Poultrygeist

Laura had never seen Carmilla cower like this. In the face of stern professors, Carmilla smirked. To asshole customers, Carmilla scoffed. Even in the presence of her mother, Carmilla was ridged, but never cowering. But as this light haired woman stood in front of the couple waiting on a response, Carmilla did nothing more than avert her gaze to the ground and clutch tightly to Laura as if she were the only thing grounding her.

“I’m waiting Carmilla,” Ell said impatiently, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. “Why did you bother showing your face back here? You’re not needed, you’re not welcome, and you’re not wanted,” she spat coldly.

Laura gritted her teeth. “Shut up,” she warned. She tried to take a threatening step towards to the girl but Carmilla tugged her back by the tail of her shirt. She did not like this girl one bit, regardless of the past Carmilla had here, she was worthy or more than this town was offering her.

“Ooo got yourself a little attack Chihuahua did you? Let me do you a favor sweetheart and give you some advice. Stay the fuck away from this life wrecker if you know what’s good for you.” She gave Laura a once over and scoffed. “What are you anyway, like 12?”

Laura lunged at Ell but Carmilla was quicker and snagged her around the waist before she could make a move and held her tight against her body.

“That’s enough, Ell,” Carmilla finally spoke. Her voice was low in warning and Laura could feel the words rumble in her chest against her back. “I’ll find you later and we’ll talk. Now leave.” Carmilla was using her threatening voice that raised the hairs on Laura’s neck.

Ell seemed satisfied with the reactions she provoked and turned to leave. Once she was safely out the door Laura broke out of Carmilla’s hold and began pacing.

“Who the fuck does she think she is? She can’t just come in here and say those things about you.” Her hands flailed wildly around her.

Carmilla smiled sadly at the flustered girl in front of her. “Except she can, cupcake. Because she’s right.”

Laura didn’t seem to accept that answer and continued grumbling about “common decency” and continued her pacing.

“Okay! Laura…Laura! Look at me Laura.” Carmilla finally intervened, stepping in her path and stopping her with her hands on her shoulders. Carmilla ducker her head to force Laura to meet her eyes. “Cupcake, I really appreciate the sentiment, but things happened back here years before I met you that I’m not proud of. But they happened. I knew something like this could happen, but I didn’t anticipate it this soon. So relax, she’s gone now.”

Carmilla pressed a worried kiss against Laura’s brow, trying to smooth out the worried wrinkles.

Laura pressed her face against her shoulder and wrapped her arms possessively around Carmilla’s waist. “I don’t like her,” she grumbled.

Carmilla chuckled and laid her cheek on top of the honey blonde hair. “I know darling, I know.”

The drive home was silent but Laura still clutched Carmilla’s hand in her own as they made their way out of the car and back up to Carmilla’s room.

“I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long without demanding an explanation,” Carmilla teased as she sat against the headboard of her bed. Laura took a seat directly in front of her and played with the fraying holes on the knees of Carmilla’s jeans, still quiet.

“I don’t like you this quiet. It scares me,” Carmilla admitted. “Where’s the 20 questions? The background checks? The Reporter Laura Hollis Extraordinaire!”

Laura gave her an unimpressed look and said nothing.

Carmilla let out a sigh. “Alright then, buckle up creampuff.”

“Two people in this town know I’m gay. Phyllis, would could probably guess my social security number if I gave her enough time to think about, and Ell, my first girlfriend.” Laura tugged roughly at a loose strand, snapping the cotton.

“Neither of us were out, nor in a safe position to be out. Her father was strict and traditional and my mother is…my mother. But when we were 17, her father walked in on a rather…compromising situation and Ell got the heat for it. He pulled her applications from of the schools far away from this hell hole and refused to pay for anything but the local university. Leaving her stuck here.” Carmilla gulped and bit her lip, apprehensive to share the next part.

Laura intertwined their fingers in an attempt to comfort her, urging her to continue.

“I’m not proud of what I did next. I was a teenager, fresh out of high school and I was scared. I was afraid Ell or Ell’s father would tell Mother. So I left. I applied to the farthest school from here and I just left. No goodbyes or apologies to Ell,” she sniffed and continued.

“And you know how the story goes from there. I met my roommate, a naive provincial girl, entirely too tightly wound and took great pleasure in annoying her. Until she plays Lois Lane and eavesdrops on a conversation about this place and engages me in some stupid movie marathon complete with singing animals and musical numbers.” She smirked at her.

“Oh please, don’t act like you don’t love them.”

“She speaks. Oh, speak again, bright angel. You are as glorious as an angel tonight. You shine above me, like a winged messenger from heaven who makes mortal men fall on their backs to-“

Laura tackled Carmilla against the bed. “Would you shut up!”

The two laughed and wrestled around until they were laying on their sides looking at each other. Carmilla’s eyes darted down to Laura’s lips and suddenly nothing was funny anymore.

Without warning, Carmilla closed the gap between their mouths.

Carmilla’s lips were soft but firm as they pressed against Laura’s, moving oh so slowly and hesitantly as if she were afraid she would break. It took a second to catch up before Laura kissed her back, tangling her fingers in Carmilla’s hair and leaning over her body to get impossibly closer.

When Laura felt Carmilla’s teeth sink lightly into her bottom lip she pulled back with a gasp, suddenly grounded in reality. Her best friend just kissed her. Her very platonic roommate of 6 years just planted her mouth on hers like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Laura scrambled back to her side of the bed and Carmilla sat up, mouth parted and lips still wet from their previous activity. She could see Laura beginning to panic.

“Laura I’m-“

“Stop.” Laura held up her hand.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t of-“

“Shut up, Carmilla. Let me think.” She bit her lip and tried to make sense of the jumbled mess of thoughts flying through her brain.

Carmilla sat patiently as Laura processed.

“I should go to bed,” Laura finally spoke. She chanced a glance back at Carmilla face just in time to see it fall at the lack of acknowledgment. She stood from the bed, but before she made it to the door and darted back to Carmilla and quickly pecked her cheek.

“Don’t think this conversation is over,” she mumbled against her skin. She felt Carmilla smile against her mouth before she darted out the door and ran back to her room, her heart threatening to explode the whole way back.