Then a second thought occurs to her. If the party is being thrown by someone Patrick knows, he might know Cass too. She said she never went to those parties. It’s totally a long shot. But last time Lulu disappeared, Owen went looking for her, and everyone knew it.

Okay fine, Lulu sends Bea. I guess I’m in.

CHAPTER FIVE

THE GIRL FROM Rich’s Flash, the one who was standing with Owen, comes to the party too. Kiley Rathbone. Some sophomore.

The worst part is that Lulu knows her a little bit: They’re in Cinema Studies together. Kiley doesn’t talk much, but when she does, she usually says smart-seeming things. She sits with a girl named Maija, who Lulu knows because she knew Maija’s older sister, Sam, when she was a senior last year, and also because Maija is probably the prettiest girl in the sophomore class. Not the most popular, but the prettiest, which means Kiley isn’t afraid of pretty girls. Which probably means Kiley has some sense that she’s very, very pretty too.

The only other thing Lulu knows about Kiley is that she dances, or at least she was in an assembly teaser for a dance theater show last year. That was the first time Lulu noticed her, up on stage, but to be fair, it was hard not to: She was the only black girl up there.

Also, she was, like, good.

Lulu ignores her and tries to look cheerful about it.

Luckily, there’s plenty to distract her. In the kitchen, Jules turns a TV on so he can watch the Lakers, but it’s part of an art installation that shows looped clips from news reports about missing and murdered girls spliced in with scenes from cop shows about the same thing. Whoever’s house they’re at—Isabel, maybe, someone said her name was?—her parents have truly atrocious taste, and an amazingly huge collection of stuff that demonstrates this fact. There are ugly “modern” sculptures and garish abstract paintings everywhere, and after the television incident, Lulu is afraid to sit on or really touch anything in case it turns out to be art.

At least the booze is stashed out back near the pool, where it’s obvious what it’s supposed to be.

Lulu scans the crowd for Cass and doesn’t see her. Something goes tight in her throat at the idea of spending the whole night standing around and making, like, small talk. Trying to get or keep Owen’s attention. Everyone looking at her, and looking at Kiley, and Owen and Kiley, and Owen and her, and thinking whatever they’re thinking.

Bea nudges her shoulder. “If this stuff is what these people think is appropriate for company, can you even imagine what they keep in their bedrooms?”

“Ooooh,” Lulu says. “Are you suggesting we find out?”

Bea widens her eyes like, Who, me?