Tides

It's a Thursday night and you're cuddled up on your living room couch. It's 11:30 pm, you have a lab report due at midnight, and you're just putting the finishing touches on it. As far as lab reports go, you think you've got the hang of it, but somehow you kind of wish that you needed a little help. A voice in the back of your mind that sounds an awful lot like LaF suggests that maybe you're just wishing that you had a reason to spend more time with that hot TA.

You shake your head and focus back in on your assignment. You tug your blanket a little higher and smile at the Hogwarts house crests that dot the blue fabric. And just like that, your mind is back on Carmilla- how her voice carried over the bookshelves to you yesterday morning as she was reading to you at work. The way she looked up, all excited, when she read the bit about Dobby and the sock. How easy it is for you to spend time with her.

You switch your screen to Facebook and type "Carmilla Karnstein" into the search box. Nothing comes up. This isn't surprising, as you can't really imagine Carmilla being the type to take interest in other people's buzzfeed videos and ignorant political posts. You decide to try Twitter and are mildly surprised when you successfully locate her feed. Your mouse hovers over the direct message icon for a few seconds before you finally decide to just go for it.

"@heycarmilla soooooooo can you just do my lab report for me?"

You wait anxiously for several minutes and when you don't receive a message back, you decide she's probably asleep. You switch back to your report and answer the final question before the anticipation becomes too much and you check Twitter again. Just in case.

"@Laura2theLetter sorry cupcake, as much as I love breaking the rules, I wouldn't want to do you such a disservice."

"@heycarmilla worst TA ever."

Less time passes this time. Much to your excitement, hardly a minute passes before your Twitter notifications light up.

"@Laura2theLetter what can I say? I try."

You smile at your screen and decide to let the conversation stop there. You submit your report and fall asleep.

_______________________________

Morning comes too early and you hit snooze four times. When you finally drag yourself out of bed and look at your clock, you realize it's already 7:45am and lab starts in 15 minutes. You toss your hair up in a bun, throw your favorite long sleeve T on over your sweatpants, snag your back, and walk out your apartment door at a brisk walk. You make it through the lab door with about a minute to spare and internally congratulate yourself at managing to make it on time.

Danny spots you as soon as you walk through the door and waves at you as you make your way toward her. There is a smoothie in her hand and one on your desk.

"Hollis. Hey. I was starting to think you were going to stand me up", Danny jokes as she slides the smoothie your way.

"Slept in past my alarms this morning. Is this for me?", you say as she nods. "Wow, Danny, you're like my lady knight in shining armor! I didn't get a chance to get breakfast this morning. How lucky that you would choose today to be so nice!"

Danny straightens her lab notebook in front of her and beams down at the table, clearly pleased at your thanks. Your phone buzzes and you glance down to see a Twitter notification,

"@Laura2theLetter tsk tsk I thought I was supposed to be the only rule breaker"

Confused, you glance to the corner where Carmilla sits. As if she had not just tweeted you, she is shuffling through a stack of papers.

"@heycarmilla what do you mean?"

"So, Laura, you know that big poster project we have coming up?" Danny's voice cuts through your confusion and you turn to look at her.

"Poster proje- oh! The one for this class? Where we have to present on the bacteria project?"

Danny is talking to you again, "Well I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my house tomorrow and-"

"Lawrence," Carmilla cuts Danny off mid-sentence, "you know it's against lab policy to eat or drink in here. Guess I’ll just have to confiscate this.” Carmilla takes Danny’s untouched smoothie back to her desk but leaves yours. You frown and wonder why Carmilla is so mean to Danny all the time. “I wonder what’s got fangface in such a fowl mood today. Honestly, she has to be the worst TA,” Danny mutters under her breath. You don’t answer because you’re not sure why Carmilla is the way she is, but you don’t think it’s fair to say she’s the worst TA. Carmilla explains the lab, does her rounds, goes back to her desk and drinks Danny’s smoothie. // You walk up to the window in the equipment room and shove Carmilla’s boots off the counter so you can sit in their place. Carmilla immediately puts down the paper she is reading ready to fight and rolls her eyes when she sees its you. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?” “Why are you so mean to Danny?” You waste no time on pretenses and Carmilla seems surprised at the question. “I don’t care enough about Lawrence to be mean to her,” Carmilla says Danny’s name like it leaves a bad taste in her mouth. “Carmilla, you always pick on her in lab and I don’t get it because she’s so nice!” Carmilla stares up at your concerned face, breathes out a heavy sigh, and then shrugs her shoulders, “maybe I just don’t like the way she looks at you.” Your expression shifts from concern to confusion, “What? How she looks at me? What is that even supposed to mean?” Carmilla rolls her eyes, “forget it, Laura.” Frustrated, you quip back with, “whatever, Carmilla.” Turn on your heel and leave her sitting there watching you leave. \\ You’re working but it’s ten minutes past when Carmilla usually shows up. You furrow your brow because you are worried that your little confrontation at the gym had created some sort of drama between you and Carmilla. The door rings as someone opens it and you poke your head out of one of the bookshelves with hope in your eyes. You’re surprised to see red hair instead of black. “Oh, Danny, hey!” Danny looks nervous and sheepish as she slides one hand into her jean pocket and the other behind her neck, “Hey, Laura, I was wondering if you’d want to go on a date with me?” You’re taken aback by this sudden turn of events, and you’re trying to figure out why a tiny part of you is disappointed to see Danny instead of Carmilla. But Danny is smart and sweet and passionate. She’s always kind to the people around you and exactly the kind of girl you would take home to meet your father. You could maybe see some sort of future with her. “Yeah, Danny, I think that sounds nice,” you smile up at her. A smile breaks on her face like a sunrise and it makes you feel warm to be the cause. “Okay great,” she’s bubbling with excitement as she says, “so I’ll just pick you up at 6 tomorrow?” “Yeah, sounds great!” Danny turns on her heel and leaves the bookshop. Carmilla never comes through the door.