Jace and Ash were chatting at a sidewalk café. They were waiting for Rose. She promised to join them after running some errands. Jace was excited. He wanted to tell her about the familiars and that he had managed to get another Orb. Now he had three.

They had finished gaming pretty late last night so he had not bothered to call her. He had texted her to meet today. She was acting a bit weird. She had not replied him as usual. Instead she had texted Ash. He couldn't wait to see her.

When she finally arrived, Jace stood up smiling to pull out a chair for her. She glared at him, sat down and turned to Ash, blatantly ignoring him.

"Are you okay Ash?" she asked in a concerned voice.

Jace stood dumb founded for a moment, staring at her. Rose continued to ignore him. He looked at Ash for clues. What did he do? Ash looked back guiltily; his expression said he could not do anything. Jace frowned and sat back down. Okay, he would let her explain her odd behaviour then. Something must be up.

"Umm, yeah I'm okay. What's this about?"

"Weren't you brutally murdered in the game last night? I believe you were virtual at that time. It must have hurt a lot."

Oh. So that's what it was about. Realisation dawned on Ash. She was pissed at getting killed by poor clueless Jace. Meanwhile, Jace's eyebrows had shot up, his eyes widening as he listened to their exchange.

"I did die at Kwan's but ..."

"And while you were trying to rescue someone too. Such a shame to be shot down like that, don't you think?" She turned on Jace then. "Why did you kill them?" she hissed at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

He barely opened his mouth to reply when she cut in. "You, a much higher level player could have helped Valentine with the rescue, instead you killed them both!" She was working herself up. "I can't believe you did that. How could you kill your best friend like that? How could you?"

"It's not what it looked like Rose," Ash tried to explain. "He was just ..."

"DON'T!! Don't Ash! Don't make excuses for him!"

Jace was stunned. "How did you know?" he asked quietly. "Are you playing? Why didn't you tell me?"

"So! You don't deny it!?! You admit that you killed them both in cold blood?"

"I did kill them, but ..."

"Don't you dare say another word Jace! Now I know you for who you truly are! A bully! Is that how you get your thrills? Is that how you are playing now? Taking advantage of new players! I would never have thought you would change so much. All that fame has really gotten to your head!!"

Rose had worked herself up. She got up, pushing her chair back noisily and faced Ash. "I suggest you be careful of him. He can back stab you at any time. If he could do that to you in there when you needed him, imagine what he could do to you in real life."

Turning back to the astounded Jace, she lashed out at him. "I'm so very disappointed in you Jonathan Carter. You dare call yourself his best friend? Why, you are not even qualified to be called an ordinary friend! It was a mistake getting to know you. Don't ever call or text me again!" With that she stalked off, leaving the two boys gaping.

Jace flinched when she called out his full name. She had made sure to hurt him where it counted to drive home her point. Don't call her? Don't text her? How could he not?

After a long awkward moment, Ash asked, "You okay?"

"What happened?" Jace whispered, almost talking to himself. "She shouldn't have said that ..."

"Jace, she was just mad at you. She didn't really mean it."

"No? It didn't sound like it."

His eyes narrowed. "What the hell was that all about? How did she know what we did in the game? Why is she so mad?"

"Hey, you killed me ingame out of necessity, we had agreed, it was part of the plan! It would have been a mess if Kwan caught us, right?" Ash reasoned.

"Ash, I am only going to ask you this once. Please give it to me straight." Jace's intense stormy green eyes bored into Ash as he asked in a strained voice, "Why was she so concerned about you?"

"Umm ..."

Jace clenched his jaw in an effort to control his flaring temper. "Ash ..."

Ash swallowed. It was time to come clean. "Hey man, I'm not hitting on her or anything behind your back, okay?" Better to have Rose mad at him than to lose Jace's trust. "Jace, she was the Healer. Rose is Althea, the Healer you killed."

Jace slumped in his chair and lowered his head. He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes.

"Damn."

-----------------------------

Rose ignored all of Jace's calls. Text after text spammed her phone after that. She was still seething and he was not helping. All his texts were excuses!

"I didn't have a choice."

Like hell he didn't.

"Sorry, I didn't know it was you."

So what? He still shouldn't be going around killing randomly for XP points right? He was bullying new players in the game. He was a high level legend for crying out loud.

"I couldn't have gotten you out if I tried. There were too many of them."

She rolled her eyes at her phone. What did he mean there were too many? He was a level 76 Gatekeeper wasn't he? Didn't he complete all those crazy quests and dungeons with the hordes of monsters. Isn't he famous for his awesome Skills and lightning Speed? And Valentine was there to help. He was also a high level powerful Gatekeeper! Jace must be insane if he thought she would believe his lame excuses.

It would be better if she kept her distance from such a despicable person. What a liar! To think she actually liked him. She was such a fool, falling for a pretty face. Now that she knew better, she would not fall for his fake charms. Ughh!

