The reader and the talker.

Disclaimers: I do not own any of the rights to the characters from Carmilla.

Personal note: woke up this morning by almost all my chapters deleted so I had ro repost them. Hope I don't confuse to many of you, i wish i knew what happened to them but i don't, might be a prank by my idiotic brother or something :/

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Chapter 4:

It was well over lunch time and yet no sign of Carmilla. Didn't she need her phone? She clearly needed it for work like she had told Laura a couple of days ago, yet she hasn't showed and it was soon closing time. Laura shook her head and let out a long sigh. The store had been almost empty the whole day and with barely no costumers and everything tided up she had nothing else to do but to wait for the mysterious girl. It was driving her to insanity.

It was closing time and Laura looked once more at the door. Yet, no sign of Carmilla. She let out a sigh and decided that it was time to close down and she wouldn't hold the doors open just because some stupid woman was late.
Just as she had gone and locked the door a pling was heard from behind the counter. She went back and was expecting a text from LaFonatine about their plans for tonight, however she was shocked to see that it was actually Carmilla's phone that had buzzed. Laura stood there a moment contemplating if she should read the text or not. She had kept Carmilla's phone charged, seeing that she needed it for work and it wouldn't be kind to give the girl a dead phone back. However, this was the first sign of communication that had spurted out of her phone. She took a deep breath before clicking the home button. There, words glowing on screen, was a text from Will. It was pretty short, so she didn't even have to open the phone to see the rest of the text.
"Hi Laura! Carmilla had a meeting she needed to take care of. She will be there soon."

Laura frowned for a second. Was she supposed to wait, more than she already had, for Carmilla to arrive? But she had plans! Laura contemplated for a couple of seconds, either wait and get this over with. Or text Will saying that, yes she had plans and Carmilla could come back another day. But there was something holding her back. Was it that she wanted to meet the raven haired girl again or was she just being a decent human and realising that this was in fact Carmillas work phone and she probably needed it. With an annoyed huff she took up her phone from her pocked and dialled LaFontaines number, telling her that she would be late for Perry's cheese and wine evening.

Laura jerked from the harsh knock on the locked door. Finally! She thought as she briskly walked over to the door and unlocking it, only to have a drenched Carmilla run in, muttering something about hating the rain.

"Darn weather, it says that it's going to be sunny and look what happens! A freaking monsoon rain comes by" Carmilla muttered as she took of her leather jacket and tried to shake it dry. Laura just stood there looking at her, she remembered that she was pissed for waiting 45 minutes for the girl in front of her. But with her hair messy from the wind she just couldn't help but get butterflies in her stomach. But Laura quickly remembered that she should in fact be mad, she had waited ALL day for this girl and she doesn't even say hi. She just ran in thinking she owns the place like she always does.

"Where have you been?!" Laura said irritably. Carmilla stopped shaking her jacket and looked at Laura with irritation in her brown eyes. Who was she to question her where she had been?!

"Eum, excuse me? Some people actually have a business to run." She said with irritation towards the shorter girl.

"That is very understandable, but I've been waiting all day here!" She exclaimed as she crossed her arms.

"Well, I sent an email to Will asking him to send you a text. Didn't you get it?" Carmilla asked while gliding her long fingers through her curls.

"Yes, I did get the text but I didn't think it was going to take this long! I had plans, and I still do but now I'll be super late!" Carmilla eyes shifted to the floor for a couple of seconds. Laura squinted her eyes for a bit, was the taller girl actually looking guilty. But as soon the brown eyes looked up at her green ones, that feeling was lost.

"Well, you could have texted him back saying that I could have come back tomorrow instead if that was such a big problem for you Sundance."

"You are being extremely unfair you know that right? Not only did I find your phone, I kept it charged for you so that when you got it back you could start using it directly. I actually took in mind that it was for work and I figured you would have several missed phone calls that would be needed taken care of. Yet here you are, being annoyed at me for no apparent reason!" Laura practically yelled out the last part. The girl in front of her was so infuriating at times. Carmilla's eyes widened. She wasn't used to being talked back to, except from her mother. When she made herself clear, she made sure everyone knew that she meant it. But here in front of her stood this short annoying girl, putting her foot down and Carmilla wasn't used to that. At all.

