The girls sat down to tray lunches which were actually not that bad and listened to Caroline fill them in about life at the retirement home. She kept up the small talk until she sensed they had both started to relax. "Now girls, please tell me why you," she said pointing to Connie, "looked like you wanted to murder someone and you," she pointed at Laura, "look like you've just lost your best friend. How bad was this fight if it drove a grown woman out of my house?"

"It was just scary mom," Laura said, "I've never seen Ace be that way."

Connie nearly snorted in derision, he had been aggressive to her just the other day.

"Like what sweetheart?" Caroline asked gently. Laura just looked at the floor.

"Maybe you two need some time apart," Caroline suggested comfortingly.

"Maybe," Laura agreed, wiping her eyes. Her heart had shattered.

"Laura should come stay at my house," Connie said in her determined way.

"Yes maybe she should, at least until the weekend. I don't know where else she could stay. That's very kind of you to offer Connie, thank you," Caroline said, "please thank your parents on my behalf."

"Of course," Connie said.

Laura didn't say much for the rest of the afternoon, her mind kept repeating what her mother had said 'maybe you two need some time apart'. Laura felt ill when she thought what that could mean. Does that mean that they were over? She definitely didn't feel comfortable with seeing him right now. His mood was so different lately, he was so different lately.

Ace went to the high school that morning. When he didn't see Connie's car in the carpark he drove to Laura's house. It was sealed up tight. He broke in and looked around, it was completely empty. He noticed the chair he had thrown last night still laying in the kitchen, he picked it up and returned it to his proper place.

He didn't know he would scare her, he thought running his fingers through his hair and rubbing his eyes, why would she over react like that? He waited around for a little bit before he had to go to a job. He popped a few little brown pills in his mouth. More out of habit than anything else.

Laura returned to her house to find her bedroom window open. She had forgotten Ace could get in at any time and instead of pleasing her, that fact was beginning to scare her. She gathered a few days worth of clothes and went back out to Connie who was waiting in the car. She had locked the window behind her.

Ace returned from his job and drove back to Laura's house. He found the window locked again which pissed him off a little. Why was she trying to lock him out. She wasn't there again and beginning to not care where she had gone off to, he drove to Irby's Billiards to forget about it for a while.

The next day he drove past the high school again, this time recognising Connie standing next to her car. He parked carelessly and strode over to her. Connie was rummaging through her boot trying to locate a lost textbook when a shadow passed over her head.

"Where's Laura?" he asked, not having the patience for all this running around.

"I'm not telling you?" Connie said.

"Why the hell not?" he exclaimed frustratedly. This girl was really grating his nerves.

"Why should I, you've scared her half to death," she said, "how dare you throw her around a room."

"What?" he said, "I didn't touch her."

"That's not what she said," Connie huffed, "excuse me I have to get to class."

Ace grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

"You're not leaving yet," he said.

"I'm not afraid of you," she said, contempt present in every syllable.

He threw her arm away and started walking back across the street.

"I'll find her later," he called out.

He went back to the school that afternoon and waited by her locker. She stopped by it before her final class and looked almost afraid to see him.

"What's wrong with you," he hissed at her, "why do you think I hit you?"

Laura was feeling very nervous again.

"Hey! Answer me," he said grabbing her chin so she was staring right at him. "Why are you avoiding me, especially after I drove away that bitch for you. I thought you would be happy."

"I am," she said unconvincingly, her face hurting.

"You have a real funny way of showing it, I thought you loved me," he almost spat at her. "Now you're crying again?" he said incredulously, as a tear ran down her face.

"Please let me go," she said, his hand still grabbing her face.

"Fine," he said pushing her away and furiously walking out of the building.

Laura sank to the ground. She was shaking horribly again. What had happened to him? She thought desperately. Or had he always been this way? She wondered briefly. No that wasn't it, she knew him better than that. This wasn't him. But if he was gone from her then she'd have to leave him too.

Ace sat in his car too angry to drive. What had happened to Laura? She was acting so strange lately, why didn't she want to see him. Maybe she hadn't wanted to see him for a while now, he barely seen her anymore. Maybe she had just been hiding behind Mrs Morris as an excuse, he thought feeling slightly paranoid, and now she was gone Laura had no excuse not to see him anymore and so she had pushed him away. Well if that's the way she felt he didn't need to put up with her bullshit. Besides he had important business to do.