Clyde was excited. This was a weekend he had been looking forward to for a long time. His dads were away in Europe for their anniversary, and his Nana Gayle was watching over him. She always had a much more relaxed view of parenting, and the stuff he could get away with under her care was vast and plentiful.

Presently, Clyde had convinced his Nana to let him have the house to himself for an evening so he could entertain a lady friend of his, Sid. He had known Sid for several months now and it was always obvious they had feelings for one another. The way they looked at each other, talked with each other, always sat next to each other, anyone who saw them interact could tell you it was more than just a typical friendship. The one issue however was distance. With their houses roughly three hours apart, scheduling and coordinating times for them to meet in person was no easy task. Sid's parents both worked busy jobs and seldom had time to drive her all the way out to Royal Woods. And Clyde's dads hated driving in the city. The traffic jams, honking horns, aggressive lane changes, and yelling pedestrians made Howard want to cry and Harold want to explode. In turn it was a rare day Clyde could convince one of them to drive him out to see Sid.

The two had opted to text back and forth and video call on a regular basis. It was tough at first, but Lori had given Clyde a few tips on how to maintain an online relationship; whether she did it out of kindness or to prevent Clyde from falling back in love with her, he was not sure.

Most of the times Clyde was able to see Sid in person were when Lincoln would travel to Great Lakes City. The Casagrandes demanded he be in a bunch of their episodes to try and bait viewers into watching their show. As a result Lincoln went out there rather frequently. Clyde was not always available to go with, but he would whenever he was able.

This time however, Sid was coming to his house. Her mother was visiting an old friend of hers in Detroit for the weekend, and said she could drop off Sid in Royal Woods on her way there. So not only would Sid be at his house, she would be at his house for a sleepover.

Clyde stood in front of his mirror all afternoon Saturday practicing what he would say to her and when. This was hard to do because of Sid's zany and spontaneous personality, but if he had ideas of what to say, then it would add some much needed predictability to their dynamic.

"Would you care for some more butter with that bread? How is your little sister doing? Can you do that thing with your shoulders I really like?"

Clyde was snapped out of his rehearsal session when he heard the doorbell ring, and immediately knew who it was. "She's here." he breathed, half excited and half nervous. The spectacled boy quickly walked out of his bedroom and toward the front door.

"Slow down there Clyde, you're not running a marathon." called his Nana Gayle from the living couch followed by a laugh.

Clyde laughed too as he reached to open the front door. Awaiting on the other side as expected was Sid with an eager smile on her face.

"Clyde!" Sid exclaimed, wrapping him in one of her signature tight bear hugs.

"Hi Sid," replied Clyde. "You look lovely this evening."

Sid let go of Clyde and chuckled. "I'm wearing the same thing I always do."

Clyde paused. "Well then that means you always look lovely,"

"Heh, thanks."

"Have fun kids," said Sid's mom. "Sid, I'll be back to pick you up tomorrow at 3."

"Okay, bye mom!" The two kids stepped inside the house.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to my Nana Gayle." said Clyde. He and Sid walked into the living room.

Clyde's Nana got up off the couch to introduce herself to Sid. "Hello young lady, my name is Nana Gayle, which everyone calls me. Even those who I am not a nana to for some reason."

"Hi, my name is Sid!" The two shook hands.

"Let me tell you how lucky you are to have a boy like Clyde," said Gayle. "He's a rare breed, they really don't make them like him much anymore."

Clyde blushed in embarrassment.

"Anyhow I'm going to let you two enjoy each others' company," said Gayle, grabbing her purse. "I'll be at the bingo hall. Call me if you need me!"

"Okay, bye Nana Gayle!" called Clyde.

Once the front door closed Sid turned to Clyde. "Your nana is okay with us hanging out here by ourselves?"

"Yes," replied Clyde. "My dads would freak out if they knew but-"

Sid put an index finger to Clyde's lips and lightly shushed him. "There's no one here but you and me." she whispered soothingly. "Think about that Clyde, think about all the stuff we could do."

