Girl That You Love

Part One: Infatuation

"Truly, you've outdone yourself this year, my love."

Avery's eyes glisten from behind her glass of wine.

"This dinner is even more lovely than last year," I say, pausing afterward to enjoy the first bite of medium-rare, blackened steak. "I remember the first time I ever saw your beautiful eyes. I was trapped in a world between reality and fiction. I found myself at a crossroads of the old and new. Having just ended my previous relationship, calling myself a mess would be an understatement. I was fresh out of college, newly single, and living alone. After years of hard work proved fruitless, I was unsure of who I truly wanted to be in this world. You foretold my future in a manner of seconds.

I stood in front of my television, frustrated as I tried to wrangle a new belt through the loops of my pants. In the midst of my anger, your beautiful, soft face appeared in a news story.

"I just want my sister back," you said. "I want my sister back, and I want justice for her."

Hayden Park had gone missing two months prior. The college student was last seen at the bookstore on Main and 5th. Nothing was stolen from her car that was still parked on the street. Everything pointed to a young adult escaping a mundane life, and police snatched the explanation up like it was gold. But you didn't. You wouldn't stop looking, even when authorities did.

Living in such a small town, it wasn't hard to recall Hayden Park. We went to high school together. She was one of the only girls who never looked at me with popular disgust. She never whispered about the disappearance of my father, at least not in earshot. Hayden actually seemed to care. She didn't mind participating in group projects or sharing her answers with me. The final time I spoke to her was on graduation day. I thanked her for her kindness all of those years.

She smiled and told me that everyone deserved kindness.

How could I have forgotten her? A surge of emotion woke me from my slumber. I breathed in as if I had never done so before. I took on your mission as if it were my own. I would return your sister to you.

My father went missing when I was your age, you see. He disappeared under the same circumstances but wasn't found. Police said that the overworked father of two reached a mental breakdown, just as they said about Hayden. Swearing to prove them wrong, I worked diligently in school and earned a forensic science degree. I did it all so I could bring him back, but I was willing to put my needs aside for yours.

I began with the details of her disappearance: what she was wearing, who she was with, what she bought, and where she went. I frequented the bookstore often, searching for any clues left behind by the police.

After only thirty minutes of searching, I unearthed my goldmine: a piece of cloth torn from Hayden's denim jacket. I immediately took it to the precinct.

"And... where'd you find this?"

"The bookstore," I told the detective. "On Main and 5th. It's where Hayden Park was kidnapped."

He examined me over his thick-rimmed bifocals. "Now it has your fingerprints all over it. Son, what are you trying to do here?"

I saw the opportunity, and I snatched it. "I'm a forensic scientist, and I think I may be able to help you with this case."