"Does it seem strange to you that Mal's the most successful one of any of us?" Rona asked Matt.

"Well, I don't really know him that well . . ." Matt pointed out.

"I mean - he's Mal! He's like a kid! In a good way, I mean. But . . . let's face it, he's a sweetie, but he's not the smartest guy going around . . ."

"Um . . ."

"I'm not saying that to be cruel. I love Mal. He's a good friend. But let's face facts."

"Like I said, I don't know him that well."

"And I just wonder, how does a guy like that have so much good stuff happening to him?"

"Like what, do you mean?"

"Well, I mean the band mainly. Look how that's going! They're on some tour of Queensland, for god's sake! How has anyone in Queensland even heard of them?"

"There are other people in the band besides Mal, aren't there? Just 'cause Mal's in there doesn't mean he's the brains."

"I guess so. I'm just trying to figure it out."

"Just be happy for him" Matt shrugged.

"I am! I'm so happy for him! He deserves it, they're a good band. But look at it. You've got Hannah, she's not exactly going anywhere in a hurry. Sacha - who knows what the hell she's got going on. Brent was a whiz at uni, he was right into this pol-sci stuff, and now he's working in a bookshop. And I'm there, too! I mean, look what happened at the Word on the Street! That was my big magazine job, and look what happened to it! Crashed and burned. And then there's Mal, who doesn't even know what's going on half the time, and look at him! Strength to strength! How does that make any sense?!"

"You're putting a bit pressure on everyone, aren't you?" Matt asked. "I mean, none of us are even thirty yet. You're not even close! How can you tell if you're successful or not? You're not even a third of the way through life and you're already writing it off!"

"I'm not writing it off!" Rona defended herself. I'm just talking about right now. And right now I just think it's strange."

"Anyway" Matt said, "you're only going by one definition of success. What about us, this here? I'd call us a success, wouldn't you?"

"So far, yeah" Rona admitted. "But it's not like I've had to work at it or anything."

Matt looked at her, nonplussed. "Oh, really?" he said. "Huh."

"What?" Rona asked.

"Nothing."