The terrace was still crowded.
Plates, glasses, the sound of chairs scraping against the ground, loud laughter from the next table. The afternoon sun was no longer scorching; it simply illuminated people's hair, the condensation on their glasses, and the steady flow of people crossing the plaza. From the outside, the eight girls looked exactly like what they were: a large group of pretty girls occupying a table rather well.
At the table, however, the atmosphere had changed.
Vivian hadn't said a word since she spotted the cheerleaders with the biker gang. Neither had Brittany. Sara had her elbow resting on the table, her gaze fixed on the edge of the plaza, where leather and metal still gleamed in the sunlight. Susan, quieter, made no effort to hide the judgment in her eyes.
Madison turned her head slightly, followed their gaze, then returned to her soda.
"If this is school drama, let me know before I start caring."
Chloe shrugged.
"I already don't care. As long as they don't sit here, they can do whatever they want."
There was no need to approach them.
They came over themselves.
Three girls from the cheerleading squad detached themselves from the group of bikers and crossed the terrace with the confidence of people who still believed they were among their own. The first, Jessica, had her brown hair loose and a welcoming smile. Behind her came Tiffany, wearing more makeup, still laughing about something that had happened over there with the guys. The third, Ashley, walked a step more slowly, glancing toward the motorcycles as if she didn't want to stray too far from them.
"Vivian?" Jessica said when she reached them. "I didn't realize you were all together."
Sara was the first to respond, her tone polite but brief.
"We're just hanging out."
"Looks like it," Tiffany added, letting her gaze travel around the table. "What a luxurious afternoon."
Brittany gave a faint smile.
"Yeah. Luxury."
Jessica didn't seem to catch the edge in their words. Or she chose to ignore it.
"Listen, about those guys over there…" She gestured vaguely toward the bikers. "They're not what they seem. They're good people. Seriously. They're just keeping us company. Nothing weird."
Susan looked at her without blinking.
"Nothing weird."
"Nothing weird," Jessica repeated, more firmly. "Sometimes you make up stories about people just because you see them riding motorcycles."
Tiffany laughed.
"Exactly. They look dangerous, and that's it. They're not."
Ashley nodded, though with less conviction.
"They've been… nice."
Vivian held her glass with both hands.
She didn't argue. She didn't ask what exactly they were doing with those guys. She didn't mention the park, the smiles from the day before, or the disgust that the biker's stare had still left her with.
Brittany opened her mouth for half a second, then closed it. Sara lowered her shoulders slightly, as if deciding not to start a fight in public. Susan was the last to look away.
They let it go.
Not because they believed them.
But because the terrace was crowded, Madison and Chloe had already made it clear they didn't intend to get involved, and arguing with three teammates in the middle of an outing wasn't going to fix anything.
"Well," Vivian finally said calmly. "As long as you're okay."
Jessica smiled, relieved a little too quickly.
"Of course we're okay."
Before leaving, Tiffany leaned slightly toward Vivian, lowering her voice as if sharing some hallway gossip.
"By the way… one of them asked about you."
Vivian didn't respond.
"His name is Dereck," Tiffany continued. "The one with the smile. He said he was interested in you. He even asked your name."
Brittany turned toward Tiffany with a blank expression.
"How romantic."
"I'm just letting you know," Tiffany said defensively, laughing. "He's not a monster. He's just interested."
Sara let out a noncommittal "Uh-huh." Susan said nothing. Vivian felt the same rejection as before rise in her throat, dry and unwelcoming, leaving no room for someone else's unwanted flirting.
"I'm not interested," she said.
Tiffany raised her hands.
"Relax. I was just telling you."
Jessica adjusted her purse.
"We'll let you get back to your afternoon. We'll be over there."
Ashley gave Vivian one last look, as if she wanted to add something, but didn't. The three girls headed back toward the biker gang, weaving between tables and chairs and waving at someone who was already waiting for them with a beer in hand.
Once they were gone, Chloe was the first to speak.
"Well. That was… something."
"Something that doesn't concern me," Madison said plainly, without malice. "If they want to hang out with guys in leather, that's their problem. I came here to spend time with you, not to audit the cheerleading squad."
Chloe nodded.
"Exactly. As long as they don't come over again asking for phone numbers, they can stay in their own little movie."
Ana exchanged a glance with Madeleine. They didn't know Jessica, Tiffany, or Ashley, but they had understood the atmosphere without needing to know their names.
"There are girls in Newton who trust people too quickly, too," Ana murmured.
"And it always sounds the same at first," Madeleine added. "'They're good people.'"
Brittany waited until Madison and Chloe were distracted by the cake again before leaning toward Vivian.
"Dereck."
"I know," Vivian said.
"The guy from the park."
"I know."
Sara ran her finger along the rim of her glass.
"I don't like that they're hanging around with them. Not like this."
Susan didn't soften her words.
"They look comfortable with them. That's the worst part."
Vivian nodded once.
She didn't suggest following them. She didn't suggest warning anyone. She didn't look up at the sky, even though part of her was already searching for the red dot out of habit.
Music drifted out of a nearby shop. A waitress walked past carrying a tray. A child ran between the chairs, and his mother scolded him without much force. The world continued in its carefree afternoon mode.
In the distance, among motorcycles and other people's laughter, Jessica, Tiffany, and Ashley blended back into the biker gang as if there really were nothing to see.
At the table of eight, the conversation slowly pieced itself back together: Madison talking about a store, Chloe making up a new rule for the rest of the day, Ana smiling more out of politeness than enthusiasm.
Vivian let the name Dereck settle in her mind.
Not as a flirtation.
As a mark.
And this time, even though she'd let it go out loud,
she had no intention of forgetting it.