Disclaimer: Mmmkay- pretty much all this belongs to Holly Black, who has the coolest name EVER. (cough cough) I own nothing. Not even Natasha. Well, maybe I own Lisa. Okay, whatever, here it is:

Chapter 2: "More Questions"

The greetings of the 'customers' made Natasha grin, and she was easily able to murmur appreciation for their outfits as well. Anyone who had bothered to dress up had gone all out, or at least, that's what it seemed like to her. After all, it was Halloween, the one day of the year you wouldn't get stared at for walking down the street in a rainbow Mohawk and chicken suit, complete with feathers.

Or maybe that guy dressed like that every day.

After a few hours, Natasha noticed a change in the crowds entering. Before, the groups entering had been made up of the normal raver stock. Kids with multicolored hair and outfits that glowed in the dark were in abundance, while most of those with crazier outfits would be far apart and scattered throughout the crowd. Now however, much more… exotic outfits began to emerge. Natasha had just taken the money of an abnormally tall young man with a green beard, accompanied by a middle-aged woman wearing a full ball gown of white and lavender, when she noticed a familiar face weaving through the crowds.

"How goes it?" Lisa asked her, coming to sit on the spindly bench next the Natasha. Natasha shrugged, glancing at her with upraised eyebrows.

"I've been sitting here for two hours. Can't say I'm having a blast, but it's not bad."

"Oh no. You are not allowed to make me feel guilty for getting you to volunteer. You offered." Lisa told her, crossing her arms over her chest, a pout growing on her face.

"Nobody told me it would be this boring."

"This is boring?" Lisa asked her, eyeing three long-haired guys that looked heavily under-nourished to Natasha. Each was lugging themselves around in bondage pants and enough chains to literally 'sink a ship'. Natasha laughed, and Lisa grinned at her. "See? It's not so bad. I'll go get us something to drink." With that, she was gone, merging into the pulsating crowd of people on the "dance floor" which was really not even a designated area anymore. Natasha doubted anyone had imagined it would get this crowded.

The 'punch' Lisa brought over was more cheap beer than anything else, and Natasha set it aside after only a couple sips. Seeing that she was content again for the moment, Lisa slipped off to dance again, and Natasha hadn't realized she'd gone until she went to ask her something- and couldn't find her.

She shook her head, trying not to groan. Lisa could get a little flaky, but she did have a point, Natasha had to admit to herself.

The girl's outfit was the first thing Natasha noticed about her. A purple vinyl catsuit that fit the girl like it had been made for her, Natasha was immediately envious. Smooth blonde hair tumbled around the girl's shoulders, falling around slanted almond shaped eyes. If her hair hadn't been so blonde, Natasha would have sworn she was Oriental. Maybe she was.

Silently, the girl glanced up at her date. It was a momentary look, but one that revealed the fatigue in the girl's eyes, and the trust she held for the guy. Natasha raised a thin blue eyebrow, and turned her gaze to the guy.

Headbanger, Natasha thought amusedly as he dropped two bills into her hand. Powerfully built and dressed all in black, he looked like Natasha's vision of a vampire. His hair was long- much longer than she'd ever seen on any other guy she knew, and ice pale in the moonlight.

They were an odd pair, but Natasha couldn't really have said anything more, since she'd seen more than her share of odd couples over the past few hours. The girl looked so delicate with her long blonde hair and thin fingers, and the guy looking as if he could kill someone… if he hadn't already. The expression on his face never changed. Or rather, the lack of expression. One thing was obvious however- his entire attention was taken up by the girl.

"Nice outfit," Natasha commented, bringing her gaze to the girl's eyes. The girl grinned in response, but the expression never quite made it to her eyes. Natasha smiled back hesitantly. There was something oddly familiar about her, Natasha thought, watching the pair make their way into the not-so abandoned club. She wracked her brain trying to remember where she'd seen her before, but gave up when Lisa returned and she still hadn't thought of it.

"You holding up okay?" Lisa grinned, the pink glow-stick in her mouth disappearing and reappearing with each word she spoke. "It really is kind of boring over here."

