‘Admit it,’ Abbi said. She nudged Caitlin gently with her shoulder.
‘Fair enough, I’ll persevere. It’s only been a day,’ Caitlin agreed. She held her cup firmly in her hands and took a large gulp. As she was about to swallow, she caught sight of Steven walking past in the distance. She swallowed too fast and started to choke.
‘Slow down girl, what is it?’ Lisa asked, her eyes following Caitlin’s line of sight. ‘Oh, now I get it. Was that Steven? Admit it. You have a thing for him?’
‘The Law student from last night, really?’ Abbi jumped up and down on her seat.
‘Nothing happened,’ Caitlin said, defensive, ‘We just went to get chips.’
‘YOU DID WHAT?’ Lisa screamed.
‘Shh,’ Caitlin glowered and covered Lisa’s mouth with her hand.
‘Lisa!’ Abbi exclaimed. ‘Discretion please, it’s obvious she has a crush.’
‘It’s time for me to go.’ Caitlin got up and stuffed her things in her bag.
‘Don’t go,’ Abbi pleaded. ‘Seriously, we won’t tease anymore. Will we, Lisa?’
‘I’m not upset,’ Caitlin reassured, glad she had made them feel guilty. ‘I really have to get back. I’ll catch up with you guys later, try not to gossip behind my back.’
‘Promise.’ Lisa smiled and gave a cheeky wink.
Once out of the cafeteria, Caitlin heard Sally’s pealing laughter in the distance, flirtatious. She wondered who Sally had set her sights on. As she got closer, she saw her standing next to a guy with mousey brown hair and a lanky build. Standing next to him was Steven. It was too late to turn back. Relief swept over her as she noticed he was about to walk away. Unfortunately, Sally saw her and called out. The effect was instant as he glanced in her direction. She felt her heart skip a beat when he stopped to wait.
‘Caitlin, let me introduce you. This is Adam.’
Adam nodded and stared at her breasts. She could not believe he was the type of guy Sally went for.
Sally raised her eyebrows as she then blurted out, ‘And I believe you know Steven.’
‘We meet again,’ Steven added, somewhat ominously.
‘It’s a small world.’ Caitlin hoped she would not start blushing again.
They stared in silence until Adam spoke, ‘Are you in the same hall as Sally?’
‘Yes,’ Caitlin answered, relieved to look away from Steven.
‘Shall we go for that coffee now?’ Sally asked Adam, entwining her hand round his arm.
‘Sure,’ Adam replied. He glanced at Caitlin, then turned to face Steven and winked. ‘See you later. Have fun.’
The look Adam gave Steven was suspect. He looked like the cat that had got the cream. There was something about the way his eyes dissected Sally that she did not like. The thought did not linger as she became aware of the fact it was just the two of them again. Tense, she looked at the floor, now self-conscious.
‘The chips were nice last night.’ His smooth tones tempted her to look in his direction.
‘Yes, they were.’ Slowly, she glanced up. In daylight, she could not help admiring the way gold strands seemed to flit in his irises.
‘Anyway, I was just leaving,’ Steven said, as he gestured with his hand.
‘Oh… I guess I’ll see you around then.’
In a way she was relieved their encounter would be brief. However, when she faced the main entrance, he did the same.
As they walked side by side, Steven broke the silence, ‘I promise I was going this way anyway. I am not stalking you.’
‘Oh,’ she replied. It was awkward, but she had to see the funny side and broke into laughter. With some Dutch courage, she added, ‘I don’t have any more lectures for the rest of the day, so I’m heading back to halls. What’re you doing?’
‘Well, that’s funny, another coincidence, I’m also heading back.’
With a contented sigh, she smiled and stared into his eyes.
***
Georgina actually enjoyed the first day of lectures and laboratory work, the topics were great. Yet now, she trudged back to her accommodation alone. The course suited her perfectly, she just missed home. The sound of her lone footsteps made her overly anxious. The fact it was dark already, even though it was only four o’clock in the afternoon, did not help. She considered jogging back just to feel more secure, but she was too unfit to even try. It was strange; it felt like she was being watched.
