The Disappearing Girl Read Free

I double-parked so I could unload everything into our dorm. As juniors, we had preferred housing, and we lived in one of the three-story townhouses on campus. The townhouses were clustered in a large complex and housed juniors and seniors exclusively. Trenton College was small, with all the dorms and academic buildings within walking distance of one another.
    Brittany had been my roommate since our freshman year, and we’d been inseparable since we met. I envied her fearlessness and her ability to feel comfortable being the center of attention. She was different from my bookish high school friends, but I liked the idea of living vicariously through Brittany.
    Our floor had four single rooms, with Brittany and me sharing the space with a set of twins named Danielle and Jessica. We’d grown close to the other girls since the last semester, and I’d kept in touch with them over break through email and texting.
    Brittany said, “I’m so glad to be back! I swear, if my parents made me work at the restaurant one more time, I was going to lose it.” Her parents owned a small Italian restaurant in North Jersey. According to Brittany, the tips were crap and the customers were rude.
    “I’m happy to be back, too. My mother was driving me nuts,” I admitted.
    “And how was Charlotte Marlowe? Did she go into a tizzy because she spotted a split end?” Brittany joked. Brittany had grown accustomed to the outrageous tales about my mother.
    Brittany was naturally pretty, with short, curly black hair and dark eyes. Her Italian heritage rewarded her with a year-round tan and a metabolism that allowed her to seemingly eat whatever she wanted and not gain an ounce.
    “No, but she hinted I was grossly overweight and would remain single forever because of it,” I said.
    “Your mother has issues.” Brittany shook her head emphatically as she propped open the heavy aluminum door of the townhouse. I coasted by her carrying one of my suitcases and headed up the two flights of steps with Brittany following me. “Besides, you look amazing,” she said. “You’ve definitely lost weight; I can see it in your face. Great job, Kayla.”
    I bristled at the compliment. I’d always found it exceedingly strange how easily girls judged and shared their assessments of one another’s weight. But I couldn’t claim to be one of the innocents; I’d stood by with my friends, listening while they dissected who had lost and gained weight over summer vacations.
    Brittany’s comment made me question how I’d looked before. Had I needed to lose weight? Is that why Brittany felt inclined to congratulate me on the weight loss? My paranoia set in and I wondered whether I had blinders on before and hadn’t seen how heavy I’d become.
    “Thanks,” I mumbled as I unlocked my room and rolled the suitcase inside. My single was tiny, just enough room for my twin bed, desk, dresser, and nightstand. There was also a small closet where I was able to fit most of my clothing. A bathroom and kitchen in the common area was shared with the three other girls on the floor.
    Brittany stood in the doorway. “How’s your schedule? Did you get all the classes you wanted?”
    I nodded. Most of the classes in my junior year were focused on the core courses I needed for graduation. I was majoring in journalism and looking to land a position on the campus newspaper, but nothing had opened up. In the meantime, I’d been publishing web articles to build a portfolio I could use after graduation. The pay wasn’t bad and the topics were easy to research. My mother didn’t think I was cutthroat enough to be a journalist, and I sometimes wondered if she had a point. My passion lied in sharing human-interest stories.
    I asked, “What about you?”
    Brittany was an elementary education major and would spend most of the semester student teaching. She wasn’t exactly thrilled over the development since it would cut into her late-night partying. Besides frequenting fraternity