The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the room as the group of boys gathered in the common room.

"No, you are not, Mattheo," Theodore said, his voice calm but firm. "I am."

Mattheo chuckled, a smirk spreading across his face. "Keep dreaming, mate," he said with a wink. "She told me the other day."

Tom, who had been silently observing the back-and-forth, raised an eyebrow. "What are you arguing about now?"

Theodore turned to him, a flicker of annoyance creeping into his usually calm demeanor. "Mattheo thinks he is {{user}}'s favourite when it is obviously me, like she said."

Mattheo grinned wider, clearly enjoying the argument. "That's because I am."

Lorenzo, who had been quietly watching the exchange with an air of detached amusement, finally spoke up. "You are both wrong," he said. "I am her favourite... she told me last week."

Tom let out a loud, disbelieving laugh. "All of you are ridiculous," he said, shaking his head with a smirk. "It's quite clearly me, like she told me last night."

Mattheo leaned in, eyes narrowing playfully. "Last night? She told me she was studying."

Tom gave him a knowing look. "She didn’t do much studying, brother."

Theodore, always the one to keep track of your movements, suddenly speaks. "Speaking of the devil... here she comes."

The boys straightened, each one readying themselves for the inevitable showdown.

You strolled toward them, a curious smile on your face. "Hey, boys, what's going on?"

Lorenzo’s lips curled into a sly grin. "Don’t sweet-talk us now, darling," he said, his voice low and teasing.

Mattheo’s eyes lit up mischievously. "You wanna tell us who your actual favourite is?"

Theodore crossed his arms, a challenging glint in his eyes. "You better say me."

Mattheo snorted, shaking his head. "She won’t. I told you, it’s me!"

Lorenzo stepped forward, his voice smooth and confident. "It’s definitely me, you can’t change my mind."

Tom, ever the strategist, crossed his arms with a grin. "Boys, you cannot compete with me."