Wicked Game

Part Two

The cafeteria was louder than usual for a random Wednesday, considering the sun was actually shining, but Angela's spot next to Edward at their table had been secured the first day of school when Bella hadn't shown up. Angela was now able to take her time and go through the line to get juice and an orange without worry.

Her shoulder grazed Charlotte's when they both finished paying the cashiers and tried to exit at the same time.

Charlotte scowled at Angela and stopped short, waving her by. "Don't let me get in your way," she said.

Angela smiled. "My bad."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and turned to talk to Felix. They were on and off or friends with benefits or something like that. No one really spread any gossip directly to Angela, but being nearly invisible had some advantages. People dropped their guard around the preacher's kid.

Angela could hear their voices behind her as she made her way over to her regular table. Emmett, Rosalie, and Tanya were there and already opening their backpacks, but there was no sign of Edward.

Angela slowed and looked around. At almost the same moment, the door across the room opened, and Edward walked in. This morning he'd almost smiled when Emmett reminded him of some line from a movie they'd seen over the weekend. It had been a while since she'd seen this face on Edward. He seemed to be getting better. Finally.

They arrived at the table at the same time, and he paused to let her go first.

"How was English?" she asked.

Edward winced. "Fine."

Rosalie and Tanya gave each other a look, traded sardonic smiles, and both rolled their eyes.

"Hey, Angela." Emmett was the only other person at their table nice enough to acknowledge her presence.

"Hey," she said.

Edward ate in silence, which meant Angela did too. Rosalie and Tanya quizzed each other in French that Angela didn't understand, and every now and then, they'd look at her and then snicker. Emmett was unusually quiet and spent most of his time studying his cousin from across the table.

"Are you going?" Emmett finally asked Edward.

The question froze everyone at the table. Edward looked up and met Emmett's glare. Rosalie and Tanya stopped their chittering immediately to stare at Edward. Angela took it all in, wondering what the hell was going on.

She wasn't brave enough to ask.

Edward exhaled, slow and labored. "I don't know." He shook his head and stared across the room at nothing. "I just don't know."

There was a long awkward silence, Rosalie frowned and shook her head, and then she changed the subject by asking Emmett if they had plans for the weekend.

Edward balled up his trash and stood to go.

"Hey," Angela said, putting a hand on his arm to stop him. "My mom's car had a flat this morning, so she needed mine. Can I get a ride to your house after school?"

He nodded and turned to go. "Sure," he said over his shoulder as he walked away.

Angela watched him until the metal doors clanged behind him, then yanked herself back to reality only to find the rest of her tablemates watching her just as intently.

It wasn't like Edward to leave her like that. His next class was only a few doors down from hers, and they almost always left lunch together.

"What happened in English?" Angela asked Rosalie.

Rosalie smirked and stood to go. "You'll see," she said.

"Emmett?" Angela said.

Emmett frowned and pulled a yellow sheet of paper from a red folder in his opened backpack. He pushed the paper across the table with one finger.

Angela lifted it and skipped the fine print at the top to focus on the bold italic print at the bottom of the page.

Macbeth

as presented by

Forks High Theater Department

April 10th, 1993

7:00 pm

(There will be a brief intermission.)

"Oh," Angela said.

"Yeah." Emmett snatched the flyer and walked away.

The ghost of Bella Swan had struck again. Angela sighed and gathered her things. She walked to English and slowed as she passed Edward's history classroom. He was already at his desk, with his arms crossed and resting on his already opened book. He stared at some far away spot on the chalkboard and didn't notice Angela wave as she went by.

Mrs. Swan stood outside her classroom door with a stack of pale yellow papers in her hand. She gave one to each person on the way in. Angela didn't bother reading it since she'd already seen Emmett's at lunch.

The bell rang, and Mrs. Swan pulled the door closed and walked to the front of the class.

English was Angela's favorite class by far, and as much as she disliked Bella now, she had to admit her mom was a great teacher. They spent the entire period in an in-depth Macbeth introductory discussion. Angela scribbled notes about themes and characters, answered a few questions since she'd read ahead, and then stalled and took as long as she could to pack her book and highlighter at the end of class. Edward seemed back to himself and waited outside Mrs. Swan's door for her so they could walk to PE together.

Angela greeted him from across the classroom. "No extra credit for us, huh? We'll be in Port Townsend with your mom." Mrs. Swan looked up from the planner on her desk and narrowed her eyes. Angela smiled at Edward and continued. "You know… That thing for your granddad…"

That "thing"was a retirement party, and Angela would technically be working, but they'd be together, somewhere other than Forks, and that's all that mattered.

"Right," Edward said. He exhaled and smiled. "That's right." Disappointment echoed in his voice, but his shoulders lowered in relief.

Angela knocked his backpack with her elbow. "Shakespeare's boring, anyway."

Neither of them noticed Renee Swan had moved to the hall to watch them on their way to the gym.