XXXI

The next morning, Danielle woke up before her alarm.

It was still dark outside, the faint glow of the city lights barely slipping through her curtains. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, trying to push away the remnants of an uneasy sleep.

She felt restless. Probably because of the conversation with Izzy last night. Probably because of everything.

With a sigh, she pushed herself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. A long shower helped shake off some of the drowsiness, and by the time she stepped out, she felt a little more like herself.

Today needed to be normal. Controlled.

That meant dressing the part.

Danielle took her time picking out an outfit—something sharp, something that made it impossible for anyone to tell she hadn't slept well. A fitted top, a sleek black skirt, her best designer boots. Hair styled to perfection.

By the time she was done, she looked exactly like the girl everyone expected her to be. The girl who had it all together.

She grabbed her bag, took one last glance in the mirror, and then made her way downstairs. Izzy was already in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee.

"Morning," Izzy said, eyeing her outfit. "Dressed to kill today?"

Danielle smirked, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. "Always." Hopefully.

Izzy snorted but didn't question it. "Want breakfast?"

"I'll grab something on the way," Danielle said, already heading toward the door. "See you later."

She didn't wait for a response before stepping outside, the cool morning air waking her up even more as she approached her car.

The moment she slid into the driver's seat and started the engine, she let out a slow breath.

Back to normal. Back in control.

She drove off, ready to take on the day.

Danielle pulled into the school parking lot, her Bugatti standing out as usual, but she barely noticed. She stepped out with the same effortless confidence she always carried, adjusting her bag on her shoulder as she walked toward the building.

She had a plan for today—focus on cheer, focus on school, and most importantly, avoid unnecessary distractions.

That meant no detours to the hole. No lingering glances. No thoughts about—

She shut it down before it could start.

The halls were already filling up with students as she walked inside. She spotted William leaning against the lockers, laughing at something with his football friends. Lilianna and Brooklyn were close by, already engaged in some kind of animated conversation.

Her people.

She walked up to them, seamlessly slipping back into her usual role.

"Morning," she greeted, her tone smooth, controlled.

William turned to her with a grin, immediately pulling her in for a kiss. Danielle let it happen, let herself sink into the familiarity of it, the normalcy.

But even as she kissed him back, she felt it—eyes on her.

She knew exactly who they belonged to.

When they pulled apart, she cast a glance to the side, like she hadn't planned it, like it was just casual.

Her gaze met Maya's from across the hall.

Maya, who was standing near Riley, who was definitely saying something, but Maya wasn't listening.

Because she was looking right at Danielle.

Danielle held her stare for half a second longer than she should have before turning away.

She plastered on a smirk, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Come on," she said to her friends. "Let's go."

And just like that, she walked off—ignoring the way her heart picked up speed, ignoring the way her fingers itched with something she refused to name.

---

Danielle wasn't expecting to run into anyone as she walked down the hallway, but as she turned the corner, she nearly collided with someone.

"Woah—"

She stepped back just in time, looking up to see a boy with styled brown hair, wearing a black hoodie zipped up, his sharp blue eyes studying her with curiosity. Next to him stood a tall guy in a plain blue shirt, another boy with an easy grin, and a girl who observed her with sharp intelligence, clearly sizing her up.

"Uh, hi?" Danielle said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey," the boy in the plain blue shirt greeted smoothly. "You must be Danielle. We've heard about you."

Danielle glanced at Maya and Riley, who had just appeared beside the group, looking... slightly nervous? Amused? It was hard to tell.

"Have you now?" Danielle asked, crossing her arms.

"Yeah," the boy in the hoodie—Farkle, she assumed—said, his tone analytical. "And, honestly, we weren't sure you were real. Maya described you as this mysterious, too-cool-for-us upperclassman who drives a Bugatti and—"

"Okay, we're done," Maya cut in, shoving Farkle lightly. "Not the time."

The guy with the grin—Zay, she guessed—chuckled. "Nah, I like this. She seems fun."

Danielle smirked. "I am fun."

"Yeah? Then sit with us at lunch," Zay challenged.

Danielle barely hesitated before shaking her head, slipping on an easy, practiced smile. "I would, but I eat with my friends."

Maya gave her a look. Danielle ignored it.

"Another time, then," Zay said, unfazed.

"Sure," Danielle said, fully aware she was never going to sit with them.

And with that, she walked off, pretending she didn't feel Maya's eyes following her as she left.

As Danielle walked away, she kept her posture relaxed, her expression unreadable. She had gotten good at that—at pretending like she didn't care, like she wasn't affected by anything.

But the truth was, something about that interaction stuck with her. The way Maya looked at her, like she saw right through the excuse. The way Farkle studied her like she was some kind of puzzle to solve. The way the group as a whole seemed to just... accept her presence, like she was already part of their dynamic, even though she had no intention of making that happen.

She exhaled sharply, pushing those thoughts aside as she made her way to her locker. Lilianna and Brooklyn were already waiting for her, and she welcomed the distraction.

"Hey," Brooklyn greeted, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. "You good?"

"Yeah," Danielle said easily, spinning her locker's combination. "Ran into Maya and her friends."

Lilianna raised a brow. "Oh?"

Brooklyn smirked. "And? Did they bow at your feet like everyone else?"

Danielle let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Not exactly. They invited me to sit with them at lunch."

Lilianna and Brooklyn shared a look before turning back to her.

"And you said no," Lilianna guessed.

"Of course," Danielle said, grabbing her books. "I don't need to get involved with all that."

Brooklyn nodded approvingly. "Good. You have your own thing. No need to get wrapped up in whatever drama they've got going on." Silently watching for her to defended her new friends.

"Exactly," Danielle agreed.

And yet, as they walked to their next class, she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe she was already more wrapped up in it than she wanted to admit.

As they walked through the hallway, Lilianna nudged Danielle with a knowing smirk.

"So... Maya, huh?"

Danielle didn't even flinch, just rolled her eyes as she closed her locker. "Oh, here we go."

Brooklyn grinned, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I mean, you talk about her a lot for someone who 'doesn't care' about her."

"I don't talk about her a lot," Danielle shot back.

Lilianna hummed in mock thought. "Mmm, I don't know. First, you sit with her and Riley at Topanga's, then you drive them home, then you somehow end up in her friend group's orbit. And now they're inviting you to lunch?"

Brooklyn smirked. "Sounds like you've got a little blonde problem."

Danielle sighed, adjusting the strap of her bag. "It's not a problem because I don't care. She's just... there."

Lilianna wiggled her eyebrows. "And yet, you knew exactly where she and Riley were yesterday. Almost like you were looking for them."

Danielle scoffed. "I wasn't looking for them. I was—" She stopped herself, realizing she didn't actually have a good excuse.

Brooklyn gave her a pointed look. "Exactly."

Danielle exhaled through her nose, shaking her head. "You two are ridiculous."

"But we're right," Lilianna sang.

Danielle groaned, walking faster to escape them, but they just laughed, following her down the hall.