As the night deepened, the room buzzed with the kind of easy energy that only long-time friends could conjure. The boys were sprawled out in every corner of my sanctuary, a mix of laughter, teasing, and soft conversations filling the space. I could almost forget the looming chaos that Béatrice's arrival would bring. Xander had claimed my beanbag chair, leaning back with his hands behind his head, watching the others debate over what movie to stream. Caleb and Rory were arguing passionately, their voices rising in exaggerated mockery as they tossed pillows at each other. I was sandwiched between my headboard and my stuffed animals, half-listening while trying to ignore the growing dread in my stomach. "You know," Xander piped up suddenly, breaking the noise. "Béatrice might not be that bad this time." I raised an eyebrow, my skepticism practically radiating from across the room. "Oh? What makes you think that?" He shrugged, a lazy smile playing on his lips. "Maybe she's mellowed out. People can change." "Not Béatrice," I shot back, earning a ripple of laughter from the boys. "She's like… chaos incarnate," Caleb chimed in, dramatically clutching his chest like he'd been struck. "Remember the last time she was here? She made us—the guests—serve her snacks." "And let's not forget the karaoke incident," Rory added, smirking. "She hijacked the mic and wouldn't let anyone else sing for two hours." "Two hours, twenty-four minutes," I corrected dryly. It had been seared into my memory. Xander chuckled, but his gaze softened as he looked at me. "Alright, fine. Maybe she's still Béatrice. But you're not alone in this, Maya. We'll deal with her together. Right, guys?" The room erupted in a chorus of agreements, and for a moment, I felt the tension in my shoulders ease. Even Béatrice couldn't ruin this—could she? Just as I was about to let myself relax, my phone buzzed on the nightstand. I picked it up and saw Béatrice's name flash on the screen. With a resigned sigh, I opened the message. Béatrice: Can't wait to see you, ma chérie! I'll be there tomorrow afternoon. Hope you're ready for some excitement! 🥂✨ I groaned audibly, holding the phone up so the boys could read over my shoulder. Their collective groans of sympathy were both validating and mildly amusing.