XXXVI

A few hours later, Danielle was still lying in bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling, but sleep never came. She wasn't even sure what was keeping her up—maybe the lingering frustration, maybe the fact that being alone in this house always made her feel restless.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She reached for it lazily, expecting another message from Izzy, but instead, she saw a name she hadn't expected.

Chirp🐦

You alive, rich girl?

Danielle exhaled sharply, amused despite herself. She hesitated for a second before typing back.

Chiron🚗

Barely. What do you want, troublemaker?

It only took a few moments for Maya to respond.

Chirp🐦

That's "princess" to you.

Danielle rolled her eyes, but a smirk tugged at her lips.

Chirp🐦

Anyway, I was just wondering if you were gonna keep avoiding me forever or if I should start taking it personally.

Danielle stared at the message longer than she wanted to admit.

Avoiding her.

Was that what she was doing?

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard before she finally replied.

Chiron🚗

I don't avoid people.

Chirp🐦

Oh, so kissing your boyfriend in front of me was just a coincidence?

Danielle tensed.

She had known Maya saw. She felt her watching. But having Maya call her out on it so directly made her stomach twist.

Chiron🚗

Why do you care?

She didn't know what kind of answer she was expecting, but Maya took longer to respond this time.

When the reply finally came, it was frustratingly vague.

Chirp🐦

Who said I did?

Danielle frowned.

She could leave it at that. She could let the conversation end, roll over, and go back to staring at the ceiling like she had been for hours.

But instead, she found herself typing.

Chiron🚗

Are you mad at me?

She almost regretted sending it. Almost.

The three little dots appeared, disappeared, then reappeared again before Maya finally answered.

Chirp🐦

No.

Danielle wasn't sure if that was the truth.

But for now, she let it be.

Danielle stared at Maya's short reply, her thumb hovering over the screen. No.

No, she wasn't mad.

So why did it still feel like there was something lingering between them?

Before she could push, another message popped up.

Chirp🐦

You still awake or am I talking to a ghost?

Danielle smirked, settling deeper into her pillows.

Chiron🚗

You're so needy.

Chirp🐦

Shut up, you love it.

Danielle didn't reply to that.

Because, annoyingly, maybe Maya had a point.

Danielle wasn't sure when their back-and-forth had lulled into silence, but at some point, Maya stopped replying, and she figured the blonde had fallen asleep.

She should've done the same, but sleep didn't come easy for her. Instead, she found herself staring at her ceiling, replaying their conversation in her head.

Maya cared. Even if she pretended she didn't.

That was... interesting.

And frustrating.

With a sigh, Danielle tossed her phone onto the nightstand and turned onto her side, willing herself to stop thinking.

---

The next morning, she regretted staying up late.

Her alarm blared, and she groaned, blindly reaching to silence it. The second she did, a message popped up on her screen.

Chirp🐦

Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.

Danielle blinked at the message, surprised.

Chiron🚗

Didn't know we were on good morning text terms.

Chirp🐦

We're not. I just wanted to annoy you first thing in the morning.

Danielle huffed a quiet laugh, shaking her head.

Chiron🚗

Congrats, you succeeded.

She didn't wait for a reply before dragging herself out of bed. A shower helped wake her up, and after getting dressed—choosing an outfit that screamed effortless confidence—she made her way downstairs.

Izzy was already up, sipping coffee at the kitchen island. She glanced up when Danielle walked in, giving her a knowing smirk.

"Surprised you're awake," Izzy teased. "I figured you'd be exhausted from all your late-night texting."

Danielle rolled her eyes, grabbing a piece of toast from the counter. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Izzy hummed, unconvinced. "Sure. Keep telling yourself that."

Danielle ignored her, checking her phone again as another message came in.

Chirp🐦

Hurry up, rich girl. You're giving me a ride.

Danielle smirked.

Chiron🚗

Needy.

Chirp🐦

Again, shut up, you love it.

Maybe she did.

Danielle shook her head, amused, as she slipped her phone into her pocket. She grabbed her bag and finished her toast before turning to Izzy.

"I'm heading out," she announced.

Izzy raised an eyebrow over her coffee mug. "Picking up your little friend?"

Danielle shot her a glare. "She's not my little anything."

Izzy snorted. "Yeah, okay. Drive safe."

Danielle didn't dignify that with a response as she made her way outside. Her car was already warm from the morning sun, and as she slid into the driver's seat, she found herself smiling despite herself.

She drove to Maya's apartment, pulling up outside the familiar building. She honked once, not bothering to get out, and a few moments later, Maya emerged.

The blonde was wearing ripped jeans and an oversized hoodie, her usual effortless style. Her hair was slightly messy, and she looked half-asleep as she climbed into the passenger seat.

Danielle smirked. "Rough night, princess?"

Maya shot her a tired glare. "You're too chipper for the morning."

Danielle laughed, pulling away from the curb. "Maybe you're just too grumpy."

Maya muttered something under her breath and leaned her head against the window. "I hate school."

Danielle hummed in agreement. "Well, at least you get to spend it with me."

