XV

The fortune teller's tent was tucked away near the edge of the fair, draped in deep purple fabric with strings of dim, flickering lights hanging from the entrance. A sign out front read: "Madame Celeste: Seer of Fate."

Maya crossed her arms, glancing between Riley and Danielle. "You know this is just some lady scamming people out of their money, right?"

Riley gasped. "Maya! You don't know that! What if she really can see the future?"

Danielle smirked. "If she's actually psychic, she should already know we're here."

Right on cue, a husky voice called from inside, "Enter, seekers of truth."

Maya and Danielle exchanged a glance. Riley just grinned, dragging them forward.

Inside, the tent was dimly lit with candles and smelled faintly of incense. A round table sat in the centre, covered in velvet with a glass orb resting in the middle. Behind it sat a woman dressed in flowing robes, silver jewellery clinking softly as she gestured for them to sit.

Riley immediately plopped down, eyes wide with excitement. Maya sighed, taking the seat beside her, while Danielle slid into the chair across from them, looking more amused than anything.

The fortune teller studied them for a moment before turning her gaze to Maya. "You." Her voice was smooth, mysterious. "You are sceptical."

Maya shrugged. "Guilty."

The woman smirked, reaching for a deck of cards. "Let us see if the cards have anything to say about that." She shuffled them expertly, then spread them across the table. "Choose one."

Maya rolled her eyes but picked a card anyway, flipping it over.

The fortune teller leaned in, studying it closely before meeting Maya's gaze. "Ah. The Lovers."

Danielle let out a low chuckle. "Ooooh, Hart."

Maya glared at her. "Shut up."

Riley, of course, gasped. "Maya! That means something!"

The fortune teller nodded, tapping the card. "This is a powerful card. It speaks of deep connection, an undeniable pull toward someone unexpected."

Maya stiffened. "Yeah, well, sounds like a whole lot of not my problem."

Danielle, still smirking, tapped the table. "What about me? What's my future?"

The woman studied her for a long moment before speaking. "You hide much of yourself, don't you?"

Maya turned to Danielle, curious despite herself.

Danielle's smirk faltered for half a second, but then she leaned back, arms crossed. "Maybe I just don't have anything to hide."

The fortune teller's lips curled into a knowing smile. "We all hide something."

For some reason, Maya felt her heart beat a little faster.

Riley, completely captivated, turned to Maya. "Maya. Maya. What if this means you're about to meet the love of your life?"

Maya scoffed. "Yeah, I'll keep an eye out for Prince Charming."

The fortune teller's gaze flickered between Maya and Danielle before she smiled, slow and knowing.

Maya didn't like it.

Danielle just looked amused. "Guess we'll see, Hart."

Maya had no idea why that made her nervous.

Maya was so done with this.

---

As soon as they stepped out of the tent, she groaned dramatically, shaking her head. "I cannot believe I let you drag me in there, Riles."

Riley, still practically glowing with excitement, clasped her hands together. "But Peaches! She said something big is coming for you! A deep connection! A fated romance!"

Maya made a face. "Yeah, or she's just a lady who knows how to take people's money."

Danielle, hands in her pockets, smirked. "Or maybe she's right."

Maya shot her a look. "Okay, you need to stop enjoying this so much."

Danielle just shrugged, but the way her eyes lingered on Maya made her stomach feel weird.

Not that she cared. At all.

Riley sighed happily. "I love fate."

Maya sighed dramatically. "I love leaving. Can we go now?"

Riley hummed thoughtfully, looking around the fair. "Or, we could do something romantic since the universe basically just told you that love is coming your way."

Maya narrowed her eyes. "I swear if you suggest the tunnel of love—"

Riley gasped. "THE TUNNEL OF LOVE!"

Maya groaned. "Why do I even talk?"

Danielle chuckled, watching them bicker. "As fun as that sounds, I'm gonna pass."

Maya pointed at her. "See? Danielle gets it. She has a brain."

Danielle smirked. "You say that now, but I totally would've gone if you asked me."

Maya blinked.

Riley squealed. "Maya, ask her!!"

Maya stared at Danielle, but the older girl just looked back at her, completely unbothered. Like she was waiting. Like she knew Maya wouldn't do it.

And that? That just made Maya want to prove her wrong.

She crossed her arms, tilting her chin up. "Fine. Let's go."

Danielle raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "Alright then."

Riley gasped, clutching her chest. "This is the greatest moment of my life."

Maya rolled her eyes but refused to let herself chicken out. It was just a ride. It meant nothing.

So why did her heart start pounding as they walked toward it?

---

The line wasn't long, but every single couple ahead of them was definitely an actual couple. There was hand-holding, whispered giggles, and one pair was already making out before they even got in the boat.

