Carmilla stood facing the horizon, her eye pressed against the viewfinder of her camera. The sun was just rising, casting the sky in a magnificent golden colour.
Click.
Carmilla captured the view before her and as satisfying as taking photos were, it was always the moment afterwards that she reveled in the most, where she would lower her camera and take in the sight for herself. No matter how much she loved photography, photos could never capture the essence of being in the moment and seeing something, in the flesh, with your own eyes. The best photos, in her opinion, came closest to capturing that essence and it was still something she was learning to do.
She took a deep breath and took in the crisp morning air that Chicago had to offer. She shivered slightly, only now noticing how cold it really was; she was used to cold temperatures – she was from upstate New York after all – but staying up all night did her body no favors in retaining warmth. She put her camera back into its bag and pulled her coat tighter around herself as she reached into her pocket for her phone.
7:23am.
Carmilla slid her phone back into her pocket and took one last look at the view before turning and heading back towards campus. Her first class of the day was at 8am and she found herself feeling grateful, yet again, that Promontory Point was so close to the university; she had ventured to The Point frequently ever since freshman year and it was those first dozen or so trips that she would get so wrapped up in her thoughts and her photography that she was late to class, although by no more than a few minutes, thankfully. By now, though, Carmilla was so accustomed to her trips that she could feel when it was time to leave and a glance at her phone would almost always prove her right.
Although there were a few people who were braving the November weather to get in their morning exercise, it was mostly quiet as Carmilla made her way back to her dorm. She always enjoyed the walk almost as much as The Point itself; there was something about a busy city like Chicago enveloped in the quiet of the morning, with the sky slowly becoming lighter and the hum of activity only just beginning.
Carmilla turned her key in the lock and stepped into her dorm room, not surprised to find that her roommate, Danny, wasn't there. Danny's bed was already made and her backpack was missing from its usual spot, indicating that she had already left for class, the gym, or one of the many clubs that she was a member of. Carmilla walked over to her own bedside table and put down her camera, noticing a cup of coffee with a note.
Thought you might need this today after what I'm assuming was another all-night photography session. You seriously gotta get your sleep pattern in check! Before you worry too much, yes, it's an Americano with one sugar. Such a coffee purist. I'll see you later! – Danny
Carmilla smiled and took a swig of the coffee. She had only met Danny this semester when they were put together as roommates and even though they were wildly different, they got along great and had become fast friends, much to Carmilla's surprise; Carmilla wasn't antisocial by any means but she liked to keep to herself and she never imagined herself getting along with someone like Danny, who was outgoing and athletic.
After running a brush through her hair and checking her appearance in the mirror, Carmilla collected her books and put them in her bag. She was starting to feel the effects of staying up all night but the coffee was helping and she only had two morning classes today, meaning she could come back and sleep afterwards. She supposed that Danny was right and she should really get herself on a normal sleeping schedule – since who knows what hell she was doing to her body – but Carmilla always had an affinity for the night and years of a habit was hard to break. Grabbing her bag and her coffee, Carmilla headed out the door.
Three hours later and Carmilla was standing in line at the coffee cart, desperately needing another caffeine fix even though her day was effectively over. She thought her two classes would be a piece of cake but staying focused proved more difficult than she had thought and now she was definitely crashing. The thought of the caffeine being unnecessary since she was headed back to her dorm anyway came into her head briefly but logic was not her friend right now and coffee was the beacon of light, ergo coffee won out.
She reached the front of the line and placed her order, throwing a few coins on the counter. As she waited for her coffee to be made, Carmilla looked out across the campus. It was not yet noon but the sun was beaming down and it was a nice contrast to the crisp, cold air. From where she was standing, Carmilla could see the softball team gearing up for practice and even though sports were never her thing, she could admire the tenacity they had for having an outdoor practice – the sun might be out but to say that it was even remotely warm would be completely wrong.
