Page 15 of Runaways

"Whatever it is you really want to say."

"I'm not sure you'll like it."

"That's never stopped you before."

"True." He pauses and then holds up one finger. "Do you want a beer, Noah?"

I shrug. "I guess."

As he walks into the kitchen, I swing my legs onto the sofa and lean back, kicking Silas in the leg. "What is he doing?" I ask.

"Honestly, Noah, I have no fucking idea."

Tate sits in a chair across from us, unscrews the cap from the beer bottle, and slides it across the coffee table toward me. As I grab it and take a swig, he says, "You look pretty. Where were you and Mia supposed to go tonight?"

"Calvin Schaffer's party," I say.

He and Silas exchange a look; I notice Silas suppressing a laugh before burying it into his beer bottle.

"What?" I ask him. "Why is that funny?"

"It's not funny," Silas says.

"Then why are you smiling like that?"

"I'm just smiling because I'm happy."

"Yeah, right."

"Don't you get tired of it, Noah?" Tate asks.

I sigh. "Tired of what?"

"Being Mia's sidekick."

I didn't. Not before, anyway. But…now that she spends all of her time with Levi, and I spend all of my time waiting for her to have time for me, yeah. I'm tired of it.

Not to mention that no one ever pays any attention to me when I'm standing next to Mia.

"I'm not her sidekick," I tell him.

"Don't you have any other friends?"

"Yeah. Silas is my friend."

My phone buzzes beside me, and I grab it, reading Mia's text.

MIA OMG, Noah! I totally forgot. I'm in Portland. Levi got us concert tickets! I promise, next weekend, we'll hang out.

"Aren't you tired of it?" Tate asks again.

I shake my head, visibly annoyed. "What do you suggest I do?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe you could be my sidekick."

"Silas is your sidekick…or you're his or whatever."

"There's no rule that says you can only have one sidekick. I think a person should be able to have as many sidekicks as they want, as long as everyone involved is happy with the situation."

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