Uriah''s face was a picture of disappointment-frustrated, speechless, not even trying to hide it.


    "Fine, I''ll just eat by myself!" he grumbled, spinning on his heel and storming off to grab dinner alone.


    But in reality, Uriah didn''t wander far. He lingered just close enough to keep an eye on the group.


    The others were eating together, chatting andughing.


    Mavis, especially, seemed to be having a great time talking with Norton. The two of them were leaning in, whispering and sharing inside jokes.


    Uriah knew Mavis''s personality better than most. He wasn''t that much older than her, but he''d been her mentor since they were kids. He knew she didn''t really open up to people easily. With strangers, she barely spoke, and even with friends, she could be pretty quiet.


    But right now? She was anything but quiet. She looked genuinely happy, totally engrossed in her conversation with Norton.


    Uriah felt a twinge of jealousy, so much that he barely even noticed it himself. He just couldn''t look away.


    Meanwhile, Calliope and the others finished their meal, still chatting. As they stepped outside, they bumped into Portia, Quentin, Julius, and Archie, who were just getting back and heading into the dining hall.


    Portia grinned. "You guys finished eating already?" She''d seen Calliope''s message in the group chat earlier; she and the others weren''t back yet, so they''d told Calliope''s group to go ahead without them.


    "Yeah, we did. Did you have fun out there?" Calliope asked.


    "Definitely," Archie replied with a big smile. "Crispin''s a great guy!"


    "And Portia''s a lifesaver," Julius chimed in. "Seriously, if it weren''t for her, I''d still be running from fans."


    The memory made Julius shudder. He was always getting recognized, but Portia seemed to have a sixth sense for spotting trouble and making sure they dodged it every time.


    "d you all had fun. Go grab some food, then we can all hang out togetherter!" Calliope said, waving as she and Ss headed off down the hall.


    By now, Uriah had finished eating and was trailing behind Mavis and Norton Norton was still chatting away, and Uriah had to admit, the guy was hitting all of Mavis''s interests. It was almost impressive.


    Uriah''s eyes narrowed. This Norton guy was sneaky. He was definitely trying to charm Mavis, and Uriah wasn''t about to let him.


    Every now and then, Uriah jumped into the conversation, contradicting whatever Norton said. After the third interruption, Norton finally turned, exasperated.


    "Mr. Stewart, haven''t you ever heard of manners?"


    "I''m just correcting your mistakes. Someone has to," Uriah replied, arms crossed.


    Norton smirked. "Really? Well, Mr. Stewart, don''t you think it''s a little weird you''re following us around like this?"


    "Nope," Uriah said tly.


    Mavis nced back at him, her


    expression a mix of surprise and et


    confusion. This definitely wasn''t normal Uriah behavior. She had no idea what had gotten into him today.


    A little ways down the hall, Calliope and Ss reached their room, only to find the door already wide open They exchanged a look. They were sure they''d locked it before leaving.


    Cautiously, Ss pushed the door open the rest of the way, and there, lounging on


    the couch like he owned the ce, was Oliver.


    Ss''s face darkened. “Who said you coulde in here?”


    Calliope was just as shocked as Ss, staring at Oliver in disbelief. This was the<pst thing she''d expected.