She watched the team run through some drills and when one of the girls started jogging away from the group, Carmilla's eyes naturally followed. She saw that the girl – a redhead – was running towards her friend, who was walking towards the field with a smile on her face and she was holding some kind of book out. Carmilla recognized the friend, a light-brown haired girl she had noticed around campus, although they had never met. She watched the interaction between the redhead and her friend, surmising that the redhead had forgotten her book and the brown haired girl was jokingly ribbing her for it. Carmilla noticed that the way the brown haired girl's face lit up whenever she laughed and a small smile subconsciously crept up on her own face.
Carmilla's attention was diverted back to the coffee cart when the barista called that her order was up. She grabbed the coffee and thanked him, making her way over to a nearby bench instead of the route back to her room; she could delay sleeping by a few minutes to enjoy the sun, which was a rarity during this time of year. She checked her phone and quickly texted back a reply to her best friend, Will. Will had opted to go to Pittsburgh for college since it was closer to New York and even though they talked frequently, Carmilla missed actually being able to hang out with him whenever she wanted. The distance was easier now since they both had a year of college – and a year of being away from each other – under their belts but it was still hard sometimes, considering that they had lived only five minutes away from each other ever since they were 7 years old.
Carmilla finished off the last of her coffee and threw the cup away. She was feeling less tired than before – she didn't know whether it was because of the coffee or the weather – but that didn't really mean much considering how tired she really was. She grabbed her bag and headed towards her dorm, crashing onto her bed as soon as she made it in the door.
Carmilla woke as she heard keys jingling in the lock and then the door itself opening.
"I would say 'I told you so' but I think I've said it so many times that it's redundant now," Danny remarked with a smirk as she walked through the door and saw Carmilla lying face down on the bed.
Carmilla grunted in response and slowly turned so that she was lying on her side facing Danny, her eyes still half closed. "What time is it?"
"Uh, 5:30," Danny replied as she checked her watch. "Have you been sleeping the whole day?"
Carmilla rubbed the sleep from her eyes and shuffled up to the lean on the wall behind her bed. "Yep, pretty much. Back from basketball practice, Kobe?"
"That's original. And it was track today, for your information."
"You do know that an athletic scholarship is only for one sport, right? Like you don't have to do all of them?" Carmilla teased good-naturedly.
"You're full of jokes for someone who looks like they came back from the dead. Sticking with just basketball would be fine but where's the fun in that?" Danny shrugged.
"That's what I've thought my entire life: 'Where's the fun in sports?' I don't know how you do it, Lawrence."
"Well, I don't know how you stay up all night taking photos so I guess we're even, Morticia."
Carmilla dramatically put a hand over her heart and opened her mouth in feigned offense. "Hey! That is insulting, Lawrence."
Danny scoffed and raised her eyebrows. "Have you seen you? You and her are basically identical twins. Plus, she's not even a bad character so take it as a compliment."
"I am not witchy and dark," Carmilla insisted. She paused and reconsidered. "Wait, am I?"
Danny turned away from her wardrobe and rolled her eyes amusedly at her roommate. "Geez, Karnstein, I was kidding. If you must know, you're definitely not witchy but you can be dark and broody. The first time I met you, you didn't give off a mean vibe or anything but you're kind of intimidating, if you haven't noticed."
Now it was Carmilla's turn to scoff. "Me? Intimidate you, the six foot Amazon? Please."
"It's so not about the height. It's just this… feeling you give off. I don't know how else to explain it. But don't get me wrong, you're super cool and nice."
"Well, thanks, Lawrence. You're super-duper as well," Carmilla replied with a smirk and a hint of sarcasm.
"Oh, shut up," Danny responded as she turned back towards her wardrobe. "So I'm going out with some of the softball girls tonight. You want to join?"
"Thanks, but I was actually thinking about calling Will for a bit and then heading to The Bean to take some photos."
Danny turned away from her wardrobe for the second time and looked at Carmilla. "Seriously? Come on, Karnstein. It's Friday night and it wouldn't kill you to meet some new people. Come out with us."