Two sets of running footsteps got louder behind her and she quickened her pace. They were getting closer. As her breathing started to sound forced, she heard a female voice call out her name and a wave of relief overcame her.
‘Wait up, Georgina,’ Caitlin called out, breathless.
‘Sorry, I didn’t know it was you.’ She hung her head down low.
‘We didn’t mean to scare you, sorry,’ Steven apologised.
‘It’s alright,’ she said, as she noticed him behind Caitlin.
‘Georgina, this is Steven.’
‘You sure walk fast – I thought we’d catch up with you easily,’ Steven joked.
She got the impression he was trying to put her at ease. He was nice. Her first impression was usually correct. He was the one she’d seen talking to Caitlin on the first week at university. ‘I like to walk fast.’
‘Are you okay?’ Caitlin asked.
‘I’m fine,’ Georgina sighed. Truthfully, she was far from fine.
‘I’ve got to get back, so I’ll let you catch up. See you around Caitlin,’ Steven called out, as he rushed ahead.
‘Looks like you made a friend. Don’t worry. I won’t tease you like Sally and Julia,’ Georgina reassured.
‘I appreciate it. He’s great, but we barely know each other. So, there’s nothing more to it.’
Georgina nodded.
‘You sure you’re okay. I’m here if you want to talk.’
‘I just miss home, I guess,’ Georgina admitted.
‘That’s understandable. I’d miss it more if it wasn’t for the fact I’m enjoying being free of my baby sister’s incessant moaning.’ Caitlin giggled.
Georgina snapped, ‘I’d like to go home. I’m not enjoying this.’
‘Oh,’ Caitlin exclaimed, her lips curled down, worried. ‘It’s not long until Christmas, you’ll be back soon.’
‘I know.’ Georgina struggled against the choking sensation restricting her throat and held back the tears.
‘Hey, don’t get upset, you’ll be home soon. You could go back this weekend for a visit if it’s that bad.’
‘I know.’ A lone tear ran down her cheek, so she pushed her finger under her glasses and wiped it away quickly.
‘What about a hot chocolate to cheer you up?’ Caitlin suggested.
‘Thanks – that sounds great.’
Chocolate, it had to be the panacea for all of life’s problems.
Back to Table of Contents
Chapter 6
Missing
The bed and table were littered with an assortment of lecture notes Caitlin was painstakingly trying to put into some order. She knew she would have to go and buy some folders soon or she would lose track. She stared at her favourite poster and willed it to motivate her. Then she remembered Georgina. It had been a few days since she had last seen her, or it could have been more. She was not sure. Time went by so fast. Even though Georgina came across as a bit of a loner and had admitted to being homesick, it was difficult to know whether she actually wanted company. Caitlin had tried to get her to come out to socialise several times, but she constantly gave her the brush-off.
It was only nine o’clock, so she put on her slippers, left her room and knocked on Georgina’s door. After no reply, she tried again but there was still no answer. She headed for the kitchen. No sign of her. In the empty bathroom, she struck out again.
As Julia came out of her room, she headed in her direction and asked, ‘Have you seen Georgina recently?’
Julia shrugged her shoulders. ‘Now you mention it, no. I can’
t remember when I last saw her. But, she might be working late in the library. It doesn’t shut until ten.’
‘That’s true. I was just trying to catch up with her. I’ll ask Sally if she’s seen her.’
‘Good luck with that, we know where she is,’ she guffawed, as she made her way towards the exit.
Julia was right of course, there was no reason to worry about Sally’s whereabouts – they knew exactly where she was.
*
The following morning Caitlin got up early and waited in the kitchen to see if she could catch any sight of Georgina. Again there was no sign of her. As strange as the possibility seemed, it dawned on her from their previous conversation that she might have actually left the university. For the rest of the morning, she remained deep in thought as she wondered if she could have been a better friend to her.
In the cafeteria at lunchtime, her phone bleeped and she saw it was a text from Steven. She smiled and texted back.
‘Knew you’d be here before I’d even got your message,’ he teased from behind. ‘Can I join you?’
