A/N Twilight is the property of Stephanie Meyer. Anya Simms is all mine.

Chapter 12: Friday Lunch Duet

APOV

I am not a fan of high school cafeterias, the noise, the gossiping, the laughing, the mess.

Yet somehow, I'm stuck here, waiting for the world's slowest microwave to heat up my sad excuse for a lunch. The staff faculty lounge—where one might expect such an appliance to exist—has no microwave. Instead, it's a relic of a time when hot lunches and functional electronics were merely figments of our collective imagination.

The mind reader and the empath had finished all of the cataloguing and sorting of books yesterday after school. I didn't have the heart to have them return today so I graciously told them that detention was done and that next time, remember to provide medical notes well in advance of any more blood testing in science class. Again, vasovagal syncope is a documented medical condition and nothing to be embarrassed over.

They never did find any pens in the boxes.

I'm dressed for anything but subtlety today—a fitted navy blue dress that means business and three-inch heels that could probably double as weapons in a pinch. I am truly loving American Anya's wardrobe. My hair is up off my neck, a few loose tendrils for mystique. I'm feeling confident, maybe even a little mischievous, which is why I've got my ear buds around my neck, letting the music play just loud enough to hear.

"Wait, is that 'Tainted Love'?" Mike perked up, my ever-present lunch time companion.

I give him a sidelong glance. "Yeah, you know it?"

"Of course!" He's practically bouncing with enthusiasm, which I guess is better than his usual puppy-dog routine. Without warning, he started singing along, and to my surprise, the kid's got a decent set of pipes.

"Sometimes I feel I've got to… run away," Mike belted out, and before I know it, I'm joining in, moving with the music like this is the most natural thing in the world. Was the Dreamworld evolving into High School Musical? Don't know, don't care.

Across the room, I caught sight of Jessica, Angela, and Eric. They're watching us, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, as if they can't quite believe what they're seeing. Jessica's face is a mix of amusement and disbelief, Angela looked as if she was trying to suppress a giggle, and Eric's just staring, completely awestruck.

The door to the cafeteria swung open; and in glided the Honey-Coloured Five-Pack: Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Rosalie. Talk about perfect timing. The universe must be having a laugh at this point.

Edward's expression darkened the moment he saw me. His jaw tightened, and I wonder if he's the empath because the tension is rolling off of him. He's probably convinced that this whole performance is an elaborate, premeditated scheme to drive him insane. I could almost hear his internal monologue: She's definitely up to something. Why is she always up to something?

But I kept singing, letting the music take over. Mike, bless his heart, is still fully engaged, living out some teenage dream he probably didn't even know he had. "Once I ran to you, now I run from you..."

And then there was Jasper. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his lips moving, barely audible, but enough to make Edward's head snap toward him in disbelief. So, the empath's joining in too? Interesting. Edward looked ready to lose his mind, caught between irritation and sheer bewilderment. Does he truly know not how to lighten up?

Emmett, of course, was thoroughly entertained. He was grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying the spectacle unfolding before him. Alice was watching with a slightly bored look. And Rosalie? Well, Rosalie looked like she couldn't care less, which is pretty on-brand for her.

Jessica nudged Angela and whispered something, and they both burst into a fit of giggles. Eric was still trying to process this entire scene, his expression one of pure, unfiltered surprise.

When the song built to its final chorus, and I decided to go out with a flourish. I spun on my heel, turning to face the Honey-Coloured Five-Pack directly, and gave them a theatrical bow, one arm sweeping out dramatically while the other clutched my still-warm lunch.

"Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all next week," I said with a grin, straightening up.

Mike's still grinning like he's just had the best day of his life, while Edward looked caught between storming out and seething in silence. Jasper's barely suppressed a smile, and Emmett gave me a knowing nod, clearly impressed. I think if his siblings weren't around, he would have given me a high five. As for the humans, well they kept staring unable to process what it was they just witnessed.

And me? I'm reveling in the twilight zone of it all. If this is the new normal, I'm going to enjoy every bizarre moment. Just lean right into the madness of the Dreamworld.

With one last smile, I grabbed my lunch and headed towards the doors, a gently sway to my hips. The echoes of "Tainted Love" still lingering in the air. The vampires might have been watching, but in that moment, I was the with the upper hand—or at least, I was the one having the most fun.

JPOV

Well, that was unexpected.