"Hey, I have no problem meeting new people and I am perfectly happy to spend Friday night on my own. Which sad sap was so insecure that they declared Friday nights had to be for going out?"
"Maybe the person wasn't a sad sap but instead was someone who just wanted to have fun after a long week? You and I haven't hung out outside of this room in a while so that'd be nice as well."
Carmilla sighed. She couldn't say no when Danny was playing the 'good roommate' card on her. Ok, so not so much as playing a card but just actually being a good friend and roommate. "Fine, fine. Where are we going?"
"Yes! We're going to a bar where they're super lenient on the ID checking and we'll see where it goes from there. You'll have fun, alright? Scout's honor."
"I wouldn't make any premature promises if I were you. I know we get along but I don't know about the rest of your athletic squad… We don't really have much in common," Carmilla frowned.
"They're really cool. You'll see. I'll even buy your first beer," Danny grinned.
"Ok, cool it, Lawrence. I already said I was going," Carmilla retorted as she rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips.
"We're meeting at around 7:30 so we still have a bit of time," Danny said as she threw some clothes on her bed. She looked at Carmilla and narrowed her eyes. "You should take a shower."
Carmilla simply responded with a single-fingered gesture, although she knew that Danny was right; she looked like a mess and definitely needed to freshen up. But she had one thing to do before that.
"I'll be back soon," Carmilla told Danny as she got up from her bed and headed for the door, grabbing her phone along the way.
"Tell Will I said hi," Danny responded, not bothering to look up as she continued to decide on her outfit.
"Kitty! How's everything going?"
Carmilla grinned upon hearing Will's voice through the phone. "Oh, you know, same old. What about you, Fresh Meat?"
"Yeah, pretty much the same here as well. Tyler and I got into another fight today so I'm glad you called."
Carmilla held back a sigh. "Again? What was it about this time? You didn't take out the garbage or something?"
"He thinks I'm cheating on him with some girl from my sociology class, which is totally not true since a) I would never cheat and b) I don't even know the girl. It's really kind of ridiculous."
"Uh, that's not just kind of ridiculous, Fresh Meat – it's super fucking ridiculous. Honestly, it seems like you guys have been fighting more than getting along these days. Have you thought about ending it?" Carmilla asked bluntly. She might have been more sensitive if it were someone else but this was Will; he was practically family.
"Carm, come on. We've been together for three years. You don't just end something like that lightly," Will reasoned.
"He's accusing you of cheating on him; I think you guys have left the 'light' territory. Look, I like Tyler, I really do, but this isn't good for you. Sometimes people change and you just have to move on."
"But I still care about him, even if we do fight all the time. He's Tyler, you know?"
Carmilla heard how small Will's voice had become and her demeanor softened. "Will, trust me, I know. I was there, remember? But you can't hold onto past memories and make them fit with the present or the future if they just don't, you know? You can remember the memories for what they are but don't ignore what's happening right now solely because you guys were good in the past."
There was silence on the other end as Will took in what Carmilla said. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just need a bit more time. I need to be sure."
"Yeah, of course. I just wanted you to put it on the table as an option. You know I just want you to be happy, right?"
"You're such a sap sometimes, Kitty."
"Hey, you're the one who cried during Ratatouille."
It was then that Will became defensive. "All he wanted was to become a chef, ok? And he achieved it! What kind of soulless monster wouldn't find that touching?"
"I liked the movie but come on, Will. There was nothing remotely cry-worthy about it."
"You just don't understand emotion. Remy was a mouse and he became a chef," Will emphasized. "If that isn't beautiful then I don't know what is."
Carmilla smiled into her phone. "I miss hanging out with you, Fresh Meat."
"Yeah, talking on the phone just isn't the same, is it? But Thanksgiving's coming up. You're going home, right?" Will asked in a tone that implied any answer other than 'yes' would be unacceptable.
"Duh. Missing out on Carol's renowned stuffing would be a crime in itself."