‘Of course,’ she replied, as she brushed her hair off her face and tucked it behind her ears.
He took a seat opposite and placed the palms of his hands together. ‘You’ve been busy, I’ve barely seen you around lately, apart from your usual coffee break in the morning.’
‘I’ve been very busy,’ she replied, as a huge grin spread over her face. ‘In fact, there’s something I have to do.’
‘You always have something to do. You’re like a busy bee.’
‘Buzz, buzz, that’s me,’ she said. Straight-faced, she continued, ‘No, seriously, I’m worried about my flatmate. She’s kind of disappeared.’
‘Really? Why do you think so?’
‘She was really depressed last week, like just really homesick and stuff. And no-one has seen her.’ She could not help but pause, as she reflected on the fact that it was too easy to talk to Steven. Ignoring the thought, she added, ‘I think she might have left.’
He scrunched up his face as he considered the problem. ‘What are you planning to do? Do you want any help?’
‘No, it’s alright, but thanks. I’ll go to the Biochemistry department after I finish lectures and see if anyone knows. She’s probably just gone home.’
‘If you’re sure. I’d make an excellent chaperone.’ The pleading stare nearly made her waver.
‘Thanks for the offer.’ With a half-smile, she added, ‘another time, maybe?’
‘Say the word, I’ll be waiting.’ He flashed another breathtaking smile. ‘Anyway, I’ve work to do, so I’m going to hit the library for my stimulating case study research.’
‘Sounds like fun, all those musty books. I’m so tempted.’
‘Yes,’ he contemplated, eyebrows raised. ‘Not as fun as sleuthing, but hey, keeps me out of trouble. Will I see you at training tomorrow?’
‘Definitely,’ she beamed.
‘If your busy schedule allows, maybe you’d like to have a drink with me?’
She threw in a light-hearted response, ‘I’ll bring my Filofax along.’
‘You do that.’
As he walked away, she was sure that her heart rate had accelerated again. Something about him made her feel faint. Nevertheless, regardless of what her heart dictated, she had taken control of the situation by refusing to act desperate. If there was any chance he actually liked her, then she would make him earn her affection. She had no intention of giving up her single, uncomplicated life for a man she had only just met.
*
The afternoon dragged on. Caitlin attended a Spanish history lecture, which turned out to be extremely boring. Several students had actually fallen asleep, but the lecturer had failed to notice. Keen to escape, she rushed off as soon as it finished. Outside, it was starting to get dark and a strong wind started to howl. If the weather became a torrential downpour, it would be a nightmare. Conscious of time, she found her way to the reception area of Georgina’s faculty. The hallway was deserted and she wandered aimlessly at first. After another ten minutes had passed, she came across an open door with a small reception sign on top. She called out politely.
A woman in her thirties, who looked a bit too stressed for her liking, popped her head out from behind a computer and answered hastily, ‘Yes, can I help you?’
‘I hope so. I’m Caitlin, a first year student. I’m trying to find my roommate, Georgina May – she’s also new. I have not seen her in our halls of residence and I was worried.’
‘Well, that’s strange, isn’t it? It’s not like first year students to stay somewhere else, is it?’ she sneered, raising her eyebrows in a suggestive manner.
‘Maybe other students might choose to stay elsewhere. But trust me, Georgina is not the type. I’m sure she’s missing. I just don’t know whether she’s left the university.’
The woman looked doubtful and sighed, ‘Fair enough, I’ll check to see if she has attended her tutorials this week.’
‘Thank you,’ Caitlin added.
After some time, Caitlin was beginning to lose hope. Seated in the reception area, she gave a huge yawn, rubbed her eyes and blinked several times. It was getting late.
When the woman returned, she sounded sheepish, ‘Right, I’m sorry to tell you that you’re right. Georgina has not attended her tutorials for the past few days. But, there’s nothing to say that she’s left the university. It’s strange, best to be cautious. I’ll let the accommodation office know and I’m sure they’ll send someone around shortly. We’ll look into it now,’ she reassured, in a kinder voice.
