Excuses
Laura's POV:
Class was absolutely unbearable today. I had to get up at least 3 times to run to the bathroom and release the contents from last night's dinner. It was always a sad sight. My body wasn't able to handle much recently since I started my sessions. Dr. Laf's pills hadn't come in yet so I had to suffer through this for the rest of the morning. Today's class was Speech, not exactly my ideal class but it was a required subject for my major. The class was small and consisted of a bunch of unfamiliar faces. I wasn't looking forward to getting into actual speeches so I enjoyed the back of the class as best I could.
"Alright, since it's the first day back, we're not getting into the importance and keys of communication today," you can practically hear the whole class let out a sigh of relief.
"Yeah yeah, so get out of here you cranky kids" my professor says rolling his eyes and gesturing for the doors. It doesn't take long till everyone's rushing out the door.
As soon as I gather my things I begin walking out of the class until the professor stops me, "are you feeling alright miss Hollis?" He looks at me with concern. Oh right, the note.
I reach into my bag and hand it to him.
"Before you say anything, yes I'm feeling okay, just started my sessions again. It's going to take some getting used to. Please don't look at me different and I'd like to be treated normally." I smile at him half heartedly as he gives me a confused expression, I begin to walk out, did I cover everything? I turn back around and interrupt him reading the note. "Oh. And I'd like this to stay between me you and the faculty. No one must know." My professor looks up from the paper with a sad, almost apologetic expression and nods.
I sigh and turn around walking out the door. It was frustrating and saddening to see the same expression from everyone I must tell. It wasn't a big secret, and soon it might not even be a secret depending on the side effects of the treatment.
Maybe I should just quit these classes now. But how would I get my money back? Maybe I should continue class and stop treatment. But how would my dad feel? I sigh walking to my car opening it and placing my books and satchel into the back of it. The sooner I'm out of here the better. I turn around and bump into a familiar smile almost tripping until I feel hands helping me stand straight.
"Woah there, cupcake." She takes her hands off of me and places them up in a 'don't shoot' kind of gesture. "Where you off to in such a hurry?"
I begin to think of excuses. Any excuse I can to dodge her presence. My dog is sick? Visiting my 'sick' dad? I left the oven on? My stomach was beginning to turn as I stumble on the words in my head.
Carmilla waves her hand in front of my eyes pulling me from my thoughts.
"Earth to Laura. You alright there?" She says tilting her head to the side in what seems like concern.
It was definitely concern. I had seen that look one too many times. I could almost see it in her eyes. Her eyes. I notice how well I could see into them, the color is a dark brown but from this distance I could actually see the little ripples of light brown that surrounded the darker parts of it.
Oh gosh. Why am I so close?
I step back from her.
"Y-yeah I'm fine." I say rubbing my arm up and down to relax myself.
She sends me a confused look and I give her a smirk.
"I actually wasn't in a rush. Class was just... really boring" Well I wasn't lying at least.
She smiles at me. It was a gentle one.
"I understand that a little too well" she sighs. "I'm actually glad I caught you before you left."
"Following me again are we?" I say with a bit of a chuckle. Where did that come from?
She laughs and nudges my shoulder.
"In your dreams, creampuff." She sends me a witty smile causing a bit of a chill inside of me.
"Actually I wanted to know where we were going to meet up, since you didn't exactly give me your number." She raises her hand and rubs the back of her neck.
"Oh." I had completely forgotten about that. With the sickness I was feeling in the morning and the nerves I was getting in speech class I hadn't really thought about it, but I couldn't admit that to her.
"Wherever you'd like to meet I suppose would be great with me."
Carmilla looks at me for a bit as if she's searching for something. I feel my face begin to heat up under her gaze until she speaks,
"Are you sure you're feeling alright Laura?" She asks.
Why would she ask that? Are my eyes red from the lack of sleep? Does my breath smell from this morning? Did I look ill? Were the side effects starting to show?
"Of course why wouldn't I be?" I say as confident as I can. She still looks concerned but the ends of her lips begin to curl into a smile.
"Great, so I'll meet you at the art gallery around 8?"
The art gallery?
"Um." I contemplate making up another excuse to get out of this but Carmilla speaks again,
"I work today so I figured it'd just be easier for you to meet me there." She smiles with confidence.
"Oh. Yes I'll see you at 8." I say now looking at my hands.
I really need to come up with an excuse and soon.
"Alright," she says and begins digging through her bag. She pulls out a pen and puts her hand out. I look at her confused and she rolls her eyes with a smirk.
"May I borrow your arm?" She says looking at her hand. I give her a confused look and hand her my left arm. She begins writing what I can only assume to be her number.
"Call me? When you get to the gallery I mean. It'll just make it easier to find you. We get pretty busy on Tuesdays."
I look at my arm. Something tells me i won't be able to get out of this so easily.
I give a small inaudible sigh and nod, sending her a small smile.
"See you later cupcake." She waves and walks away. I slump against the door of my car with a louder sigh once she's out of sight.
What am I gonna do now..
- - - - - - -
It was 6:30 and I had been staring at my arm with Carmilla's number on it for about 30 minutes straight. I couldn't decide what excuse would sound right enough to get out of meeting her.
It wasn't fair to her. It's not that I didn't want to meet her, I just couldn't afford to hurt anyone... not again...
I slouch into my couch and flip through the channels. Nothing was on that was worth watching so I turn it off and just allow the silence to consume me.
What if this doesn't end badly? What if the treatment works? You're not going on a date Laura, it's just coffee. But isn't that a date? You can't date, you're not allowed to. A friend couldn't hurt though? But you could hurt a friend.
I sigh and pull my yellow pillow over my face yelling into it. I place it back in its position and look at my arm again.
Maybe we won't have a good time and I'll never have to see her again.
I punch the number into my phone and save her contact for later.
Maybe..
I stand and begin to get dressed.
- - - - - - -
Carmilla's POV:
This shift was going by unbearably slow. Maybe Mattie was right. We had more money then we could ever need, I didn't need to work. But with me, it wasn't about the money.
Maybe it was the sense of 'fitting in' that willed me to get the job. Or the priceless art that hung around the walls. I always had a soft spot for art, as well as the sky. It was something Mattie could never understand but she did try.
I look at the clock. Laura should call any minute now. If she was as punctual as she seems to be.
This was only going to be a temporary thing like it was with most girls. Yet I feel this knot in my stomach. Why?