"Mom does make a mean stuffing. So you got anything planned for tonight?"
"Danny roped me into going out with her and a few of her softball friends. She says hi, by the way."
"Tell her I say hi back. If they're Danny's friends then you'll be fine. And one of them could be your type…" Will trailed off suggestively.
"Could you see me dating a softball girl? No, thank you."
"You're such a snob, Kitty. But seriously, you need to get back out there. You haven't dated anyone since Elle."
"I have dated people since Elle!"
"I meant something more serious than a one-date thing. It's been over a year, Carm," Will reminded.
"I know when we broke up, Fresh Meat. It's not like I'm not over her or something but there just hasn't been anyone I've really been interested in."
"Well, that's why Danny has the right idea by asking you to go out with them tonight."
"Yeah, yeah," Carmilla brushed off. "Are you doing anything tonight?"
"Tyler and I were going to go to an art exhibit but who knows now. Guess I'll have to call him. Fingers crossed it doesn't turn into a fight over the phone."
"I'm suddenly very grateful for my night, so thanks for that."
"You should've been grateful even before I told you about my night. A night out with a bunch of hot girls? Not exactly punishment, Carm."
Carmilla rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know that, asshole. Speaking of, I better get going since I need to get ready. You gonna be ok?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. You go have some fun. I'll talk to you next week."
"Call me if you need anything, ok? I know the whole Tyler situation isn't easy."
"Thanks, Kitty. You know I will. Don't worry too much about me."
"I'm always going to worry about you so that was a pretty pointless thing to say. Talk to you later, Fresh Meat."
"Yep, talk soon, sis."
With that, Carmilla ended the call and headed back up to her room. She was worried about Will but she knew he could take care of himself and that he would reach out if he needed to. As she entered the dorm, she saw that Danny was freshly showered with a towel still wrapped her body.
"Will says hi," Carmilla said as she placed her phone on her desk and walked over to grab her towel and toiletries.
"How's he doing?" Danny asked, turning to face Carmilla as she toweled her hair.
"There's some drama going on with Tyler but what else is new. But I think I might've directed him down the right track, so that's something."
"Oh, that sucks. Him and Tyler were so cute together when they visited you," Danny frowned.
"Some things just run their course and he needed to be reminded of that. Well, anyway, I'm going to take a quick shower," Carmilla gestured with her towel.
"Emphasis on the word 'quick', Karnstein, which I know is difficult for you. We're leaving in 30 minutes."
All Danny was met with was Carmilla's middle finger as the door closed.
Danny and Carmilla stopped outside a nondescript college bar and Carmilla took in the exterior.
"The Crew, huh? Could've used a better name but it doesn't look too bad," she commented.
"I'll take that as it being Carmilla-approved. Come on, I think most of the girls are here already," Danny motioned towards the door.
They walked inside and found Danny's friends almost immediately since they took up quite a few tables, compared to the other patrons who only claimed one table per group. Danny greeted everyone and turned around to introduce Carmilla.
"Everyone, this is my roommate, Carmilla," Danny grinned.
Carmilla stepped out from behind Danny and gave a smile and wave to the group, who all greeted her enthusiastically. Carmilla tried her best to keep up as Danny started listing off everybody's names but Carmilla knew it was pointless since there was no way she could remember eleven names that quickly. After all the introductions were made, Carmilla and Danny made their way up to the bar, with Danny ordering a beer and Carmilla getting a rum and coke. They walked back to the table with their drinks in hand and Danny took a quick glance around.
"Where's LaF?" She inquired.
"They just texted that they're on their way. Typical LaF running late," Rebecca responded with a shake of her head.
Danny chuckled. "That's definitely LaF."
Carmilla nudged Danny to get her attention and whispered in her ear. "They?"
"Yeah, LaF doesn't identify as male or female so they use 'they/them/their' pronouns. Just a heads up."
"Oh right," Carmilla nodded.
Danny noticed something in the corner of her eye and straightened as she turned towards the door, raising her voice. "Well, look who it is. Nice of you to join us, LaF," Danny teased with a smile.
