Chapter Text
Prologue
The world is a blur of brown and white as I race through the trees. My path is lit by moonlight reflecting off the newly fallen snow that blankets the ground. The scent of the forest fills my nose. The ground starts to rise beneath me. The trees thin out, revealing a bare hill. Above me the sky is cloudless and pitch-black. A brilliant full moon is the only light, even the stars seem dimmed. At the top of the hill I skid to a stop in a spray of glittering snow. My ragged breath, steaming in the air, is the only sound. I look out at the forest below me, searching for any sign of movement. The only thing I see are my own paw prints trailing behind me. Relieved, I turn to continue down the other side of the hill.
“Laura!”
Suddenly, a dark shape bursts from out of nowhere and slams into my side. Its momentum sends us tumbling forward down the slope. Locked together, we roll until the we reach the tree line. The wind knocked out of me, my eyes lock on the moon right before everything fades away.
1
Those Dang Dogs
I’m already awake when my alarm goes off. I sigh, blindly slapping at the blaring device until it’s silent. ‘Ugh, Monday. I am way too tired for this.’ Those dang dogs were howling all night, again, and I barely got any sleep. It happens every couple days. The nights they don’t keep me up are dominated by the strangest dream. When that happens I wake up in a cold sweat and my heart is racing. ‘The howling must be affecting my subconscious and making me dream I’m a dog or something.’ A knock at my door startles me from my thoughts.
My dad’s muffled voice calls from the hall, “Hey Laura, you getting up?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m awake.” I yell back while throwing back the covers. ‘Holy Hufflepuff, it’s freezing in here!’ I grab a pair of fuzzy socks and save my toes from the cold floor. It’s the end of November and I still haven’t gotten used to the shock of leaving my warm bed. A little later I make my way downstairs after stopping in the bathroom. The sound of dishes clanking together drifts from the kitchen. Turning the corner, I see Dad placing strips of bacon on plates piled with scrambled eggs. He is wearing the usual shirt and tie with his badge hanging from his neck.
He smiles at me and tilts his head toward the cabinet above the stove, “Grab the mugs, I already made the hot chocolate.”
Instead of opening the cabinet, I sheepishly take my TARDIS mug from the sink. Dad just shakes his head in mock disappointment. I came down last night after waking from that weird dream. It’s not my fault hot chocolate is the only thing I’ve found that calms me down. I fill my mug to the top and pour the rest of the pot into his Silas PD travel mug. He carries both plates over to the table and slides mine to me when I sit down opposite him. I slide his mug towards him at the same time. We both giggle at the familiarity of the routine.
“You know, one day one of us is going to miss and we’ll have a huge mess on our hands,” he says with a wide grin on his face.
“Well,” I reply around the piece of bacon hanging from my mouth, “When, I mean if, that ever happens, I am deciding now, that both parties are responsible for clean up.”
“That’s just because you will be the one to miss.” He laughs.
I attempt to glare at him, but he just laughs harder when the eggs fall off the fork I’m lifting to my mouth. His laugh is infectious, even more so since I know he’s right, and soon we are both wiping tears from our eyes. The next few minutes are quiet, save the scraping of forks and the radio playing softly. A wide yawn takes me by surprise and I lean back in my chair from the force of it. Dad’s eyes widen in concern as he looks at me.
“You feeling okay kiddo? Get enough sleep?” he asks.
I nod my head and wave off the questions. “Yeah, I’m fine. Although I think a pack of wolves has moved into the neighborhood.” I say with a laugh.
“A what?!” Dad practically shouts. He dropped his fork and eggs flew onto the table. I jump slightly at the action. ‘Whoa, what’s his deal?’ I have never seen him look so scared. I mean, he has always been overprotective. I’ve been learning Krav Maga since I was eight and he always makes sure I have a day-of-the-week can of bear spray in my backpack. So any thought of me being in danger freaks him out; him being a homicide detective certainly doesn’t help the paranoia either. But all that aside, he is reacting a little strongly to my joke.
“Whoa, Dad, relax. I was kidding. Some neighbor must leave their dogs out at night and they keep me up with their howling. It’s no big deal though,” I add quickly, “I’ll just get some earplugs or something.”
