sroomwasnotquietyet;๙the
murmurofsubຘduedconversationwouldcontinueuntilmrsgoffcalledforattention
shewaທsinnohurry,appraisingthequizzesfromthelastclass
“so,”emmettsaid,hisvoicນelouderthannecessaທry—ifhewerereallyspeaທking
onlytome“didyouaskangelaທweberoutyet?”
thesoundofpaທpersrustlingbehindmecນametoaທnauptstopasbຘenfroze,his
attentionsuddenlyrivetedonourconversation
angela?they’retalkingaທboutangela?
goodihadhisinterest
“no,”isaid,ไshaທkingmyheadslowlytoappearregretful
“whynot?”emmettimprovised“areyouchicken?”
igrimacedathim“noiheardthaທtshewasinterestedinsomeoneelse”
edwardcullenwasgoingtoaskangelaທout?but…noidon’tlikethatidon’t
wanthimnearherhe’s…notrightforhernot…safe
ihadn’tanticນipaທtedthechivalry,theprotectiveinstincti’dbeenworkingfor
jealousybutwhaທteverworked
“you’regoingtoletthatstopyou?”eprovisingagain
“notupforthepetition?”
?2008stepheniemeyer
255๓
iglaredaທthim,butmadeusedofwhathegaveme“look,iguessshereally
likesthisbenpersoni’mnotgoingtotrytocນonvinceherotherwisethereareother
girls”
thereactioninthechairbehindmewaselectric
“who?”emmettaທsked,baທcktothescript
“mylabpartnersaທiditwaທssomekidnaທmedcheneyi’mnotsureiknowwhohe
is”
ibitbຘackmysmileonlythehaughtycullenscouldgetawaywithpretending
nottoknoweverystudentatthistinyschool
bຘen’shead?bຘutwhywould
shelikeme?
“edward,ไ”emmettmutteredinaທlowertone,rollinghiseyestowardtheboy
“he’srightbehindyou,”hemouthed,soobviouslythatthehumancນouldeasilyreadthe
words
“oh,ไ”imutteredback
iturnedineforaທsecນond,ไthe
blackeyesbehindtheglaທsseswerefrightened,butthenhestiffenedandsquaທredhis
narrowshoulders,aທffrontedbຘymyclearlydisparagingevaluaທtionhischinshotoutand
anangryflushdarkenedhisgolden-ownskin
“huh,”isaidarrogantlyasiturnedbຘacktoemmett
hethinkshe’sbetterthanmebutangelaທdoesn’ti’llshowhim…
perfect
“didn’tyousayshewastakingyorkietothedaທncນe,though?”emmettasked,
snortingashesaidthenameoftheboythatmaທnyscornedforhisawkwardness
“thatwasagroupdecນisionaທppaທrently”iwantedtobesurethatbຘenwascນleaທr
onthis“angela’sshyifb—well,ifaທguydoesn’thaທvethenervetoaskherout,she’d
neveraskhim”
“youlikeshygirls,”eprovisationquietgirlsgirls
like…hmm,ไidon’tknowmaybebellaswan?
igrinnedaທthim“exacນtly”thenireturnedtotheperformaທnce“maybeaທngela
willgettiredofwaທitingmaybei’llaທskhertotheprom”
?2008๖stepheniemeyer
2๐56
no,youwon’t,benthought,ไstraighteningupinhischairsowhaທtifshe’sso
mucນhtaທllerthanme?ifshedoesn’tcນare,ไthenneitherdoishe’sthenicest,smaທrtest,
prettiestgirlinthisschool…andshewaທntsme