LaF grinned good-naturedly. "Shut it, Danny. It wasn't me who was late this time."
"Well, I don't see anyone with you."
"She's just outside taking a phone call, smartass." LaFontaine turned their attention towards the rest of the group and greeted everyone with familiarity until they got to Carmilla. Carmilla recognized them as the redhead from the field earlier today. "I'm LaFontaine. I'm guessing you're Danny's roommate?"
Carmilla turned her head slightly towards Danny. "Geez, Lawrence. Didn't know you bragged about me to everyone," she teased before returning her attention to LaFontaine. "Yep, the one and only. I'm Carmilla. Nice to meet you."
"She's not bitchy and mean at all – I don't know what you were on about, Danny. I'm going to get a drink," LaF said nonchalantly as they threw a wink at Danny and headed towards the bar.
"I hope you know that LaF's joking," Danny clarified.
Carmilla gave a small laugh. "Yeah, I figured."
Carmilla made small talk with a few of the girls who were sat closest to her and she found them to be nice enough. She was settling into conversation with them when LaF came back to the table.
"So a few of you guys already know her but for those who don't, this is my friend, Laura. She's the reason I was late."
Laura narrowed her eyes at LaF but she had a smile on her face. She turned towards the rest of the group. "Yes, I'll admit it was my fault this time but I think it's in very poor taste that LaF blames it on me in front of some people who I've never met before. Hi, everyone," Laura waved cheerfully with a grin.
Of course, Carmilla instantly recognized her as the girl she had seen around campus and the girl who was giving LaF their book today on the field. If Carmilla was being truthful, every time she saw Laura around the university, there had been something about Laura that caught her eye for a few seconds more than what could be passed off as just a fleeting look at a stranger. Up close, that was no exception but Carmilla made an effort not to stare. LaF took a seat next to Danny, with Laura sitting next to LaF.
"Hey, Laura, did you end up finding that book for the lit class?" Danny inquired. "I swear I still have it lying around somewhere from last year."
"Yeah, I did end up finding it. Thanks, though," Laura smiled.
"Oh, this is my roommate, Carmilla," Danny introduced, remembering that Laura and Carmilla hadn't been acquainted yet.
Carmilla gave a friendly smile. "You play softball as well?"
Laura chuckled. "No, not at all. That would end terribly for everyone involved. I just know mostly everyone through LaF here. They dragged me out to one of these things near the start of the semester."
"And look how well that turned out! See, it's good to meet new people and you never know what could happen," Danny nudged Carmilla with her elbow.
"Lawrence, we're already at the bar and I'm making conversation, so cool your jets. Stop making me seem like a shut-in or something," Carmilla retorted with a small shake of her head. "Such a lovely first impression of me you're sending out to everyone."
Danny raised her hands in mock surrender. "I'm just saying, it's good to get you away from your camera once in a while."
"You're a photographer?"
Carmilla's attention was turned back towards Laura at the sound of her voice. "Well, no, not really- I wouldn't really call myself a photographer. I'm majoring in visual arts so it's for that, but it's mostly just for me," she shrugged. "It's been my hobby ever since high school."
"Hobby is an understatement; she'd spend every minute with her camera if she could," Danny interjected. Something piqued her interest from the other side of the bar. "Oh, the dartboard is free. What do you say, LaF? Rematch?"
"Can you handle losing to me again?"
"Oh, it's so on," Danny smirked. "We'll be back in a bit, guys."
Laura and Carmilla now found themselves with two empty seats between them as LaFontaine and Danny made their way to the dartboard.
"Knowing how competitive they both are, they're probably going to take a while. Do you just want to move over?" Laura asked.
Carmilla gave a small laugh. "Yeah, sure," she said as she pushed her drink next to Laura's and scooted over the seats. "So did you meet Danny through LaFontaine?"
