The SVE Club

16. Sidekick

SVE Members:
Midas Aldridge- Leader
Evan Swartz- Sniper
Rachel Patterson- Climber
Willow Molona- ...Ninja?
Nathan Weeks- Card Shark
Samantha Wilson

The list was pinned on the board bright and early next morning, students crowding around, praying to see their own names. Only five had the satisfaction of knowing they'd made it. But one of the five had a burning question.

"Midas!"

Midas cringed and turned to find Sam limping towards him at top speed. She'd ditched the crutch, but still moved quite gingerly. She fought through throngs of students that were chattering about the past day's strange events, including Overdrive's confrontation and the peculiar interviews held in B3.

"Hey there, leader," Sam laughed once she'd caught up to Midas, elbowing him playfully. "So, I saw the list. There's a huge crowd, a lot of people are going to be disappointed."

"Not our problem," Midas said. "If they didn't have what it took, they shouldn't have tried out."

    Sam nodded, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach. "Hey, I wanted to ask you something."

    "Yeah?" Midas said.

"Well, on the list all the other members have their roles written next to their names," Sam said. She stopped walking. "Except for me."

"And you want to know what your role is?" Midas asked.

Sam nodded, her usually smiling mouth making a hard, confused line.

"You don't have one," Midas answered as he continued walking.

Sam didn't let him get far before catching up to him.

"What do you mean I don't have a role?" Sam shrieked.

Midas shrugged. "You're the one that wanted to join this club without a skill; it's not my fault you're completely useless to the team."

    Sam froze.

"Completely useless?" she whispered, obviously stung.

"It's fine," Midas said. "Every team needs a mascot, right?"

"Mascot?!" Sam yelled, snapping out of it. "I worked my butt off getting this club going, suffered through those interviews and saved your neck from that villain girl, and I'm still just a mascot to you?!"

"Mascot slash secretary," Midas said, looking away. "Unless..."

Sam crossed her arms. "Unless what?"

Midas looked at her again.

"How do you feel about being a sidekick?"

Sam's jaw dropped open.

"S-sidekick?" she stuttered, her voice breaking. In her minds eye, she saw all of her most cherished dreams, those of becoming a real hero, turning to dust as if Midas had disintegrated them. Sam stood frozen in the hallway, a strange pain in her chest. She couldn't move.

"That's what I thought," Midas said gruffly, brushing past her. He had made it halfway down the hall when-

"Midas!"

Midas turned around slowly, as did many students. Everyone was watching Sam, who glared at Midas, hands shaking.

"Fine!" she shouted. "I'll be a sidekick."

She marched towards Midas and stood in front of him, hands placed defiantly on her hips.

"In fact," she said quietly, seething, "I'll be your sidekick. Since you obviously enjoy my company."

If Midas was surprised, he didn't show it.

"Good," he said with a half smile. "Then you'd better come on, sidekick." He turned around and made as if to leave without her.

"Don't call me 'sidekick'," Sam muttered.

"Hurry up, sidekick, we'll be late," Midas said, obviously having fun teasing Sam.

Sam just groaned and followed him. It was quite a blow to her confidence. In the hero world, 'Sidekicks' were to 'Heroes' as nurses are to doctors, or paralegals are to lawyers; less training, less pay and less fame. And- following this parallel- despite all the work sidekicks do behind the scenes, the glory was always reaped by the heroes.

    "I'll get there one day," Sam reassured herself under her breath.

    "What was that?" Midas asked.

    "Nothing," Sam answered.

    Midas shook his head. "You really shouldn't talk to yourself like that. People already think you're crazy."

    "Maybe I am," Sam muttered, still talking to herself.

    Midas groaned. "You're a real pain sometimes, you know? It's like you're stuck to me like... like..."

    "Glitter?" Sam asked dryly.

    "A rusted metal spike," Midas finally decided.

    "So you're saying I'm a dangerous weapon?" Sam questioned.

    "I'm saying you're painful to have around. And you're probably gonna end up killing me one day," Midas retorted.

"The same could be said for glitter," Sam mused quietly.

    "Allllldriiiiidge!" a shrill voice suddenly interrupted.

Midas and Sam both winced as the assistant principal stormed towards them.

"You need to come. Now," Miss O'Brian huffed.

"What did I do?" Midas asked, despite being surprised this hadn't come sooner.

Miss O'Brian gave him a sly smile. "What didn't you do?"

Midas stared at her blankly.

"Come on," Miss O'Brian ordered.

    "We're starting to make a habit of this," Midas told the woman. "I got worried when you didn't come for me yesterday, thought you might have had a stroke or something."

    Miss O'Brian said nothing, simply grunted and began leading Midas by the shoulder once again.

    "See you around, 'Leader'," Sam said, making air quotes.

    "See you around," Midas replied, "...Sidekick."

    Sam clenched her fists as she watched him leave. She was beginning to wonder why she had ever begged for his autograph.