The reader and the talker.
Disclaimers: I do not own any of the rights to the characters from Carmilla.
Chapter 7:
It was Thursday and Laura was on her way to meet Danny at a restaurant downtown. Danny had picked the restaurant and Laura had never even heard of the place. But Laura loved trying new things so she was rather excited to meet her newfound friend. She was however still a bit confused at how they had left things the last time they had met. However, she decided to put that aside. She liked Danny, a lot. She was funny, smart, openminded and she fit wonderfully with her other friends.
She turned the corner and saw the sign she was looking for. "Antonio's Pizza" it read. It had been a while since Laura had eaten pizza and she was starving! Or well, it was actually last week but for her it felt like an eternity. She walked through the door into the tiny restaurant. She looked around and the place, well, it wasn't the cleanest of all places Laura had been at. However, it did have this cozy Italian style to it which made up for it.
Laura saw the redhead sitting with her back turned to her, looking down at the menu. Laura walked up to the tall girl.
"Hey Danny!" Laura greeted with a huge smile. Danny turned to face her and smiled broadly at her and pushed out her chair and brought her into a tight hug which Laura happily accepted.
"Hey Laur! I tell you, this place might not look that fancy, but I promise you, they have the best pizzas in town." Danny said excitedly as Laura took her seat in front of the tall girl.
"Really now?" Laura raised an eyebrow in amusement as in challenging Danny's judgment. "Well, that is a pretty big statement your making there." She continued playfully as she took up her menu and started going through the different kinds of pizzas.
"Well, I wouldn't take such a pretty girl like yourself to just any restaurant." Danny answered back as she looked at Laura over her menu. Laura frowned for a couple of seconds before letting Danny's comment go.
"So, what are you getting?" Laura asked as she scanned through the menu.
"I was thinking about Cozze witch has… hmm let's see now. Yes, Mozzarella, scampi, mussels, parsley, fresh garlic and scallops!" She closed her menu and put it by her side. "What about you?" Danny asked with a smile on her face.
"Well, I was thinking about Vesuvio. If a pizza restaurant can pull off the simplest pizza by making it somehow different to the other restaurants, then in my eyes they have proven themselves." She answered as she put down her menu.
Danny laughed at the girl in front of her. "Wow, you really take your pizza that seriously?" She questioned with a huge smile on her face.
"Eum, if you didn't notice this Monday already, I take my food very seriously. Food is basically life! Without food we wouldn't be alive!" She exclaimed as Danny giggled at how passionate Laura was being.
"Yea trust me I noticed. It's kinda cute… in a extremely weird way that is!" Danny said playfully.
"Hey!" Laura blurted out as she playfully hit Danny with her menu. "I'm not weird and as my dad always told me, I'm just different." She nodded with a proud look on her face.
"Well of course he had to say that, you're his daughter." Danny answered back playfully, which earned her another hit from Laura's menu. Both girls were laughing hysterically and suddenly they heard someone clearing their throat. The girls started giggling at the realisation that the waiter stood sternly looking down at them.
"So, have you made a choice ladies?" He asked, equally sternly.
The woman cleared their throat as they both held back their laughing.
"Yes, I'll have a diet Coke with the Cozze pizza." Danny said as she handed her menu to the waiter.
"Aaaaand, I'll have a Pepsi with the Vesuvio." Laura added as she gave her menu to the waiter who wrote down both orders down before taking their menus.
"You're drinks will arrive soon." He said firmly as he retired back to the kitchen.
Laura and Danny looked at each other before giggling again. "Jeez, whats up his butt?" Danny said between giggles.
The waiter had returned with their drinks and quickly went over to another table, taking the other customers orders.
Laura started drinking from her drink and caught Danny looking at her. "What?" She questioned as she looked at Danny with a frown on her face.
"Well, I didn't take you for a Pepsi girl." She said as she shrugged her shoulders. Laura swallowed her drink with a big gulp before answering.
