Tightrope

Fall In Love

"Hey," I said to Knight. "I want to stop somewhere."

Knight had been quiet in the passenger seat—lost in thought—and it was slightly disconcerting to be in his presence without becoming lost in one hundred miles of minute of mindless chatter. Knight was an expert at mindless chatter; today, he just seemed to be lost. I smiled gently over at him; the dark sweep on his hair, the piercing eyes that refused to betray his hurt and his sadness and his pain. But today, they did betray his gratitude and relief and something that looking a little bit like healing.

At the sound of my voice, he snapped out of his reverie, offering me a cautious smile. "Tell me it's Maccas," he said, hopefully. "I've suffered trauma today and I can only be healed through the power of a chicky nuggie."

"I have heard of their life-affirming properties," I said drily. "But how do you feel about a fair? I'll buy you some fairy floss."

The pop-up shop was about a half hour away from the Knight house. A fair was an ambitious name for the small cluster of stalls arranged on a local footy oval, but there were still a bunch of people milling around the little food booths and thrifted clothing tables. The town, which was nearby Daria's place, was quaint and community-focused, so the large turnout for a tiny and rather grim affair hardly surprised me. I could picture Daria weaving through the crowds, with braids, a yellow sundress and a woven basket, buying little knickknacks and fresh vegetables that she didn't need, just to be kind.

"Was my thing just not depressing enough?" asked Knight, appraising the sight with suspicion. "Just needed a second dose of sadness and despair?"

"You're not rich and posh anymore," I reminded him. "So, you can hardly look down your nose at everything like an entitled, snotty brat."

"Like you weren't thinking the same thing," Knight scoffed.

I grinned at him. "I was. But I'm still rich and posh." Then I took off down the hill toward a brightly painted stall, Knight following right on my heels.

"What are we here for?" Knight complained.

I took a deep breath and stopped my campaign. "I found something out this morning."

"You had other things on your mind other than my retrieval?" said Knight, placing his hand on his chest. "Rude. That's not very best friend of you."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Now that I've admitted that you're my best friend are you just going to keep bringing it up?"

"Yes, best friend," said Knight with a cheeky grin that was all him. There were no traces of the lost boy in his smile. "Constantly, best friend."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, well. McKenna..." I took in a deep breath. "She told me that Jace was in love with some girl."

Knight did not gasp. Or look particularly horrified or shocked or excited. He just nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

I gaped at him. "What do you mean, yeah, okay?"

"Well, like, everyone knew that," said Knight. "I have literally told you that. Everyone has told you that."

"No, you didn't," I said, flabbergasted. "Was I supposed to just know that? Was this common knowledge?"

"Um, yes?" said Knight.

"Well, why didn't I know that?"

"Because you're an idiot," said Knight, tweaking my nose fondly.

"Did Jace tell you?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Knight asked.

"Who the girl is!" I said forcefully. "Do you know?"