So, on Monday, the dectuplets set off for their first day of school. They had seen schools on TV before. They'd seen the girls at the Minerva Institute in Locura de Amor, but they had no idea what real school would be like. Arthur told them not to dress the way they normally did, because they would be laughed at and ridiculed. They said they didn't care. After all, if people didn't accept them the way they were, they weren't worth bothering with in the first place. Besides, they already had a special outfit to wear that day. They had spent almost a week getting it ready. Buying the material, sewing it together. The skirts were their favorite color, lilac. So were the lace, ribbons, and flowers on their hats and embroidered on their blouses. When they went downstairs, everyone stared at them.
"You are not planning to attend school dressed like that, are you? Because I don't think they will let you. They have a dress code, you see. Your blouses are too low, you won't be able to wear hats indoors, or expensive jewelry, and you have to wear shoes."Jean told them.
"This is the way our parents taught us to dress. And besides, who exactly are the people there to tell us what to do? They are nobody to judge us. I suppose they're perfect? Besides, it's wrong to judge others by ourselves."asked Ma.Xosefina.
"People will laugh at you."warned Kurt.
"We don't care what people say, or what they think of us, as long as we're right."answered Ma.Xamila.
Everyone tried to convince them to change, but with no success. When they got to school. The dectuplets stood confused, going over the schedules.
"They're all different!"exclaimed Ma.Xulia. "That can't be possible!"
"Maybe we just have to choose one."observed Ma.Xochilt.
They agreed that maybe this was the reason for the different schedules, and chose Ma.Xacinta's, since her name came first alphabetically. They found the right classroom and walked in. At the sight of them, everyone looked up. They looked surprised, some people started to giggle. The girls, though, seemed not to pay any attention to them. Ma.Xacinta handed the teacher the schedule.
"And which one of you is Ma."he couldn't pronounce Xacinta's name.
"Xacinta,"she said frowning. Never in her life had she come across someone who couldn't pronounce her name. And it was a very beautiful name, to her anyway. "Or you can just call me Maruja. That's what Father-God rest his soul(she and her sisters crossed themselves)used to call me. Marujita."
"Oh, and what are the other young ladies doing here?"the teacher asked again.
"They're my sisters. We're all supposed to be in this class. We're supposed to be together."she exclaimed to him.
"There's only one empty desk. I don't think we have enough room for ten more people in here."
"We have to be together."she said stubbornly.
"Then you'll have to get this straightened out."
"We will do that."and they left the room.
They spend the rest of the day arguing with the counselor, and even the principal, and Arthur also came to help with the problem. The girls simply refused to be seperated. In the end, the counselor gave in, and moving other people to other classes, they got their wish. After all, they were sisters.
"You guys just can't be together, you have to follow the different schedules. It's only for a few hours a day, anyway. And besides, you've been further apart. The hacienda is much bigger than the school campus, isn't it? If you don't follow the schedule, you'll get detention. For ditching."
"What's detention?"
"It's when you have to stay after class, and stay locked in a room, with a bunch of other people, just sitting there, doing nothing."
"Does everyone get the same detention?"
"Yes."
"Then we want detention."
"No, no, no! You guys, you guys do not want detention! You are not going to get detention! That's only for bad people. For people who don't behave. You see."
"Then maybe we should be bad."
Arthur groaned. He should never have said that everyone was in the same place during detention, but they would know if he was lying. He turned to the principal, and the counselors.
"Miss, just...please couldn't they just have the same schedule. You see, they aren't used to this. This is new to them. Just, just please. Maybe it's the fact that they don't want to be alone with so many strange people in the room. Maybe if they were at least with one of their sisters. Guys are you willing to do maybe half and half, or in pairs? You know, instead of all ten, just two in each class, and you switch, like, Ma.Xamila and Ma.Xiomara have the first class together, and then in Ma.Xamila's next class, Ma.Xacinta goes with her, and Ma.Xiomara with another one of you. Fair? That way it would inconvenience less people."
"No."answered the principal.
"Not even if there's money involved? I"ll...how much money would you like? If we have to go to those measures, I can give you any price you ask for. They just have to...please, I assure you, you will save your staff and yourself a lot of headaches, and probably something much worse. Just please. I'll get someone to come clean up the campus for free, I'll pay them, I'll...anything. Just, just please."
She looked like she was considering this possibility.
"Only if no one finds out about it."
"We have a deal."said Arthur, and they shook hands. "No one has to find out, anyway. It's none of their business."
"Right. Tomorrow you will pick up your new schedules. There will only be two of you in each class."
"Thank you."Ma.Xamila told her. "By the way, Miss, you should know it isn't good that you have only the name of a bird, without a Christian one. How did your parents baptize you?"
Arthur pushed and pulled them out of the office.
"That's none of your business."he said to them.
When the day was finally over, and they were waiting for Evan to show up at the car to leave, they grew impatient. Nine of them, and the chauffeur had to go look for him, while Kitty and Ma.Xiomara stayed behind to see if he came back. If anyone found him, they would call everyone else on their cell phones, so they could be on their way.
"What can be so difficult about getting from one place to another? All you have to do is just walk there. It isn't far. But of course, most people are just slowpokes! I swear the time they waste socializing could be used doing something useful you know..."she kept on complaining. "I think we better look for him, too. It might be faster that way."
"What if he comes back and finds no one?"asked Kitty. Ma.Xiomara thought about that for a moment.
"Luckily,"she began. "We believe in the three R's. I always save scrap paper, you don't know when it might come in handy."she said as she wrote a note, and put on the windshield. As they began to walk, they passed a group of boys. One of them caught Kitty's arm and was asking her not to be mad. Ma.Xiomara pretended not to be paying attention, but she listened attentively to every word he said.
"Is that why you wanted me to befriend her, Sissy?"she asked Sissy, who was riding on her shoulders, telepathically.
"Yes,"answered Sissy. "You see, since he is interested in her, and she doesn't seem to pay attention to him, it could come in handy."
"What could we do?"asked Ma.Xiomara anxiously.
"First, stop that spirit from coming closer."said Sissy, the fur on her back starting to stand up.
Ma.Xiomara looked up. Scott was coming this way. She didn't like Scott much, since she laid eyes on him. Surely someone who covered their eyes were no good. They must be hiding something in their souls. Something dark.
"Oh, no,"thought Ma. Xiomara.
She suddenly came up with an idea. Scott's car suddenly exploded with flames, and people were running away.
"My car!"exclaimed Scott, and he forgot all about Lance and ran towards the flames. Ma.Xiomara smiled to herself.
"What do you think, Sissy?"she asked. Out loud she said"And that, people, is why you should never leave the engine running. Think of all the pollution, the gasoline you're wasting. We're running out of petroleum, and you're wasting it!"
Back at the Institute, as the girls sat watching Mujer de Madera, and some embroidering, other knitting, or crochetting. They listened to Sissy.
"I was observing everything."Sissy began. "I was also in the gym during the assembly. I think I know what the problem is, and it's simple. He wants her to like him, and she does, except she won't admit it. And I must admit the methods he uses to get her attention, aren't exactly good. So what we need is someone who we can trust. And I know who and just how to get her here."
"Sissy, what if we were to tell him the truth?"Asked Ma.Xitlalli.
"No," said Sissy. "Remember you're mother asked that we must make keep him safe and happy. He will be very happy if Kitty paid attention to him. See, if we do that first, when we tell him the truth, he will be happier in the end."
"I see, and so then who can help us? Who did you have in mind?"
"Ma.Eugenia."