"Simon, this is crazy," Penelope ran a hand threw her wild, thick dark hair, "and that's coming from me."

"It's not crazy," Simon's eyes shined with heroic intensity, "it's the most sane idea anyone has had all year."

"Slipping Baz a truth potion won't reveal him as a vampire," Penelope stood her ground, "it'll reveal you as a jerk!"

Simon just rolled his eyes. She didn't understand. She hadn't been living with Baz for five freaking years. She didn't know how horrible he could be.

"I'm doing this, with or without your help. But. . . please help me, I'm not very good at carrying on by myself." He smiled sheepishly, and reluctantly Penelope realized that she would always have her friend's back, despite how flat out crazy he was being.

"Fine." They were outside the potion's building, Simon clutching the needed truth ingredients firmly in his hands. He knew what to swipe, but cooking a concoction as powerful as the truth required precision, talent, and intelligence. It required Penelope. "but if Baz literally kills you, I'm telling the Mage it was your idea."