Sidekick (2 page)

I sip at my drink and pretend I’m not watching her look over the menu. She’s got to be new around here. Even people a few towns over know Parker’s menu by heart. Buck stares at her, and not in a nice way. Dirty old man.

Not like I’m any better.

“I’ll have a bacon burger and a water.” Her voice is lower than I expect, sultry.

When Buck hands over her tray, she turns and, to my surprise, looks right at me, a mischievous grin on her lips. I glance over my shoulder to see if Garret somehow teleported behind me. Not that I’m butt ugly or anything, but girls don’t look at me like they do at him. I’m mostly average, with plain green eyes and dark hair. If I didn’t play football or have Garret, I’d be invisible.

She takes the booth across from mine, facing me. I try to focus on my food, but with the place practically empty it’s weird that she’d sit so close. Why not the table in the corner where I can’t see her eat?

She takes a big bite of her burger and moans. “Holy crap, do they put crack in these?”

I let out a shaky laugh. “If you consider bacon crack, which I do.”

The smile is back. “You’re funny.”

“I was being completely serious.”

She laughs. Can a laugh be sexy? Hers is.

She takes a few more bites. The conversation should probably be over, but I don’t want it to be. There’s something about her that makes me want to know her better. And it’s not just because she’s pretty, but because she’s…interesting. This is my chance to make an impression before Garret shows up, and this girl is the kind you want to make an impression on. “So are you new around here?”

Her eyes narrow. “How’d you know?”

I nod to the front. “You looked at the menu for more than a second. Everyone around here knows Parker’s menu.”

“You were watching me?”

“I…” My face burns. I suck at this. Garret makes it look so easy. He expects girls to want him. I feel like she’s about to laugh in my face. What would he say right now? “Well, you’re kind of hard
not
to notice, honestly.”

Her smile stretches wide. There’s something magic in that smile; it pulls me in more than her beauty or mystery or sexy burger eating. For some reason, I have a feeling she doesn’t smile easily, and earning it feels like a victory. “Do you mind if I sit with you?”

My heart speeds up. “Nope. Go ahead.”

She sits right across from me, and she’s even prettier close up. Her eyes are intense and dark, surprising for a girl with such white-blond hair. It doesn’t look bleached, either. “You alone?”

“Just waiting for a friend,” I manage to get out.

“Girlfriend?”

I raise an eyebrow. “Don’t have one.”

She bites her lip. “Maybe this place won’t be so bad, after all.”

I can feel the smile on my lips as we watch each other. That was definitely flirting. I know these signals—the eye contact, the leaning over to flash a little cleavage, the lip biting—they’re just usually targeted at Garret. But she hasn’t met Garret, and maybe she won’t if he’s in the bathroom forever. Maybe I actually have a chance with her.

Before I can get my hopes up too high, the bathroom door opens. Garret saunters over, not realizing we have an addition to the booth. “Whatever you do, Russ, don’t—” He pauses as he takes in the mystery hottie. “Hello, there.”

“Hey.” The girl appraises Garret, and I know she likes what she sees because she stares just a bit too long. They always do. Half the girls at school are in love with him, even some of the guys. I guess it’s his big brown eyes under that golden hair. And something about his cheeky smile? I stopped listening to the swooning in seventh grade.

After the initial checking out, she goes back to her burger and takes a huge, messy bite.

Garret sits next to her, and my blood runs cold. I know that glint in his eye. “I haven’t seen you around here. Your first time to Parker’s?”

“Oh, yeah, just moved here,” she says through a mouthful of bacon. “Name’s Keira.”

She didn’t give me her name.

“I’m Garret.” He slides his hand behind her, resting it on the booth in his classically smooth way. She doesn’t move. I force myself to stay calm. So what if my best friend just swooped in on a girl that might have had a smidgeon of interest in me? It’s all good.

“Cool.” She shoves the rest of burger in her mouth. “Russ, right?”

I nod, feeling slightly better that she picked up my name from Garret saying it.

“Do they sell these bacon patties in bulk?”

Garret laughs, nudging her playfully. “A girl who shares my affinity for bacon? Where have you been all my life?”

“In Japan.”

“Really?” I say. If Izzy finds out, or
when
she does, my sister will definitely commandeer Keira for her group, whether she wants it or not.

