"Screw it." Carmilla let out a huff of air as she put her book down on her chest. She was lying spread out across one of the sofas at the Grind. The coffee she'd ordered an hour ago was sitting on the table beside her. Untouched, it had grown ice cold. Carmilla had read the same paragraph over an over again, unable to really focus on the words.
"What's up with you?" LaF hung over the back of the sofa, peering down at Carmilla as she stared idly up at the ceiling. She'd been moping around for days, and it was only getting worse. Perry had urged LaFontaine to leave her be, to support their friend without questioning her, but something was clearly eating away at her. Carmilla ignored the question at first, like she hadn't heard it.
"Nothing. Everything is just peachy." She eventually answered, in a bored, flat, tone. LaFontaine wasn't buying it. They pushed Carmilla's legs down and sat down beside her.
"Okay, spill. What's going on? You've been extra grumpy of late. Is it your mom?"
"No." Carmilla shook her head. "It's not that." For once, her mother was pretty far down on Carmilla's long list of problems.
"You can talk to me. You know that, right?" LaF tried to encourage her to talk about whatever was bothering her; Carmilla had never exactly been big on sharing though.
"Sure… but first, how about we start a camp fire, toast some marshmallows, and sing Kumbaya?" Her voice had an edge too it as sharp as any blade.
"I'm out of marshmallows." LaFontaine deadpanned, without missing a beat.
Carmilla snorted at that. She even managed a hint of a smile, before it gave way to a grimace. She brushed her hands through her hair, pushing it back off her face as she shook her head again in dismay. "Last night… I almost kissed Laura. Again."
"Alright! Up top!" LaF held their hand up for a high-five, misreading the situation entirely. "Carm? No five?" They dropped their hand with a weary frown.
"Let me rephrase that." Carmilla rolled her eyes. "I almost kissed my teenage neighbor."
"This again. I'm still not seeing the problem here." LaFontaine shrugged. "Laura's not exactly some wide-eyed school girl. She's, you know, a mature seventeen."
"She's still seventeen." She sighed. "I didn't even date girls that young when I was seventeen! Forget about it, LaF. I just need to get her out of my system."
"You forget about it!" LaFontaine snapped, snatching Carmilla's phone out of her hands as she started scrolling through her contacts. "A booty call isn't the answer to all your problems."
"No, but it'll solve at least a few of them." Argued Carmilla.
She snatched her phone back as it started to ring. LaFontaine didn't need to ask who was calling, they could guess from the way Carmilla lit up. "Hey Buttercup, what's up? Saturday? No, I'm not working. Why?" A small crease appeared on Carmilla's brow. "Hold up, you're going on a date with my brother?"
"Huh?" LaF caught the tail end of the conversation, having been distracted by Perry walking in to the store. Carmilla waved off their confused look as she carried on her conversation with Laura.
"Sounds like a date to me, Cupcake. Where are you, anyway? Come by the Grind, I'll have a milkshake waiting with your name on it. That's okay… Just bring him along with you. See you soon, Creampuff."
"Is Laura coming by?" Perry quizzed, while she busied herself pulling on her apron. "Who's she bringing?"
"She's walking that puppy of hers. She'll be here in ten."
"Forget about that!" LaF objected. "What was that about her dating Will?"
"Laura's dating your brother?" Perry frowned. "And when did she get a dog?"
Carmilla pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "She doesn't have a dog, she's bringing Kirsch. And Will invited her to the club on Saturday, to see some band that Mattie's got playing there. I don't think he's figured out Laura bats for the other team."
"Maybe she plays for both?" LaF pointed out casually. Carmilla tried to ignore the queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach; it felt a lot like envy.
"I don't think so." She huffed, trying not to sound too invested in the answer. "Besides, she said it wasn't a date. Let's just hope Will realizes that." Baby brother or not, she would feed him his own spleen if he made a move on Laura; and then she'd set Mr Hollis on him.
Laura showed up not long after, dragging Kirsch along with her. He was wearing a pale pink polo shirt, with the collar popped up, and an easy smile on his face. His eyes instantly caught sight of the freshly baked muffins that Perry had in the display cabinet at the front of the shop.