Carmilla let out a sigh before answering the blond girl. "Okay cupcake, if you're so annoyed at me for having a life I'll just take you out for coffee or something. I don't know… "make it up to you" how does that sound?" Carmilla asked as she put her jacket on.

"That… that actually sounds pretty good" Laura answered slightly shocked out how nice Carmilla was being, but at the same time shocked at how bitchy she could sound while being nice. It was quite different. But at the same time Laura couldn't remember ever meeting someone like Carmilla. "Wait…are you going to be late again and make me sit by myself at the cafe looking like a total idiot?"

"Karnsteins might be assholes, but we have honour. So, no. I won't be late." Carmilla reassured as she put her hand out. "Now while that's settled, can I have my phone back?" She said as she raised an eyebrow at the bookkeeper.

Laura shook her head quickly and blushed slightly. "Ye-yes of course, here you go!" She said as she handed her her phone.

"Give me your phone?" Carmilla demanded.

"What…?" Laura answered uncertain. Was she going to rob her now?

"I'm not going to rob you if thats what you thought. I need your phone so I can write down my number." She answered simply.

"Oh yes of course!" Laura answered hurriedly, blushing slightly at how Carmilla had read her mind. Laura handed Carmilla her phone and she quickly wrote down her number before giving the phone back to the shorter girl.

"There you go, text me later." And with that Carmilla had turned her heel and was out in the rain again. Laura stood there confused for a couple of seconds. Was she seriously going to go out and take a coffee with the person who she could barely stand. Did she just get her number? What was going on?

Laura knocked on the wooden door and waited impertinently for one of her friends to open for her. One of her pet peeves was being late. She hated it but today she actually had a legitimate excuse for her tardiness. The door opened and to her surprise it wasn't Perry or LaFontaine who had opened it. In front of her stood a extremely tall girl with long red curls hanging loosely down her beautiful face. Laura felt confused for a second, wondering if she had accidentally wrung the wrong door. But it couldn't be, this was Perry's apartment, right?

"You must be Laura!" The tall girl said with a bubbly smile on her face as she extended her hand. "I'm Danny, I've heard so many great things about you!" Laura stood frozen for a couple of seconds before grabbing hold of Danny's hand and shaking it.

"Hi, wow… yes I'm Laura" She answered with a small laugh. "You're… extremely tall." She said bluntly. The taller girl laughed a bit uncomfortable and scratched her neck.

"Yea, I get that a lot." She answered as she looked at the floor.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I offended you! I was just so shocked! I thought Perry was going to open as always but then when you stood there, well, I thought I was at the wrong apartment!" Laura admitted with a small laugh.

"No harm done, come in!" Danny stepped to the side, allowing Laura to walk past her and into the spotless apartment.

Classic jazz music was playing in the background and you could hear LaFontaine laughing in the dining room. The table was set with beautiful candles, plates of cheese with crackers and glasses of wine were already set up for the four girls.

"Ah, Laura! What a pleasure that you've arrived! I see that you've met Danny!" Perry said with a huge smile on her face. "Do you want me to pour you some wine dear?"

"That would be great" Laura answered as she sat down next to LaFontaine. "I'm sorry I was late, I had to wait for Carmilla, she didn't show up and yea." She trailed off.

"I'm aware, LaFonatine told me all about it. So, did she show up?" Perry questioned as she handed Laura her glass.

"Well, she was being rude for no apparent reason and I-"

"Wait, she was being rude because you gave her her phone back? After she was late?" Danny questioned with a raised eyebrow. "What's her problem?"

"That's exactly what I thought!" Laura exclaimed. "I mean, I had charged her phone and everything! Yet, she was being rude and I just don't get it. Anyway, she wanted to make it up to me so she's gonna take me out for coffee apparently." Laura finished. The girls looked at her with question in their eyes.

"Do you really want to go and take a coffee with her though? I mean I thought she was annoying and rude." LaFontaine said as she took another bite of her cracker with cheese.

"Yea, I mean she hasn't exactly proven to be a good person." Perry joined in.

