After Ace finishes retelling the whole story, it takes Wes quite a while to respond.

WildWes: I...I dont get it. how could someone as sweet and cheery as Rose have gone thru something that awful?

Ace: The kids at her old school were brutal. I think...I think the reason we forgot about the plan was because we were scared of losing the thing that kept us together. I wanted to feel that there was more to life than being the best. She wanted to feel loved.

WildWes: so the rest of us werent good enough?!

Ace: Calm down, that's not what I meant. I mean she wanted to have with me what Payton and Ezra have. What Nishan and Sakura are trying to have. Whatever you and Koh...have.

WildWes: its complicated. its more of a...frenemance. ( friend/enemy/romance)

He can't help but snicker inwardly at the text. Half the time he couldn't tell whether he and Koh were fighting, flirting, or fooling around.

Ace: Anyway, what I'm trying to say is...I almost lost hope. I thought Rose blamed me for what happened to her.

WildWes: R U kidding? we went looking for you as early as 5 in the morning. then there was a bug in the tracking system. she panicked and mia had to calm her down by slapping her. then as soon as we found your location she took off on her motorcycle. U should have seen the look on her face, saying "I havent lost a student yet and Im not planning to now!"

He blushes a little.

Ace: She really did and said that?

WildWes: Better believe it.

Ace: Wish I could have done more to help her.

WildWes: U took a bullet for her, didnt u? :)

Ace: That was just me being stupid and reckless.

WildWes: Same diff.

Ace: That makes no sense!

WildWes: Anyway, i guess i owe rose a apology.

Ace: You think?

WildWes: vry funny. Still @ the motel of hell?

Ace: Yeah, but I have feeling we won't be here for long. The airport's a few hours away and I think Ava's suspicious. Look, if I get sent away, make sure Rose is OK, will you?

WildWes: Obviously. But stay positive, alright? 'Night.

Ace: Night.

He turns off the cell phone and slips it away. He drifts off into a dreamless sleep.

"WAKE UP!" He feels the sting of hand slapping his face. He jolts awake, looking dead into Ava's face with a venomous glare. His eyes trail to some device in her hand. The burner phone! Ava is livid, sneering into his face. He blinks, trying to determine if this was just another nightmare. It isn't, and he's a dead man.

"What?" he mumbles, feigning ignorance.

"Explain the meaning of this!" she rages, opening the phone and showing Ace last night's text messages. He pales as her face darkens with fury. "How could...no, how DARE you tell Rose how I felt about her?!"

"She had a right to know," Ace argues, trying to grab the burner phone back. She jerks it away from him. "You're killing her!"

"Not as much as I'm gonna kill you!" she lunges for him, but Amos pulls her back.

"Take it easy, we're leaving now," Amos orders, clutching his enraged sister. "I'm surprised Cruz didn't take the opportunity to run last night."

Ava grabs his wrist, dragging him along. He digs his feet into the rug, trying to fight back. She pulls him closer, hissing, "Cause a scene and it'll be the last thing you do."

Outside, Amos's car revs to life. They drive off into the early morning sky.

"Just few more hours and this will all be over," Ava murmurs, looking out of the window.

"Just a few more hours and I'm a goner," Ace thinks, balling his hands into fists. He hears the constant vibrations of the burner phone. Ava scowls fiercely, occasionally shooting a glare at Ace. Ace gives her an equally scathing look.

"It's a shame really," Ava comments to no one in particular. "Rose actually thought you and I could be friends. As if!"

"Yeah, who wants to be friends with someone as possessive and selfish as you?" he retorts, blowing her off. He turns on his side, trying to catch some more sleep.

"This dang motorcycle in front of me is getting on my last nerves," he wakes up to hear Amos growl. He looks up, a biker in a pink motorcycle swerves in and out of the lanes. The biker catches Ace's eye and waves. The helmet covers his/her entire head, so the face is hidden. Amos slams his palm on the steering wheel. "Get on the right lane or get off the road!"

The biker makes a rude gesture, causing Amos to swear loudly. He speeds up, but the bike is right next to him. The motorcycle speeds up, gets in front of the car, and stops. Amos slams on the breaks, but he's too late. The biker throws himself/herself out of the motorcycle, tumbling onto the road. Amos's car collides with the motorcycle, causing it to tip over and fall on the biker.

"Oh my gosh!" Ace gasps, throwing open the door and checking out the scene. Poor biker was trapped underneath the vehicle. "Help me get this thing up!"

Ava reluctantly helps him lift it up. He takes off the biker's helmet and comes face to face with an unconscious Rose. He gasps as though all the air were sucked out of him.

"Rose? Rose!?" He gently shakes her, but doesn't get a response. "Call 911!"

AceofSpace: We need help. Its Rose. There was an accident...she's not moving!

WildWes: What happened to your burner phone? Nvr mnd. Where are you?

AceofSpace: A few hours from the hospital, along Route 33. Hurry!

WildWes: Omw. Dont leave her side.

AceofSpace: Not a chance.

He holds Rose carefully in his arms, gently rocking her as as he waits for either Wes or the ambulance to arrive. Whichever came first. She looks practically lifeless, with bruises and cuts all over her skin and clothes.

"She'll be fine...she'll be fine...Oh God, what if she won't be fine? Where's the ambulance?!"

Running low in self-control, he turns on Ava.

"This is all your fault, Ava!"

She turns red and splutters, "My fault? I wasn't the one who ran her over!"

"She wouldn't have put her motorcycle in front of us like that to save me if you hadn't brought us here in the first place!" he yells at her, silencing her with an icy glare. He glances frequently between Rose and the road. "Where is that ambulance?!"

Trying to steady his nerves, he intertwines his fingers with Rose's limp ones, firmly squeezing them in the hopes she'd wake up. He hears the familiar sound of tires squealing to a stop and car doors swinging open and slamming shut.

"Rosebud!" A lean young man with brown hair and skin like Rose's yells as they get closer. "Little R, can you hear me?"

"She's out cold, Ross," Wes answers, kneeling on the ground to get a better look at Rose. "Ace, this is Rose's adoptive older brother, Ross. Ross, this is Rose's boyfriend."

""Technically, she's the adopted one," Ross corrects. "And Rose never told me about any boyfriend…"

"Are we really having this conversation now?" Wes rolls his eyes,trying to hide the strain in his voice . "Anyway, Ross here is a Paramedic."

"The ambulance should be here in a few minutes, let me take a look at her," Ross instructs. Ace reluctantly hands her over to her brother. While Ross tends to her, the remaining teens wait for the ambulance.

"You look off, Wes," Ace comments, observing the slacker's hasty glances. "What's up?"

"Yesterday, I said somethings to her I probably shouldn't have," Wes admits. "And if something happens to her, it would really suck for those to be the last words I said to her."

"What did you say?"

"You don't want to know."

The faint sounds of ambulance sirens grow stronger. Amos's car suddenly peels off into the night, leaving Ava stranded.

"Amos, you idiot! You forgot about me!" Ava screeches after him, but the car is long gone.

As they load Rose into the ambulance, Ross looks rather grim.

"She's gonna be fine, right?" Wes asks.

Ross's eyes soften. His face contorts into a sad frown.

"No promises, dude."