"Rose, please. Let me explain. I'll wait for you at the café tomorrow after class."

She made a face at the screen and deleted the message. He could wait all he wanted. She was not going to meet a back stabber to listen to more of his excuses.

The next day, Jace went to the café after class. He waited until closing time. Rose did not show up.

Another text message. "Please come tomorrow. It's not like what you think. Let me explain in person. Ash knows. I'll be waiting."

He waited until closing again. She did not turn up. She did not respond to his texts. It was like she had decided to cut him out of her life completely.

"You try calling her. She still picks up your calls right?"

Ash was at the café with Jace. He looked dubiously at his friend. He didn't like fooling Rose.

"Please? It's my last chance at talking to her. She slammed the door in my face when I went over to see her."

"You actually went to her place?"

"Yeah."

"Wow, really?" Ash couldn't believe it. Jace had never put so much effort into a girl before. Rose really was mad, but if she kept this up ... she might regret it. "She is not really talking to me either, she got mad at me yesterday when I tried explaining the situation to her."

"Call her."

"Give me a second." Ash dialled Rose's number and handed his phone to Jace.

Tension built as Jace listened to Rose's ringtone, his expression growing darker and darker by the second. She had changed it after his last call. Demi Lovato continued belting out her hit, gleefully telling Jace she was 'Sorry, Not Sorry'.

"What the Hell," Jace muttered under his breath. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Ash cringed inwardly. Rose was taking things too far.

"Hello?"

Jace close his eyes in an effort to control his temper. "It's me, can you give me a few minutes? Please?"

"Jace? Why are you using Ash's phone?"

"Cos you won't pick up my calls," he relied sullenly.

"I have a good reason for that. I don't want to talk to you remember?"

"Please Rose, just hear me out. It was nothing personal. Ash and I were on a mission, we had agreed ..."

"STOP IT! Nothing personal?! You really are a jerk. First you kill us, then you use his phone to trick me into talking to you. Now you say it was nothing personal?"

She was absolutely furious. He didn't even apologize for his actions. She didn't need him and as for Lazarus, he could go die ingame for all she cared. It was just a silly game. She had been too absorbed in Orc Wars because of the Season One competition and the feelings of camaraderie and bonding the players felt when they had worked together as a team to beat the Orcs.

In reality, they had actually known each other for only a few months since Season One of Orc Wars. It was a short period. Plus, Jace had a lot of issues.

They obviously liked each other but she didn't know where she stood with him. It seemed a bit too far-fetched to consider herself his girlfriend, she thought. Yes, he was gorgeous to look at and was very sweet and kind to her. She had to admit that he paid her extra attention and was protective of her. Jace could also be unconsciously adorable and funny, sometimes making her feel very special but ... there was something missing.

Couples held hands and hugged each other. They even kissed occasionally. She wasn't asking a lot, just a peck on the cheek once in a while to show his affections. However, Jace tried to avoid all physical contact, especially with girls. What was his problem? She had tried to be patient and understanding but she wanted a real boyfriend. She had had enough of Jace and his personal secret issues.

For all she knew, they may not even be real. He might be faking it to come off as sensitive and mysterious ... jerk!

She would show him. She was a gamer too. She would level up and then challenge him. Better yet, she would cross the Portal, get the Life Stone and the antidote to his ridiculous poison. Then she would kill him over and over until he begged for her forgiveness. Maybe she would sell him the antidote or trade him? She would make sure his Treasury and Inventory felt the keen loss of exchange!! He would have no choice if he wanted to 'live'. Before this, she had been playing casually, trying to get information and helping Isis find a cure for Lazarus. Now she would play seriously and concentrate on levelling up herself. Just you wait, you arrogant jerk.

"I've had enough of your excuses, Jonathan Carter. I don't want to talk to you. Just leave me alone. Bye and don't ever call me again." She hung up on him.

"Rose ... Rose? Hello?" Jace stared incredulously at the phone.

"What?"

"She hung up on me."

Ash's mouth formed an 'O'. "Wow. Seriously?"

"And she called me Jonathan again."

Ash winced. Silently, Jace handed back Ash's phone.

"You okay?" Ash glanced at Jace's serious face. He watched as disbelief and anger changed to a resigned look.

"I'm going to try one last time, then I'm done."

"Hey, she ..." He didn't finish his sentence. Rose had gone overboard when she deliberately called Jace by his full name reminding him of his estranged family and dark past. She knew how to hurt him.

Jace texted Rose one last time. If she replied, they would talk it out and hopefully resolve the misunderstanding. It was a misunderstanding, he reasoned. He would let her hurtful words slide.

"It's up to her now. If she really doesn't want to talk to me again then so be it. I won't force myself on her. I know how that feels like."

"But ..."

"Do not mention this again."

Ash nodded glumly as Jace picked up his unfinished mocha and stared unseeing into space. What a mess. He hoped Rose would come to her senses soon.

The two friends sat in silence, lost in their thoughts, neither needing to say a word.