The parking lot of Forks High School was already buzzing with students.
Cars pulled into empty spaces one after another while sleepy teenagers shuffled toward the school building with backpacks slung over one shoulder. The gray morning sky hung low over the campus, promising rain at any moment.
Amara parked her black Audi with her usual smooth flourish before stepping out.
She stretched lazily. "Another beautiful day in the land of permanent depression."
Forks, naturally, ignored her commentary. And Amara tired to ignore green babies. Hard but manageable.
Bella climbed out from the passenger side, shutting the door quietly.
Amara's eyes immediately began searching the parking lot.
Jessica's car.
Angela's car.
"...Found it."
She pointed dramatically."The traitors have arrived."
Jessica's little sedan sat peacefully in its usual parking spot.
Angela's car was parked right beside it.
But...
"No Jessica."
"No Angela."
Amara narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "They're hiding."
Bella looked at the empty parking spaces. "...Maybe they're already inside."
Amara folded her arms.
"No."
Bella blinked. "You sound very confident."
"I know those two."
"They're hiding from me."
Bella looked confused.
"Why?"
Amara gave her the most offended expression imaginable."They abandoned me."
"...For a surprise."
"They still abandoned me."
"...For your boyfriend."
"They're my friends first!"
Bella nodded thoughtfully.
"...Fair."
Amara dramatically placed a hand over her heart. "The betrayal."
"The disrespect."
"The emotional damage."
Bella stared. "...You recovered pretty quickly once Lucien showed up."
Amara immediately coughed."That's... unrelated."
Bella simply raised an eyebrow.
Amara looked away."...Entirely unrelated."
Bella wasn't convinced in the slightest.
Amara resumed walking toward the school entrance.
After about thirty seconds...
She noticed footsteps behind her.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
She stopped walking.The footsteps stopped too.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
She turned around.
Bella stood there.Looking completely innocent.
Amara narrowed her eyes.
Bella blinked.
"...What?"
Amara pointed dramatically.
"You."
Bella looked behind herself.
"...Me?"
"Yes, you."
"What about me?"
"Can you stop following me everywhere?"
Bella frowned.
"I'm walking."
"You're following."
"I'm literally going to class."
"You're following me to class."
"We have the same class."
"...That's suspicious."
Bella pinched the bridge of her nose.
Amara lowered her voice into an exaggerated whisper. "I already understood what you told me in the car. I'm not going to accidentally reveal my powers.I'm being careful. So..."
She dramatically waved both hands.
"Stop supervising me!"
Bella stared at her for three long seconds. Then calmly replied,"I'm not following you."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Amara had just delivered an entire speech...
And Bella answered with exactly four words.
Amara felt her blood pressure rise.
"...That's your response?"
"Yes."
"I talked for almost two minutes!"
"I know."
"And that's all you have to say?!"
Bella nodded.
"I'm not following you."
Amara slowly looked toward the ceiling.
"Why..."
She whispered dramatically. "...Why do you test me like this, God?"
Bella quietly walked past her.
"We're going to be late."
Amara stood frozen.
Then stomped after her.
"You know what?"
"I don't even want to find Jessica anymore. I don't even want to find Angela. I don't even want to find the Cullens."
"...Actually."
She paused." No. I do. Anyone is better than being stuck with you right now."
Bella looked back. "...That's rude."
Amara gasped dramatically.
"Oh?"
"Who's the one secretly acting like my personal FBI agent?"
Bella shrugged. "Probably me."
"...See!"
The hallway echoed with the sound of Amara's exaggerated suffering.
Students walking past gave the sisters curious looks.
One freshman whispered,
"Are they always like this?"
Another student answered immediately.
"Every morning."
Finally...
The warning bell rang through the school.
Amara sighed dramatically."Saved by education."
Bella quietly corrected,"Saved by the bell."
"...Don't."
They entered the classroom together.
The room buzzed with conversations since the teacher hadn't arrived yet.
The moment Amara stepped inside...
She spotted Jessica and Angela sitting together near the window.
The two girls noticed her at exactly the same time.
They exchanged one look.
Then...
Both gave her identical guilty smiles..Followed by tiny awkward waves.
Jessica even had the audacity to wiggle her fingers.
Angela bit her lip, clearly trying not to laugh.
Amara narrowed her eyes.
There they are...
The criminals.
She walked straight toward them without saying a single word.
Jessica smiled nervously."Morning?"
No answer.
Angela tried."...Hi?"
Still nothing.
