Monday

Ivy's mom lets Maxine and me in. Lady Stina gives me an odd expression.

"Darren, why do you have that expression on your face?"

"What expression?" I ask.

"The smitten one."

"Smitten-"

"Smitten? You like Ivy?!" Lord Fitz jumps in.

"What - No!" I reply. I look back at Lady Stina.

"Do you?" She asks.

"No! No!" I say. I can see Maxine smiling in the corner of my eye.

We walk into Ivy's room and I close the door behind us. Maxine bursts out laughing.

"Oh gods, your parents think I like you now," I tell Ivy.

"What? Why?" She asks, crinkling her nose.

"Apparently he had a 'smitten' expression on his face." Maxine laughs.

"Why'd you have a smitten expression on your face?" Ivy turns to us now and asks. I smile.

"Because I know you like Arian." Ivy's eyes widen.

"No I don't," she protests and quickly turns back to her stitching.

"Oh, c'mon. Don't pretend. You like Arian, just admit it."

"I don't like Arian," Ivy states, giving me a playful swat on the arm. "If I like Arian, you like... Ellie."

"I don't like Ellie. She's my cousin."

"Oh, right"

"Besides," Maxine says. "She likes-" I clap my hand over her mouth and her eyes widen.

"Wait," Ivy says, "Ellie likes someone?"

"No," I say. I pull my hand back.

"And you know who it is?"

"No,"

"Then why did you stop her?"

"Because I knew she would regret finishing that sentence." I give a look to Maxine, and she awkwardly smiles.

"Aww, can't you tell me who it is?" Ivy asks. "I promise not to tell. I could even help her!"

"Fine, it's not like Ellie told me to keep it a secret specifically. She likes Chase Alverez."

"Chase Alverez?!" Ivy squeals. "Like that cute second-year in Agriculture with us, Darren? Aww, that's so cute!"

"I know, right!" Maxine says.

"Isn't he like a Charger or something?"

"He's a Guster."

"Oh, yeah, he's totally a Guster. OMG, that's so cute!!"

Both girls squeal super high to finish the moment and then get back to work. Girls. Ivy starts measuring my head.

"But," Ivy asks me. "just out of curiosity, do you think Arian likes me?"

I smile wider. "Yeah, definitely! Didn't you see him smiling on Saturday?" Ivy starts measuring my arm as she tries to dodge the question, but I can see that she's slightly grinning. I roll my eyes.

"So," Maxine starts. "Any updates on the outfits?"

"Yeah, I made a hood for Arian already, and I'm trying to improve my designs for the outfits, but nothing other than that. And you're done, by the way, Darren." She makes a motion with her hand for me to move.

She measures Maxine and soon enough we can leave.

"Bye," we all say and Maxine and I light-leap back home.