ou got that right," Jacob chuckled and Bella glared at him. "What? You want him to go out with Angela?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Bella rolled her eyes and Jacob laughed louder.

I hadn't anticipated the chivalry, the protective instinct. I'd been working for jealousy. But whatever worked.

"You're going to let that stop you?" Emmett asked scornfully, improvising again.

Jacob laughed even more at that.

"Not up for the competition?"

I glared at him, but made use of what he gave me. "Look, I guess she really likes this Ben person. I'm not going to try to convince her otherwise. There are other girls."

The reaction in the chair behind me was electric.

"Who?" Emmett asked, back to the script.

"My lab partner said it was some kid named Cheney. I'm not sure I know who he is."

"That's rude... the guy's right behind you," Jacob muttered.

"Um... Jake, that's the point," Bella said.

"I know," Jacob rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying it makes him sound like a stuck up..."

"Whatever," Bella rolled her eyes.

I bit back my smile. Only the haughty Cullens could get away with pretending not to know every student at this tiny school.

Ben's head was whirling with shock. Me? Over Edward Cullen? But why would she like me?

"Edward," Emmett muttered in a lower tone, rolling his eyes toward the boy.

"He's right behind you," he mouthed, so obviously that the human could easily read the words.

"Oh," I muttered back.

Jacob and Bella were laughing at this again.

I turned in my seat and glanced once at the boy behind me. For a second, the black eyes behind the glasses were frightened, but then he stiffened and squared his narrow shoulders, affronted by my clearly disparaging evaluation. His chin shot out and an angry flush darkened his golden-brown skin.

"Huh," I said arrogantly as I turned back to Emmett.

He thinks he's better than me. But Angela doesn't. I'll show him...

"Well, there's that problem solved," Jacob chuckled.

Perfect.

"Didn't you say she was taking Yorkie to the dance, though?" Emmett asked, snorting as he said the name of the boy that many scorned for his awkwardness.

"That was a group decision apparently." I wanted to be sure that Ben was clear on this. "Angela's shy. If B - well, if a guy doesn't have the nerve to ask her out, she'd never ask him."

"You like shy girls," Emmett said, back to improvisation. Quiet girls. Girls like...hmm, I don't know. Maybe Bella Swan?

Jacob laughed at this line of teasing as Bella blushed.

I grinned at him. "Exactly." Then I returned to the performance. "Maybe Angela will get tired of waiting. Maybe I'll ask her to the prom."

No, you won't, Ben thought, straightening up in his chair. So what if she's so much taller than me?

"Oh... it's because he's short... poor guy," Jacob chuckled.

"I suppose that's not a problem you have to deal with," Bella said, Jacob seemed pretty tall for his age.

"Not at all," Jacob said. "I think I might even have grown an inch since yesterday."

"Sure you did, Jake," Bella rolled her eyes.

If she doesn't care, then neither do I. She's the nicest, smartest, prettiest girl in this school... and she wants me.

I liked this Ben. He seemed bright and well-meaning. Maybe even worthy of a girl like Angela.

"Well, it looks like there're three humans that he might think highly of," Jacob chuckled.

I gave Emmett a thumbs up under the desk as Mrs. Goff stood and greeted the class.

Okay, I'll admit it - that was sort of fun, Emmett thought.

I smiled to myself, pleased that I'd been able to shape one love story's happy ending. I was positive that Ben would follow through, and Angela would receive my anonymous gift. My debt was repaid.

How silly humans were, to let a six inch height differential confound their happiness.

"That is a pretty big difference," Jacob said. "That guy must be a midget."

"Jake!" Bella reprimanded him.

"Sorry," Jacob sighed.

My success put me in a good mood. I smiled again as I settled into my chair and prepared to be entertained. After all, as Bella had pointed out at lunch, I'd never seen her in action in her gym class before.

"No," Bella groaned and Jacob laughed in anticipation.

Mike's thoughts were the easiest to pinpoint in the babble of voices that swarmed through the gym. His mind had gotten far too familiar over the last few weeks. With a sigh, I resigned myself to listening through him. At least I could be sure that he would be paying attention to Bella.

I was just in time to hear him offer to be her badminton partner; as he made the suggestion, other partnerings ran through his mind. My smile faded, my teeth clenched together, and I had to remind myself that murdering Mike Newton was not a permissible option.

"Hm... I'm not so sure about that," Jacob laughed.

"It's not," Bella said firmly.

"Thanks, Mike - you don't have to do this, you know."

"Don't worry, I'll keep out of your way."

They grinned at each other, and flashes of numerous accidents - always in some way connected to Bella - flashed through Mike's head.

Jacob started chuckling and Bella groaned.

Mike played alone at first, while Bella hesitated on the back half of the court, holding her racket gingerly, as if it was some kind of weapon. Then Coach Clapp ambled by and ordered Mike to let Bella play.

"Why?" Bella moaned, didn't the coach understand yet?

Uh oh, Mike thought as Bella moved forward with a sigh, holding her racquet at an awkward angle.

Jennifer Ford served the birdie directly toward Bella with a smug twist to her thoughts. Mike saw Bella lurch toward it, swinging the racket yards wide of her target, and he rushed in to try to save the volley.

I watched the trajectory of Bella's racquet with alarm. Sure enough, it hit the taut net and sprung back at her, clipping her forehead before it spun out to strike Mike's arm with a resounding thwack.

Jacob was howling with laughed and Bella turned bright red and held her head in her hands. That was a new all time low for her.

"You really are awful," Jacob choked out some time later.