VII

Danielle exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair as she lingered near the counter. She should've been halfway home by now, handing Izzy her coffee and croissants, pretending this little errand run hadn't turned into an unnecessary distraction.

But she wasn't leaving.

She knew it the moment Francesca, Nikki, and Thor walked away, then when Farkle had came in. The way Maya had gripped that pencil like it was the only thing tethering her to the table, the way Riley had tried to smooth things over with wide eyes and hopeful words—it sat wrong with Danielle.

She wasn't the type to step in. Not when it didn't concern her. Not when it was Maya.

Yet, there she was, watching from across the café as Farkle finally left, Riley plopping back down into her seat with an exaggerated sigh.

Danielle rolled her eyes at herself, muttering under her breath.

You're gonna regret this.

Pushing off the counter, she made her way toward the table, placing her coffee on a nearby ledge before sliding into the seat where Thor had been sitting. The blonde barely reacted, only tilting her head slightly as her pencil continued scratching across the paper.

Riley, on the other hand, straightened instantly. "Danielle?" Her voice held a mix of confusion and curiosity. "What are you doing here?"

Danielle smirked, leaning back in her seat as she crossed her arms. "I could ask you the same thing, Sunshine."

Riley blinked. "I—uh—we come here all the time?"

Danielle hummed like that was brand-new information. "Right. Of course." Her gaze flicked toward Maya, who still hadn't said a word. The girl was focused on her notebook, but Danielle could see the slight twitch in her fingers, the way she was very deliberately ignoring her presence.

"Interesting crowd you had earlier," Danielle commented casually, nodding toward where Francesca and her crew had disappeared.

Maya finally looked up. "You spying on me, Senior?"

Danielle scoffed, grabbing her coffee and taking a slow sip. "Please. Like I have time to keep tabs on a freshman." She let the word drag out, watching for a reaction.

Maya's eyes narrowed slightly. "Then why are you sitting here?"

Danielle shrugged, placing her coffee down. "Maybe I just wanted to enjoy my drink in peace. But now that I think about it, this table does seem to attract some... interesting people." She tilted her head, eyes sharp as she added, "Hope you girls aren't making enemies already."

Riley shifted awkwardly, clearly unsure how to navigate the conversation. But Maya? Maya was watching Danielle like she was trying to read between the lines, like she knew there was something more to this sudden interaction.

Danielle smirked. Sharp girl.

She didn't know why she was here, not really. Maybe it was boredom. Maybe it was curiosity. Or maybe, despite all her efforts to avoid Maya Hart, she was starting to realize that ignoring her wasn't as easy as she thought.

Danielle drummed her fingers against her coffee cup, debating how much longer she could sit here before her better judgment kicked in. She had already crossed some invisible line by joining them—by acknowledging Maya at all when she had done a damn good job avoiding her all day. But now that she was here, she couldn't seem to make herself leave.

Riley glanced between her and Maya, the tension subtle but present. It was clear neither of them quite knew what to do with her sudden presence.

Danielle sighed, rolling her eyes at herself before leaning forward slightly. "So, do you two need a ride or what?"

Riley blinked. "A ride?"

Danielle nodded. "Yeah. You know, four wheels, an engine, gets you places." She sipped her coffee before adding, "I'd rather not have to rescue you from whatever senior hazing Francesca and her crew might have planned next."

Maya snorted, finally shutting her notebook. "Wow. I didn't realize you were capable of being concerned about other people."

Danielle smirked. "I'm not. I just have an overactive conscience when it comes to watching train wrecks." She gestured vaguely between them. "And you two have 'disaster' written all over you."

Riley perked up slightly, her natural optimism shining through. "That's really nice of you, Danielle!"

Danielle groaned, rubbing her temple. "Let's not make a thing of it, Matthews."

Maya leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "And what's in it for you?"

Danielle tilted her head, considering. "The satisfaction of knowing I won't have to hear about you two getting thrown into a locker by next week?" She grinned. "That, and I could use a little entertainment."

Maya rolled her eyes, but Riley was already grabbing her things. "I think it's a great idea! Walking home is fine, but sometimes it's nice to be chauffeured."

Danielle chuckled. "Chauffeured? Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Sunshine."

Maya hesitated, eyeing Danielle's expression carefully, as if searching for the catch. Eventually, she sighed and stood. "Fine. But if you crash, I'm haunting you."

Danielle smirked, standing up and tossing her empty coffee cup into the trash. "If I crash, you'll be too dead to haunt anyone."

Maya scoffed. "Comforting."

Danielle led them out of Topanga's and toward the parking lot, where her sleek, dark red Bugatti Chiron was parked in its usual spot, gleaming under the city lights. She could feel Riley practically vibrating with excitement beside her.

"That's your car?" Riley gaped.

Maya let out a low whistle. "Okay, maybe getting in won't be the worst thing that's ever happened to me."

Danielle smirked, unlocking the doors with a click. "Try not to mess up the seats, ladies."

As they slid inside, she had a feeling she was making a mistake.

But then Maya settled into the passenger seat, shooting her a look that was half-challenging, half-curious, and Danielle knew—this was just the beginning.