Clyde's mind immediately went to unthinkable things. "Uh, well-"

"We can have a dance party, eat lots of junk food, stay up super late, tell each other secrets," her voice quieted, despite no one else being around. "Kiss each other."

Clyde's mood lightened. He had severely underestimated the innocence of his lady friend. "Yeah for sure, we can do all of those things."


Clyde and Sid danced all around Clyde's house, in and out of every room. Sometimes freestyle other times with each other in their arms.

"You sure like to dance huh Sid?" asked Clyde.

"Yessiree I do!" chirped Sid.

"Do you know the Ballroom Waltz?" asked Clyde.

"No. Can you teach me it?"

"But of course," Clyde reached out his hand, and Sid placed her hand in his. The pair slowly waltzed back and forth in an elegant fashion as Clyde explained the steps as best he could.


Next Clyde and Sid tried on each other's clothes.

"My shoulders feel cold," said Clyde.

Sid laughed. "Lemme try on your glasses." She pulled Clyde's glasses off his face and stuck them on her own. "I can barely see anything." The city girl stumbled around before tripping over a cat toy left on the floor.

"Are you okay?" Clyde asked.

"I'm fine," Sid replied, erupting into a laughing fit.

Clyde laughed as well and fell onto the floor next to Sid. Her laugh was contagious and they both could not stop.


Next the pair were stuffing their faces with junk food. Sid unwrapped a Starburst and playfully stuffed it in Clyde's mouth. "Guess what candy I just ate?"

"Uh, ButterFinger?" Clyde guessed.

"No." replied Sid. "Here I'll give you a hint." She leaned forward and kissed Clyde on the lips. About three seconds later she backed up and looked at him in anticipation.

"Hm, Whoppers?"

"Nope, I'll give you a stronger hint." This time, Sid grabbed Clyde and pulled him to her, kissing him much more passionately. Her lips smeared all across his, her tongue grazing the edge of his lips every so often. Clyde was awestruck, he could not concentrate one bit on determining what candy had most recently been in her mouth.

After around twenty seconds Sid slowly let go and Clyde slunk back to his original sitting position. "Well…?"

"Milky Way?" he guessed.

"Ding ding ding," sang Sid. "That's correct."

Clyde heaved a sigh of relief. He could only imagine what Sid would have done to him had he gotten it wrong a third time. Then again… "Hey Sid?"

"Hm?"

"Had I guessed incorrectly again, would you have given me another hint?"

"Yeah, I would have." Sid replied, smiling.

"Would you mind showing me what that hint would have been?"

You did not have to tell her twice. Sid immediately latched her lips back onto Clyde's, practically diving on top of him in the process. Her lips danced around his for a while until they eventually pried them open. Her tongue entered his mouth, making itself at home and swishing back and forth like the tailfin of a fish.

Clyde meanwhile was a sitting duck. All he could do was lay limp and allow Sid to explore every crevice of his mouth with her own. He could definitely taste the hints of Milky Way Bar now.

After almost an entire minute, their mouths finally parted. A thin string of saliva stretched out between them, Sid raised her hand up to slice it. Clyde just stared at her, wiping his mouth with his right arm sleeve, she stared back at him with a grin on her face. He was not sure what to say after that, the feeling he had just experienced was both incredible, and horrifying. Sid was usually of an innocent mind, but when it came to getting messy, she went all in.

"You never cease to amaze me." Clyde finally said in a whisper.

Sid's smile widened slightly as she gave an innocent shrug.


Next the pair was laying on the floor next to each other in the family room, staring up at the ceiling.

"So Clyde," said Sid dreamily. "Tell me something you've never told anyone else."

"Hmm," Clyde thought about this. He truthfully did not have that much to hide. Almost every secret he did have he already shared with his closest guy friend Lincoln. "I got something,"

"What is it?"

"Many people know that I still like Blarney the Dinosaur." said Clyde. "But nobody knows that I still like… Terence the Tank Engine and Friends."

"Aw, that's actually cute." said Sid. "My sister loved that show when she was younger."

"Yeah it was really good in its early seasons," said Clyde.

"You shouldn't be ashamed of liking something like that," said Sid.