Maya cracked an eye open. "You say that like it's a good thing."

Danielle smirked. "You're the one who asked for a ride, remember?"

Maya rolled her eyes but didn't argue.

The rest of the drive was quiet, save for the soft music playing from the speakers. Danielle didn't mind. It was... nice.

When they pulled into the school parking lot, Maya sat up, stretching with a yawn. As they both got out, Maya turned to her.

"Oh, by the way," she said casually. "Did you and William finally break up, or are you still playing pretend?"

Danielle raised an eyebrow, taken off guard. "Where'd that come from?"

Maya shrugged. "I noticed you didn't hang off him like usual yesterday."

Danielle sighed, shutting her car door. "We ended it. Mutual. We'll still be friends."

Maya didn't look surprised. "Good. He was boring."

Danielle scoffed. "You don't even know him."

"Didn't have to," Maya said with a smirk. "He was still boring."

Danielle rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but laugh as they made their way toward the school entrance.

Maybe today wouldn't be so bad.

As they walked into the school building, Danielle felt the familiar shift in atmosphere. The moment she stepped inside, eyes were on her. Not that she minded—she was used to it. But today, something felt different. Maybe it was because she wasn't clinging to William anymore. Maybe it was because Maya was walking beside her instead of Riley.

She caught sight of Lilianna and Brooklyn near their usual lockers, both of them already watching her with knowing smirks.

Maya must have noticed too because she nudged Danielle with her elbow. "Your cheerleading minions are looking at you like they know something."

Danielle exhaled through her nose. "They always think they know something."

Maya smirked. "That's because they probably do."

Before Danielle could respond, Brooklyn practically skipped up to them. "So," she drawled, tossing her curls over her shoulder. "Is it true?"

Danielle gave her a look. "Is what true?"

Brooklyn gasped, pressing a hand to her chest in mock offense. "You didn't even tell us?"

Lilianna leaned against the lockers beside them, shaking her head in exaggerated disappointment. "And here I thought we were your best friends."

Maya crossed her arms, watching the exchange with amusement. "You guys are very dramatic."

Lilianna turned to her. "Maya, please. We're cheerleaders. Drama is literally in our blood."

Danielle sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Okay, let's get this over with. Have your drama moment, acting like you didn't find this out yesterday. Me and William broke up." Saying the last part to play along.

Brooklyn gasped again, even louder this time, before grabbing Lilianna's arm. "Oh my God, she's available."

Danielle rolled her eyes, and Maya just snorted beside her.

"I mean, it makes sense," Lilianna said, pretending to analyze Danielle. "You never actually liked him."

Danielle huffed. "I liked him."

"Not in a real way," Brooklyn countered. "And now, the world can finally see Danielle Knight untethered."

Danielle gave her a flat look, "I was never 'untethered." She finished with shaking her head.

Brooklyn waved her off. "Yeah, yeah, but you know what I mean. Now, everyone knows you're single."

Lilianna grinned. "Which means we can finally start taking bets on your next romance."

Danielle groaned. "You guys are unbearable."

Maya, who had been suspiciously quiet, raised an eyebrow. "Wait, people actually bet on who she dates?"

Brooklyn smirked. "Of course. Danielle's, like, the crown jewel of the school."

Maya rolled her eyes, but Danielle caught the way she bit the inside of her cheek, like she was holding back a comment.

Lilianna linked her arm through Danielle's. "So, now that you've dropped your football boyfriend, any plans on who's next?"

Danielle hesitated. She had been expecting this question, but somehow, she still didn't have an answer. It wasn't like she had someone else lined up. The breakup wasn't about replacing William—it was about finally admitting that she hadn't really cared about their relationship in the first place.

She shrugged. "Not really thinking about it."

Brooklyn scoffed. "That's a lie."

Danielle sighed. "I just want to exist for a little bit. Maybe not have people constantly up in my business."

Lilianna snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that."

Brooklyn's eyes flickered toward Maya, who was pretending to be uninterested, but Danielle knew better. There was something different in her posture, something unreadable in her expression.

Before anyone else could comment, the warning bell rang.

Danielle took the opportunity to step away. "I have class. Try not to spread my entire personal life around the school before lunch."

Brooklyn grinned. "No promises."

Danielle rolled her eyes and turned to leave, but Maya fell into step beside her.

"So," Maya said, her voice light, but there was something underneath it. "You and William."

Danielle glanced at her. "What about it?"

Maya shrugged. "Just didn't expect you to actually break up with him."

Danielle raised an eyebrow. "Why? You thought I'd stay in a relationship I didn't care about just for appearances?"

Maya hummed. "I mean, isn't that kind of your thing?"

Danielle scoffed, nudging Maya with her shoulder. "You're annoying."

Maya smirked. "And yet, you keep talking to me."

Danielle didn't have a response for that. Instead, she shook her head, hiding a small smile as they headed toward their separate ways, Maya to Riley and Danielle to class.

Danielle walked into her class, then walking straight back out. "Oh you have got to be kidding me." She mumbled shaking her head as she passed more people with wigs on.