The reaction was instantaneous, simultaneous and unanimous.

"Uh, what?" Daria, Alex, Chance and Jace said. The look of shock on their faces would have almost been comical if I didn't feel like falling into a pit and never returning. Austin certainly looked amused.

I feigned ignorance. "What do you mean?"

"You were just polite to me," said Jace, baffled. He was still standing, staring down at me with an expression that lingered somewhere between confusion and horror.

"I'm a polite person," I said.

Jace raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Inwardly, I applauded him. At least someone recognised the complete absurdity of my actions. Alex and Chance seemed to think I was acting rationally; as if my eternal hatred for Jace had always been irrational, and I was only now coming to my senses. They seemed pleased, even. Hartley, thankfully, seemed moments away from calling the CIA and announcing an alien invasion.

My cheeks hurt from the effort of smiling, and forcing myself not to allow that smile to become a grimace.

Hartley still looked confused. I gestured vaguely to the empty seat next to Daria, urging him silently to sit. Just as a polite person would do. He hiked the bag further up his back and slowly lowered himself into the seat, his eyes fixated on me and his back never for a moment turning. It was as if he was expecting a sneak attack or something.

Smart boy.

If I wasn't being blackmailed, that's probably exactly what I would've done.

"I, for one, am very confused," said Alex. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Oh, for god's sake, Lena, please tell me you didn't actually go to Marc McGovern's party alone and do crack or something."

Jace sat up straight in his seat. "You did what?" he demanded.

I didn't give him the finger.

"She is definitely still high," Alex muttered.

Chance shrugged. "Anyone got a permanent dealer? Let's drug her every morning. She's delightful like this. For once, I don't feel anxious. It's nice not to be caught in the middle of an impending brawl."

I resisted the urge to scoff at them all. Stupid Austin. "I did not do drugs at Marc McGovern's party."

Jace was staring at me intently. "Did you go? Elle, please tell me you didn't go by yourself."

"I really appreciate the concern, Jace, honestly. But I didn't end up going. So you can all untwist your panties," I said.

Alex looked relieved. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hartley mouth Jace? to Daria, who shrugged in response. She seemed thrilled with my newfound attitude.

"Witchcraft," Hartley mumbled.

Daria smiled. "Well, Lena, I don't know what brought this on, but I'm so glad. Maybe we could all hang out tonight? A new ice-cream place just opened up next to Main Street."

Internally, I cursed Daria. Two periods, lunch, and a hang out? I almost glared at her, before my brain kicked in and recognised that it was Daria. Negative emotions toward Daria were banned. But I still had to find time to collect supplies for Knight from the shops. And not kill Jace.

It's only a little longer, Lena. Just a day. A single day. You can do it, you can do it.

"Not ice-cream," said Jace. "Remember that time Lena ate too much at Jess Holt's party and puked in an antique vase? Poor Nick Dunne had been into her, until that moment. Probably lucky for him that she had explosive vomit. Definitely saved himself there." Then he winked at me and grinned.

You definitely can't do it.

I looked pleadingly at Austin. Surely he couldn't expect this much from me. I was no god. I was a mere mortal, and this task was a burden my fragile shoulders were ill-equipped to bear. I was no Atlas; I could not hold the mighty weight of the sky.

It was going to come crashing down on all of us.

Austin shrugged. He was going to force me on this outing. Behind him, Jace mimed puking into a vase, while Alex looked on, amused.

Personally, I hoped that when I dropped the sky, it hit Austin and Jace particularly hard. Slimy toads.

"Sure, Daria. We should go out somewhere, it sounds great!" Then I turned to Jace. "I really appreciate your concern. It means a lot. My stomach would probably handle a little less dairy much better, you're right. Maybe some charcoal chicken?"

Jace narrowed his eyes. Analysing me. I could imagine the wheels turning over in his head, trying to decipher the strangeness of my newfound attitude. It reminded me of my first day back at school; Jace's unfamiliar kindness rendering me a useless, paranoid idiot, confused and waiting for a secret attack that never actually came. Did someone blackmail Jace that day? I'd suspect Daria—she had always wanted us to be friends—but she didn't have it in her.

Daria clapped her hands. "This is gonna be great!"

"Man," said Alex. "This is whack."

It really was whack. Speaking of, I was going to need to whack Knight when I got home. His stupid ass was the reason I was being put through this torment.

When the train finally pulled in to our stop, I breathed a sigh of relief. The proximity to Hartley had been making me lightheaded. Resisting the urge to insult him was painful—like an itch beneath my skin, or being in a silent room and unwilling to cough despite the desperate need to do so. It was uncomfortable, to say the least.

I followed Daria from the carriage and onto the platform. She was always the first one to off the train, constantly bouncy and eager to move. The station smelt vaguely like pee, which was always nice. The number of schoolkids meant the area was always packed at this time of morning, hundreds of uniform-clad teenagers squashed together and fighting to move forwards. I held onto the back of Daria's bag to ensure I didn't lose her in the crowd.

"I'm so happy," Daria said gleefully.

"What else is new?" asked Alex, amused.

She just spun around in a circle, the freeing effect a little lost given the number of people around. Her hands were clearly squished against her thighs, and she had to manouvre her bag to make a full loop. She was adorable.

Jace came up next to me, elbowing his way past Larry Nelson to get the place by my side. The fond feeling Daria had elicited was replaced with the urge to push him in front of the train.

He leant down to my ear, so that I could hear him. "You're being weird."

Well, yeah. I leant upwards on my tiptoes to respond. "Nice isn't weird."

"From you it is."

I look at Daria, who is already staring over her shoulder at us. I've never seen her look so radiantly happy. And that's saying a lot, because I have many points of reference.

"Daria is happy," I said.

His eyebrows furrow. "You're being nice to me for Daria?"

"Is that the worst reason?"

"No," he said, smiling faintly. "Doing something for Daria is always the best reason. Mostly because if it makes Daria happy, it's probably going to be a ridiculously moral and noble decision."

"She's almost too perfect, honestly. Like, can she stop making the rest of us look bad?" I complained. But it seemed Hartley and I had found the one thing we both agreed on. That Daria was officially the best.

I tapped my Myki on the screen to pay for my trip, and oddly enough, I found myself waiting for Hartley to do the same. I didn't run to catch up with Alex and Chance, or look hastily away to avoid associating with Jace.

God, Austin. What have you done to me?

"Hey, Lena?" said Jace.

"Yeah?"

"I don't mind the change, you know. Even though it's just for Daria."

"Don't expect it to last," I warned.

"Oh, we couldn't have that," said Jace. "It would hardly be fun if you were nice all the time. Boring, even. You're not that interesting when you're not being insulting."

I gasped and mock punched him. "Excuse me? I am fascinating and alluring and definitely not boring."

"Really? You've complimented me like three times today and honestly, if it continues to tomorrow, I'll probably fall asleep on the train."

I giggled.

Jace's expression was soft. "But, you know, for today? I reckon I can stay awake."

This time, my smile wasn't fake. "I can do today."