Free Light of Day by Allison van Diepen

She hadn’t had a boyfriend since her short relationship with Liam last year. And with an idiot like Liam, the word relationship was a stretch.
    I downloaded the quote onto my phone. It felt important.
    Some people came into the bathroom. When they started talking, I knew immediately that it was Ellie and Karina.
    â€œI’m so freaking out right now,” Ellie said. Through the crack in the door I saw that she’d stopped in front of the mirror, inspecting her face for breakthrough freckles. Although Ellie was universally considered pretty, all she saw were her flaws.
    â€œWhat the hell happened to her? This is so fucked up.” Black-haired, with Slavic bones and a dancer’s body, Karina was the opposite of Ellie—she saw nothing in the mirror but perfection.
    â€œI’d told her to wait an hour and I’d give her a ride. I don’t know why she didn’t just stick around. This is literally making my stomach sick. Do you think she got kidnapped or something?”
    â€œI don’t know. She was wearing those crazy high heels.” Spotting some freckles, Ellie grabbed her compact and covered them up. “She could’ve accepted a ride from a stranger because her feet were killing her.”
    Ellie gave a snort. “She would never get in a car with a stranger. The girl won’t even share her mascara, for God’s sake.”
    â€œMaybe she wasn’t so careful that night. She didn’t get high, did she?”
    â€œShe seemed fine to me. I wouldn’t have let her leave by herself if she was all screwed up. I don’t think she was taking Blings. Maybe I’m wrong.”
    I frowned. Taking Blings? What are Blings?
    â€œWere you with her all night?”
    â€œNo. Hello, Drew and I were hooking up. Were you with her?”
    â€œNo.”
    They were talking in circles. Time was going by, and I figured I’d better flush myself out before Ms. Saikaley sent a search party. When I came out of the stall, they seemed startled.
    â€œHey,” I said. “Scary about Bree, huh?”
    They glanced at each other, as if deciding whether to talk to me or not.
    â€œYeah, it sucks,” Ellie said, not taking her eyes off her reflection.
    â€œShe’s probably with that guy,” I said casually, washing my hands. “If you know what I mean.”
    They looked confused. “What guy?” they both asked.
    That was interesting. Whoever Bree was referring to on her Instagram page, her friends didn’t know about him. “Oh, I thought she had a boyfriend. You know, because she posted all those love quotes.”
    â€œA boyfriend? Bree?” Karina made a face. “Uh, no.”
    â€œWe’d know if she did,” Ellie added.
    â€œOh, I guess I’m wrong,” I said, grabbing for some paper towels and discovering there were none.
    I went back to class. Thankfully, Ms. Saikaley was mid-lesson and hadn’t noticed that I’d been gone for fifteen minutes.
    I sat down, glancing at the empty seat next to me. Had Bree been using the Blings the girls were talking about, then encountered someone who’d hurt her?
    I slipped out my phone and brought up X’s number. I’d put him into my contacts on one of the many occasions I’d been tempted to call him.
    Hi, it’s Gabby. My friend Brianna O’Connor is missing. Left a party Friday night and never made it home. Please keep an eye out. I sent him a picture of her.
    Two minutes later, X’s reply came. Heard about it. I checked out her pages. She’s probably with an older BF. Will be on the lookout.
    So X had thought of that possibility too. Hopefully that’s all it was—hopefully she was on a romantic bender with a secret boyfriend, and would return home soon, all apologies.
    But I wasn’t so sure.
    A week went by. Bree’s face was all over the news. The school picture, blond and sweet. The sexy selfies. Although the police chief said