Missing

Mrs. Burlingame violently opened Caroline's bedroom door.
"Caroline, Caroline," she said as she violently shook her 21 year old daughter, home for summer break.
It took a second before Caroline's eyes opened, glazed and red as they focused in on her mother.
"Hmmwhat," Caroline mumbled, alcohol reaming from her breath. 
"Who brought you home last night?" Mrs. Burlingame demanded. 
"Um Catherine and Sarah," said Caroline with her eyes closed, determined to go back to sleep. 
"Really? Because Mrs. Acomb has called twice asking if Catherine slept here because she didn't come home last night."
Caroline's eyes flew open as she tried hard to remember the previous night's events: pregame at the Acomb's backhouse, a stop at the Boot...Fat Harry's.... she couldn't remember the rest. The last thing she remembered was trying weed for the first time and the drive from that parked spot next to Tulane and the ride to Fat Harry's with the windows rolled down and a mix of the music and wind blowing through her hair as she felt a new kind of drunk that she wouldn't like later. Her hangover took over her body and she fell back asleep. 

The first three times Sarah heard the "Sex and the City" theme song, her half-asleep self figured it was her TV that she had left on. The forth time, she jolted awake. When her feet it the floor, her body automatically fell sideways but caught herself on the wall. She finally found the source of the ringing underneath a pile of clothes she considered wearing the night before. Shit, she thought to herself. Why do I have Catherine's phone. Suddenly she remembered talking to Catherine at the bar and saw her walk away. Seeing her cell phone left alone on the bar grill order station counter, she had grabbed it, convinced she would see her later at some point in the night. She called the most recent number back, Elizabeth, Catherine's sister, to tell her she had Catherine's phone.
"Hey, it's Sarah. Catherine left her phone at Fat's. Whats up?"
"My parents are freaking out. Catherine didn't come home. Do you know where she is?"
"Last time I saw her she was at the bar. Todd and I took Caroline home because she was throwing up on the patio. I'll call around though and let you know what I find out."
"Ah okay, thanks. I seriously think my parents are about to call the police."
"I'll try to call you back soon. I'm sure she is fine though."
"Yeah, just let me know what you hear."
"Bye."
"Bye."

Gretchen woke up early like every morning no matter how much alcohol she has consumed the night before. She already talked to her mother about how she left the bar without seeing Catherine and had no idea where she might be. She didn't have a boyfriend or a crush so it was unlikely she had gone home with a random boy. Catherine wasn't like that. Catherine was considered "the mom" of the group: looked out for everyone, carried band-aids in her purse and modeled her wardrobe after Jackie O. Her phone rang and Sarah's name was on the caller ID. 
"Hey, whats up?"
"Umm you don't happen to know where Catherine is do you? Elizabeth just called me and her parents are freaking out. They're apparently about to call the cops."
"No, I got a ride home with Parker. Y'all were all still out when I left. What happened?"
"Well Todd drove Caroline and I home when she started vomiting all over the patio but I have Catherine's phone so I am driving around just to make sure she's not passed out at the bar or on a park bench or something."
Gretchen looked at the clock. It read 7:15.

Hours passed without a word about where Catherine was. Everyone was at home for the beginning of summer break. Sarah, Gretchen, Caroline and Catherine were all scheduled to attend a high school luncheon to talk to the current seniors about what college was like and what to expect. It was scheduled for 1 o'clock. Catherine still didn't show. The guilt sank into Sarah. She had Catherine's phone. What if Catherine was in danger or something and needed to call for help? This was very unlike Catherine. Catherine was a merit-scholar, a virgin, the smartest out of their friends and the most innocent. Catherine wouldn't go somewhere without calling her parents or at least one of us. All four of us had each other's numbers memorized by heart.
All three of the girls felt at the bottom of their stomachs: something is wrong.

The police where finally called around the time the luncheon let out. Each of her best friends were questioned. Caroline, the valedictiorian and the most paranoid about everything, lied about the fact she had tried marijuana. Sarah and Gretchen, both high and drunk tried to recall to the police the best they could to remember each small fact they could about the night. Once the four girls got to the bar, they all spread out to talk to different people, met back up again to gossip and spread out again. Each story was different. Each story was hazy. Each story didn't give the police enough evidence to track her down. She didn't leave a trace.

She was eventually found, untouched. Perfectly fine. But she doesnt remember anything about how she got anywhere. The police dropped the case but the night still leaves all of us crazy about the events. Even now when the four of us get together, we find ourselves excluding ourselves to the corner of the room to put together pieces that still dont make sense.