Angie and Roselle tinued walking at the park for a while. Roselle moved in front of Angie and said, “Thank you, Angie. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  Angie, however gave a sly smile. She held up a game in her hands. “Don’t get too seal with me. I ain’t your friend. You still owe me two favors, and I’ll decide when to cash them in.”

  Roselle chuckled, “I won’t fet, Angie. But thanks again for your help today.”

  Angie waved her hand dismissively. “Stop thanking me, Roselle. It makes me feel weird.”

  Roselle smirked. “Alright, I’ll stop. But you knoreciate it.”

  Aurned her attention to the game in her hands. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s just get back. I’ve got a high score to beat Oh, and one more thing, Roselle. Before you go to Tina’s chatroom, make sure to log in to our chatroom. It’s always best to be prepared.”

  Angie’s ph then. She eagerly answered it, expeg good news. The caller ID dispyed “Harty,” which brought a smile to her face. She stepped aside from Roselle and took the call.

  “Yo Harty! I was hoping to hear from you. Did everything go well on your end?” Angie asked with a sense of optimism.

  However, her excitement quickly faded as she listeo Harty’s oher end of the line. He delivered uling news.

  “Wait, what? Jess’ house? What happened? Is she in danger?”

  She ehe call and turo Roselle. “Ahhh shit. Roselle, we o get to Jess’ house. They were attacked by Shadowcroft.”

  Angie and Roselle quickly hopped in Angie’s care and drove off towards Jess’ House. Ohey arrived, they saw that the front door was shattered, windows were broken, and video games were strewn across the floor. The pair left the care aered the house carefully. They noticed a sign that read “Jess’ Evil Lair,” which raised arms for Roselle.

  Angie g Roselle, seeing the worry etched on her face. “Rex, Roselle. I’ve been to Jess’ pce before. This is just where she pys her games.” She poi the sign and scoffed, “Jess is a pretentious dork. No serious gamer would put up a sign like that.”

  Roselle let out a small breath, feeling slightly reassured but still on edge. They tihrough the chaotic se, stepping over broken gss and scattered game trollers. Angie led the way.

  Angie called out, “Jess? Harty? Anybody here?”

  Ihey found a grim sight. Risebelle y on the floor, bruised and battered. Jess was huddled in a er, g, and muttering something about proteg Risebelle from someone named “Ryan.” Roselle rushed to che Risebelle’s dition.

  Angie k beside Jess. “Jess, its Angie. Ryan….he’s your Ex-boyfriend, but he is also Alex nht?”

  The distraught girl looked up at her with tear-filled eyes and nodded, firming that “Ryan” and “Alex” were ithe same person.

  Meanwhile, Roselle checked on Risebelle, who was scious but in pain. She gently touched Risebelle’s shoulder and asked, “Risebelle, you hear me? Risebelle!”

  Risebelle’s dition worsened rapidly. Roselle could see that she was in critical dition. “Angie, we o call an ambunce right now!” Roselle excimed in a state of distress. She fumbled for her phone and dialed emergency services.

  Angie g Jess. “This is just like when that one character in a game has to set their differences aside to help someone, right?”

  Jess looked up with eyes of desperation. “Please, Angie, help Risebelle. She needs us.”

  Seeing Jess so distraught, Angie softened her tone and k beside Jess, ing an arm around her shoulders. “Take it easy, Jess. We’re here now. We’ll help her.”

  Jess rested her head on Angie’s shoulder. Her sobs gradually subsided.

  The police sirens grew louder, and the arrival of w enfort was immi. When the police got there, Jess began to speak. She revealed a disturbing twist to the situation that left Angie and Roselle stunned.

  “Rosebelle was here too,” Jess fessed, “She fought Risebelle. It was Rosebelle... She’s the one who did this.”

  The revetio Angie and Roselle shocked. Roselle said gently, “It’s going to be okay, Jess. Still, we o know what exactly happened, so please, tell us everything.”

  Jess replied. “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have dragged Risebelle into this mess. I thought I could ha, but I was wrong. Rosebelle... she’s the doppelgarying to repce Risebelle and Rosebelle...”

