Laura held the cookie in her mouth as she typed on her laptop with trembling hands. She shook her head to get her newly washed hair out of her eyes. There must be something on the internet about this. She opened a likely homepage and started reading through the list, frowning as she realized that she didn't have the ingredients for any of the stated methods.
"There you are, Cupcake. I was starting to think you'd eloped with the giant and left all your stuff to me."
The voice made Laura jump and she turned around to watch Carmilla with wide eyes, the cookie dropping into her lap. Carmilla was looking as stupid as she always did, with those stupid pants and that stupid hair and that stupid smirk. Nonetheless, Laura gave her a nice smile, because Laura was much nicer than Carmilla. "Oh, Carmilla, hi. I didn't expect you, but I mean I should have because you live here too and that's fine as long as you clean up your mess because, eww, gross."
Carmilla raised an eyebrow and went to the fridge, which was very far from the bathroom, and took out her carton of soy milk. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Creampuff. Did you go on a love cruise with Sasquatch, or something?" She took a swig directly from the carton (eww), stole the yellow pillow from Laura's bed and plopped down on her own mattress.
Laura huffed. "No! For your information…" She considered, focusing on the carton in Carmilla's grip. "You really should use a glass, Carmilla. Can I have some?"
"No." Carmilla simply leaned back, opening a book with her free hand, and Laura quickly looked away. No one should lie like that while wearing a skirt.
She started chewing on her momentarily forgotten cookie. Sadly, it wasn't one of the good ones. Her headache had yet to disappear, despite the Tylenol. Going to that party on Friday had been her life's mistake.
Alright. Time for benignly casual. Laura took a deep breath, straightened her back, took a look at the WikiHow and asked lightly, "Do you have any ammonia?"
"No."
"That's fine! Just fine. You wouldn't happen to have hidden some tenderizer somewhere, though?"
"No."
Laura scrolled down and stared in disbelief. "Um… saliva?"
With an exasperated sigh, Carmilla lowered her book, and her eyes went from the laptop screen to Laura. "You are aware that tampons are a thing, right? Honestly, it stinks in here. Try toothpaste."
Laura felt herself bristle. "It's not for... toothpaste isn't even on this list!"
"Yes it is, Sweetheart. I read it a few days ago." Carmilla crossed her legs (finally!) and went back to being slightly less annoying. In other words, silent.
Toothpaste was on the list. Why did Carmilla even...? Letting out a harsh breath, Laura got up and almost upended her chair on her way to the bathroom and the washing bin. It was worth a try.
"So, it's pretty obvious to me that Camilla is involved somehow. She told you to stop investigating, and she is acting really... Laura, are you even listening to me?"
Laura blinked and stopped stirring her milkshake. The morning bustle in The Cauldron was making her headache worse. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry, LaFontaine. Yeah, Carmilla is really annoying."
LaFontaine leaned across the rickety table to gaze at her, red hair carefully styled as always. "Not annoying, Laura. Involved. As in, maybe complicit in the disappearances. Are you alright? You're looking kinda pale."
Laura took a sip from the milkshake and regretted it instantly. This place had really lowered its standards lately. "Yes, of course. I'm fine, just a bit tired. I didn't get much sleep last night."
She really hadn't. She had been up researching and vlogging on her private channel, unable to get sleepy despite being tired enough to bump into furniture. Carmilla, of course, had left half her clothes (all black, of course) spread out over the floor and Laura's bed before heading out on whatever she did at night. Judging form the terrified - but thankfully distant - screams that cut through the night air of the otherwise sleeping campus, Carmilla's activities could probably be placed in the 'no good' category.
LaFontaine gave her a concerned look, but then they quickly got up and went around the table to steady Laura, who totally could have made it out of the chair on her own. It was a nice gesture, though, so she gave her friend a smile.
Carmilla came back to their dorm room with her boots covered in mud that night, slammed the door behind her and traced brown smears all over the floor. Laura, awake since around sunset, spun around on her computer chair and sighed loudly in an attempt to make Carmilla regret her filthy ways. Of course, Carmilla ignored her and went straight for the fridge.
"What's up, Cupcake? I didn't see you in class today."
"You don't even go to my classes, Carmilla. Philosophy major, remember?"
Carmilla rolled her eyes, closed the fridge without taking anything out and plopped down on her bed to unlace her combat boots. "So? Maybe I've noticed that you've not gone to any of yours. In days."
Laura sighed and said. "I've not been feeling well. Now, could you please… just clean up? You're not leaving me with this." She gestured jerkily at the messy floor, watching with growing irritation as Carmilla just shrugged.
"Later, Creampuff. Did something happen lately?" The remark was offhand, but Carmilla's eyes were unusually sharp, making Laura pause with her cup halfway to her lips. Tea. Who needed sugar anyway?
"No, why?" She suddenly smiled. "Are you worrying about me, Carmilla? Is this you actually caring?"
Carmilla rolled her eyes again, but then she got up in a surprisingly fluid movement and advanced on Laura. The back of Laura's chair hit the desk as Carmilla leaned in, hair tumbling over her bare shoulder, and grasped Laura's jaw with one hand. Her dark eyes were very intent as they wandered over Laura's features from only a few inches away, and Laura seemed to have some trouble breathing. "Um…"
"Show me your teeth."
"What?" Laura managed a faint scowl. At least she hoped it was a scowl.
Carmilla rolled her eyes again, and Laura found herself hoping that they would dislocate. Instead of explaining herself or otherwise behaving like a normal person, however, Carmilla reached up and lifted Laura's upper lip with her thumb.
"What the hell, Carmilla?!" Laura's bear spray reflexes finally kicked in, and she pushed hard at Carmilla's chest. Carmilla straightened, the look on her face pensive (but not pensive enough, goddammit!).
Laura got up so fast that the laptop screen shook on the desk behind her as her chair hit it again. "I'm sure someone has told you this before, but assaulting someone is not a good way to be friendly!"
"Laura, calm down. You need to listen to me. I'm a…" Laura was so tired of Carmilla's shit. Being cute was no excuse for this. "...vampire."
"What? Carmilla, you're goth. It's not the same thing. However, LaFontaine does have a few questions she'd like to-"
"Laura! I'm serious. I think you-"
"I'm serious as well! Do you know where Betty went? And where do you go at night? I must agree with LaFontaine that it's pretty suspicious, even though I don't think you're really involved. I mean, you don't really act dangerous, unless dangerously messy counts, but..."
Carmilla had her face in her hand, and as Laura watched she sat down on her bed and groaned.
Laura felt her hands shaking with anger and closed them into fists. "You know what? Fine! Whatever. I think I'm going for a walk."
"Laura…"
She slammed the door behind her and stared hard at the wall until she'd gotten her breathing under control and had dispelled the image of Carmilla's large eyes from her immediate memory. Then, of course, she noticed that she was wearing a pajamas and no shoes.
Oh well. Perhaps she could stay in LaFontaine's room tonight.