It might have rattled Edward more than the wink. And the bow at the end, damn. The rest of the student body was buzzing about the impromptu concert, oblivious to the strange dynamics playing out among my family. Anya had just left, leaving behind a trail of raised eyebrows, confused stares, and a lingering sense of lust. Teenage boys were predictable. I could still hear the last echoes of "Tainted Love" in my mind, the notes almost haunting in their casual defiance.

Emmett was the first to break the silence, chuckling under his breath. "Well, that was something. Who knew the librarian had moves?"

The private eye did, that's who. You should see her in jeans and a t-shirt rocking out to AC/DC.

I glanced over at Edward, who's still standing there, frozen in place like a statue; his frustration was palpable as he's trying so hard to figure her out. I almost felt bad for him. Almost. Do I shoot out some calm to him? Or do I let him stew? Decisions, decisions.

We all headed to our preferred table and sat down.

"Edward," I said, keeping my voice low, though I know he could hear me perfectly. "What was going through Mike Newton's head during all that?"

His jaw tightened, and he gave a short, humourless laugh. "Do you even need to ask?" He shook his head slightly, as if he was trying to clear away the irritation that'd been building up. "He was thinking exactly what you'd expect. A teenage boy's dream come true, singing a duet with the 'hot librarian'."

I nodded, suppressing the smile that threatened to break free. Mike's emotions during the whole scene were like an open book, all giddy excitement. He hadn't been hard to read, but I wanted to hear it from Edward, just to confirm how transparent the kid really is. And lust. There was some lust going on there too.

But it wasn't Mike that concerned me. It was Anya.

Edward leaned back and let out a frustrated sigh. "I still can't read her thoughts," he muttered, more to himself than to any of us. "It's like she's got this mental fog, and I can't get through it. Every time I try, it's just… blank."

Fuck the guy's a broken record.

Alice, who had been sitting quietly, finally spoke up. "All I see are the little things—what she'll eat for lunch, which book she'll pick up next. It's like her future is just… ordinary." She sounded as annoyed as Edward was frustrated. "It's still very much like watching paint dry."

Me? I'm all about the curiosity and amusement, perhaps leftovers from the emotional high I've been chasing all week watching Anya dance in her living room at night. "Maybe that's the point," I suggested, leaning back slightly, in my chair, legs outstretched under the table. "She's not trying to hide anything. Maybe she really doesn't see us as anything other than what we claim to be."

Emmett raised an eyebrow. "You mean she knows, but she doesn't care?"

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "She sees us as high school students, nothing more. She's just having fun. You saw her—she wasn't nervous. She was… enjoying herself."

Eddie boy was unimpressed with my take. "No, I agree with Emmett, she knows about us, and she's reckless."

Alice tilted her head, considering. "Or maybe she's just comfortable. Maybe she's decided that knowing doesn't have to change anything."

Rosalie, who had been silent until now added in her thoughts. "She's still human. Whatever she thinks she knows, she's in over her head if she tries to play games with us."

Her mate and husband, shrugged, a smile playing on his lips. "She's got guts, I'll give her that. And she's definitely got Mike Newton wrapped around her finger now."

"Mike's irrelevant," Edward snapped, the frustration boiling over. "It's Anya we need to keep an eye on. She's unpredictable."

Oh, give it a fucking rest Eddie boy.

"And that's what makes her interesting," I added quietly. I hadn't missed the way Edward's eyes narrowed at that, but he never responded. Instead, he turned away, staring out the window as if he could find answers in the drizzle of rain beyond the glass.

I wonder if Anya will jump in puddles on her walk home today?

In time, Alice stood up, smoothing her skirt. "I'll keep watching, but for now, it's just like I said—mundane, ordinary. She's not doing anything out of the ordinary that I can see."

I nodded, absorbing her words. The emotions I picked up from Anya were complex—confidence, amusement, maybe even a little defiance—but never fear. She's either incredibly brave or incredibly naïve. Either way, it's clear she's not planning on running anytime soon.

Emmett clapped me on the shoulders breaking me out of my thoughts as we all started to move out of the cafeteria. "Well, whatever happens, it's going to be interesting. I kinda like her style."

I smiled slightly, thinking about Anya's flourishing bow, her confidence as she sang, her utter lack of concern about what any of us might think. "Yeah," I agree, "interesting is one way to put it."

Heading out, I couldn't shake the feeling that Anya was a wild card. Whatever her game is, she'd been playing it well. And for once, it'd been nice to be dealing with someone who wasn't overwhelmed by excitement or anger. But I also couldn't ignore my siblings' views that if Anya was playing a game, there would be consequences. For her, for us, I wasn't sure, but I knew there would be a point of no return.

Is it wrong that I like it?