Page 50 of The Sidekick

“Do not joke about this. Who have you told?”

“No one, I swear.” He leans forward as he makes the emphatic statement.

“I don’t believe you. You’ve lost all my trust, you dirty diary reader.”

“You trusted me before?” He smirks.

“That is beside the point,” I sputter out defensively.

“We’re practically best friends. I know so much about you.”

“Best friends don’t read each other’s diaries!”

“Best friends don’t have blackmail material on each other? In what universe?”

“Shut up, Shade! I don’t have any blackmail on you!”

“You do, actually,” he lifts his chin and crosses his arms as he blushes.

I throw my hands up, “You’ve got me. What do I know?”

“That I have a crush on Blaze and Felix,” he gives me a bullheaded look as I stare at him blankly.

“Other people don’t know that?”

“What? No!” He looks a little flustered and panicked. I wish I had a camera right now. This is so far removed from his usual closed-off expression it doesn’t seem real. But it’s hilarious.

“How? You’re so obvious.” It’s unbelievable that he thinks it’s a secret. He stares at them all the time like an emotionless, lost puppy. “Why have you never done anything about it? They’re hot for you, too.”

He stares at me with his jaw dropped.

“Are you shy?”

“Do I look shy to you?” He says belligerently.

Based on the fact that his face has become as red as a tomato, I would say yes, but he seems defensive about it, so I switch gears. “Is it because they’re guys?”

His eyes narrow as his lips thin. “I’m bi. I’m not ashamed.”

Good! We’re making progress. “Is it because there are two of them? It could work if you used proper communication-” I cut myself off with a wince. The last person he needs advice from is me. I’m a crazy mess.

“Andi isn’t the only one interested in multiple partners,” he gives me a judgy side eye and a smug smirk.

This absolutely proves that he read my diary. I wrote about both of my crushes even before one of them started speaking to me. I feel my face burn with embarrassment at getting busted, but the color quickly passes when I remember those were pipe dreams that got flushed.

“You’re emotionally invested and afraid they won’t feel the same. It might be just physical attraction.” I was speaking about my own experience, but from his reaction, I hit the nail on the head. His eyes lower to the can held loosely in his hand, and he swallows hard.

I want to give him the same speech I gave Andi when she started having doubts about each of her guys. Just go for it and see where it leads. Don’t waste time on doubts and grab onto it with both hands. That didn’t work out so well for me, and I’m afraid if I tell Shade the same thing, I might be giving him the worst advice possible. Yeah, it worked for Andi. But she might be the main character one in a million.

It suddenly hits me that Shade might be a sidekick like me. There’s always a chance he could get his own series of adventures and graduate to main character status, but in the meantime, we’re in the same boat.

“What do I do?” He lifts his chin and faces me again with determination lighting his eyes.

“Why are you asking me?” I ask weakly, trying to fend off any chance of interrogation.

“Because that’s what best friends do? That’s what Andi said to somebody, anyway. I’m supposed to vent and get advice. She said you were good at it.”

Oh, no.

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