  Roselle’s anger simmered. Rosebelle, the doppelganger of her added to her frustration. She had heard so much about this terpart, but they never came face to face with one another. Now, with the revetion that Rosebelle was involved in hurting Risebelle, Roselle couldn’t tain her anger any longer. She ched her fists and her face hardened.“I’ve heard about Rosebelle for far too long. It’s time to front her and put ao this madness! Which way did she go?!”

  Angie looked at Roselle with . “Roselle, we have to deal with Jess’s safety and Risebelle’s dition first. fronting Rosebelle will have to wait.”

  Roselle took a deep breath and nodded “You’re right, Angie. Jess and Risebelle’s safety es first. We’ll get them the help they need.”

  The paramedics arrived, rushing io tend to Risebelle and Jess, who were both in dire need of medical attention. Angie and Roselle stepped aside with worry.

  Angie looked on and gave a sigh. “We’ll have to figure out what happened here, but for now, let’s let the paramedics do their job.”

  A Few hours passed during which Risebelle was rushed to the hospital fent medical care. The hospital staff worked diligently to stabilize her dition, while Jess received treatment for her injuries as well. Fortunately, Jess’s injuries turned out to be minor. She was cleared to leave the hospital.

  When Jess prepared to departed, the police arrived at the hospital to question her further about the i. After the questioning was pleted, Jess was allowed to go leave for home, but an officer approached her. “Miss Jessica, your home was damaged badly. It’s now a crime se, so you ’t sleep there tonight. Do you have aives or anywhere you stay?”

  Jess shook her head. A faint smile came to her lips. “No, I always lived by myself, alone.”

  The officer raised an eyebrow at her ued happiness but chose not to ent on it. “Alright, just make sure to find a friend to stay with. It’s not safe to be on your ht now.”

  Jess nodded and waved a hand in the air. “I uand. Thank you, officer.”

  She left the hospital and found Roselle and Angie waiting for her. Roselle immediately enveloped Jess in a warm hug. “Jess, I’m so gd you’re okay.”

  Jess returhe hug. “O-Oh… you’re adorable….but the police said my house is a crime se now. I have o stay.”

  Angie grinned and slung an arm around Jess’s shoulders. “Looks like you’re bunking with me, then. My pce is a mess, but it’s better than nothing.”

  Jess took on a higher yet casual tone and said, “Oh, there are just so many ways for me to say this to you, Angie.”

  She paused, ting on her fingers. “Let’s see… No. Nope. Nah. ive. Nuh-uh. Not happening. Absolutely not and stly, Noooooooo!”

  Angie burst out ughing, shaking her head. “Alright, alright, drama queen. But seriously, where are you going to stay?”

  Jess waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll worry about that ter. I just remembered something important.”

  Angie’s eyes narrowed. “Funny, I was just thinking the same thing.”

  The two turo face each other. Their stances were tehey raised their fists and got ready to front each ht there. Roselle looked worried, steppiween them.

  “Guys, now isn’t the time for this,” Roselle said while trembling.

  Angie sighed and rexed her posture. “We’ve had our differences in the past, Jess, but right now, we o focus ohing: Risebelle.”

  Jess nodded and eased up.“The nurse wasn’t letting anyone see her, which is why I decided to leave, but if you two stay, I’ll stay.”

  Roselle let out a sigh of relief. “The’s go bad see what we do.”

  A few minutes passed. Jess, Angie, and Roselle were now standing outside the doctor’s office, anxiously waiting for the news about Risebelle’s dition. Finally, the doctor, a woman with bck hair emerged from the room. Her somber face told them that the news wasn’t good. They gathered around her, awaiting the grim diagnosis.

  “It’s not looking good,” the doctor expined with one hand raised in the air. “Risebelle pushed her physical limits to areme, which led to severe injuries. Her body was on the brink of tearing itself apart, bined with the extensive damage to her bones. It got so bad that her body disected from her brain. We don’t know when, or if, she’ll regain sciousness.”

  The doctor finally allowed Jess, Angie, and Roselle to enter Risebelle’s hospital room. There, they found Risebelle lying motionless on the bed, ected to various maes that monitored her dition. Her eyes were closed, and her face ale.

  The maes beeped softly. Risebelle showed no sign of improvement, but she was still alive acc to the mae.

  Roselle stood over Risebelle and said,“I promise, Risebelle, I’m going to find this Rosebelle, and I’ll make her pay for what she’s doo you. I won’t rest until justice is served, no matter how it has to be.”