"Ah, well you see, in my opinion pepsi is just better." She stated simply as she drew her fingers through her hair.
"Hmm…" Danny put her hand by her chin and started stroking it like she had a beard.
"What?" Laura wondered as she tilted her head.
"Hmm… no I was only agreeing to my earlier analysis. You're defiantly weird. Weird but cute." Danny said still stroking her fake bread as a playful smile appearing on her lips.
Laura huffed and crossed her arms childishly. "Fine. As long as I'm cute I'm happy I guess." She said in a childlike voice which made both girls snicker. "You're a dork." Laura said as their snickering had subsided.
"Hey, who's the dork here? LaFontaine told me about your obsession of Ron and Snape fan fiction." Danny continued with a raised eyebrow. Laura's jaw dropped.
"I told that in confidence!" She exclaimed in embarrassment. "Remind me to never tell LaFontaine anything embarrassing in the future." She said as she hid her blush behind her hands.
"Well, it's quite funny though. Don't be embarrassed Laur, at least you have a passion." Danny remarked with a kind eyes.
"Well, are you passionate about something?" Laura asked curiously. Suddenly Danny's smile fell from her face and her eyes diverted to the table.
"Well…" She started. "I used to be, or I still am but yea…" She finished uncertainly.
Laura frowned at the redhead in front of her. Interested by what could have changed her mood from playful to so serious in moments.
"What? You can tell me, I promise won't judge." But Danny still didn't look up at the girl in front of her. Her eyes still glued on the table. "Danny…" Laura said sadly and reached over to grab her hand. "Hey, I really like you okay? You can tell me. I won't be like LaFontaine and tell others." She said with a chuckle.
"You like me?" Danny finally looked up with a glimpse in her eyes.
"Yea of course I do Danny! You're smart, you're so funny. I've only met you once and we are laughing like we've known each other for years! You're awesome!" She said with a smile on her face as she started stroked Danny's hand.
Danny covered Laura's hand with her own and smiles up at Laura. "I like you too. You're awesome." She looks at Laura intensely for a couple of seconds before she broke eye contact again.
"So, you want to tell me your passion. No judging, I promise." She said, she put up both of her hands in a surrender gesture as she let go of Danny's hand.
"Well, I used to play lacrosse. I was actually really good at it. I was captain and everything. But then one match went wrong. We were in the finals and I took a bad hit to the knee. I haven't been able to play since." She finishes off sadly.
Laura looks at her with compassion before grabbing her hand again. "I'm so sorry that happened to you Danny, I bet you were great." She said with sympathy as she gently stroked the taller girls hand.
Danny lets out a chuckle. "I was freaking great, I had a scholarship and everything. But well… because that didn't turn out like I planned I had to study economics instead. I love maths and logical thinking, but I've always wondered, you know, what would have happened if I didn't get hurt that day." She wondered sadly.
Laura felt bad for the girl in front of her. She had a dream and it got taken from her. It just wasn't fair. But if there was something she had learned in life is that sometimes life just isn't fair.
"Well, life isn't fair sometimes. I know that. My mom died in a car accident, my dad and I made it out fine with just a few scratches. But she…well, she didn't." Laura said with a sad smile on her face as Danny looked up at her.
"I'm so sorry for your loss, Laura." She said as she squinted her eyes as her.
"Yea, me too. But hey, guess what." Laura said with a genuine smile on her face.
"What?" Danny asked.
"If those things wouldn't have happened in our lives we probably wouldn't be here today. Eating the city's best pizza, am I right?" Laura said with a encouraging smile on her face.
Danny let out a chuckle. "Yea, you're right. This might be the worlds best pizza."
"Hey now, let's not over-exaggerate. Nothing beats Italian pizza!" She said as she playfully frowned at the girl in front of her.
The girls were interrupted by the waiter coming back with their pizzas and Laura let go of Danny's hand so he had enough place to put down the two plates on the table.
"Here you go, two of the city's best pizzas!" He said with a smile on his face. Which shocked both of them, seeing that he had been acting so rudely before. Probably because they weren't making as much noise anymore.
