Page 25 of The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly

Jett’s mom’s words feel clunky in my mouth, but I like the authority they lend to my mission.

Chris doesn’t even blink at my twenty-dollar words. “What’s the end goal? Some kind of tournament? You going to tie up the other Knights and take their places?”

“Yes to the tournament, and I’m hoping you can help with the other Knights. Convince them to let us have a chance. We don’t need to take their places, we just want to fight alongside them.”

“You’re really serious about this?”

“Serious as the threat of plague in seventeenth-century Venice.”

Chris wipes sweat off his forehead and grins. “I’ll help you. Though you know not all the other Knights are as cringingly dude-bro as Dalton. Some of them are actually nice guys.”

Although he’s not good friends with the Blue or Yellow Knights, Chris has been buddies with the Purple Knight, a laid-back Black guy named Austin, for a long time. In fact, Layla, Jett, and I spent the better part of last summer with Chris, Austin, and a few other Castle folks at Austin’s family’s lake house.

“I know,” I admit. “But that doesn’t mean the other Knights besides you and Austin will be happy to give us a chance.”

“True. And you’re right that you deserve a chance. It was good to see you out there, and you really did kill it. It was all I could do to not yell ‘That’s my kid sister!’”

“You’re adorable. Have you seen the video?”

I pull out my phone and we watch it together. It’s now up to fifty thousand views. Chris claps when I knock out the Green Knight.

“It’s my favorite moment ever. Totally badass. And you should’ve heard how mad Dalton was after the show. But do you really think you can make it go viral?”

I bite my bottom lip. “Maybe? I really think that with Layla’s and Jett’s help we have a chance. And if we do that, then maybe the Castle will feel enough pressure to let me be a Knight this summer. And then I can make enough money to save for Marquette and help Mom out.”

“Don’t worry about Mom,” says Chris. “I’ve got it handled on the home front.”

I arch an eyebrow at him. “You know she’s not been paying the mortgage, right?”

Chris drops the pliers again. “What’re you talking about?”

“I saw a notice last night. Third warning or something. She owes almost four thousand dollars.”

“Impossible. She uses her checks from the office job for that. And I give her money for it every month.”

“I’m not sure why she’s behind. I just know what I saw.”

A worried look crosses Chris’s face. “I’ll talk to her. I’m sure it’s just a mistake.”

“Let me know what you find out.”

He nods, thinking. It could be no big deal, or it could be a huge deal. We both know this. Although Mom’s been better lately, her impulse buys have landed us in financial trouble before. The month after my dad left, she spent three months of tips on a spontaneous trip for all of us to Cancún. We didn’t end up going because there was no money left to pay for hotels and food when we got there, so she ended up losing all the money she’d paid for airfare.

We work in silence until my phone buzzes.

Layla: Ready for me to pick you up?

Kit: Give me half an hour.

I say goodbye to Chris, who’s closing up shop so he can get ready for his shift tonight, and hurry inside. I dump the contents of Jett’s backpack out on the table and hope Mom will find the food. Then I take a freezing-cold shower, throw some clothes and my homework into Jett’s backpack, and wait outside for Layla.

12

LAYLA PULLS UP EXACTLY THIRTY MINUTES LATER. HER purple Jeep is sparkly clean like it’s just been washed and she’s got the top down and the doors off.

When I get in the car she’s practically vibrating with excitement. “Kit, Kit, Kit, Kit, Kit!”

“What’s up with you?” I say, giggling at Layla’s infectious energy. Even though I’m still worried about Mom, unpaid bills, and everything else in between, it’s impossible not to smile when Layla’s like this. “Too many Red Bulls?”