The Disappearance

Who would've thought of it? Marie Rodriguez, popular Prom Queen, was missing?

Marie's BFF, Trisha, was sobbing hysterically near the Popular Kids' Locker Room. "OMG! She was checking out our Instagram stories, like, mine looked fab! Then, like, she was like, GONE!"

The police officer, Sergeant Harrington, stared concernedly at her. "That's quite all right, Miss Jarlene. We will find the culprit, I assure you. But are there any suspects?"

Trisha lifted her head of perfect auburn locks, tears sparkling like sequins on the ends of her fake eyelashes. "Esmeralda Galloway."

Esme, the quietest girl in the entire room, stood near the girls' bathrooms silently. Her short dark hair was curled around her sharp jawline, while her amethyst eyes were glittering coldly. She was scribbling in her journal, while hugging it to her chest. Her simple jet colored clothes made her seem like the apprentice of an undertaker at a funeral. Sighing softly, she walked out of the stall, when a tall girl slung her arm around her. She had long blonde hair and bright green pupils. Her so-called best friend, Isabelle Darlington.

"Hey, hon, what's wrong? You look sad." She looked at the other with a perplexed expression.

Esme lowered her head. "Nothing."

"No food again? You can have my sandwich."

"Bella, it seems like I'm using you just for eating...."

"That's just hogwash, hon." Bella's irises had a twinkle in them which made the girl crack a tiny, rare smile. "Thank you, Bella."

The taller female gave her an affectionate punch on her shoulder. "Time for first period. Let's go."

As the two left, a brown head popped out from a stall. The mysterious person giggled. "I'll get you back for being my rival, Esmeralda Galloway."

The news swept like wildfire through the school. From disappearance to definite murder, the rumors got wilder and wilder. Finally a burly officer with cropped red hair stepped into the classroom.

"Esmeralda Galloway?" He asked. The lonely student raised her head. "Erm, yes?'

He pulled her out of her seat. "Come on. You're wanted for questioning about Marie's disappearance."

"B-but she didn't even do anything!" Cried Isabelle.

"Quiet, Miss Darlington."

Esme just had time to grab her journal before she was bundled out.

Now she sat fidgeting in an orange plastic chair, picking at her blunt fingernails.

The officer was flipping through her diary. "Interesting little novel you got here, kid."

Esme felt a prickle of anger. "I'm not a kid. And it's not a novel. It's my diary."

"Don't get so het up, Galloway. You're still under arrest."

"ARREST?!" Shrieked Esme, sitting up straight. "You're just reading my diary! My PRIVATE diary! And not asking questions! AND YET YOU'RE ARRESTING ME?!"

The officer glared at her coolly. "Listen up, midget. This little "diary" is telling me more than you ever could. And by "arrest" I meant "put under watch". What did you think, I'd shove you in a tiny cell with nothing but stale bread and some water?"

The student flushed. It was clearly what she had thought. "Look," she began defensively.

"Quite an imagination, midget. Could be a good author one day." responded the officer nonchalantly, a smile crinkling around his coffee eyes.

The wind was completely taken out of Esme's sails. "You really think so?" She asked in disbelief, gaping like a goldfish.

"Stabbing vampires, riding Pegasus, flying over the Atlantic...." reeled off the man, locking the journal carefully into his drawer. "Yes. Quite an author." he concluded, with a grin.

Esme breathed out. "Can I please have my journal back?"

"Still a no, kid. Now get out, I need to drive you back to school."

Esme huffed and stomped out of the dingy little place. About ten minutes later, they pulled up outside the school.

"Hey, midget." the officer said as the girl got ready to go back inside. "I don't think you did do anything to Marie."

Esme blinked intelligently in response, and ran back indoors.

The next day was almost the same, except all the people hissed "murderer" behind Esme's back. Except for Bella, of course. The quiet girl relished the warmth of the sandwich her best friend had given her.

"How'd it go? Are you okay? I thought he had locked you in a cell!" babbled Bella as fast as a bullet train.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! He seemed pretty nice actually," pondered Esme, furrowing her brows a little. "Kind of like a dad, you know?"

Bella laughed softly, but thoughtfully as well.

"Sit."

The officer's voice was sharp and curt, unlike his usual calm, jovial tone.

Esme sat. "Hello...what's wrong?" she asked, a prickle going up her spine.

He slammed the open journal in front of her. It fell open to that fateful page.

"Loser!" laughed Marie and Trisha, as they emptied the entire contents of the spaghetti bowl into Esme's lap.

She ran from the lunch room, tears streaming down her face. She ran into a bathroom stall, and slammed the door shut. Hiccuping and sobbing, she poured her feelings into the diary.

"I hate her so much."

"I hope she dies."

"I'll KILL HER."

The black ink was faded and splotchy with dried tears, her rage had caused her to deeply imprint the words into the book with brute force.

Esme gripped the seat, blood draining from her already pale face. "I-I-"

"Listen, midget. This is extremely suspicious, because you two were apparently into the same toilet before she suddenly disappeared. It definitely points to the fact that you are the MOST likely to commit a murder."

Esme breathed out heavily. "I'm a high school student, not a psychopath."

"I don't know. But if you are shielding the culprit, or you ARE the culprit, things aren't going to end well for you." he finished with a mundane finality which indicated that their session was over.

Esme silently left the room, her head bowed, her lips trembling.

"Esmeralda Galloway is definitely the murderer! There's no other way out of this case! They were in the SAME toilet!" cried the news reporters, as Esme quickly ran into school, trying not to burst out crying.

It was fifth period when a bloodcurdling scream echoed down the hallways. It was Isabelle screaming.

The teachers rushed towards the bathrooms, where they found a petrified Bella gasping and holding the doorframe for support, her knees trembling. They all stood dumbfounded.

The pale, stinking corpse of Marie Rodriguez lay slumped on the ground, her soiled hair flowing around her face, eyes popping with a frozen expression of terror on her face.

Her neck had been broken, and it had clearly been done by an extremely strong person.

The school was evacuated. Marie had clearly been dead for at least three days. The children were terrified and paranoid.

Esme sat near her window two nights later, fingering her gold pendant. Sunk deep in thought.

"There's a serial killer on the loose! He has broken out of the local asylum! If any leads, please inform the local cops." blared the girl's TV suddenly. Esme's brain whirred.

"Our girls toilet always has an open window...what if it wasn't a student, but the psychopath?" she eagerly thought. "Marie was probably texting as usual. The psychopath crawled in, choked her to death, but.....where is he now?"

She thought with a chill of fear. "I have to talk to the officer."

".....That is why he's the murderer!" She finished triumphantly, her violet eyes sparkling. The man stared slack-jawed at her.

"See, officer! Call the head quickly and tell him we have a lead!" she gabbled.

"No."

She stopped short. "What?"

"I said no." he said calmly. His brown eyes had a slightly deranged look in them.

"Why?!" she spluttered. "It's the perfect clue!"

"If you do, my dear.....I'll have to KILL you." snarled the officer.

Esme took a step back in alarm. "What do you mean?"

"I killed Marie. I'm the psychopath." Laughed the officer, the insane edge to his voice made cold sweat dampen Esme's curly hair. "And now. It's your turn."

He reached out, and the last thing she felt was her gold pendant cutting off her air supply.

She had never even written her entire diary.

THE END