Laura took a bite of her pizza and her tastebuds exploded with the rich taste.
"Oh my god! You weren't kidding where you?!" Laura said in amazement, still with food in her mouth.
Danny mumbled a "Mhmm!" as she took another bite.
—
Laura let out a moan of satisfaction as she patted her stomach.
"God, that might be one of the best pizzas I've ever had!" She said as she took a sip of her Pepsi.
"I told you!" Danny said with excitement in her voice.
The waiter walked up to the two stuffed girls. "Anything else?" He asked politely.
"I'm full, what about you Danny?" Laura asked as she tried to sit up straight without making her pants explode from the pressure of her full stomach. It was a challenge though.
"God, I will not be able to eat for days! The check would be great though." Danny said as she looked at the waiter who nodded his head and went to the cash register.
"I can't believe I haven't gone here before!" Laura said in amazement and bewilderment.
"Good thing I brought you here then!" Danny answered with a satisfied smile on her face.
The waiter came back with the check and left it on the table and just as Laura was reaching for her wallet, Danny interrupted her.
"Oh no, I'm paying for this." She stated as she brought out her wallet and started counting her cash.
"Danny you really don't need to." Laura insisted, still picking up her wallet.
"Nonsense, you payed me in company and I pay you with food." She said simply as she put out her money on the table.
"I do like the sound of that. But are you sure?" Laura insisted once again.
"Yes."
"Are you sure?" Laura repeated.
Danny let out a chuckle. "Yes Laura, I promise it's fine! No worries, I got this!" Laura still looked unsure though, however Danny grabbed her hand and and looked into Laura's eyes intensely. "Laur, I promise it's fine."
Laura let out a sigh. "If you say so. But you know I can take care of myself right?" She looked at with a questioned look on her face.
"Of course I know that!" Danny answered with a smile on her face. "Come on, lets get out of here." She said as she nodded towards the door.
The girls bid their farewell to the waiter and were now standing outside of the restaurant.
"What now?" Danny questioned as she looked at the shorter girl.
"Well, actually I need to head back. I have some laundry I need to take care of and some other chores." Laura admitted as she looked up at the redhead.
"Ah, yes the peeks of being an adult." They both chuckled.
"Well, I had a great time today Laur. You're awesome and thank you."
"For what?" Laura wondered as she squinted her eyes at the redhead.
"Well, for being supportive when I told you the lacrosse thing. I don't know but it meant a lot to me you know?" Danny said unsurely as she scratched her neck.
"No problem, I'm here for you." Laura said with reassurance in her eyes. Danny looked at her and smiled a small smile before blushing slightly before looking away. Laura found it odd that the taller girl blushed at her comment but Laura figured she was just a bit shy.
"Well, when will I see you again?" Danny wondered.
"I don't know. Next time you contact me about food?" Laura said playfully with a grin on her face which caused Danny to chuckle.
"How aren't you fat by now?" She replied humorously.
"Good genes I guess." Laura answered as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Hey, I was thinking. Have you heard about that private party Kirch is having on friday?"
"Yea, I'm going to that actually!"
"Really? That's awesome! Then I'll see you friday?" Danny said with a huge grin on her face.
"You bet!" Laura answered as she swung her arm up which made Danny roll her eyes at her silliness.
Laura opened her arms for a quick goodbye hug, but to her surprise, Danny pulled her in by her waist, holding her tightly against her tall body. Laura honestly felt a bit uncomfortable with the intimacy they were sharing but she figured she was just a very affectionate person seeing that this was how they had bid farewell the last time. Laura laughed nervously and pushed her off slightly. And the redhead looked at her a bit confused but the confusion in her eyes quickly disappeared.
"Well, see you on friday Danny!" Laura said as she started walking towards her apartment.
Danny stood there for a couple of moments, smiling at Laura as she disappeared around the corner. Laura Hollis was defiantly something else, she though.