Maya side-eyed Danielle. "This was a mistake."

Danielle, completely unfazed, shoved her hands in her pockets. "You scared, Hart?"

Maya scoffed. "Of you? Never."

Danielle smirked, leaning in just a fraction. "Then get in the boat."

Riley, who had insisted on waiting at the exit for them, was practically vibrating with excitement. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! This is fate!"

Maya turned to Riley. "You're gonna owe me for this. Forever."

Riley just beamed. "Worth it."

The ride attendant waved them forward, and Maya took a deep breath before stepping into the small boat. Danielle followed, sitting next to her. The boat rocked slightly, making Maya instinctively grab the edge. Danielle didn't even flinch.

And then—without warning—the boat pushed forward, floating into the tunnel.

The moment they entered, dim pink and purple lights flickered to life around them. Soft instrumental music played overhead, and the walls were painted with overly dramatic romantic scenes—moonlit dances, sunset kisses, even a couple running through a field of flowers.

It was disgustingly cheesy.

Maya groaned. "Oh, this is awful."

Danielle chuckled. "Starting to regret proving me wrong?"

Maya hated that she had a point.

The boat drifted further inside, and for a second, it was almost too quiet. The music was soft, the lights glowed gently, and Maya could hear the faint sound of the water lapping against the boat.

And beside her, Danielle was just there. Sitting close, arm resting on the back of the seat like she had all the time in the world.

Maya exhaled, suddenly hyper-aware of how small the boat was.

Danielle tapped her fingers against the seat. "So..."

Maya turned to her. "So?"

Danielle smirked. "Am I living up to the fortune teller's prophecy?"

Maya gagged. "Absolutely not."

Danielle laughed, tilting her head. "You sure? Because it kinda seems like we have a 'deep connection' forming."

Maya shot her a glare. "Do you have a shut-off button?"

Danielle grinned. "Nope."

Maya groaned dramatically, sinking into her seat. "This ride needs to be over."

Danielle just kept smirking, like she knew something Maya didn't.

And maybe that was the worst part. Because for a second—for a split second—Maya wondered...

What if the fortune teller was actually right?

Or did Danielle put stuff in Maya's head about her love life having a Princess?

The boat continued drifting through the tunnel, the soft glow of the lights reflecting off the water. Maya kept her arms crossed, stubbornly staring at the ridiculous romantic scenes painted on the walls.

Danielle, on the other hand, was as relaxed as ever. She had one arm draped over the back of the seat, fingers tapping lightly against the wood.

"Enjoying yourself, Hart?"

Maya scoffed. "Oh, so much. This is exactly how I wanted to spend my Saturday—floating through a corporate-approved fantasy of what love is supposed to be."

Danielle chuckled. "That bitter act of yours is so cute."

Maya's head snapped toward her. "Act?"

Danielle gave her a knowing look. "Yeah. You act like you don't care about this stuff, but I've seen you, Maya. You get that look whenever Riley talks about love or happy endings. Like you want to believe in it but don't think it's for you."

Maya opened her mouth—ready to shut her down—but no words came out. Because ugh, Danielle wasn't wrong.

And that was so annoying.

She turned back toward the water, glaring at her reflection like it was Danielle's fault for noticing things. "You don't know me."

Danielle hummed. "I think I'm starting to."

Maya's fingers twitched, curling into her jacket sleeves. She should've hated how casually Danielle said that. She should've told her off, made some sarcastic remark, anything to stop the weird fluttery feeling in her stomach.

Instead, she stayed quiet.

The boat drifted around the final bend, and just ahead, they could see the exit where Riley was waiting—bouncing on the balls of her feet, grinning like this was the best thing to ever happen in her life.

Maya sighed in relief. "Thank God."

Danielle smirked. "Already missing me, huh?"

Maya elbowed her. "I will throw you in the water."

Danielle laughed, and even though Maya should have been glad this was over, she found herself stealing a glance at the older girl.

And when Danielle caught her, raising an eyebrow like she knew Maya had been looking, Maya quickly turned away—fighting the warmth rising to her cheeks.

This ride needed to be over. Now.

---

As soon as the boat bumped against the dock, Maya was the first to stand, practically leaping out before the ride attendant could even offer a hand.

Danielle, of course, took her time. She stretched as she stepped onto the platform, rolling her shoulders like the five-minute boat ride had been some massive inconvenience.

Riley was already there, grinning like she had just witnessed a historic event. "So! How was it?"

Maya shot her a look. "Never again."

Danielle smirked, casually running a hand through her hair. "It was enlightening."

Maya whipped her head toward her. "Enlightening?"

Danielle nodded. "Yeah. I learned a lot about you in there, Hart."

