg's older brother, unexpectedly becomes popular at school due to a series of coincidences and his ability to play the guitar. This makes Greg feel even more inadequate and isolated.
* Greg loses Rowley: Rowley becomes close friends with Roderick, leaving Greg feeling betrayed and alone. He desperately tries to win Rowley back, but his attempts backfire.
* The Cheese Touch: Greg is tricked into believing he has the "Cheese Touch" (a mythical curse). This incident leads to Greg's social ostracism and further isolates him from his classmates.
* The Halloween Party: Greg's attempts to redeem himself at Rowley's Halloween party go disastrously wrong. His efforts to impress Rowley and others lead to embarrassing situations and further damage his social standing.
* The "Worst. Halloween. Ever.": The culmination of these events leads to Greg's Halloween party disaster, solidifying his loneliness and the feeling of being "the worst kid in the world."
This rising action builds the tension and creates a sense of impending doom for Greg, ultimately leading to the climax of the story.