The lie
Laura hasn't showed up the past couple of days. The only one that seemed to care about it was Carmilla. After Laura's speech to Victoria, everyone seemed to not give a damn about her. Best friends ever.
"Excuse me! Professor Stevens!"
"Hello Carmilla! What can I do for you?"
"I was wandering if you have a number I can contact Laura Hollis"
"Miss Carmilla, I can't tell you that. We don't share student's personal information"
"It is just that she is my lab partner and she hasn't showed up for a week now and i don't know how to contact her"
"Okay, I will give you her number, because I trust you. But please don't tell anyone that you found it from me!"
"Thank you so much!"
Carmilla called Laura as soon as Prof Stevens gave her the number. Laura picked up the third time!
"So third time is the charm, right?"
"Who is this?"
"It's me cupcake! Your beloved lab partner! Where have you been?"
Carmilla heard Laura's breath through the phone. It took Laura some time to answer. She was trying to comprehend everything. Carmilla was calling her and actually caring. And also, cupcake??
"Hey Carmilla! I wasn't feeling well these days and couldn't attend the classes. I am sorry I am such a lousy lab partner. If you want you can find someone else cause I am not helping much. And I think it is unfair for you to do all the work. Again i am so sorry. It's been a week and I haven't help with..."
"Hey hey hey! Slow down! I don't even care about the lab! You hadn't showed up for a few days and I got worried, to be honest"
"Carmilla things are a little bit crazy these days"
"It's about Victoria, isn't it? You don't even have to answer. Please come to the class tomorrow, and I promise everything will be the way it was."
"I don't know if I can show my face at school. Everyone hates me now."
"Please, just come. And also, not everyone!"
Laura didn't have the time to answer because Carmilla had already finished the phone call. But she had to trust her.
She woke up the next day and she felt sick to her stomach! She took a deep breath, stood up and started getting ready for the class.
The moment she entered the room, Victoria approached her.
"Oh my God Laura! I am so sorry! That bitch Carmilla explained everything to me! I am sorry you had to go through all this!"
"Wha -what did she tell you?"
"She told me, she threatened you to be her lab partner and to talk to me like that. But don't worry we took care of that."
"What? Victoria, what do you mean you took care of that? What did you do?"
She turned her head and saw Carmilla sitting at her desk with her hands covering her face. The moment she lowered one of her hands, Laura could see the bruises clearly. She felt like the ceiling was crushing her. Carmilla took the blame for her. Why? Why would she do that?
Laura wanted to tell the truth, she wanted to confront Victoria but that wouldn't take back the pain Carmilla had been through. She had to talk to her first. After the class Carmilla rushed outside without even looking at Laura.
"Carmilla! Carmilla wait!" Laura was screaming on the top of her lungs. She was following her for a few blocks, when finally Carmilla decided to stop.
"I told you i would fix it. Now why are you chasing me? Are you trying to get caught talking to me again?"
Laura didn't understand Carmilla's reaction. She didn't ask her to lie to Victoria, she didn't ask her to do that. But still, Carmilla was so pissed at her. Carmilla turned her head and started to walk away after she left Laura speechless.
"Oh! And cupcake, don't go telling the truth! What's done is done! Enjoy your lovely friends"
Hours later and Laura was still trying to understand what happened. She got her "friends" back but she felt so hollow. She had to talk to Carmilla again. It was almost 11p.m and she got out of bed and went to Carmilla's house. She knew the address because during the first semester, she went to throw toilet paper at her house with Victoria and her minions. She wasn't the one throwing them, but even watching others do it, felt so wrong.
Carmilla was reading a book in the front yard when she saw Laura approach. She got up and started walking inside but Laura was fast enough to stop her.
"What is going on? Please talk to me. I don't know why you did that for me, and i don't know why you are upset with me now" Carmilla was just looking at her, trying to find the right words.
"Alright. We will talk. I don't want to, but if this is what has to be done for you to stop talking, then I will be happy to do it. Let's get inside"
The house was so Carmilla! Laura kept looking around when her eyes fell on some pictures. She got closer and she could see a little girl with a woman. She wanted to know but she couldn't ask Carmilla now. They sat on the couch and stared at each other before Carmilla decided to break the silence.
"You know, you are the only person who treated me like a human being. And to see you hanging with these assholes you call friends, seems a mystery to me. Why are you hanging out with them?"
"Well, i mean, pfff... I don't even know how to answer that. I guess, we started talking the first day of school and we are together ever since."
"But Laura, they are terrible people, not only to others, but to you too"
"You know i didn't come here to talk about my terrible friends, right?"
"Oh yeaa, you came to talk about my bruised face caused by your terrible friends. That's right, i forgot"
"Carmilla, why did you do that?"
"To be honest, I didn't know what i was thinking. I just didn't want to see you sad. I put up with their shit all year long, making them hate me a little more was not a problem. I wasn't prepared for the punch though, I'll tell you that."
Laura raised her arm and touched Carmilla's bruised chick. Carmilla didn't expect that, but she held still while Laura was looking at her. The phone rang and Carmilla got up so fast.
"Well, we will talk tomorrow. You should go home now, it is getting late"
"Alright, but promise we will talk more!"
"It's a deal cupcake"