She nods. “Born there.”

“That’s crazy cool,” Garret says.

“Can’t argue that.” She sips her water, completely at ease. I like girls like that, who can be themselves in pajamas and no makeup and still look smoking hot. “So where do you guys go to school?”

“Clovis High,” I say.

She smiles at me again. “Maybe I’ll see you guys there.”

“Definitely.” Garret leans in, and she bites her lip when their eyes meet. “It’s like fate.”

Then she smiles at him, and my chances drop to a million to one. “Do you seriously believe in fate?”

He shrugs. “Right now I do. Russ and I were bored out of our minds at this party, and we were talking about how everything’s been the same for years—”

“Were we?” I fold my arms, not particularly interested in making him look deep and thoughtful.

“Yeah.” He gives me this look, the one I know means I should go along with it. “And now you’re here.”

“I am known for making things interesting.” She downs the rest of her water and stands. “Well, now that my fat craving has been subdued, if you two will excuse me.”

“Of course. Let me walk you to your car. Wouldn’t want you getting mugged or anything,” Garret says.

“Such a gentleman.” She looks back at me on their way out and waves. “See you around, Russ.”

“Yeah, see ya.” I almost follow them, but I can’t bring myself to do it. I’m more than familiar with playing third wheel. How does he do that? Even when I have a lead, he always ends up walking away with the girl. 

I watch them through the glass, wondering what they’re talking about without me. Whatever it is, Keira laughs and smiles a lot. Even more than she did with me. I shouldn’t be surprised. Actually, I’m not.

I suck.

It’s never bothered me that Garret is better at everything. Well, that’s not entirely true. I hate that I can’t come up with one thing I can beat him at, but it’s never bothered me enough to do anything about it. Being friends always beat out whatever jealousy occasionally swept through me. We’ve always had each other’s backs, and I never want to change that.

But for some reason, watching him out there with Keira flips some kind of switch. My heart thumps in my chest; my jaw clenches. I get the urge to hit something. Maybe if I was as smooth as him, Keira would still be smiling at me. I can’t believe he didn’t notice I might be interested. And she was at least a little into me, too.

He sits down, smiling like a fool. “Russ, did you see her body? I had no idea they made girls like that in Japan.”

“Yeah, she’s pretty incredible.” I don’t know why, but I can’t stand the thought of Keira getting chewed up and spit out by the Amazing Garret Dating Machine. I’m sick of the pattern, sick of standing by and watching it happen over and over. She seems like a nice girl; she doesn’t deserve that.

It might be impossible, but I want to beat my best friend at something. He’s not getting this girl.

Chapter Two

We live in Hamilton Villa, a typical California subdivision—the kind where there are only four house plans, but they reverse them and paint them different colors to make the neighborhood look less homogenous. My dad is a pilot, and the Fresno airport is close enough when he does manage to get home. Garret’s dad works in human resources in some tall building downtown.

Lots of people say they’ve known their friends since before they could walk, but that is literally the case with us. Our moms were pregnant at the same time—had the exact same due date. October first. Garret came two days early, and I came two days late. That’s pretty much the story of my life right there.

We stop at the curb in front of Garret’s house, which is exactly like my house except reversed and painted baby blue instead of sea green. Garret lets out a long, weary sigh. “I think I’m gonna break up with Mercedes.”

“Let her down easy, okay?”

He looks at me. “You act like you knew it was coming.”

“I can read your mind, Garr. Did you forget?”

“Damn Jedi.”

“Hell, yeah.” I hop out of the car with a smile, though part of me still wants to beat him up over Keira. “At least wait a week until you pick up another one, okay?”

He slams his door, laughing. “Good idea. Night, man.”

“Yup.” I head to my house, which was built to look like some Southern plantation home, but it’s just barely older than me. I hop up the porch stairs and unlock the door.

“Russ! Hurry up! You’ve only missed one episode of
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya!
” Izzy calls from the living room.

I take my shoes off—since Mom would cut off my feet if I didn’t—and go to see what crazy friends Izzy’s gathered for her late night dorkery. It’s the usuals tonight, just Admiral Colin Underwood and Izzy’s best friend, Daphne Whose-Last-Name-Will-Not-Be-Mentioned.

