~She's gone~
I can feel it in my chest before anyone even says a word—like a thread just got cut, the air suddenly too quiet, too thin. I've looked through every inch of this crowd twice now. Scanned every group, every corner, every flash of familiar hair in the flickering lights, hoping to catch even a glimpse.
Nothing.
Where the hell did you go, Marie?
I'm halfway across the dance floor when I hear footsteps pounding behind me.
"Jason!" Jennifer's voice was breathless and high.
I turn fast, heart already in my throat.
Jennifer and Karla come rushing up, both panting, faces flushed—not from dancing, but from panic.
Karla's eyes are wide. "Have you seen Marie?"
My blood runs cold.
"No," I say immediately, already backing up. "She said she needed a moment. I thought she went outside—"
"She never came back!" Jennifer blurts. "We've been looking—we checked the bathrooms, the side alley, the front…"