Amara sat beside them.Opened her textbook. Crossed one leg elegantly.
And completely ignored both of them.
Jessica looked at Angela.
Angela looked at Jessica.
Jessica whispered,"...She's still mad."
Angela whispered back,"...Very mad."
Bella quietly took the seat directly behind Amara.
Jessica leaned backward slightly.
"Bella."
Bella looked up from her notebook.
"What happened?"
Bella blinked."...I don't know."
Jessica frowned.
"Really?"
Bella nodded honestly. "I genuinely don't."
She assumed Amara was still distracted by the conversation about her mysterious healing ability.
She had absolutely no idea this had anything to do with Jessica and Angela's little matchmaking conspiracy.
Jessica and Angela slowly looked at each other.Realization dawned.
"...Oh."
"...Oh no."
Jessica quietly scooted closer to Amara.
"Amara..."
Silence.
Angela tried next.
"...We're sorry."
Nothing.
Jessica placed both hands together dramatically. "We apologize!"
Silence.
Angela immediately betrayed someone.
"It was Lucien's idea!"
Jessica nodded so hard her ponytail bounced. "Yes!"
"He threatened us!"
Angela blinked.
"...He didn't threaten us."
Jessica corrected herself instantly.
"Emotionally."
Angela nodded.
"Very emotionally."
Jessica continued the performance."He said we couldn't tell you!"
Angela added,"We wanted to!"
Jessica nodded.
"So badly!"
Angela nodded too.
"Extremely badly!"
Jessica sighed dramatically."But Lucien said we'd ruin the surprise."
Angela whispered,"...He's scary when he's serious."
Jessica nodded again.
"Terrifying."
"We're innocent."
"We're victims."
"We deserve compensation."
Amara finally looked up from her book.She stared at both girls.
Then...
Snorted.
A second later...
She burst into laughter.
Jessica immediately looked offended."You're laughing?"
Amara pointed at them while trying to breathe."You two....just threw Lucien under the bus!"
Jessica shrugged shamelessly.
"Of course we did."
Angela nodded.
"Self-preservation."
Jessica smiled brightly.
"You can always find another boyfriend."
Angela finished the sentence without missing a beat."But we can't find another Amara."
Jessica pointed dramatically.
"Exactly!"
"Friends are forever."
"Boyfriends are negotiable."
Amara laughed even harder."That doesn't even make sense!"
Jessica proudly folded her arms."It doesn't have to."
Angela nodded seriously."It sounded convincing."
Bella quietly covered her mouth to hide her own smile.
Amara shook her head.
"You two are unbelievable."
Jessica grinned.
"So....Are we forgiven?"
Amara pretended to think.
"Hmm..."
Jessica clasped her hands dramatically. Angela copied her.Several painfully long seconds passed.
Finally...
Amara sighed."...Fine."
Jessica gasped.
"We survived!"
Angela quietly celebrated.
"I told you she'd forgive us."
Jessica immediately hugged Amara's arm. "Our favorite person!"
Amara laughed."Don't push your luck."
Jessica released her immediately.
"Understood."
Within seconds...
The three girls were chatting again as if nothing had happened.
Jessica talked about shopping. Angela mentioned a movie she'd watched.Amara complained about Forks weather.
Bella silently listened from behind, occasionally smiling at their ridiculous conversations.
The gloomy classroom suddenly felt much brighter.
Just then...
The classroom door slid open.
Their teacher walked in carrying a stack of papers."Good morning, everyone."
Everyone sat back down.
"Good morning."
The teacher turned toward the blackboard and began writing.
Behind him...
Jessica leaned closer to Amara.
"So...How's boyfriend life?"
Amara whispered back,"...Shut up."
Angela joined in."Did he hold your hand?"
Jessica grinned."Did he kiss you?"
Amara's ears immediately turned bright pink.
Bella watched the entire exchange from behind with an amused smile.
She's definitely forgiven them.
The teacher suddenly turned around."Is there something funny happening over there?"
Jessica immediately shook her head."No."
Angela looked at her notebook."No."
Amara opened her textbook upside down."...No."
The teacher stared for a second."...Miss Amara....Your book is upside down."
Amara slowly looked down.
"..."
Without a word...
She quietly rotated the book.
Jessica buried her face in her desk to stop herself from laughing.
Angela's shoulders shook violently.
Even Bella couldn't stop the tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
The teacher sighed.
"It is only first period...And somehow I'm already tired."
The four girls exchanged one quick glance. Then immediately looked forward...
Trying and completely failing not to laugh.