"I try not to be," said Clyde. "But at this point in time the show's reputation is at an all time low, especially with that awful reboot it got last year."

"I know what you mean," said Sid. "I remember the year Twelve is Midnight went through a song writing rough patch, and most of their music wasn't very good. I had to hide my love for that band for several months until they got their bearings back."

"It happens," mused Clyde.

"Now I've got a secret to tell you." chirped Sid.

Clyde hummed to indicate he was listening.

"I love you."

Clyde blushed dark red.

"Though that may not be much of a secret to you." said Sid with a small laugh.

"It's not," said Clyde truthfully. "But I always welcome the words when I hear them. And I-I love you too."

"Aw," gushed Sid. That was the first time Clyde had ever said those words to anyone other than his dads.

Whilst laying on the floor, the two found each others' hands and held them softly. Sid stroked her thumb across the back of Clyde's hand. They stayed in this position for quite a while until Clyde finally stood up, excusing himself to use the bathroom.

After flushing the toilet and washing his hands, Clyde smiled at his reflection in the mirror. "Tonight is going great. Good job Clyde. Why thank you Clyde. Keep it up Clyde."

When Clyde got back to the family room, Sid was sitting on the couch texting someone. "What do you want to do now?" she asked, tucking her phone back in her pocket.

"How about a movie?"

"Sounds great!"

Clyde sat down on the couch next to Sid and switched on the TV.

"I'll be right back Clyde," said Sid standing up from the couch. "I have to make a phone call to my mom." She pecked Clyde on the cheek as she walked toward the back of the McBride house to make the call in private.

Clyde smiled at her until she was out of sight down the hallway. "Okay," the spectacled boy breathed. "Time to choose the movie," He scrolled through the large selection provided by the streaming service his dads subscribed to.

Soon he reached the horror movie section. Clyde gulped, but knew these were the kinds of movies that girls liked the most, or so he thought.

Clyde did not have much experience with girls, but he had been out on a date with one other girl in the past, Haiku. He met Haiku at a school dance, where they bonded over love interests they would never be able to be with. After the dance, Haiku gave Clyde her number, telling him to text her sometime.

A week later Clyde texted Haiku asking if she wanted to see a movie with him, to which she agreed. Being a gentleman, he allowed her to choose the movie, to which she chose 'Rise of the Slaughter'. They met at the theater that evening.

At first the date went well, the two made friendly chit chat, Clyde bought her a pack of Twizzlers, and the two walked into the theater holding hands. When the movie started was where things fell apart.

The movie was scary, and full to the brim with blood, guts, and human appendages. Every scene Clyde felt like crying, how that movie got a PG rating he would never understand. He kept glancing over at Haiku who had an enticing smile on her face the whole movie, at least she was enjoying herself.

On the way out of the movie Clyde was silent and wide eyed.

"Are you alright Clyde?" Haiku asked in her monotone voice. "You look a bit pale."

The movie was now over, so Clyde saw no harm in a little white lie. "Me? Oh yeah I am a-okay, nothing like getting my spook on with a horror movie."

"Sigh, I love a man who can handle a good horror movie." Haiku said, resting her head on Clyde's shoulder and he smiled. Despite the nightmares he would inevitably have that night, he had impressed his date. "Any man who can't would disappoint me." The young goth continued.

After that evening, Clyde and Haiku kept in touch, but never actually went out together again.

"So if sitting through a horror movie made Haiku like me, then Sid should like me for it too." Clyde thought. Unfortunately his lack of experience had skewed his perception of what girls like.

Clyde pressed the okay button when the cursor hovered above a movie titled 'Resurrection of the Face Eating Demons.'

Sid walked back into the room a minute later and sat next to Clyde, draping a blanket over their laps and her arm around his shoulder.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

Clyde hit play on the remote and the movie started.

At first the film was slow and drawn out. There was an abundance of pandering dialogue and dawdling exposition scenes. While bored, Clyde also built up a false sense of confidence. "This isn't so bad, I can make it through this movie."

But then the action started. So many, gruesome, gut wrenching scenes. Clyde was frozen, having lost all sense of feeling around him. Sid, the couch, and the rest of the room may as well have ceased to exist and it would not have made a difference to the spectacled boy.

