Missing in time // {UNDER EDITING BEFORE CONTINUATION}//

Chapter 4

Even though it's dark outside, and even though it's silent, I can't sleep. Although let's be honest, if you had just seen your best friend's dead body, you wouldn't be able to sleep either. I'm more scared than sad though. I'm scared because, when I saw Cassie's body, I didn't feel like the world had ended, I didn't feel like my heart had been ripped out and walked all over in high heel boots. It was almost as if I had already known she was dead, or at least assumed she was dead. But I guess I am sad, like seeing Cassie's body made it official.

I let the tears fall silently while I mourn. I'm not mourning just for Cassie. I'm mourning for Jessie and Tess and Andrea, for being caught in a mess that I'm scared is my fault. I'm mourning for myself too, for being Cassie's friend, the friend of that girl who went missing. Now I'm the best friend of that girl who was murdered. That's how people will remember me now. The friends of that dead girl.

As I'm slowly crying myself to sleep, I notice a light. A small light, but still, a light. A light in Cassie's window. From across the street, I can see a shadow moving around. That's weird I think, no one has been in Cassie's room since she went missing. Her room was locked up, the key throw away. Like a secret. Like that verse grownups tell young children to get them to stop talking "Zip it, lock it, put it in your pocket."

I get up and walk to the window, pushing the curtains aside to get a better view. There is definitely someone in there. I grab my phone and quickly dial Tess's number. She picks up on the second ring.

"Kat, it's the middle of the night." Tess whines.

"It's 10:00, that's not the middle of the night. But anyway, I need you and your camera." I says, impatiently tapping my fingers against the windowsill.

'Now?" Tess groans.

"Yes. Now."

"Why?"

"Just come, I'll explain later." I hang up, praying that Tess decides to come.

Tess does come, but in a very Tessish way. She parks right outside the house, which is normal, then proceeds to climb up to my window, which is not normal.

"Why? Why the window?" I say as Tess climbs into my room.

"Well you sounded like it was an emergency, so I just assumed it was secret too." Tess says. I sigh and close the window behind her. 

"It's not secret, just look." I say, pointing across the street.

"What? There's nothing there" Tess say,but she pulls out her camera anyways. 

"There's a light-or- there was a light, in Cassie's window." I say.

"There's no light on Kat," Tess says, shaking her head, "no ones been in there for two years."

"Yeah, I know. But I saw a light. I saw it." I say, "Can we just go check it out?"

"Fine. But there's not going to be anything to find." Tess sighs.

"God, you sound like Andrea. I thought you loved adventures?" 

"I do, but this time is doesn't seem like there will be anything to find."

"We can climb through the window" I say, hoping that will tempt her into coming with me. It does,

"Okay, if we can then I'm in. But...we have to wear these." Tess says, smiling and holding up black ski masks. I raise an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Because if we're going to break into someones house, we need to keep our identity a secret." 

"We're not breaking in, we're entering the house in the middle of the night without permission from the people who live there."

"Now whose the one sounding like Andrea?" 

"Okay fine," I say, "Maybe we are breaking in. But I am not wearing a ski mask." 

"You're choice..." Tess says slyly, "but... it's either that, or this." she says, holding up a pair of those fake glasses, the kind that come with a big nose and eyebrows. I grab the ski mask.

"Fine, I'll wear the ski mask," Tess smiles, "But, you have to wear you're too." Tess puts on her ski mask, opens the window again, and starts to climb down.