Orc Wars 2 : Lazarus

Chapter 5 - Aria

Jace and Ash were waiting for the next class to start. Students were slowly filing into the lecture hall. Two girls made a beeline to them, one dragging the other.

"Hi Ash ... Jace."

"Hi Chloe. What's up?"

Chloe sat down opposite them gesturing for her friend to do the same. She glanced at Jace noticing he was plugged in. "Still in his own world huh? What is he listening to now?"

"Instrumental rock covers of his favourite tracks. He has gone international. I don't recognise some of them." He rolled his eyes at his friend's weird taste in music. "Tell me you didn't come all this way just to ask me that." He pretended to look crestfallen. Chloe winked at him and indicated her friend.

"This is Aria. She is new here. I thought I'd introduce her to everyone."

"Hi Aria, nice to meet you."

"Hi," Aria smiled at him but after a second her eyes strayed back to Jace.

Aria was new. She had transferred in recently and lived with her grandfather guardian who had pulled some strings to get her transferred here. Within a week the friendly happy-go-lucky Chloe had taken her under her wing and initiated her into her large circle of friends.

Aria looked lingeringly at Jace. Unfortunately he had his eyes closed and was drumming his fingers on the table to a beat that only he could hear. He didn't notice they had company.

Ash grinned, she was here for Jace not him. She blushed. Ash reached out to yank out an ear bud.

"What ...?" Jace's eyes flew open as he searched for the person who interrupted him. "Is Mr.Mason here already?"

"Nope. Aria and Chloe wanted to say 'Hi' before class starts," he added mischievously.

"Huh? Who?"

"Chlo-eee you know and this is Aria, she is new here."

"Oh hey, Chloe, Aria."

Jace flashed his trademark half-smile at the two girls. Chloe the bubbly good natured chatterbox and match-maker he knew. Ash kept losing friendly bets to her on a regular basis. It was common knowledge Chloe was sweet on Ash and Ash ... well, Jace had a sneaky feeling that his friend's losing streak was not all chance.

The other girl ... he took in the petite form of the new girl sitting in front of him. Straight black hair with blue highlights fell in perfect symmetry over her shoulders. Heavy black eyeliner enhanced her dark brown eyes. Her full lips shone with a hint of pink lip gloss on a pale face. She was clad in dark fitting clothes but hid her figure with an oversized leather jacket. A Goth girl. A rebel ... or someone trying to hide a painful past.

"Ash said you guys are into that new MMORPG game, Orc Wars. Aria plays too, so I thought she could talk to you. I'm introducing her to everyone I know who plays. I just started so I'm still learning." She winked at Ash.

Jace took a closer look at Aria, interested. She blushed. A gamer goth girl, and she played Orc Wars at that. Her pink lips curved up into a shy smile.

"You play? Cool."

"Been playing long?" Ash asked.

"Ever since the Game was out. I saw the Reality Show and was hooked. I had to try it for myself and have been playing ever since."

"Aria is obsessed with Orc Wars. I bet she knows everything about it." Chloe caught Ash's eyes, "Ask her anything about the Game, I bet you she knows!"