"It looks like you were right." said Maru, as she joined the dectuplets in front of the television, and got her embroidery out.

"Of course we were right."said Ma. Xacinta. "So, she noticed. Good. Now, we just have to see what measure she will take to win him back."

The next day, Kitty decided to confront Ma. Eugenia about what she found out. She walked to Ma.Eugenia's bedroom. Maru was talking to Sissy, commenting on how beatiful Sissy looked in the new sweater she had knitted for her, and talking about how she would knit Sissy a hat to go with it. Really! To be wasting time knitting for a cat! Almost as if the cat was a child. Ma.Eugenia and the dectuplets were obviously the weirdest girls she had ever met.

"You have to stop dating Lance."she said. "Because if you don't stop, I'll tell your father."

"I'm not dating anyone, and besides, why should you be interested in what I do. I don't see how it could affect you in any way."

"Well, you see, it does affect me. He's mine. And he doesn't like you. He's only doing it because he feels sorry for you. So there."

"He's never mentioned you. Besides, I feel sorry for you. You speak just like Aimee from Corazon Salvaje, and just like I felt sorry for Aimee, I feel sorry for you, too. Now, I believe you have to get going, because if you don't you'll be late for school and from what I know, that's bad, so good-bye."

Kitty walked out of the room furious. So Ma.Eugenia felt sorry for her! Well, she didn't need anyone's pity.

"Really, Sissy, the Ten Ma.s were right. This is just like acting in a novela."she giggled. "Now I feel like the villain. Or the protagonist. Aimee was an antagonist, so I guess that's her. It's all happening backwards, Sissy. Now, let's see, who do you support, Ramiro Linares, or Leopoldo Rebollar?"

At school, Pietro couldn't help looking at those ten girls. Sure, they dressed and acted strange, but the jewelry they wore, not to mention the material their clothes were made of looked expensive. And the other girl, Ma.Eugenia, had her own maid. That could only mean one thing. These girls obviously had money. To be able to afford such long, gold and silver earrings, watches, bracelets, necklaces with such stones. And their skirts made of satin, with so much lace. It had to be a lot of satin and lace, since the skirts were so long, maybe about three yards of material. If he could only get one of them to notice him it would be the end of his money troubles.

At the end of class, the bell rang, and he walked over to them. Nobody liked to be seen anywhere near these girls, since they would obviously be noticed. The girls stood out so much, with their bright colors, braids, long hair, and jewelry, not to mention their height. And they mostly liked to keep to themselves, anyway. They didn't associate with other people very much, though there were some exceptions.

"Hello,"said Pietro, as he approached the nearest one, who was Ma.Xiomara.

"Oh, hello,"she answered. "Can I help you with something. We have to get to our next class, and we don't like to be late."

"I was just wondering how your parents tell you apart."

She held out her hand. Engraved on her watch, was the name Ma. Xiomara on one side, and her birthdate on the other, surrounded by diamonds. His jaw dropped. He had never seen something more elegant in his life. It definitely looked expensive.

"Identification watches. Our parents give us a new one for each birthday. Father is dead now, of course, he's been dead for over a year. And Mother is, well, she's not in very good health, should we say."

He whistled. "Your parents must be mighty rich to afford ten of those a year."

"It's only to tell us apart, and so that we can keep track of the time. We can't live without knowing the time. What if you're late, or something. And you don't know. Well, we have to say goody-bye, anyway." And they walked away.

During the lunch hour, Kitty looked everywhere for Lance. The dectuplets found him first.

"Listen,"said Ma.Xaviera. "Look, yesterday Maru told us that Kitty already knows that you've been..."she couldn't find the right English word. "well, 'cortejeando' Ma.Eugenia, right. She's already spoken to her, and she seems pretty mad. She'll probably want to find you and know why you've been going out with her, and all that. You just have to pretend that it's nothing out of the ordinary. Like, if she asks you why you treat Maru so nicely, what you see in her, things like that, don't answer. Just smile, and say something like 'May I hope you are jealous' I don't know, come up with something of that nature. That'll get her even madder, and well, it will make her want to do something about it. We've go to go." And they ran.

When Kitty found him, there was fury written all over her face.

"Why are you going out with that girl? Don't you see she's nothing but an empty headed fool. I mean, just this morning, I found her talking to the cat, and telling her how she was going to knit a hat for it! Imagine, for a cat! Don't tell me, you present cats with gifts, too. She spends her time daydreaming, singing to the cat, and doing things like an old woman, just knitting, and sewing. Why are you going out with her?"

"Why not. I think she's very talented. I don't know anyone else who can do that. She also sings very well. Besides, why are you worrying about that. Don't tell me you're jealous of that 'empyt headed fool."

Kitty opened her mouth and couldn't find anything to say, so she turned her back on him and stormed away. Lance smiled to himself. Those dectuplets were smart, they almost predicted what was going to happen next. With the way things were going, he might just be dating Kitty before he knew it. Things were going perfectly.