Clyde wanted to look away, he needed to look away. Retreat his vision to a more pleasant sight, like the decorative wood paneling in his family room, or Cleopawtra napping in the corner, or any of the beautiful features that adorned Sid's face. All the same his eyes remained locked on the TV screen. Surely if he were to look away it would signify cowardliness, and then what would Sid think of him? "Sid won't mind. She shouldn't at all. But then again 'Any man who can't handle a horror movie would disappoint me.'" Haiku's words played in his mind. "No, I have to keep focus on the screen."

Clyde went back and forth like this for a while, so much so he zoned out from the movie and all its gross out horror. Finally, the McBride boy put his mental foot down. "Stop overthinking it," he thought. "Just play it off like you're looking out the window or something, yeah, that'll work.

Clyde swiftly turned his head to look out the window, where he saw what looked like a grotesque and twisted hand tapping on the window. "Ahhh!" he screamed, jumping up off the couch and falling onto the floor. Sid looked down at him in concern and confusion.

"You alright Clyde?" she asked, reaching out a hand to help him up.

"Y-y-yes I'm okay," quivered Clyde, grabbing Sid's hand and standing back up. He looked back over to the window to see it was just a tree branch tapping on the window in the wind; how cliché.

"Are you sure?" Sid asked. "You look a bit pale."

"Yes I'm sure," replied Clyde. "I must be dehydrated."

"Well I'll go get us some waters then," said Sid. "Be right back." She booped Clyde on the nose and walked toward the kitchen.

Clyde slowly sat back down on the couch and shifted his focus back to the movie. Thankfully a slower dialogue scene was currently playing out. The main character was bidding farewell to his brother in a deserted bus stop. But then, one of the face eating demons started to sneak up behind the main character. Clyde's eyes widened. "Turn around you idiot!" he screamed in his head.

Then, right as the demon bore its sharp teeth and lunged toward the film's protagonist-

"Here Clyde," The spectacled boy felt a cold squishy surface touch his hand.

"GAHHHHH!" Clyde screamed louder than he knew he could. Once again he jumped off the couch and onto the floor. This time taking the blanket with him and hiding underneath it.

Sid, who had just gotten back with bottled water and tried to hand him one, got down on her hands and knees and peeked under the blanket. "Clyde, I'm starting to think this movie is too scary for you."

"D-d-don't be silly," said Clyde, quivering once again. "The coldness of the bottle gave me a little start, that's all."

Sid raised an eyebrow. "I get the idea you're lying. Please don't lie to me."

Clyde stood up, blanket still wrapped around him like a wizard robe. "Okay, I confess Sid. I'm terrified of horror movies like this." He gestured to the screen where the movie was still playing.

Sid picked up the remote and paused the movie. "Then why did you pick this movie for us to watch?"

"Because I wanted to impress you," said Clyde.

"Well I don't care if you're scared of horror movies." said Sid, putting a hand on Clyde's cheek. "You're only human Clyde, you have fears, all humans do."

Clyde heaved a sigh. "I know. You see, the last time I was on a date, which was the only date I've been on prior to this, we watched a scary movie together and she was impressed with me when I made it through the movie without seeming scared. So I thought the same would work with you."

"Well not all of us girls are exactly the same, you know." said Sid with a chuckle.

Clyde chuckled as well. "Yeah, I realize that now."

"Like my sister for example, likes a man with a confident showman attitude," said Sid. "Me on the other hand, I like someone more humble and reserved, like you." She rubbed her thumb along Clyde's cheek soothingly.

Clyde blushed. "All the same, did you enjoy the movie?"

"To be honest I was getting pretty scared watching that movie myself," said Sid.

"Then how about we watch something else?" suggested Clyde.

"Sounds good to me," said Sid. "Wanna watch Terence the Tank Engine and Friends?"

"Sure," replied Clyde. "I have the first seven seasons on DVD!" Now excited, the spectacled boy rushed to the cabinet and pulled out a small stack of DVD cases.

Within minutes Clyde and Sid were both completely relaxed, happily watching model trains with faces attached have simple and entertaining adventures in the fictional yet realistic land of Kodor.