LaFontaine took one out and popped it on a plate for him. "Thanks, Bro." He greeted them with a high five. He'd been by the Grind a couple of times before with Laura, and he and LaF had gotten on well. "Hey Carm-Sexy, Perry." He nodded at the other two as he hopped on to a stool by the counter.
"Good afternoon, Kirsch." Perry replied in her usual good cheer. "Hi Laura."
"Hey." The younger girl greeted her back, already making a beeline to sit down beside Carmilla. Laura didn't even bother with the pleasantries as she picked up right where they left off on the phone. "It's not a date!"
"Whatever you say, Cupcake." Carmilla rolled her eyes. She knew just what buttons to press to rile the other girl. Laura looked even cuter when she was mad.
"Carm! It's not!" Laura tugged on her arm, trying to get Carmilla to acknowledge her. "It's just a show! You can come too! I thought you were working anyway."
"Sorry, Poptart. I've already got plans." As much as it pained Carmilla to turn the invitation down, she had meant what she'd said to LaF earlier. She needed to get Laura out of her system. Everybody knew the best way to get over one girl was to get under another.
Laura knew Carmilla all too well. She gave her neighbor a long, hard, look. "Please tell me you're not hooking up with Elsie!"
"Carmilla! You said you'd stopped seeing her!" Perry chimed in, siding with Laura.
"Yeah, C, that Elsie chick's got a screw loose." Agreed LaF.
"Is that the hot blond that you had over last night?" Kirsch asked, oblivious to the way Carmilla stared daggers at him for it.
"Yeah, that one, thanks Sport… What? A girl's got needs!" She snapped at the others. They were all looking at her like she'd been caught sneaking cookies before dinner.
"I've got to get going. We're supposed to be meeting Danny at the library. You coming, Kirsch?" Laura huffed, pulling away from Carmilla and waiting expectantly for Kirsch. She turned to Carmilla as Kirsch scoffed the last bit of his muffin. "Enjoy your date on Saturday night, Carm."
"I will… You too!"
"I will!"
"You look nice, Monkey. Are you out with Carmilla tonight?" John Hollis had the appearance of a gentle doe eyed giant, but the man had a sharp mind and a keen eye. He hadn't failed to notice that Laura had spent most of the week in her room - whereas she'd spent most of the last month over at their neighbor's house.
"Uh, not tonight Dad. I'm actually going out with Will tonight."
"And Will is a boy?" Deeply etched wrinkles appeared on John's brow and in the creases of his eyes. They were the kind of worry lines owned by the father of any teenage girl.
Despite knowing his daughter identified as a lesbian, John still felt an uneasy knot forming in his stomach at the idea of her going out on a Saturday night with a boy. The only boy he trusted with his precious little girl was Kirsch, and that was only because the pair had practically grown up as siblings.
"Relax, Dad. Will is Carm's brother. It's not a date. We're just going to see a band." Laura tried to reassure him, but her explanation only deepened his frown.
"A band? Where? You're not going downtown, are you?"
"We're going to the club Carmilla works at her. Her and Will's sister owns it-"
"So Carmilla will be there." John's assumption seemed to bring him some kind of relief. Laura hated to take that away from him, but she also hated lying to her father.
"Actually, Carm's not working tonight; but her sister, Mattie, is!" She quickly added. "And Will is picking me up and driving me home. I'll be back by eleven on the dot."
"And Will has a full driving license? He doesn't drink, does he? Do drugs? Have Tattoos?"
"Dad! Relax. Will is a very careful driver. He drove me to school the other day, and I'm still in one piece. Neither of us will be drinking, doing drugs, or getting tattoos."
Laura laughed, humoring her over protective father. She reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, his beard tickling against the side of her face. "Okay, Monkey. Just drop me a text or two to check in, keep your old man from worrying too much."
Laura promised she would. It was almost seven, and Will would be showing up any minute. Pulling on her denim jacket, she called out her goodbye to her dad. Once she was out in the hallway, she glanced forlornly over at Carmilla's door.
