The default is set "story_total_views_custom", which means NO PLACE and you have to set a placement. The ideal placement is "tpl_plikli_story_tools_start", which is in the story tools, right before where the "Discuss Add Bookmark Group Share" are placed. (see the illustration on the module's settings page in the Dashboard section.)
You can change it to where you want it to appear by selecting from the 13 different hook places under "Where to display the Total Views:" on the settings page after you view the many snapshots I provided to illustrate the look and feel of each setting.
By default, the sidebar display is off. You can always turn it ON/OFF from the settings page, under "Sidebar is Off by default. If you want to display it, change the settings to ON:"
The default is 5, however you can set the number you want!