"Only cause you're here." Natasha replied, grinning to belie the insult. Lisa narrowed her eyes comically at her, but Natasha was only half joking. For the past half hour, the crowds had been slowly trickling down until they were all but stopped now. It seemed that wherever people had chosen to party, they were staying there.

The pair of friends chatted for awhile, Lisa even getting Natasha to bounce around in place for awhile. Finally free from her post, Natasha was happy to wander around with Lisa, and she eventually made it outside to the old wooden deck she'd been so afraid of collapsing earlier. She was just getting ready to drag Lisa back inside when a flash of red caught the corner of her eye, and she turned instinctively, pushing her way through the crowds until she was standing at the edge of the deck, peering into the murky water. Glancing around wildly, she noticed the blonde girl in the catsuit, strangely familiar, standing beside her.

"Did somebody just j-" A stone lodged in her throat, and she couldn't make herself finish the sentence. However, the blonde girl had hardly seemed to notice, so intently was she peering down into the water, a panicked look on her face. Before Natasha could even register what she was doing, the girl had vaulted over the railing, vanishing from sight beneath the tiny wavelets bumping up against the pier.

"What the hell, Natasha?" Lisa called, coming up behind her.

"Somebody just jumped into the water, maybe two people." Natasha told her, trying to be heard over the music while keeping her gaze lowered to the water. There was no sign of bodies or bubbles, and Natasha felt her blood run cold. Her hands were shaking- from the cold of the air or fear, she didn't know. Maybe both. "We've gotta call the cops."

"What? Are you crazy? Do you want to get arrested?" Lisa's voice trailed off, and Natasha turned to stare at her. At that moment, she became aware of a high pitched whine cutting through the bass pumping through the building. The crowds around them continued moshing, but she could tell Lisa had heard it as well by the look on her friend's face.

"C'mon- we've got to get out of here." Lisa yelled at her, pulling her away from the edge of the deck.

"But-"

"Natasha, please…" Lisa begged, and Natasha followed blindly through the crowds, sending up a silent prayer that the blonde girl would be okay.

Lisa made a quick detour to the door, where the box of money was still sitting, surprisingly untouched. It took her only a moment to grab it and the two girls raced out the front door of the club, pulling away in their car just as flashing blue and red bombarded the pier, and everyone still in the club.

The police had come.

Natasha had little enough time to worry about herself all that night, never mind the unearthly blonde chick who had gone and tried drowning herself in the toxic water of the Jersey coast. It wasn't until the next morning, when she woke to find herself sprawled on Lisa's sofa, that she remembered the pair of them hightailing it to Lisa's place, for the sole reason of it being closer to the pier itself.

Groggily, Natasha brushed a lank strand of dyed black hair out of her face, trying to blink away her lethargy. Strangely, her eyelids felt heavy, and she turned to glance in the mirror, cringing at what she saw. Blue mascara and eye shadow were caked around her eyelashes, and the glitter on her face was mostly gone. 'Train wreck' could have accurately described what she looked and felt like and she moaned softly, running pale fingers through her dirty hair.

Natasha carefully shuffled her way to Lisa's kitchen, and found her friend hovering over a plate of steaming pancakes. Lisa had her eyebrows squished together over her nose as she read the morning paper, and Natasha laughed at the sight of her.

Her smile abruptly vanished when Lisa looked up at her gravely, the girl's just-washed hair stuck to her t-shirt in wet clumps. "Nattie- something's happened."

"W-what?" Natasha could have smacked herself for sounding like a stuttering twelve-year-old, but if the look on Lisa's face was anything to go on, the news she was about to deliver wasn't good. Natasha had never been good with bad news.

"You know that girl you saw jump off the pier last night?"

Natasha's eyes widened in shock. Somehow, she already knew what was coming but, like a rubber-necker on the freeway, she had to ask anyway. "Yeah, what about her?"

"Nat- She's dead."

Little shorter than last time I think, but that's okay. I'm just proud of myself for getting over my laziness. Read and Review, and I will shower you with thanks. :)

Elizabeth- Dude, you rock for the sole reason of being my first reviewer. I totally agree with you though, there is a serious lack of all things Holly Black on this site. I hope you keep reading! That would make my day.