The lady at the ice cream shop was always glad to see the dectuplets. They were her best customers. She knew they should probably be at school, but they were such good customers, that she couldn't risk them leaving. And she had to admire them, despite the fact that they chocoholics, because they obviously were, she had to admire their small waists, and smooth skin. They pulled together three tables, and sat talked while they ate sundaes, and milkshakes(not cones, they liked the ice cream to melt, and drink it along width the hot fudge).

"The only enjoyable part about this place is that they have good ice cream. Not as good as the one Grandpa makes for us, though."commented Ma.Xamila.

"Yes. It is pretty good. If only they didn't put marshmallows in the Rocky Road. It ruins the entire supply. After this, we should go buy some brownies."suggested Ma.Xacinta.

"Shouldn't you ladies be at school?"asked the lady behind the counter. "Wouldn't your parents be upset if they found out?"

"We have the day off."

"You do? Why is that?"

"Because we are such good students that we don't need today's assignments. We already did them ahead of time. Besides what good would it do just to sit in a desk and be a distraction? So we're treating ourselves. We deserve it. As for our parents, they don't live here. And if they found out, my father would think it a fine joke, and as for my mother, let's just say she would ask us how we managed it."

The lady nodded, smiling.

"Why should we be at school?"asked Ma.Xosefina, shaking her head. "I'm tired of getting up every morning to go to school. Back home, we never had to get up so early. Just early enough for breakfast, and even that was excused. We could eat at anytime we wanted."

"Well, look on the bright side. In,"Ma.Xamila looked at her watched. "seven more hours we'll be watching Mujer de Madera, to find our how Lucrecia will get back at Rogelio. Really, I hate Viviana. She should never have done that. And then that Vicky helping her. By the way, you know I don't even think Nailea Norvid should've even participated as Viviana. I think she looks much older now. They should've given that role to someone younger..."they got into a conversation about Norvid.

"What am I going to do, Sissy?"asked Ma.Eugenia.

Sissy stared at her. I shall have to get those girls to talk to Arthur, and get him to leave Maru alone. Arthur has absolutely no business distressing her like this, thought Sissy angrily. Sissy was aware that Arthur was the one who had called Ma.Eugenia to talk to her about her father. Sissy didn't think that should be important. Sissy had never known her father, either, but then humans set such a big store by such things.

"Let's hope the time will go by quickly, Sissy."said Ma.Eugenia. "I don't like weekdays."she sighed.

At the end of the day, the dectuplets returned to school, and pretended nothing was wrong, and they had been there all day.

"I didn't see you at all during lunch today."said Kurt.

"That's because we were busy. We had to do something. You know, make up a test that we failed. We wanted to get a better grade."Ma.Xamila answered him.

"Oh."

"Why? Did you want to talk to us?"

"No. It just seemed unusual. That was all."

Kitty walked up to them.

"You know, you should tell your friend that she will have to be forgetting about Lance now."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going out with him. That's why. On Friday."

The dectuplets couldn't believe their ears.

"You're joking of course. You wouldn't go out with that jerk, you told us so yourself. Why now."

"Because I changed my mind. So you better tell Ma.Eugenia to stay away from him."

"Maru will deal with it. Don't worry. She won't think it's the end of the world. Well, we'll be right back. Ma.Xochilt left her pencil in the classroom. We shouldn't take long."she told him, and they left.

"Couldn't she go back to get it by herself?"

"No!"

They ran to find Lance. He was trying to get a free drink from the machine.

"You see I told you things would work out."Ma.Xochilt told him. "Here,"she put some money in the machine. And take this, too."she handed him more money.

"Why?"he asked puzzled. Why would they want to give him money?

"Because we don't like to see you distressing because you don't have money. We don't like the way you live, either. Don't think we didn't notice, when we saw the place."

"What do you expect."

A horrible idea came into Ma.Xosefina's mind. "You don't work, do you?"she asked anxiously. It would be so horrible, if he had to work. Not that she thought less of people who had to work, it was just that...to imagine him working when he didn't have any need. Especially if he did not enjoy it.

"No."

She sighed with relief.

