There I was, standing, awkwardly, with one broken heel and a massive stack of papers, standing outside the school newsletter office in the empty school hallway. I had spent my whole life ignoring people like Midnight Deluca, but now, as I stood outside the office of The East, she seemed like my only hope. It seemed pathetic really, but this was my only chance of getting Aster back. I felt like Leia pleading to Obi-wan-Kenobi. But Midnight really was my only hope.

I almost felt embarrassed; someone like me would never been seen dead standing here, but then and again, after Aster's disappearance, nothing mattered anymore. We weren't better than one another, we were all the same. Besides, look at me now, I look like I've been dragged through a ditch. My hair is appalling, my make-up is amateur, and my clothes are creased and jaunty, to be honest, I resemble a harlequin. But for the first time ever, I couldn't care less. What mattered now was Aster. She needs to be safe.

I rapped on the door; hard, pile of documents and leads tucked under my arm. "Uh, hello? Midnight?" 

I took a look around, the hall was empty, and the door of The East Office was old-timey; wooden with glass windows and THE EAST OFFICE printed across the glass in gold letters. Midnight came to the door, turning the knob, her lavender hair framing her face. 

"Come in," she smiles.

Inside the office is kind of dark and musty, and smells like an old bookshop. There's a table and long, big bookshelves. The old me would have been repulsed, but I like it. Midnight draws out a whiteboard, and pasted in the center is Aster. Smiling, her dark brown hair cascading down her shoulders. She always had an intense gaze, and the corner of her mouth is twisted up in a half-smile. She's wearing a dark coat and a dark beanie, staring into the camera.

I hold back my tears. I don't want to embarrass myself. Midnight takes out a thick, black white board marker writing about the image: ASTER EVANS, and below: MISSING, PRESUMED DEAD.

"So, this is what we know," she says, "do you know anything else?"

"I, uh, well, we known she was last seen at the party on May 1st." I answer, and she writes it down.

"Were you there?" Midnight asks.

"Oh, ah, yeah. She was acting really weird," I say, fidgeting with a pen, and trying to remember that night.

"Like?" Midnight prompts.

"Oh, yeah, she was wearing this really weird dress, it was calico, and long and had little flowers on it," I say, remembering.

"Had you seen it before?" Midnight asks, as she writes down the last detail.

"No, no, not at all. It was so unlike her. I told her I thought it was weird, but she told me to cut it out. She was just...off that night, you know? Not herself at all." I answer, "Some boys, from another school, Wrenningvale, I think, they were laughing at her, and asking 'who invited the granny?' or something...I don't know, but she almost started crying."

Midnight stroked her chin, "So strange...do you think that had something to do with her disappearance?"

"I..I don't know," I say, and take out my phone, "Uh, here, I have a photo." I hand my phone over, and Midnight stares at it, zooming in.

The picture shows Aster, surrounded by party goers with red paper cups, shouting and dancing; frozen in time. Neon lights dance across her face. She's wearing the dress, and her face is screwed up, as if she's overwhelmed. Midnight picks apart her expression, "She enjoyed parties, though, right?" 

"Yeah, yeah, of course, she was the life of the party!" I say, "She was just not herself that night."

Midnight looks puzzled. She taps a few different things on my phone, and soon a printer in the corner of the room spews out the image. She hands back my phone, and goes over to the printer, cutting out the picture. Midnight rips a bit of blue-tack off with her teeth and sticks the photo to the board, writing, "Acting strange, not in usual clothes, not herself" next to it.

Neither of us say anything, until I finally muster up the courage to say what we're both thinking. "Do you think she knew what was going to happen that night?"

"I honestly don't know," Midnight sighs, "I'm sorry, Kitty, I really am." 

"No, no, it's not your fault. Thanks for helping me, I know we're not, you know. Friends. And we never really got along because, I don't know, there are like, set rules of something, it feels like. Who can be friends with who and all that. But I'm grateful for you help, Midnight. Thank you."

For probably the first time ever, Midnight Deluca cracks a smile, "Well, maybe we could break those rules."

"Yeah," I smile, "we should. Over solving the disappearance of Aster Evans."

Suddenly, there's a knock on the window. "Hey, Kitty is that you?"

I look out the window, but I recognized the voice instantly. Fox Grey. He was on the football team, tall, dark haired and handsome. I had loved him my whole life. But he was Aster's boyfriend.

The back of The East's office opened up onto the football field, and he was standing below, looking up at me.

"Oh, uh, Fox, hi," I wave awkwardly, and open the window. Midnight scoffs in the background, she's always been against popular people like us.

"What are you doing in there, Kitty, isn't that the office of The East?" he asks, like it's derogatory.

 "Like, no offence or anything, but why are you," he drops his voice so Midnight can't hear, but I know she does. "hanging out with Midnight Deluca?"

I raise my voice, so he knows she can hear, "She's helping me find Aster. We know she's not dead, foul play has to be involved."

Fox's eyebrows shoot up, "Aster? I'm coming up," he announces, seemingly over his feud against Midnight's kind.

"Uh, sickening," Midnight rolls her eyes.

"Hey!" I say, "Don't say that, he's just lost his girlfriend, Midnight!"

Fox swings open the door of the office. "Tell me how we can get Aster back."