The next day at school, there was a buzz going around between the students. Whispers were floating around about the dance; people in the hallways were practicing their talent show routines. Craig was standing alone, on the stairs.

"Craig!"

He looked down at the bottom of the staircase. Spinner and Jimmy were waving at him.

"You coming to class?"

Craig nodded and picked up his bag. He had been standing there for ten minutes, trying to figure out how he was going to make his way into the talent show with Anya.

As if reading his mind, Jimmy started talking.

"Any luck with Anya yet?"

Craig shook his head. "She's a wall, man. I tried talking to her. But she keeps shutting me down."

"Ah, so she's smart!" Spinner teased. Craig said nothing.

"You still have awhile. Maybe something will happen." Jimmy encouraged. He smiled on the sly to Spinner.

"Doubt it." Craig said.

They walked through the classroom door and found their seats. Anya was already in her seat, furiously writing something down in her notebook.

"Hi Anya," Craig said. She didn't acknowledge him. He cleared his throat. "What are you writing?"

She closed her notebook and turned around to say something, but Ms. Kwan walked into the room, and everyone fell silent.

"Today we'll be starting Macbeth. I have a few notes to give you before we start, so get out your notebooks."

There was a shuffle of papers for a moment and then the noise died down again.

"Okay. Macbeth has a lot of supernatural parts to it..."

Her voice started to fade in Craig's head as he stared at the back of Anya's. He didn't want to lose. He couldn't lose. Not only would the situation be embarrassing for him, but also Manny might get upset, or (and this made Craig grimace), think there was still something between them.

"Craig!!"

Craig looked up. Ms. Kwan was looking at him, and a few students around him giggled.

"I-I'm sorry. What?"

Ms. Kwan put on a stern look, and pointed to her book. "You're reading Macbeth."

He opened his book and pulled it towards himself. "All right."

She nodded and scanned the page with her finger.

"Ashley, first witch, Paige, second witch, Hazel, third witch. Anya I want you to read Lady Macbeth. I'll read the other parts."

Ashley bent her head towards the page and began to read.

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"

Craig's mind once again wandered. He needed to convince Anya that it was a good idea to sing with him. He wouldn't see her again until lunch, so he tried to relax in his seat and pay attention.

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair. Hover through the fog and filthy air."

"Very nice," Ms. Kwan said. She started to read more of the play until they were through a few scenes.

Anya's mind was drifting. She could feel Craig watching her, and it uneased her. She hadn't meant to be so short with him, she was just extremely nervous when it came to speaking in front of people. Let alone sing. She felt a twinge when his voice spoke up behind her.

"So foul and fair a day I have not seen."

He was reading his part as Macbeth. Anya tried to concentrate on the play. She flipped through the pages to look for Lady Macbeth. Her part would not be coming up for awhile.

Everyone's voices were monotone around her as she pushed them out of her head. She grabbed her notebook and started to doodle. Her pen slid across the paper and messed up a face she had been drawing when the bell rang.

"I want you all to finish act one tonight. Nice job reading." Everyone filed out of the classroom.

Anya left quickly but Craig had lingered. Neither wanted to talk to the other, neither wanted to leave at the same time.

The rest of the periods went by quickly, and soon lunch was upon the students. Craig entered the lunchroom and found Anya sitting by herself. Ashley was in line buying food, and her bag was also sitting next to Anya.

Craig walked to the table and sat down.

"Hi."

She looked up from her book. "Hi."

He glanced at the table and saw what she was using as a bookmark. He picked it up.

"Tallulah's Karaoke Bar?" He asked, smiling.

She grabbed it from him and placed it in her book, marking her place. She set the book down and looked him in the eyes.

"Are you stalking me?"

He stopped smiling. He was taken aback, actually. "What? No!"

"Seems like it."

He didn't know what to say. He hadn't expected her to be so blunt.

"I wanted to give you a second chance to say yes about the talent show."

"Oh." She was silent for a moment. "Well, my answer is-"

Craig waited.

"No." She picked her book up again and pretended to read.

He didn't leave. He tried again.

"So. This Karaoke Bar. Do you work there?"

She ignored him.

"Oh come on." He rolled his eyes.

She sighed, resigning. "I don't work there. I just go there a lot."

"To sing?"

She ignored him again. Sean was waving to him from across the room to join him at his table. Craig nodded and stood up.

"All right, I'll see you later then."

"Bye." She said quietly. He walked away without looking back.

Ashley showed up at the table a moment later.

"What was that all about?" She asked, sitting down.

"Nothing." Anya replied.

Ashley raised her eyebrows. If it was nothing, then why was her friend trying to hide her red face behind an upside down book?