"Kind of. We met during orientation week but we didn't get to know each other until LaF introduced us during one of these hangout things." Laura lowered her voice and leaned into Carmilla. "I thought it wouldn't be my thing either but everyone's really nice, so keep an open mind," Laura said as she nudged Carmilla's shoulder with her own.
Carmilla couldn't help but smile. "Am I really that bad? I thought I was being pretty pleasant," she half-joked. "No, but I am having a good time. Everyone seems pretty cool."
'Yeah, they really are. And I just met you but you seem pretty alright as well," Laura teased.
"Thanks for the glowing compliment," Carmilla chuckled, finishing off the rest of her drink.
"Do you want to get another? I'm almost empty as well," Laura gestured with her glass.
"Lead the way."
Danny noticed Laura heading towards the bar, with Carmilla following closely behind. She turned back towards LaF, who was lining up their dart.
"Hey, what do think about Laura and Carmilla?" Danny asked.
"What do you mean?" LaF responded, their eyes still focused on the dartboard.
"Like, do you think they'd be good together?"
LaF tilted their head towards Danny. "Oh, I don't think Laura would be good with being set up. She hates that kind of thing."
"Not like setting them up but maybe just nudging them in the right direction… towards each other," Danny suggested innocently. "Laura's not seeing anyone, right?"
"She isn't, but I don't know, just wait and see if something happens between them naturally before you start meddling. You really think they'd like each other?" LaF asked as they glanced over at Laura and Carmilla talking at the bar.
"Yeah, why not? I think they'd be each other's type. Plus, they would look cute together," Danny replied.
LaF returned their attention back to the dartboard. "Ok, then I'm trusting you on this since you know Carmilla and I don't. You finally getting together with Kirsh has really got you on a love kick, hasn't it?"
Danny rolled her eyes. "I am not on a 'love kick'. I just want my two friends to be happy."
"Yeah, yeah. Your turn, lover girl."
Over an hour later and Laura and Carmilla were still seated at the bar, not having returned to the rest of the group yet since they got up to get their drinks. They were currently in the midst of a very serious conversation.
"How can you not like dogs? They are so adorable!"
Carmilla laughed. "There are dog people and cat people. I just happen to fall on the feline side."
"I can't believe we've been talking this whole time and you don't even like dogs. Now I don't know how to feel," Laura joked.
"I guess I should've led with that, but I can't say that I've ever thought it would be a deal breaker," Carmilla threw back easily, checking her phone for the time. "Probably would've saved you an hour."
"I would say it was an hour well spent," Laura replied, her grin softening into a small smile as her gaze lingered on Carmilla. She cleared her throat and looked back towards the others, who were now divided between the pool table, the dartboard and their original tables. "We should probably go see what everyone else is up to."
Carmilla followed Laura's line of sight. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Lawrence might jump on me for not being social enough."
"She's just being Danny, looking out for people she cares about," Laura smiled. "If she does bring it up, I'll vouch for your very proficient social skills."
"Well, since you're doing me such a huge favor, I'll have to buy you a drink. What will it be?"
"What? No. You don't have to buy me a drink," Laura insisted.
"Hey, it's just a drink – no big deal. So what are you having?"
Laura looked at Carmilla for a few seconds, huffing slightly before giving in. "Fine. I'll just have a beer."
Carmilla grinned before she turned towards the bartender and ordered two beers. Without Carmilla's gaze on her, Laura took the opportunity to look at Carmilla, discreetly studying her profile. However, it wasn't much of an opportunity since the bartender placed the beers in front of them almost immediately and Carmilla was smiling at her once again.
"You ok?" Carmilla asked with a raised eyebrow, noticing the slight 'deer in headlights' look Laura had on her face.
Laura quickly composed herself and grabbed her beer. "Totally fine. Thanks for this, by the way," Laura said, motioning to her bottle. "Let's head over to the pool table."
Danny noticed them approaching, a knowing smile on her lips. "You guys were gone for a while."
"We were just talking at the bar and I guess we lost track of time," Carmilla shrugged.
