Page 53 of The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly

24

MOM REACHES GRATEFULLY FOR THE COFFEE WHEN I get back to the room. Chris is awake, and a breakfast tray sits on a table over his lap.

“Morning, Girl Knight,” he says with a lopsided smile. “I guess you’ll have to take my place for good now.”

Mom shoots me a look. “Don’t even think about it. I’ll break your legs myself to keep you out of that arena. In fact, I’m voting that both of you get jobs at the library effective immediately.”

Chris and I both laugh. “Message received, though I think that you’ll find Kit’s in quite high demand lately. Show her.”

Mom narrows her eyes. “What’ve you done now?”

I finish my coffee, sucking up the sweet, crystalline sludge from the bottom. “Well … remember when I fought in Chris’s place last week? After that, Layla and I made this website, and it’s pretty much gone viral… .”

I open my phone and press Play on the video. Mom holds her coffee in both hands as she watches. One hand flies to her mouth as I whip off my helmet, but she keeps smiling as the video finishes.

I can’t help myself as I let out a little cheer.

“Read the comments,” Chris says. He takes a small sip of apple juice and makes a face. He looks at me and nods toward the coffee. “Anything left in there?”

Mom hands him her coffee, her eyes not leaving the screen. She scrolls down, reading the comments.

Chris takes a sip and makes a face. “Too bitter,” he moans, handing it back. He tries to eat more toast, but his eyes get droopy as he sits there, and he’s soon back asleep. Mom holds a finger to her lips as she reads.

“Kit, there are thousands of comments here,” she says. Wonder fills her voice.

“I know,” I say. “And that means Corporate is getting tons of emails.”

“But you can’t fight,” says Mom. “What happens if you get hurt?” She nods toward Chris.

“I won’t get hurt. I promise.”

She shakes her head again. “You can’t guarantee that.”

I take another peek at Chris. He’s still asleep. I lean toward Mom and whisper the thing that I’ve told no one, ever. “I’m better than him. I won’t get hurt.”

Mom gives me a wry smile. “Confidence is good, but arrogance will break a leg.”

I’ve heard her say it a hundred times, but the meaning is so much clearer now that Chris lies in bed, with his body pinned together.

“We’ll see what happens,” I say, and smile at her. “The Castle probably won’t even let me fight.”

Is this a lie or the truth? This is the land of pure moral grayness, as it’s hard to tell, since it’s true they won’t let me fight. But it’s false because I’m absolutely going out there again.

“But you’re going to try, aren’t you?” Her eyes meet mine.

“I’m going to try. The gender restrictions at the Castle are awful. And me, Layla, Penny, and a few others are really getting better at the Knight routines. We have a chance to make things fair.”

“Kit—” Mom takes a deep breath. I imagine she’s regretting all those times she read me books about the women’s movement. But her reply surprises me. “Okay, fine. I’m proud of you. I really am. And I think what you’re doing is incredibly cool. Just promise me you’ll be careful. We can’t afford another five-thousand-dollar deductible. And my heart can’t handle seeing another one of my children in the hospital.”

I go over to her and wrap my arms around her. “Thanks, Mom. And I’ll be careful. And, um, speaking of all this. Could you sign something for me?”

“What is it?” The tone of her voice is wary.

“Just a permission slip for me to be on the news.”

“Kit!”

Her voice wakes Chris.