  Jess looked at the unscious Risebelle. She remembered all the pyful flirting and teasing moments she had shared with Risebelle. Jess began to speak.“Risebelle,” Jess whispered with her eyes filling with tears, “I never realized how mueant to me until now. You look like an angel just sleeping there… I ’t stand seeing you like this. I promise… I promise that when you wake up, things will be different. I won’t take our friendship franted anymore.”

  Angie, who had been silently the se, nodded in agreement. She pced a hand on Jess’s shoulder.

  The hospital visiting hours came to an end. Ahered Jess and Roselle and prepared to leave; however, Angie felt that something was amiss.

  “Guys, there’s something strange going on here,” Angie said, furrowing her brow. “Harty told me he and Michigoing to meet us at Jess’ house, but they never showed up. And Michigo... she was with him. It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Yeeeah….about that…? Mie to my house first, trying to rescue me,” Jess began. “She gave it her all, but it wasn’t enough. She got beaten up by my ex-boyfriend and those ’Shadowcroft guys. She’s a part of the karate club, and I know she’s tough, but she was outnumbered. She should have been on the floor somewhere. The strahing is... I don’t remember seei all.”

  Angie exged a ed look with Roselle.

  Roselle quickly dialed Michigo’s number, but to her , the call went straight to voicemail. Desperate for any clue, Roselle decided to call Hashta, who might have some insight into Michigo’s whereabouts. Hashta answered the call and Roselle spoke with urgency.

  “Hashta, I ’t reach Michigo, and I’m really worried. Do you have any idea where she might be or what’s going on?”

  Hashta sighed and responded, “Roselle, I think Michigo is ‘KarateSpirit23’ in the group chat. I just sent her a private message. Maybe she’ll respond there.”

  Roselle hung up the phone and took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. “I o go home and check this online,” she said, her voice steady but urgent.

  Jess quickly jumped in, “ I go with you, Roselle? Maybe stay at your pce?”

  Roselle giggled, raising an eyebrow. “Are you serious, Jess?”

  Angie smirked. “What, are you scared of staying at my pce, Jess?”

  Jess crossed her arms and huffed. “I don’t want to owe my enemy any favors.”

  A a hand on her chest while faking a sweet smile. “Enemy? I was ag out of the goodness of my heart.”

  Jess shot back, “Oh, I could see that evil grin you’ve been hiding. You’d make me suffer.”

  Angie ughed. “Alright, if you say so. But seriously, stay safe, Jess. Both of you.”

  Roselle and Jess left the hospital together, heading towards Roselle’s house.

  While walking towards Roselle’s house, Roselle gnced over at Jess, taking in her outfit. Jess’s attire was as bold as ever, with a style that was more revealing than what Roselle was used to seeing.

  Roselle’s fred up. She turo Jess, trying to sound casual but with a hint of . “Hey, Jess, I just want to let you know—my mom be pretty... protective. She might get the wrong idea if she sees us together, especially with your outfit.”

  Jess raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You think she’s going to think I’m a bad influence or something?”

  Roselle shrugged. “It’s more like... my mom’s got this way of jumping to clusions. I don’t want any misuandings.”

  Jess raised up one hand and said, “I get it, Roselle. It’s just been a really tough day, and I didn’t want to be alone. I’ll just… you know…find somewhere else to go….maybe get tortured by A her house if I catch her at the hospital, but hey, this was worth a shot.” With that, Jess began to walk away.

  “No, Jess, wait!” Roselle called out urgently. “I…I don’t want you to suffer, especially after everything that’s happeoday. I’ll… I’ll still try to let you stay by my house.”

  Jess turned back. “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a burden.”

  Roselle csped her hands together. She then nervously fidgeted her fingers. “I promise I’ll do my best to make this work. Please, just... give me a ce to expin to my mom....okay?”

  Jess’s eyes lit up with r joy. Without hesitation, she rushed over to Roselle and ed her in a tight embrace, lifting her off the ground. “Oh, you’re such a doll, Roselle! Thank you so much!”

  Roselle was momentarily taken aback. When Jess set her down, Roselle took a deep breath and thought to herself, ‘Jess might be a bit of a whirlwind to deal with, but she’s been nothing but friendly with me. What’s the worst that could happen?’