Lisa paced her living room, staring at her phone and trying to control the growing sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. It was after nine in the morning now. She should probably start calling around to hospitals.
How could she have let this happen? How could she have let Jennie leave the club without telling anyone where she was going or who she was with? How could she have just sat there and let Jennie go running around with half her shirt missing - around a town she didn't know at all? Jennie could have left with anyone. Anyone! What if Jennie had gone with some sicko?
Lisa looked back at her phone, scrolling through their last text message exchange for the hundredth time.
12:56 AM
Jennie: Ru still there? I left with some people
12:57 AM
Lisa: I'll come get u. What club?
12:59 AM
Jennie: ??? don't worry about it. I'll take a cab.
1:04 AM
Lisa: Ok see u later
Lisa hadn't wanted to seem clingy. She would have just taken her car and gone home so she would be there to let Jennie in when she got back. Play it cool - that had been Lisa's mantra last night. She had been so busy playing it cool that Jennie was probably lying on the side of the road somewhere with her head bashed in. If not worse. How could Lisa have let Jennie leave like that? How could she have been so stupid? How could she have let Jennie be so stupid?
Lisa scrolled further through the message history - all of them one-way, from Lisa to Jennie.
2:26 AM
Lisa: Having fun?
3:21 AM
Lisa: Back at my place. See you soon?
Lisa had stopped playing it cool somewhere around 4 AM. That was the point when her mounting irritation had started to turn to outright fear.
4:03 AM
Lisa: Should I be worried?
4:19 AM
Lisa: Srsly please respond
4:32 AM
Lisa: Jennie where are you?
4:44 AM
Lisa: Hello???
4:56 AM
Lisa: Plz respond
5:05 AM
Lisa: JENNIE PLEASE RESPOND
And on and on and on for hours. Lisa's attempts to call had all gone straight to voicemail. How many messages had she left on Jennie's phone? She dialled it again now, holding her breath.
"Hi, You've reached Jennie Kim. I'm not able to take your call right now, but please leave your name...."
Straight to voicemail. Lisa didn't even try to conceal the panic in her voice as she left another message.
"Jennie, please. I just need to know..."
She was cut off by a beep and the sound of a computerised voice: "This mailbox is full."
"Fuck!" Lisa sat down heavily on her couch and put her head in her hands. How many messages had she left Jennie? Must have been at least 20. Jennie would have called by now if she was going to call. Something must have happened. Something terrible must have happened. Oh God, how could Lisa have let it happen?
"Please." she whispered to her coffee table. "Please let Jennie be ok. Please just let her be ok."
Lisa was never going to see Jennie again. She knew it - in the pit of her stomach, she knew. Something terrible had happened. She had let it happen. How could she have let it happen? How could she have let Jennie out of her sight? She swore to herself, right then and there - if she ever saw Jennie's face again, she'd never let Jennie out of her sight. Not ever. She would put Jennie in her bedroom and lock the door and throw away the key.
The sound of a car pulling up outside interrupted her thoughts. Lisa dashed to the front door and flung it open. A taxi. Jennie. She was getting out of a taxi. Lisa braced one arm against the doorframe, temporarily unable to speak, as the flood of relief washed through her.