They hadn't spoken since Laura had dropped by the Grind, earlier in the week. Laura had thought about calling the other girl, or just knocking on her door, but she'd chickened out every time. Pushing aside the desire to call Will and cancel their night out, Laura turned her back on Carmilla's front door and headed down the stairs.
The youngest Karnstein was already waiting for her, Leaning against the front passenger door of his BMW. He was immaculately dressed. Wearing designer jeans and a white button down shirt, his clothes looked like they cost more than Laura's dad made in a month.
"Hi." He beamed, offering her a dazzling smile. Will looked like he belonged in a toothpaste advert as he opened the car door and ushered Laura inside. Walking around to the other side, he climbed in to the driver's seat.
"So the band aren't due to come on until nine. I figured we could get something to eat beforehand? There's a diner around the corner from the club."
"Uh, sure. Sounds good." Laura agreed. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a little voice was telling her this was starting to sound more like a date; and the voice sounded a lot like Carmilla's.
They spent a couple of hours in the diner, eating burgers and fries, sharing a desert, and washing it all down with milkshakes. Will was a lot like his older sister. He spoke with a passion when he was talking about the subjects that interested him. He and Laura were taking a lot of the same classes, though Will's were mostly AP.
The two teenagers talked about books, movies and music for two solid hours, barely noticing the time slipping by. The band they were going to see had already taken the stage by the time they slipped in to the Alchemy Club.
They made their way through the crowd, with Will's hand on the small of Laura's back, guiding her to the front. "Do you want a drink?" Will asked, his mouth right by her ear.
"I'm good." She shook her head, fixing her attention back on the band.
A couple of songs passed before Laura decided she was thirsty. Will offered to go up to the bar for the both of them, but Laura knew better than to drink anything that had been out of her sight for any length of time. Even if Will was Carmilla's brother, Laura had been brought up to be cautious by nature. She accompanied the other teen to the bar and ordered herself a bottle of water; something she could easily reseal.
She was surprised when she spotted Elsie, serving behind the bar. The blond either didn't remember Laura, or else she snubbed her on purpose as she served the guy standing next to the teen without so much as a look in her direction.
Will's hand found the small of Laura's back again as they returned to the crowd gathered around the stage. Laura worried her bottom lip between her teeth, wondering whether Carmilla had been right when she'd suggested Will had invited her out on a date.
She tried to wrack her brain, calling up memories of that first night she had met Carmilla's brother. Had she told Will she was gay? Had she mentioned having an ex-girlfriend? Or had he heard her talking about Danny and presumed she was a guy?
The club was crowded and Laura's small stature meant she kept getting jostled about. It was hot and humid, and Laura had already taken off her jacket and rolled up the sleeves of her plaid shirt. She'd never had an issue with crowds before, but in the dark, stuffy, club she started to feel like the walls were closing in around her; though that might have had more to do with Will's hands finding her hips.
"I need to pee!" Laura announced as she spun around on the spot, knocking Will's hands off of her. He frowned and cupped one hand around his ear, unsure of what she'd said. Laura's voice was being drowned out by the punk rock music blasting too loudly out of the club's speakers. Rather than leaning in close, to shout in Will's ear, she mimed a complex series of motions, hoping he'd get the message.
Will nodded and gave her a thumbs up, though he still looked a little complexed. Laura didn't stick around to wait for him to get it. She fought her way through the pulsating crowd and practically ran to the bathroom. Once she was inside, she slammed the door shut behind her and lay back against it, closing her eyes and letting out a heavy sigh. What the hell had she gotten herself in to?
"You okay there, Jail-bait?" An amused voice asked from over by the sinks. Laura's eyes snapped open, bringing her face to face with Elsie, Carmilla's favorite booty-call.
"I'm fine." She answered hastily. Too quick. Elsie quirked a single eyebrow up at her, not quite buying her answer. What Laura said next caught the older girl completely off guard. "Do I look gay to you? Like, if you saw me for the first time, would you think 'yep, she's super gay!'?"
"Uh…" A small frown played on Elsie's face. She was clearly unsure of how to answer that.
"Oh god, sorry! Sorry! I must sound like a total freak right now!" Laura quickly apologised. "It's just… Carm's brother invited me out tonight, and I thought it was, like, a friend thing. But now I think he might think it's a date, and I'm kind of freaking out."
