Maddie's POV:

I can't help but smile as I turn the key into Mackenzie and I's room, because I know that James is perfect; everything about him just feels right. Of course, Makenzie sits on the couch with a stubborn expression on her face, and her arms are crossed, showing that she's been waiting for me for a while.

She immediately shouts at me, "What—why are you wet?!"

I can feel my cheeks flush with heat as I answer, "I was out with James."

"Were you in the ocean?!" Mackenzie cried, disbelief mixed with confusion and anger radiating from her voice.

"No, we went swimming," I explained to her, suddenly realizing how ridiculous the statement sounds.

"In the pool?!"

"Yes, and we had quite a good time, too."

She quiets her voice, and leaned closer to me as she said, "You do know he's not allowed, right?"

I instantly became annoyed with her, as if I didn't know that! "Of course I know Mackenzie; it's just not fair that he doesn't get to use the pool, so I let him."

Her eyes turn soft, and she replies with, "Okay, fine, I won't tell anyone, but you must promise me to not make me worry like that again!"

I laughed and said, "Alright, it's a deal."

I then told her all about my expedition with James, and about how Twila walked in on us, and almost out of nowhere, Mackenzie yelped, "Dinner! Maddie you have to get ready!"

My hair was mostly dry, but I was still very alarmed, because it was only an hour before the dinner began. I immediately ran into the bathroom and grabbed a towel, and rolled my hair up in it, wishing that it would finish up drying up fairly quickly. Then, I ran to my armoire (which now was stocked with mostly my nice and expensive gowns), and I chose one at random, which was a turquoise ensemble that had intricate designs on the bodice.

I quickly slipped it on, and ran back to the bathroom to hang my wet clothes, and I sprinted back to the vanity to tackle the mess of my hair.

I remove the towel from it, and it looks completely horrid. I don't think that there was one strand that wasn't completely tangled. I then began brushing through it, carefully but quickly, but wincing every few moments when the section of hair is way too knotted to brush through.

At last, I successfully styled my hair into a braided updo, and you wouldn't even be able to tell that it was a wet, knotted mess just minutes before. And as if on cue, Mackenzie appears from her room, dressed in yet again, an extravagant dress that definitely tops mine.

"Ready?" she asks.

"Yep, let's eat!" I respond, and we were both laughing as we exited the room.

We made our way down to the dining hall, and I was so shocked I felt as if I could faint. James was standing there in a suit and tie waiting by the front doors of the dining room.