Caitlin walked away with a sense of satisfaction that was quickly overshadowed by concern. She had no idea where Georgina could have gone.
The campus was practically deserted as she walked out. The only small mercy was that it was not raining. Quickly, she zipped up her long coat and pulled the hood over her head. She walked at a steady pace. As she rounded the corner, a lone figure leaned against the light post.
‘Need someone to walk with?’
It was Adam.
She cringed at the way he smirked at her, but, she did not want to be rude to Sally’s boyfriend. ‘I guess so, if you’re going the same way.’
‘Oh, yeah, I’m heading back too. I saw you from across the street, so I thought I’d wait.’
In her head she heard herself say, ‘Why did you bother?’ Yet, she could not do it, so she had a dig instead. ‘Has Sally gone home already?’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘I don’t know – we don’t keep tabs on each other. We’re not that serious.’
Perplexed, she frowned, wondering if Sally knew about their casual relationship. ‘Oh, I just remembered that I have to buy something from the shop. So, I’ll see you around. You don’t need to wait,’ she stressed firmly. She hurried in through the door to the local shop without glancing back, made her way to the end of the aisle and hid behind the corner.
Slowly, she peeked out and was relieved to see he had gone. As she breathed a sigh of relief, the sound of a voice made her jump. Startled, she very nearly threw the neatly stacked tower of baked bean tins over.
‘Calm down, it’s just me,’ Julia giggled. ‘Who are you hiding from? You look so funny crouched behind there.’
‘Promise me that you won’t tell Sally.’
‘Okay, I won’t tell Sally.’ She moved closer to Caitlin and whispered, ‘What will I not tell her?’
‘It was Adam. I think he’s creepy. He looks at me like I’m a piece of meat.’
‘Maybe, he has a thing for redheads,’ she laughed.
‘Ha, you’re so not funny. And don’t call me a redhead, I hate that; its strawberry blonde,’ she pouted, and folded her arms.
‘So, are you planning to buy something or are you heading back?’
‘I’m heading back. Are you coming?’
‘Not yet. I just came in to get a few supplies. We’ve got an evening pub crawl planned. Do you fancy coming along?’
‘
No, thanks for the offer, but, you have fun. Tell me about it in the morning if you don’t have too bad a hangover, that is,’ she joked.
Outside, Julia headed towards the main campus and Caitlin continued her walk back to halls. At least there was no sign of Adam. Within twenty minutes she arrived back. The corridor was quiet, no-one was around. On the off chance that Georgina had returned she knocked on her door, but there was still no answer. Key in hand she opened her own door and dumped her bags on the floor. A minute later she headed out towards the kitchen to make some tea. As she did, she saw a woman coming in through the entrance.
***
Gladys had been working at the accommodation office in the university for ten years. She was more than aggrieved to be pulled away from her job to check on a first year student on the whim of another. She was convinced the girl in question would be fine and was probably temporarily residing in some boy’s room, like they usually were these days.
Once inside, she saw a wide-eyed redhead loitering in the corridor. She made her way towards her. ‘Are you Caitlin, the girl that reported the missing student?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’m Gladys, I’ll just have a look inside to check that nothing’s wrong.’
After knocking several times, she put the key in the lock. Inside, the room was pitch black. Some blackout curtains had been placed over the window. A stale smell hung in the air, it made her gag involuntarily.
‘Stand back,’ Gladys warned. She had to keep Caitlin at bay. She turned on the light and gave an audible gasp. She glanced back briefly, and saw Caitlin was in shock. ‘Don’t look!’ In a bid to do something, she rushed over to the body to check for a pulse. It did not surprise her when she found none. She bowed her head in defeat.
The sound of Caitlin’s scream forced her to get into action. Caitlin had started to hyperventilate, and had slid down on the floor of the corridor. The sound of her sobs echoed down the hall.
On the bedside table, Gladys saw a note. All it said was ‘Sorry.’ Without wanting to touch anything, she backed out of the room and locked it with a shaky hand.
The Evolution Trilogy: Hybrid, Complications & Return Page 5