Maya's eyes narrowed. "You—"

But before she could finish, Danielle was already walking away, hands in her pockets, her usual cocky strut on full display. "Come on, losers. Let's get something to eat."

Riley let out a dreamy sigh as they followed. "I think this might be the greatest day of my life."

Maya groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "I hate you both."

Riley just giggled. "No, you don't."

And the worst part? She was right.

The trio wandered through the fairgrounds, the scent of funnel cakes and roasted peanuts filling the air. Maya shoved her hands into her pockets, still scowling as Riley practically skipped beside her. Danielle walked ahead, looking entirely too pleased with herself.

"Okay," Riley announced, spinning on her heel to face them. "What's the lunch plan? We could do classic fair food—corn dogs, fries, or maybe something adventurous like deep-fried butter!"

Maya wrinkled her nose. "Absolutely not."

Danielle, barely glancing back, smirked. "What, afraid it'll be too much for you, Chirp?"

Maya shot her a glare. "I value my arteries, thanks."

Riley pouted. "You guys are no fun."

Danielle suddenly stopped in front of a food stand, scanning the menu. "Burgers and fries good enough for you, princess?"

Maya scoffed, stepping up beside her. "If you call me that again, I will dump a soda on your head."

Danielle smirked but didn't push it further. Instead, she casually pulled out her wallet. "I got this."

Maya frowned. "What? No—"

Danielle cut her off, not even looking at her as she handed over some cash. "Relax, Hart. Consider it repayment for the enlightening experience earlier."

Riley let out a small squeal. "I love this dynamic!"

Maya groaned. "I hate this dynamic."

Danielle just smirked as she grabbed the food, effortlessly balancing a tray in one hand before leading them toward a nearby picnic table.

Once they sat down, Maya grabbed a fry and pointed it at Danielle. "Just so you know, this doesn't mean I owe you anything."

Danielle tilted her head slightly, pretending to think. "Mmm, debatable."

Maya narrowed her eyes. "Not debatable."

Danielle leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm. "We'll see, Hart."

Maya clenched her jaw, fully prepared to argue, but Riley suddenly gasped, eyes wide.

Danielle casually grabbed the last fry from Maya's tray before tossing a wink at her. "Come on, I'm done watching you two pretend you're fine. Let's go do something actually fun."

Maya rolled her eyes but stood up anyway, brushing her hands off.

"Where are we going?" Riley asked as they started weaving through the fairgrounds.

Danielle smirked. "Ever been on the slingshot ride?"

Maya's stomach dropped. "Oh, hell no."

Danielle laughed, throwing an arm over her shoulder as she steered her toward the ride anyway. "Too late, princess."

Maya hated rides like this. She liked roller coasters well enough, but anything that involved being launched into the air with nothing but some flimsy straps keeping her from certain death? Yeah, no thanks.

"I take it back," Maya said quickly, digging her heels into the ground. "I don't need 'fun.' I'm perfectly happy doing literally anything else."

Danielle smirked, keeping a firm grip on her shoulder. "Oh, come on, Hart. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Back there with my sanity."

Riley, on the other hand, looked thrilled. "I've always wanted to go on this ride!"

"Great, you and Chiron can bond over it while I go enjoy not dying." Maya turned to leave, but Danielle hooked an arm around her waist, effortlessly steering her back toward the line.

"Oh no, you're not getting out of this."

Maya flailed uselessly. "This is kidnapping."

"Eh." Danielle shrugged. "You got in my car yesterday, so technically, this is just step two."

Riley giggled as Maya let out a dramatic groan, reluctantly stepping forward as the ride operator waved them through.

Maya found herself sandwiched between Danielle and Riley, the straps pulling tight across her chest as the ride attendants made their final checks.

"This is it," Riley whispered excitedly. "We're about to see the world from a whole new perspective!"

Maya clenched her jaw. "Yeah. The perspective of someone about to die."

Danielle, as usual, looked perfectly relaxed, her arms draped over the seat's handles. "You'll be fine, princess."

Before Maya could fire back a retort, the countdown started.

3...

"I hate you both."

2...

Danielle just grinned.

1...

The world blurred.

Maya let out an ear-splitting scream as they were catapulted into the sky, her stomach practically flying out of her body. Riley's scream was delighted, while Danielle—of course—just let out a laugh, throwing her arms in the air like this was nothing.

"THIS ISN'T FUN!" Maya shouted, gripping Danielle's arm on instinct.

Danielle looked down at her with a teasing grin. "Oh, but now you're holding onto me? Interesting."

"I WILL KILL YOU WHEN WE LAND."

Danielle just laughed again, and Maya swore she was going to pass out before this ride was over.