Then out of nowhere the power to the house went out. Clyde and Sid each jumped. "What happened?" asked the latter.

"The wind must have knocked out the power," said Clyde. "Either that or the circuit breaker tripped. Come on, let's go check it."

"Where is it?" asked Sid.

"In the basement." replied Clyde. He led Sid through his house and down to the below ground level. The McBride basement was clean and furnished, but it was creepy down there with no light.

Sid clasped Clyde's shoulders as the pair navigated the dark basement. It was now her turn to feel afraid, and seeing all the large unknown objects in the basement was doing just that.

BAM!

"What was that?" Sid jumped again, nearly knocking Clyde over.

"It sounded like the front door," said Clyde nervously. "Though I swear I locked it earlier."

"Does that mean there's a burglar in the house?" Sid whispered.

Clyde looked at her wide eyed. "Please don't say that." he whispered back.

The pair continued to walk across the basement when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Clyde and Sid each screamed.

"Get behind me Sid," said Clyde. "I'll protect you."

A dark looming figure could be seen trundling down the stairs.

"Ah! No you protect me you protect me!" shrieked Clyde hiding behind Sid.

"Clyde, if we're gonna die, I wanna go out kissing." Sid grabbed Clyde and latched her lips onto his.

The basement lights flicked on. "Woah careful there young lass," said a familiar voice. "I don't need you sucking my grandson's lips clean off his face."

Clyde and Sid's lips parted and they turned to see Nana Gayle.

"Boy you two look like you've seen a ghost." laughed Gayle.

"Hi Nana," said Clyde. "We watched a horror movie and then the power went out so we got spooked. We're sorry,"

"No problem," said Gayle. "And that wasn't the power going out. That was your dads' auto timer on all the electricity in the family room."

"Huh?" Clyde tilted his head.

"They set that up to make sure you never stay up too late watching TV or playing a video game." explained Gayle.

"But I've ever encountered it before."

"I guess that's because they always put you to bed before it goes off."

"That's probably true." mused Clyde.

"Now come kids," said Gayle. "I'll make you some hot chocolate before bed."


Later that evening, Clyde and Sid laid in sleeping bags in the living room. Clyde did not want to leave Sid alone while she slept, and having them sleep in Clyde's room together was too much even for Gayle. "I don't want to become a great grandmother just yet." she had said with a laugh.

"I had a great time today," said Sid. "And your Nana is so cool."

"Ah, she's no cooler than all the other cliché hip grannies in kids media," said Clyde.

Sid laughed.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't very brave though,"

"That's okay," said Sid. "I don't need a fearless man by my side, all I need is a man who isn't afraid to be himself."

"I'll work on that one," said Clyde.

Sid laughed again. "Good night Clyde."

"Good night Sid."


A few days later, Lincoln and Clyde were chatting on the phone together.

"Did you get to Level 6 in Clunker's Crabhole yet?"

"No, I'm still stuck on level 5, I heard there's a special power up hidden somewhere in the level that I wanna find."

Lincoln's bedroom door opened. "Lincoln, laundry call," said Lori.

"One second Clyde," Lincoln set his phone down and handed his dirty laundry bin to Lori.

"On the phone with Clyde?" Lori asked.

"Yep." replied Lincoln.

"How'd his date with Sid go?"

Lincoln put his phone on speaker mode. "Lori's here, she wants to know how your date with Sid went."

"It went really well," said Clyde. "And I learned that not all girls are impressed by a strong tolerance for gruesome horror movies."

"That's great buddy," said Lincoln.

"How many times did you two, ya know, kiss?" Lori asked. She tilted her head and smirked.

"Don't you think that's a little too personal?" Lincoln asked. Lori rolled her eyes at her brother's comment.

"No no it's fine," said Clyde.

"So Clyde," said Lori. "Spill the beans,"

"Well we kissed quite a few times," chuckled Clyde. "We even did tongue for the first time."

"Yes! I'm literally in the clear!" exclaimed Lori, jumping for joy. "Er um, I mean I'm so happy for you Clyde."