"I don't know her but from what I've heard she isn't exactly the kindest person on the planet." Danny said with a shrug of her shoulders. Laura looked at her two friends and Danny and they were right. She wasn't nice and she kept annoying her. So why would she go take a coffee with her.

"Yea, I guess you guys are right. But she can be kind sometimes…"

"Sometimes isn't enough though. Either your kind or you aren't. End of story. Sure, everyone has their bad days but she's proven again and again to be an ass to you for no apparent reason." LaFontaine said with a mouthful of crackers, which earned they a disappointed look from Perry. LaFontaine smiled an awkward smile at Perry before swallowing it whole and clearing her throat.

"But you do as you want man. I'll be here to listen to how horrible she was towards you if you go on that date!" The shorthaired redhead continued.

"It's not a date!" Laura yelled, which caused a tense silence between the girls. "I'm sorry, but no. I have no interest in going on a date with her." She added more calmly.

"Alright then" The hostess said. "Well, I have told you how I met Danny?"

And the evening continued with all four girls laughing at old memories and just having girl talk. By the end of the evening they were all a bit tipsy and Perry was starting to clean up the table.

"Well, it was great coming over! Next month, same time right?" Laura smiled at Perry who was starting to wash the dishes.

"Yes of course dear, you know I love my routines on point. Next time, try not to be late." She said the last part a bit sternly.

"I promise!" Laura went over to bid LaFontiane goodbye and when she was coming over to hug Danny goodbye, Danny stopped her. "I'm actually also leaving, maybe we could walk together?" The tall girl asked timidly.

"Yea sure, that'd be great!" The shorter girl smiled at the redhead.

The rain had subsided and the streets were quite as Laura and Danny started walking. Laura looked up at Danny as they walked, she was a girl who walked with confidence. There was something about her, she had only known her for a couple of hours and she was already looking up at her, inspirationally speaking that is. Danny put both her hands on the back of her neck as she let out a sigh.

"What is it?" Laura wondered.

"Well, I'm just really happy I met Perry and got to meet the rest of you guys. Haven't had real friends for a while so it feels good." Laura smiled and nodded. Real friends wasn't something she was used to. Being bullied most of her school years had put a number on her. Books had basically become her best friends, hence why she was working at the bookstore before she could find a real journalism job.

"You're right. Real friends are hard to come by, but I promise you that those people are seriously awesome." There was a comfortable silence after that. But after a while of aimless walking Laura finally realised that she didn't even know where Danny lived, maybe she wasn't walking the right way.

"Hey, are you walking in the right direction?" Laura asked as she looked at Danny.

Danny put her hands in her pockets. "Nah, I actually live on the whole other part of the city. But I thought I could walk you home." She answered with a shoulder shrug. "Beside, it's always nice with company." She left out a little laugh which caused her breath to fog by the cold.

"You really don't need to!" Laura stopped walking and turned to Danny, which made her stop in her tracks. "It's really cold and then you'll have to walk double as far as you originally needed and-and it just doesn't seem fair!" She said as she threw her hands out.

"Well, I'm just doing it for your company. I like you Laur, you're awesome!" Laura blushed lightly and looked down on the ground.

"Thanks, you're… you're quite awesome too!" She said with a bubbly smile which made Danny laugh.

"Come on let's get you home before we freeze our asses off!" Laura nodded in agreement and they continued to walk down the cold and deserted street.

They finally arrived at the apartment and Laura started searching for her keys. When she finally found them she didn't really know how to say bye to Danny. She hadn't know her that long, would a hug be okay? Maybe a handshake? A wave?

"Well, it was great meeting you Laur, I hope I see more of you in the future." Danny said with a smile as she looked down on the short girl.

"Yea, you too!" Laura smiled back at the giant that was Danny. Danny suddenly pulled her in for a hug. But it didn't really feel like just any normal hug, it felt more… intimate for some reason. Laura was quite taken aback by the sudden affection that Danny was showing.

Danny let her go and smiled at her again before turning her heel and yelling a "See ya around!"

Laura walked into her apartment, quite confused of the hug. But she thought maybe it was better not reading into things, she already did that too much.