Read Online Sidekick by Natalie Whipple - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Natalie Whipple
Tags: Contemporary
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out of the line, Garr waves at me again. I gulp. It feels like everyone’s eyes are on me, waiting to see if I’ll join the freaks. And what will happen then? I can almost smell Dallas’s hope—he wants me to sit over there so badly he’d probably drag me over and shove me into the seat if I couldn’t kick his ass for it.
“So?” Dallas pushes again.
I shake my head. “Nah, man, I’m not going over there. I’ll ask him later.”
“Good idea. At least you still have some sense.” Dallas slaps me on the back, and we sit with the team. I spend the rest of lunch ignoring the death stares coming from Izzy’s table.
Chapter Ten
After practice, Garret and I end up at his house in front of the Xbox. There’s also an entire Costco box of Bagel Bites involved. And a 12-pack of Mountain Dew. I’m too hungry to complain about how truly disgusting Bagel Bites are. We shovel them in with as little chewing as possible.
I’m already sick of people asking me about what happened at lunch, or if I know anything about the new skater chick, or if Garret and I “broke up.” He hasn’t said anything yet, but the team was always in earshot.
I sprawl out on Garret’s floor—since he actually keeps his room clean—in the mood to shoot the crap out of some zombies. He tosses me a controller and sits on the edge of his bed. “Dude, what was up with you at lunch?”
I scoff. “What was up with me? What was up with you ?”
He smiles wide and shakes his head. “I don’t know, man. That was kind of crazy, huh.”
“Uh, yeah.” I choose a zombie hunter, glad it’s a game where we’re on the same team. I rarely beat him at video games. No matter how many hours I devote to Mario Kart or Mortal Kombat or whatever, he always comes out on top. I never say anything, but I think he’s figured out I might not play if I have to play against him. He never suggests those kinds of games anymore.
“It didn’t sound like a big deal when Keira said I should eat with her, but I felt like an idiot after you didn’t back me up,” he says.
The level loads and I shoot a few zombies while I figure out what to say. Am I supposed to feel guilty? I guess I feel bad for not backing him up, but I don’t see why I have to go down just because he’s after Keira. If he wants her bad enough to throw away everything else, maybe I don’t want to compete. “I couldn’t. Dallas was practically ready to dethrone you already.”
“Dethrone?” He laughs as he takes out a pack of moaning undead. “You make it sound like I’m king of the school.”
I roll my eyes. He really doesn’t get it. Garret is still that kid who’s good at everything and doesn’t understand why people make such a big deal out of it. He hates being popular, rarely ever admits or shows that he is. Which I guess I’m glad for, because I’d have to kick his ass otherwise. “You are, whether you want to be or not.”
He sighs. “Whatever. I could say the same thing about you.”
“Yeah, right. Do kings usually come in second on everything?”
“You really don’t get it, do—”
“Look, either way, you can’t hang out with the freaks just because you’re having some life crisis or whatever.” I dodge a zombie at the last minute and Garr takes care of it for me. “At least not in public.”
At that point his door swings open and Tucker comes bouncing in, looking just like a little Garret clone. “Can I play?”
“Not right now, bud.” Garret keeps his eyes on the screen but takes a big health hit with the distraction.
“Please?” Tucker drags out the word.
“We’ll play after dinner, okay?”
“Okay!” Tucker leaves without a second thought because Garret is that kind of brother. If he says he’ll do something with Tucker, he does. Girls think it’s infinitely adorable, too. It’s annoying that he can get away with doting on Tucker when I can’t even admit to caring about Izzy like I do.
“If I’m the king of the
“So?” Dallas pushes again.
I shake my head. “Nah, man, I’m not going over there. I’ll ask him later.”
“Good idea. At least you still have some sense.” Dallas slaps me on the back, and we sit with the team. I spend the rest of lunch ignoring the death stares coming from Izzy’s table.
Chapter Ten
After practice, Garret and I end up at his house in front of the Xbox. There’s also an entire Costco box of Bagel Bites involved. And a 12-pack of Mountain Dew. I’m too hungry to complain about how truly disgusting Bagel Bites are. We shovel them in with as little chewing as possible.
I’m already sick of people asking me about what happened at lunch, or if I know anything about the new skater chick, or if Garret and I “broke up.” He hasn’t said anything yet, but the team was always in earshot.
I sprawl out on Garret’s floor—since he actually keeps his room clean—in the mood to shoot the crap out of some zombies. He tosses me a controller and sits on the edge of his bed. “Dude, what was up with you at lunch?”
I scoff. “What was up with me? What was up with you ?”
He smiles wide and shakes his head. “I don’t know, man. That was kind of crazy, huh.”
“Uh, yeah.” I choose a zombie hunter, glad it’s a game where we’re on the same team. I rarely beat him at video games. No matter how many hours I devote to Mario Kart or Mortal Kombat or whatever, he always comes out on top. I never say anything, but I think he’s figured out I might not play if I have to play against him. He never suggests those kinds of games anymore.
“It didn’t sound like a big deal when Keira said I should eat with her, but I felt like an idiot after you didn’t back me up,” he says.
The level loads and I shoot a few zombies while I figure out what to say. Am I supposed to feel guilty? I guess I feel bad for not backing him up, but I don’t see why I have to go down just because he’s after Keira. If he wants her bad enough to throw away everything else, maybe I don’t want to compete. “I couldn’t. Dallas was practically ready to dethrone you already.”
“Dethrone?” He laughs as he takes out a pack of moaning undead. “You make it sound like I’m king of the school.”
I roll my eyes. He really doesn’t get it. Garret is still that kid who’s good at everything and doesn’t understand why people make such a big deal out of it. He hates being popular, rarely ever admits or shows that he is. Which I guess I’m glad for, because I’d have to kick his ass otherwise. “You are, whether you want to be or not.”
He sighs. “Whatever. I could say the same thing about you.”
“Yeah, right. Do kings usually come in second on everything?”
“You really don’t get it, do—”
“Look, either way, you can’t hang out with the freaks just because you’re having some life crisis or whatever.” I dodge a zombie at the last minute and Garr takes care of it for me. “At least not in public.”
At that point his door swings open and Tucker comes bouncing in, looking just like a little Garret clone. “Can I play?”
“Not right now, bud.” Garret keeps his eyes on the screen but takes a big health hit with the distraction.
“Please?” Tucker drags out the word.
“We’ll play after dinner, okay?”
“Okay!” Tucker leaves without a second thought because Garret is that kind of brother. If he says he’ll do something with Tucker, he does. Girls think it’s infinitely adorable, too. It’s annoying that he can get away with doting on Tucker when I can’t even admit to caring about Izzy like I do.
“If I’m the king of the
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