Not Your Sidekick Read Online Free PDF Page A

League. Jess knows the laws about pre-Collective tech are to conserve resources and she agrees that’s incredibly important, but she doesn’t see the point of banning most of the media produced before 2035. Why is Shakespeare allowed but Star Wars isn’t? The Collective banned most of Jess’ favorite films.
    It was sheer luck that her parents found another cache just a few days ago. Jess hasn’t had time to go through the films, and had been hoping to watch them with her friends, but she hadn’t counted on Bells being such a stickler for the rules.
    â€œCome on, these films from Old America aren’t that cool anyways.” Bells crosses his legs, leans back, and scrunches up his face. “Like the picture was all flat, and it’s boring, not being able to see it from whatever angle you want.”
    â€œReally? I remember you really liking this one.” Jess presses the hidden lever under the bottom shelf, and the back panel opens to reveal her hidden compartment. She roots about and pulls out a colorful plastic case that’s decorated with Old America’s superheroes, before anyone actually had powers. The film was a lot of fun, and Jess liked the story a lot more than what passes for entertainment in the Collective. She waves the case and sees Bells’ eyes light up. “Yeah?”
    Bells huffs in mock reluctance. “You know me too well.” He takes the case and reads the title and summary fondly. “Yeah, we can watch this again.”
    Jess reaches back inside the compartment. “Didn’t I say I found the sequel?”
    Bells’ mouth falls open, and he’s already making grabby hands. “I guess it’s all right,” he admits. “I mean, you’re going to turn all of it in after we watch it, right?”
    â€œRight,” Jess says. “Here, help me with this.”
    The television is a small, unwieldy block made of different types of plastic. The three of them pull it out from the hiding spot, and Jess pulls out the box with the DVD player and all the assorted cables. It’s been a while since they last used it, but finally it’s all set up, and they flop back on the couch. Jess leans back, and Bells slings his arm around her shoulders as Emma puts her feet up in her lap. Jess pokes at Emma’s socks, and they laugh when Bells tries to get the DVD player to accept a voice command.
    â€œIt’s not my fault this stuff is ancient,” Bells says.
    Jess laughs, gets up, and, amused at the flimsy plastic, puts the colorful disc in the player. An old-fashioned menu pops up, and Jess has to use the arrows on the primitive machine to start the movie.
    â€œIt’s not that old,” Emma says. “My nana still remembers what it was like.”
    â€œReally?” It always seemed like ancient history to Jess. In 2028, the solar flares that would ignite the events known later as the Disasters and throw the population into a time of social and economic peril and great food insecurity… any student could recite a version of the events that changed the world forever, and it always started with “in 2028.” “How old is your great-grandmother?”
    â€œA hundred and seven,” Emma says. “She was born during the Disasters. She was old enough to remember when they formed the Collective after the war. She doesn’t really like to talk about it, though.”
    â€œI bet. Everything must have been so chaotic,” Jess muses. “I mean, people springing up with powers for the first time?”
    Emma nods. “Can you imagine making something like this today?” Bells asks. He holds up the DVD. On the case, a luridly costumed male superhero holds a swooning woman. “Captain Orion would have a fit.”
    Jess laughs. “Yeah, if the Collective made movies with superheroes.” All the official entertainment is so boring. That’s one of the reasons Jess likes