"Uh huh. Well, we were just going to finish up this game and then head to one of the restaurants down the street to grab a bite to eat. That sound good?"
It wasn't until then that Carmilla realized she hadn't eaten all day since she had slept through most of it. "Yeah, I'm actually starving so that sounds great."
Laura nodded. "I'm in."
Carmilla checked her phone for the time as they all stood outside the restaurant after dinner, surprised that it was almost 11pm. She walked over to where Danny was talking to a girl whose name she vaguely remembered to be Sarah, Sierra, or something along those lines.
"Hey, Lawrence, I think I'm going to head off."
Danny frowned. "Really? It's still so early! We're going to go bar hopping or maybe hit up a few clubs. Come with us! It'll be fun!"
"Maybe next time. I really had fun tonight, though, so thanks for inviting me out."
"Ok, fine," Danny sighed. "I don't know if I'll be home tonight since I might crash at Kirsch's. You get home safe, though."
"I'll be fine, Lawrence. You have fun," Carmilla reassured. "I'm going to say bye to Laura and LaF before I go."
Carmilla took a look around and found them both just exiting the restaurant.
"Hey, I'm going to head off now. Are you guys going out with the others?" Carmilla asked as she approached them.
"I'm actually meeting another friend for a catch-up so I'm walking with them halfway. Laura was just going to go home," LaF replied.
"Yeah, the clubbing scene isn't really my thing," Laura explained.
"Where do you live?" Carmilla inquired.
"I-House."
Confusion flooded Carmilla's features. "Wait, where are you from?"
Laura laughed at Carmilla's reaction. "Canada, so not exactly international, but still technically international."
"It makes so much more sense now; I was wondering why you were so nice," Carmilla joked. "I live in Breckinridge so we're basically right next to each other. We can walk together."
LaF breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Laura. "It makes me feel so much better than you won't be walking alone. I know you insist that you can take care of yourself and that you have bear spray, but still."
"You are just like Dad sometimes, LaF. I swear he's rubbed off on you," Laura responded, rolling her eyes.
The rest of the group started to move and Laura and Carmilla waved goodbye to them as they went. A few moments later, it was just the two of them outside the restaurant.
"So, should we go?" Carmilla asked, putting her hands in her coat pockets to keep warm.
Laura nodded and they headed in the opposite direction of where Danny and the others went. They walked in silence for a little while but it wasn't uncomfortable by any means, which struck Carmilla as a bit strange; she only felt comfortable in silence with less than a handful of people, and she had known those people for years, not just hours. Maybe it was a feeling that Laura gave off to everyone – that she could make them feel at ease. As they walked, Carmilla noticed she was only about an inch taller than Laura.
"Where are you from?" Laura asked, breaking the silence.
"Uh, upstate New York. It's practically Canada," Carmilla quipped. "Where in Canada are you from?"
"I've never actually been to New York," Laura commented. "I'm from a small town just outside Toronto. This is kind of my first venture into a big city – well, living in one, I mean. We used to always go into Toronto a lot on weekends."
"That could be the plot of a generic romantic comedy: Small-town girl moves to big city, finds herself and love."
Laura laughed and bumped Carmilla with her shoulder. "Way to generalize everyone from small towns. I kind of had that 'find yourself' moment already so there goes your big movie idea."
"Damn, I was betting on it to make me millions. Guess I'll have to find another way," Carmilla said, feigning disappointment.
"I'm sure you'll survive. You're all set to become a big-time photographer, right?"
"I don't know about that," Carmilla downplayed. "I haven't really thought about doing this as a job, to be completely honest. It'd be so hard to break into the industry and taking photos has always just been something I've done because I love it; I don't know how I would feel about it being a means to an end."
"Well, would you be happy doing anything else?"
Carmilla gave it a few seconds of thought before answering. "No, I don't think I would. I mean, whatever I'd end up doing, I would still have photography as my hobby, you know? It'd always be there."