"Thank God."she said. "But look, if you need money, you just tell us. See, we will give you any amount. Take this, and well, spend it on anything you like."

"Why are you giving me money?"he asked them again. "Why should you worry about me?"

"Isn't it obvious? Do you think we are going to watch our friends' dates distressing because they don't have money? Of course, not. Not to mention all the effort Maru put in to making Kitty jealous. No, Lance, Maru and us, we've put a lot of time and effort into you and Kitty. We can't afford to risk her changing her mind, because you don't have money. And if anybody asks, just tell them you got the money from...you got it from our cousin. You work for him now. You're his...you supervise the staff at his house. Okay? Just go to his house or pretend to go during your spare time. We'll talk to him. He won't say anything."

"Okay."

He didn't know why these girls took such an interest in him, but he was certainly benefiting. Thanks to them, Kitty was going out with him, and now, they were giving him money if he pretended to work for their cousin! This was almost too good to be true. He counted the money. He couldn't believe it! Nine hundred dollars! Wow! What couldn't he do with nine hundred dollars.

"So they just gave money just like that?"asked Pietro, after Lance told them how he had gotten the nine hundred dollars. If those girls carried that amount in cash, how much couldn't they have? I have to go out with one of them, he thought to himself. It doesn't make a difference whether I want to or not anymore. I have to. I'll even marry her. They might be weird, however, they must live like queens, and if I succeed I'll be living like a king, he though gleefully.

"And you only have to pretend to supervise the staff that the kid's house?"asked Toad. "You don't think he has another opening, do you?"

"I don't know. I think you have to ask the ten X's for an interview."Lance told him, calling the dectuplets by one of the names some people referred to them as. Decs, ten Ma., ten X's.

"When can I get an interview then?"asked Blob. "Why can't they have noticed me. Maybe they have to catch you stealing drinks from the soda machine."

Pietro wasn't paying much attention to the conversation. His eyes were on the money. An idea occurred to him. Lance would be dating Kitty, he had dated Ma.Eugenia, both of these girls knew the dectuplets well, not to mention the fact that Lance also spoke to them often. That improved his chances. But then, these girls were obviously very cultured, they would probably want to a guy with money, like them. He would have to pretend to be cultured also, buy them expensive gifts, and act like a gentleman until one fell. He took the money.

"You wouldn't mind sharing some of this, would you?"he asked. "They told you to let them know if you needed more. So tomorrow, I guess, you'll have to tell them to give you at least three thousand." He counted out six hundred, and pocketed them. "I need these. It's something...personal. Bye."he ran out the door.

"So, you see, everything went just as we planned, even better."Ma.Xamila told Maru.

"Good. I'm glad. I suppose this means I can go home, now?"asked Maru hopefully.

"Actually, Maru, it be a bad idea if you stayed. You know, because, well, you know we told everyone you were going to be here, because, we wanted your father to get to know you better, and we somehow convinced you. We can't risk anyone suspecting the real reason why you're here. You see, suppose people thought you left because Kitty took Lance away from you. That's what they all think. Well, then suppose they blame her, and they start saying so. That will distress her, and it might make her change her mind. We can't risk something like that."

Maru sighed. "You're right."she said. "And we can't let that happen. But now what are we going to do. Finally tell him the truth?"

"No, not yet. What if it comes as a sort of shock? No, first we must see how things work out with Kitty, then we'll see when the right time is. And I have to call Arthur, to tell him to say that Lance works for him now."

"Speaking of Arthur,"Sissy interrupted. "You should also tell him to mind his own business. Maru was very distressed this morning."

"Arthur actually called you? What did he say to you?"asked Ma.Xitlalli.

"I really don't want to talk about it."

Kitty met Ma.Eugenia on the way to her room.

"Hello,"said Kitty.

"Hello, why are you in such a good mood?"asked Ma.Eugenia.

"Haven't your friends told you?"

"Oh, that. Yes. I'm happy for you, and you should watch out, because someone else might try to take him, you know."

"Look who's talking."said Kitty smuggly.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I knew he wasn't going to pay attention to me for long. Just common sense. So, I'm not really upset about it, or anything. But I might just change my mind. So watch out."