For the last week, Blue, Cricket, and Sundew hadn't failed to sit together at lunch. They talked about school and vacations, books and movies, friends and themselves. Blue loved these discussions, as he learned so much about Sundew and Cricket, like Cricket's little sister, and Sundew's plants. And with every lunchtime, he found himself enjoying their company more and more.

But one day, as he eagerly met Cricket at their table, he looked around, and couldn't see Sundew.

"Cricket..." He said warily. "Do you see Sundew anywhere?"

Cricket stood on her tip toes and peered through her glasses at the mass of students. "No." She said, and turned to him in concern. "She isn't ever this late, is she?"

"Not in the week we've known her." Blue met Cricket's eyes.

"I'm sure she'll show up any minute now." Cricket said soundly. But Blue saw her fiddle with the hem of her shirt as she said this. He seemed to have memorized every little thing she did whenever she was feeling anything, and he loved every action. How she tilts her head when she laughs, how she raises her eyebrows when she's interested in what you're saying, and how she fiddles when she's nervous.

Blue wishes he could take all the things that made her nervous and put them in a box and throw it in the ocean, so she'd always be happy. He didn't like feeling helpless, like he couldn't do anything. But he also knew that he was helpless in many ways. He wasn't brave like Luna, or charismatic like Swordtail, or head strong like Sundew, or amazing like Cricket.

Cricket sighed. "Oh well. She'll show up eventually." She sat down at the table and Blue sat next to her.

"Hey, I haven't seen her all day." Blue mentioned. "Do you think she's sick? And that's why she stayed home?"

Cricket haulted the spoonful of macaroni halfway to her mouth as she heard him say this. "Maybe. We should ask her." She pulled her phone from her bookbag and sent a text to Sundew. "There, after school, we'll see if she's answered."

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After school, Blue and Cricket sat on a bench outside school together. Sundew hadn't answered her phone, not only after Cricket had texted her, but after she texted her again, and then Blue did, and then both of them tried calling her. Nothing worked.

"Maybe she lost her phone." Blue said, trying to comfort Cricket.

She shrugged, looking defeated. Blue put an arm around her and Cricket leaned on his shoulder.

"We should check on her." She said suddenly, sitting up to Blue's mild disappointment. "You can't drive, can you?"

"No." Blue replied. "But my sister can."

It didn't take long to track down Luna. She was chatting with Swordtail and his sister Io when they found her. Blue tapped gently on her shoulder.

"Can we talk to you?" Luna looked at Blue, and then Cricket, and then back at Swordtail and Io.

"Sure?" She said.

"Great!" Cricket and Blue pulled her away from Luna's confused friends.

"We need your help." Started Blue. "We think one of our friends is sick and we want to check on her, and because you are my ride home anyway, we thought maybe we could stop by Sundew's house."

"It's ok on my side." Cricket continued. I'll let my mom know that you guys are picking me up from school. She'd be fine with it."

Luna looked again from Blue to Cricket. "That's fine, I guess. Do you know where she lives?"

Blue, Cricket, and Sundew had all exchanged addresses as well as phone numbers when they became friends. None the less, they had never been over at each other's houses.

"South Walnut Lane." Cricket said to Luna as they drove. "She said it's the house with a big tree in front and a brown garage door. There it is!"

Luna parked next to the curb and Blue and Cricket jumped out of the car. "We'll only be a minute." Blue called and they made their way to the door.

The house intimidated them a little more then it should and Cricket double-checked the address on her phone.

"This is definitely the place. Are you going to knock?"

"Uh. I can." He answered, although he didn't really want to. He rang the doorbell, then stepped back next to Cricket.

A middle-aged man with a green plaid shirt and a receding hair line answered the door. He seemed surprised at the sight of the two high schoolers.

"Hello?" His voice was rough. "Are you selling something? Because if so, I'm not interested-"

"Oh, no sir. We came to see if Sundew was ok. She hasn't been answering her phone." To Blue's relief, Cricket took control of communication, because he had frozen as soon as the door opened.

"Oh! You're friends of Sundew's?" The man seemed pleasantly surprised. "I didn't think she had any friends. Yes, I'm Hemlock, Sundew's father. She's not sick or anything, just grounded. For quite awhile I'm afraid." Hemlock shook his head.

"Grounded? What happened?" Cricket asked.

"Oh, she snuck out last night and her mother caught her. She wouldn't tell us where or who she was with, so it could be awhile before she gets out again."

"But what about school?" Cricket asked. Blue thought it adorably typical of Cricket to be concerned about her friend's school.

"She's doing this online school thing. Supervised, of course." Hemlock said. "Well, it was nice of you kids to stop by. I'll let Sundew know you were here." And he shut the door before Cricket could say another word.

They looked at each other.

"Well, it could be worse. She could be in the hospital." Cricket shrugged.

"Why would Sundew sneak out like that?" Blue asked as they started walking back to the car.

"I don't know. But honestly, it's not like it's out of character." Cricket smiled.

"It still feels wrong." Blue said. "Maybe we should help her escape? You know how she is with her parents."

Cricket gasped. "Blue? Suggest aiding a fugitive? You are the last person I'd expect to suggest that!" She grinned and elbowed him. "And I like it!"

And just like that, Blue found himself making plans with Cricket over text for what Cricket called, "Operation Vegetation Liberation".

The name is up for debate.