"There's your answer then. It'd be better to try and make it work being a photographer and getting paid for something you love rather than have photography on the side while you're doing something you don't love," Laura concluded.
Carmilla looked over at Laura from the corner of her eye and smiled. "You seem pretty sure about that."
Laura shrugged. "Just seems like common sense to me."
"What do you want to do?"
"I'm still trying to figure that out, which is why I haven't picked a major yet. I want to do something that's about finding out the truth, though, if that makes any sense," Laura explained, somewhat self-consciously tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Ever thought about journalism?" Carmilla suggested.
"Yeah, I have and I'm actually taking it this semester to try it out. I'll see how it goes."
"Can I ask, though, why Chicago?"
"I don't know, I've just always wanted to come to Chicago and college seemed like a great excuse," Laura answered, looking over at Carmilla. "What's your reason?"
"I came here a few times with my family when I was younger and I always loved it," Carmilla answered, looking down at the icy path. "It holds some good memories for me so I thought I'd come back. Visiting occasionally didn't seem like enough."
Laura nodded but didn't say anything in response. Carmilla looked up and noticed they were nearing Laura's residence hall. An idea popped into her head.
"Hey, are you tired and wanting to go to bed?"
Laura looked over at her, slightly confused. "Uh, not really. Why?"
"I was going to head to The Bean to take some photos. Want to come with?"
The confusion on Laura's face gave way to a smile. "Yeah, sure. Do you often photograph at night?"
"Night into morning, I guess. I know it's not the best thing to be doing, and god knows Danny's lectured me enough on it, but I can't seem to help it."
"Yeah, you should probably listen to Danny," Laura laughed lightly. "But you can't help it if the night is your calling."
"Are you mocking me?"
"I would never."
Carmilla smiled, rolling her eyes. "Before we go, I just have to head to my room to get my camera. Do you need anything from yours?" She asked as they were about the pass the entrance to Laura's hall.
"No, I'm all set."
Carmilla nodded and they headed towards Breckinridge. Once they arrived, they made their way up the stairs to Carmilla and Danny's dorm.
"Won't be a sec," Carmilla said as she opened the door, heading for her bedside table.
Laura lingered near the doorway, taking in the surroundings. On Danny's side, the wall was decorated with some sports posters as well a wall planner with what Laura assumed was Danny's schedule. She looked over to Carmilla's side of the room, which was slightly messier and photographs of landscapes and cityscapes adorned the wall instead of posters. Laura walked next to Carmilla's bed to take a closer look at the photos.
"Did you take all these?"
Carmilla looked up distractedly from riffling through her drawer. "Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. I'm mainly into scenery and stuff like that. Oh, found it!" Carmilla triumphantly held up a film roll before tucking it into a pocket in her camera bag. "Now we can go."
"These are really good. Like, breathtakingly good. You really downplayed it before; you could definitely do this as a career."
Carmilla smiled amusedly, like she wasn't used to someone complimenting her. "Stop flattering me and let's go," she said as she slung her camera bag over her shoulder and headed towards the door.
Laura shook her head and followed Carmilla out the door.
A/N: Thanks for reading! I'm always nervous about people reading my work so feedback would be welcomed and appreciated. I usually don't write such long chapters but I guess Hollstein brings it out in me. I don't know if future chapters will be similar in length but what do you guys think about long chapters? Yay or nay?
If it wasn't clear, Carmilla isn't a vampire and this is a completely human AU. Also, I-House is short for International House (apparently that's what the students call it), which is the residence hall that Laura lives in. Oh, and now might be a good time to put out a disclaimer: I've never been to UChicago or Chicago in general so I apologize for any errors I make. I am trying my best to be accurate but obviously Google is not the best way to get to know a city.
P.S. I just want to say that it pained me to write this fic with Americanized spelling. British-English is always in my heart.
P.P.S. I find that reading on FF with a story width of 3/4 is the best way to go, but of course, go with whatever floats your boat. Or I guess whatever is easiest for your eyes and brain to comprehend.
