**Sidekick Showcase ~ #51**

Sidekick Showcase (previously known as Sidekick Saturday) is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jaclyn at JC's Book Haven. There are many secondary characters that are as great as the primaries. In some cases, the sidekicks actually steal the show and you like them better than the heroine or hero. Maybe they didn't have enough page time for how great they were. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Choose a sidekick *or someone other than the hero or heroine* that you would like to put in the spotlight that fits in this week's type
• Share a picture (if possible) and information about the character
• Give the title and author of a book the character can be found in
• Please don't include too many spoilers when describing why the character is such a great sidekick
• Put your link in the Linky thing and comment

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August's themes are Artistic, Musical, Twins, Humanitarians Adventureer, Has or Should Have a Motorcycle ~ a little something for everyone ;)

My pick this week:
Derek Souza
from Kelly Armstrong's Darkest Powers Series

Hmm, I was thinking Derek would serve as a guy who should have a motorcycle. I mean, is a werewolf, and as such, he's tall and broad. And he absolutely looks like he should be in a bike even though he's only 16. But he could also serve as humanitarian for his efforts to save the kids being experimented on by the Edison Group. And in that way, he could also be seen as an adventureer since he has to do some crazy things in order to accomplish that end. 

Derek is extremely protective of his foster brother, Simon, and particularly Chloe Saunders. Actually, he's very protective of anyone whom he loves and would lay down his life for them. But if you don't fall into that group, don't expect him to lift a finger to help you. Derek is super-smart. He's very advanced academically and he's also quite street smart. He has some self-esteem issues since he's been treated like a monster for most his life. But he's also sweet and he can be kinda funny, too.
Bottom line, Derek is pretty awesome! ;)

***

"You saw a ghost, didn't you?" he said.
To my relief, I managed to laugh. "Hate to break it to  you, but there's no such thing as ghosts."
"Huh."
His gaze traveled around the laundry room, like a cop searching for an escaped convict. When he turned that piercing look on me, its intensity sucked the backbone out of me.
"What do you see, Chloe?"
"I -I -I don't s-s-s"
"Slow down." He snapped the words, impatient. "What do they look like? Do they talk to you?"
"Yeah."
I chewed my lip, then lifted onto my tiptoes. He bent to listen. "They wear white sheets with big eye holes. And they say 'Boo!'" I glowered up at him. "Now get out of my way."
I expected him to sneer. Cross his arms and say, Make me, little girl. His lips twitched and I steeled myself, then realized he was smiling. Laughing at me. He stepped aside. I swept past him to the stairs.
-Derek & Chloe, The Summoning

"Here," Derek whispered, pressing an empty Mason jar into my hand. He'd pulled me aside after class and we were now standing at the base of the boy's staircase. "Take this up to your room and hide it."
"It's a...jar."
He grunted, exasperated that I was so dense I failed to see the critical importance of hiding an empty Mason jar in my room.
"Its for your urine."
"My what?"
He rolled his eyes, a growl-like sound sliding through his teeth as he leaned down, closer to my ear. "Urine. Pee. Whatever. For the testing."
I lifted the jar to eye level. "I think they'll give me something smaller."
...
"You took your meds today, right?" he whispered.
I nodded.
"Then use this jar to save it."
"Save...?"
"Your urine. If you give them some of today's tomorrow, it'll seem like you're still taking your meds."
"You want me to...dole it out? Into specimen jars?"
"Got a better idea?"
"Um, no, but..." I lifted the jar and stared into it.
"Oh, for God's sake. Save your piss. Don't save your piss. It's all the same to me."
-Derek & Chloe, The Summoning

"And stop doing that," he said. "Backing away, giving me that look."
"Like you're scaring me? Maybe you are."
He stepped back so fast he wobbled and caught himself, and the look on his face - It vanished in a second, the scowl returning.
"I'd never hurt you, Chloe. You should know--" He stopped. Paused. Then wheeled and started walking away. "Next time? Handle it yourself. I'm done taking care of you."
-Derek & Chloe, The Awakening

"You were just worried about me."
An exhale, relieved that I'd understood. "Yeah."
I turned. "Because you think I'm worth it."
He put his fingers under my chin. "I absolutely think you're worth it."
"But you don't think you are."
His mouth opened. Shut.
"That's what this is about, Derek. You won't let us worry about you because you don't think you're worth it. But I do. I absolutely do."
-Chloe & Derek, The Reckoning