Mallory
Mallory Higgins began to grow very uneasy. Kate had never gone this long without calling her back. What if she had gone off the deep end, what if she was spiraling down into some dark mental basement again? Was there anyone at her college who would notice, or care?
If Kate were back in town, Mallory would have heard by now. She worked at the only Kroger in town, and all the town gossip was sorted here first. Come to think of it, there had been no sightings of Jeanette in the past couple days either, but that was nothing unusual. Jeanette worked from home for an online startup, and avoided society as much as humanly possible, even though she had won her defamation suit against the Wallis family. Things regarding Jeanette were still as unresolved as ever, the girl was an enigma and that was all anyone really knew about her now. It really kind of chapped Mallory's ass that both of them were doing better than she was.
Vincent might know. He still talked to both of them on a regular basis. Mallory sat eating ravioli out of the can in her stepmother's small white kitchen that reeked of cilantro and skunkweed. They got stoned together now, the only real progress they had made since Mallory graduated from Skylin High.
Jeanette's dad was as visible these days as his daughter was invisible; drunk, belligerent, living in a dirt-road apartment. Mallory had heard that Jeanette had tried to give him some of the money she had won in the lawsuit, but his pride wouldn't allow it. Mallory thought personally he just really enjoyed playing the victim. He avoided Mallory like the plague, and did all his grocery shopping as gas stations. Since he only bought beer anyway, it didn't really matter much.
Vincent had moved to Dallas so he could be gay in peace, away from the judgmental eyes of Skylin. Mallory dialed his number. He answered on the seventh ring.
"Vincent. Hey. It's me."
"Oh, hey Mal. Long time."
"It has been. Sorry about that. Just working."
"Me too. What's up?"
"I was wondering if you'd heard from Kate? She's not answering my calls."
"I haven't. Last time I talked to her she was planning a trip to Florida, but I don't remember the dates. Sorry."
"Aha. Well that's probably it then." She had hoped to hang on the phone for some easy banter, but she cut him off instead. "Gotta run. Talk more next time, okay?"
"Yeah. Okay."
She hung up, pushing the can of ravioli away unfinished. It tasted like slimy little pillows now. Vincent had just lied to her. Maybe it was time she got out of Skylin for good herself, before she couldn't.