Colin isn’t really an Admiral, of course. He’s just a skinny nerd boy who follows my sister around like a little puppy. It’s horrible, but I have a feeling Izzy latched on to him because he’s the only Asian at school who doesn’t think she’s a freak. I just call him Admiral because the guy is obsessed with WWII battles. If you even mention a boat, prepare yourself for a three-hour dissertation on the miracle that was the Battle of Guadalcanal. Apparently, it was a Big Deal.

Daphne Whose-Last-Name-Will-Not-Be-Mentioned is half Indian, with intense dark eyes, jet-black hair, and the perfect skin white people spend hours in tanning beds to achieve. She hates her last name, and I don’t blame her. Any kid with her last name will get made fun of relentlessly. If you say it in her presence, she will hurt you. I know this from experience. Let’s just say I spent the next day with an ice pack on my crotch. Damn her and her brown belt in Judo.

And then there’s Izzy, who’s staring at me impatiently with her big, crystal-blue eyes. The girl could be raging popular if she wanted. It’s not like she’s fat or shy or ugly. She’s just…weird. Example: She’s wearing footie pajamas at sixteen—footie pajamas with Pikachu printed all over them. The cat ear headband perched in her long, brown hair isn’t exactly helping, either. But I’ve come to appreciate her eccentricities, at least in the privacy of our own house.

She has the big screen paused on a girl with giant eyes and short brown hair. “So are you watching or not? Because this is the perfect time to recap. We just started episode two.”

“Hmm.” I draw out my decision just because I know it’ll annoy her. Once she starts the marathon, it’s hard for her to stop. She even schedules bathroom breaks, and no one is allowed to get up until then.

She stomps her foot, which makes her look four years old with the footie jammies. “Russell Arnold Pearson, stop being such a nimrod! I don’t care if you’re Mister Awesome Running Back, I’ll kick you out of my party.”

I fold my arms, resisting the urge to smile. “How girly is it?”

Colin sets down his strawberry Fanta and straightens his vintage-style glasses. “Pretty girly—”

“Not as girly as
Fushigi Yuugi
, and you watched that,” Daphne interrupts. She doesn’t dress as weirdly as Izzy, though she does have a thing for crazy bright colors. In the blue tank, she could almost pass as a cheerleader with her toned Judo body. You just have to look past the nose ring, heavy black eyeliner, and neon orange lipstick.

“Wasn’t finished.” Colin throws popcorn at her. “But there’s a hot chick in a bunny outfit. And boob grabbage.”

I raise an eyebrow. I try to avoid the girly anime, though
Fushigi Yuugi
did have some sweet fighting scenes. But let’s face it, boob grabbage is an alluring thing. And anime boobs are always over-the-top and awesome.

“Okay, I’m in.” I grab a Fanta and sit in the recliner.

Izzy rolls her eyes, but smiles. Whether she admits it or not, she likes having me around. We never fight. I don’t know why, since I swear we come from different planets. But maybe that’s it—we’ve never had to compete with each other.

She fills me in on what’s happened so far and then restarts the second episode. I consider myself special for getting an episode restart. That hasn’t happened since
Vampire Knight
at the end of last school year, when Daphne threatened to burn Izzy’s Sailor Moon bed sheets if she didn’t let her see episode twelve. Grade A weirdo drama there.

This anime is one of those quirky high school comedies that I don’t like as much as the more action-oriented stuff. But the boob grabbage, so far, is worth it. And it’s kind of funny. Strangely enough, the main character reminds me of Izzy.

“Ten minute break!” Izzy bolts to the bathroom after episode ten. It’s approaching four in the morning, and both Colin and Daphne are about to pass out.

“So I take it we lost the Homecoming game,” Colin says, half slurring his words.

“We won.” I finish off my third Fanta.

They both perk up, staring at me funny.

“What?”

Colin glances at Daphne, and Daphne takes a deep breath, like she’s about to deliver a death sentence. “Is something wrong?”

“No. Why?”

“It’s just…” Daphne shrugs. “You usually come home drunk when we win.”

“Oh.” I’m mildly creeped out that Daphne knows my habits so well, but she’s hung out with Izzy every weekend since sixth grade. They’re practically siblings. Then I realize why Izzy restarted the episode; she thought I was down about the game. “No, Garr wanted to go to Parker’s after. So we went.”