Poultrygeist

Laura angrily unzipped her suitcase and began unpacking her things, buzzing the room like a tiny gay fly.

Shortly after exchanging pleasantries with Carmilla’s mother, Will came back inside and offered to show Laura to the room she’d be staying in, figuring Carmilla could problem solve on her own that she’d be in her old room. He didn’t stay long, just offered a small smile and clap on the shoulder to the angrily little blonde and made a quick exit.

“Stupid apathetic, cryptic, secretive, lying…” Laura grumbled to herself.

“Wow, tell me how you really feel Cupcake,” Carmilla had appeared at her door, leaning against the door frame with here arms crossed.

Laura didn’t even bother with a response or a glance in her direction. She just grabbed her toiletries from her bag and brushed past Carmilla in direction she assumed the bathroom was. Carmilla sighed and trailed behind her.

“Laura please just talk to me,” she pleaded.

Laura was 100% clueless as to where the bathroom was. She stood in the middle of the hallway, silently deciding which on the doors to open. She took a chance on the one to her right and was greeted with a linen closet.

She could hear Carmilla stifle a laugh. “Third door to the left cutie.”

She gently shut the closet door and made her way to the bathroom, Carmilla still trailing behind her. When the two reached the bathroom door Carmilla spoke up again.

“Would you at least look at me?”

So she did. She turned on her heel in the doorway and spun quickly to made eye contact with the beautiful face of her roommate. She raised her eyebrow and waited for her to talk.

“What do you want me to say Laura?” Carmilla braced her arms against the door frame and leaned towards the smaller girl. Laura stood her ground.

“How about how you have this entire secret life that you never thought to tell me about? Maybe start with, ‘oh hey my family is loaded’ or ‘I have this whole secret life that I failed to tell you about’ or here’s a thought, ‘MY NAME ISN’T EVEN FUCKING CARMILLA KARNSTEIN AND EVERYTHING YOU’VE KNOWN ABOUT ME OR OUR ENTIRE FRIENDSHIP IS A LIE’” Carmilla opened her mouth to speak but Laura didn’t give her a chance, shutting the door in her face and sliding down the back.

She heard Carmilla heave a heavy sigh on the other side before eventually walking away. Laura pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes and took a deep breath. She was being irrational and she knew it. She knew she needed to give Carmilla the chance to explain but right now she was so fired up and needed to calm down before she was ready for that encounter.

She took a brief shower and dressed again in her room. It had been pretty late afternoon when the two arrived at the Morgan Estate, so by the time she had showered and unpacked, it wasn’t unreasonable to go to sleep at that moment.

Laura tossed and turned in the darkness of the room. The bed was far too comfortable, the sheets too new, the room too empty. She missed the close proximity of their small apartment. Sometimes if she were quiet enough, she could hear Carmilla’s light snoring through the wall.

With a sigh, Laura dragged the blankets off her body and headed to the hallway. Great, how was she supposed to find Carmilla now. Down the hallway she could see a light under one of the doors and figured that was her best bet. Padding gently down the hall, Laura pressed her ear to the door and could hear a sniffle and unintelligible grumbling. Yep, definitely Carmilla’s room.

She opened the door quietly, Carmilla’s head whipped up from in previous laid position at her desk at met Laura’s eyes. Her own eyes were red and she looked tired.

“Hey,” Laura said awkwardly from the doorway.

“Hey.”

“Uh, can I come in?”

Carmilla just gestured to the room with a sweep of her arm. Laura took a seat at the end of Carmilla’s large bed, the two looked around the room uncomfortably.

“Look I’m sorry.”

“Laura I’m sorry.”

They spoke at the same time, grinning at each other.

“Let me,” Laura started. “I’m sorry I over reacted and didn’t even give you a chance to explain yourself. I just got frustrated and overwhelmed and I don’t know. I’m just sorry…” she trailed off.

Carmilla scooted her desk chair to be right in front of Laura and took her hands in her own.

“Please don’t be sorry. This is my fault. I wasn’t trying to keep things from you, I swear. This is just a life I thought I had left behind when I left for Silas. I never thought I’d be back here and I just dropped everything.” Carmilla’s eyes were glued to Laura’s hands as she traced patterns into her palm.

“After I met you and we became friends and we moved in together and I had this whole new life, I didn’t want to think about this place or what it meant for me. So I just…”

“Hey hey, it’s fine. I understand, really,” Laura cupped Carmilla’s face in her hands, forcing her to look back up at her. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance to explain. It was dumb and rude and insensitive.”

“This week isn’t going to make things weird right?” Carmilla spoke softly. “Because I can’t lose you Laura, you know that.”

Laura tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. “Totally the least amount of weird. Can’t get rid of me that easily, Karstein. If that even is your name.” She teased.

Carmilla smiled. “It was my father’s last name. Mother changed back to her maiden after he died, but I kept it.” Laura just nodded and a comfortable silence lulled over them.

“H-hey Carm?” Laura stuttered nervously.

“What is it cremepuff?”

“Can I maybe…like I know it’s not weird at home but could I….”

“Spit it out,” she smiled at her.

“Canistayinyourroomtonight?” she nearly shouted at her.

Carmilla looked startled, but quickly dropped the expression for a smirk. “Day one as a fake girlfriend and you already want to share my bed? How scandalous Ms. Hollis.”

Laura shoved her shoulders and stood up. “Shut up. We share sleeping spaces all the time back home. Plus my guest room is super creepy in the dark.” And I miss having you closer to me she didn’t say.

Carmilla didn’t say a word but just got up from her chair and made her way over to her bed, nestling in the sheets before looking at Laura expectantly.

“Are you coming or what?”

Laura squealed and launched herself on the bed, crawling under the covered and immediately snuggling into the warm sheets.

Carmilla chucked as she leaned over and flicked the lamp off. “Goodnight cupcake.”

“Goodnight Carm,” she sighed happily.

The next morning, Carmilla was met with a mouth full of golden hair and a heavy weight on her chest. Laura had migrated throughout the night to drape herself over Carmilla’s body, tucking her head under her chin.

Looking down at the sleeping beauty made Carmilla’s heart race and her chest blossomed with emotion over the sleepy girl in her arms. She began tracing patterns on Laura’s lower back, the action somehow lulling herself back into slumber, when suddenly the room to her door burst open.

“A little birdy told me a certain sister was in town and didn’t even bother to say hell-Oh.” Mattie stood shell shocked at the end of Carmilla’s bed. Carmilla’s hand frozen on Laura’s back and she tried to sit up, still trapped under Laura’s weight.

“Carm it’s early, what are you doing,” Laura grumbled into Carmilla’s shirt.

“Um. Laura, meet my sister Mattie. Mattie, this is Laura.”

Suddenly very awake, Laura shot up into a sitting position, forcing distance between herself and Carmilla.

“I’ll let you two wake up more before we…get acquainted. Ciao Bella.” Mattie gave a small wave of her fingers before making a quick exit.

Carmilla fell back against the pillows before she spoke. “Shit.”