"Okay. First things first. Breathe." Elsie instructed firmly. She moved to grab a handful of paper towels and held them under one of the taps while it was running.
"Thanks." Laura took the offered paper towels and used them to dab against the back of her neck. She was hot and flustered and on the verge of a panic attack. "Do you think Will would take it personally if I climbed out of one of those windows?" Laura sighed. She had no idea how she'd managed to get herself in to this situation. She should have listened to Carmilla.
"Maybe." Elsie laughed softly. She seemed a lot nicer when she wasn't glaring at Laura, or making snide comments. The other girl hopped up on to the bathroom counter, watching Laura closely. "It might be easier to just hit on some girl? Let him down gently."
"Ha!" Laura let out a squeak of laughter, then instantly clamped her hand over her mouth. The heat radiating through her cheeks had nothing to do with the temperature in the club. "Sorry. I just… I'm not that good at the whole… flirting thing. Do you maybe have a plan B?" She shrugged helplessly.
Falling in love with, and dating, her best friend had meant Laura hadn't had to flirt with strangers. She had no experience in hitting on other girls. Hell, it was hard enough for her to be recognised as being gay in the first place. Laura sometimes felt like she needed to be waving a rainbow flag around just to get other girls to notice her.
"On second thoughts, you're probably small enough to fit through one of those windows." Elsie smirked, sounding more like her usual smart ass self.
"Thanks." Laura deadpanned. She watched the other girl walk out with a shake of her head.
"I had a great time tonight." Will beamed as he killed the engine outside of Laura's block. He placed one of his hands on the back of her headrest, leaning in towards her.
"Me too. Thanks." Laura stuck her hand out between them. She'd spent the last hour at the club trying to distance herself from Carmilla's bother. Shrugging off his attempts to touch her and ducking him every time his face came close to hers.
Will shook her hand, though he looked a little dumbfounded by it. "Goodnight then!" Laura unbuckled her belt and threw open her door as fast as was humanly possible. She had her foot on the first step of the stoop before she heard Will calling out for her.
"Laura, wait!" He jogged around the side of the car and right up to her. Standing on the step, Laura almost came eye to eye with the other, much taller, teenager. "I uh, I just wanted to say I really enjoyed your company tonight. I'd… I'd like to do it again sometime."
"Oh. Me too, but Will-" Laura was cut off as Will stepped forward, bringing his hand up to cup Laura's cheek as he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss lasted for only a few seconds. Laura, in a state of shock, pushed him away from her. "I'm gay!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, attracting a few curious glances from passersby. She ducked her head, feeling another blush spreading over her already red cheeks.
Will didn't say a word. He just stood staring at her, his lips still parted - and coated in Laura's lip-gloss. "I'm sorry! I thought you knew… Sorry!" Laura shoved her key in the lock and rushed inside while Will was still staring after her, wondering what the hell had just happened.
Laura trudged slowly up the stairs, glad not to run in to either Kirsch or Danny as she made her way up to the fourth floor. She felt terrible for leading Will on, but once she'd realised it actually was a date, she'd done her best to try and avoid the kind of situation that had happened out there on the front steps.
The teenager paused as she came to a stop in front of her own door, and then carried on walking past it. Safe in the knowledge that Elsie was working - and so not inside with Carmilla - Laura knocked on her neighbour's door.
There was still a chance that Carmilla wasn't alone. It was a Saturday night after-all, and Carmilla was downright stunning. She could have anyone she wanted. Even still, the older girl's face still lit up when she opened her door and found Laura standing in front of it.
It took her a fraction of a second to remember they were fighting, and the delight slipped away, quickly replaced by an impenetrable mask of indifference; Carmilla's trademark look. "You were right!" Laura started babbling the second the door was open. "Will thought it was a date, and he tried to kiss me, and I think I might have led him on. But I really didn't mean to and-"
"Whoa! Backup, Cupcake." Carmilla stopped her mid-rant with a sobering grip on both of her shoulders. Her eyes narrowed, darkening to a stormy hazel colour. "Will. Kissed. You?"