He takes a breath, his shoulders visibly relaxing. “Right, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. Last week some hikers found a body that had been mauled by animals in the woods outside of town and the coroner thinks it was wolves. If you had actually seen some, that wouldn’t have been good.” He says, in what I call his cop voice. Then he grins, “If you want, I can flash my badge around and tell everyone to keep their pets inside.”
Well that explains it. Dad is always more on edge after something bad happens at work. But I definitely don’t want him doing that second thing. That would be more embarrassing than how he made me wear elbow and knee pads while riding my bike till I was fifteen. ‘Well maybe not quite that bad.’ “Don’t you dare!” I exclaim, “That would be such an abuse of power.”
“Why did I work so hard for it if I can’t even help my favorite daughter get a good night sleep?” He asks, his grin growing.
“I’m your only daughter.” I mumble. I glance at the clock, ‘Oh shoot, I gotta hurry up.’ Quickly finishing my eggs, I gulp down the last of my hot chocolate. Dad finishes his breakfast as well. He grabs our plates and takes my mug when I hand it to him.
“Doesn’t mean you’re not my favorite.” He kisses the top of my head on the way to drop the dishes in the sink. He puts his jacket on and grabs his coat off the hook. “Alright kid, I’m headed out. Have a fun time at school. This is the last week before Thanksgiving break, right?”
A smile splits my face at his reminder. “Oh yeah, it is! Man, I really need this break.” I say, suddenly not as tired as before. He chuckles at my new-found excitement. “Have a good day at work. See you later!” I give him a quick hug and run upstairs to get dressed. I hear him yell goodbye as he walks out the door. Once in my room, I start looking through my closet for something to wear. I don’t want to be cold on top of tired today, so I pick out my warmest sweater and some skinny jeans. It doesn’t take me long to finish getting ready. I just tame the frizzy mess my dirty blonde hair became overnight and put on a little make-up. I’m putting my books in my backpack when I hear my phone vibrate on my bed.
[Laf]: Hey L! Don’t forget our lab write-ups ;)
‘Dang it, how did they know?’ I grab Laf’s Bio folder off my desk.
[Laura]: Of course not, when have I ever let you down?
[Laf]: We really don’t have time to get into that, haha. The bus is gonna be here soon.
They’re right, about both things. I shove my boots on my feet and wrap a scarf around my neck. I take my lunch from the fridge, lock the front door behind me, and run down the street to the bus stop. It’s my senior year and I’m going to be eighteen in a few weeks, but will my dad let me get my driver’s license? Nope. Too dangerous he says. He says no matter how careful I am; it won’t help if someone else is careless. Luckily, Laf’s parents won’t let them drive either, something about them being accident prone. Which is probably a good thing actually. There do seem to be an abnormal amount of explosions when they’re around. They don’t complain though. They are more than happy to ride the bus everyday as long as Perry is riding with them. Perry has been their best friend since they were both five, and they have been inseparable just as long. Perry doesn’t have her license because, well, Laf doesn’t.
I get to the corner panting and out of breath. LaFontaine and Perry are already there. Perry waves cheerfully as I slow to a stop next to them. I am normally a pretty upbeat person, but I will never understand how she seems to wake up on the right side of the bed every day.
“Good morning Laura! How was your weekend?” Perry asks.
I smile widely at her, “Morning Perry! My weekend was great. Dad and I just sat around watching old movies. Oh, and I finished my English paper.”
“That’s wonderful dear. Maybe you can help LaFontaine with theirs.” The look she sends Laf’s way is one of a disappointed mother and I can’t help but laugh.
She holds my lunch while I open my backpack. After my lunch is away, I hold up the folder I carried all the way there. Laf takes it from my outstretched hand. “See, didn’t forget.” I say smugly.
“That’s why you were carrying it in your hand, not your bag.” They say, smirking and shaking their head. Perry smacks their arm. “Ow Perr. Thanks L.” They slide the folder into their messenger bag just as the bus pulls up.
We all get on and head to the back. Perry and LaFontaine sit next to each other while I stretch out in the seat across the aisle. A yawn escapes my lips as I lean my head back against the window. I close my eyes and I rest my hands on my stomach.
“Late night with the Doctor?”
I crack one eye open and see an amused Laf and concerned Perry looking at me. “I went to bed at a reasonable time, thank you very much.” I say indignantly. ‘And I’ve been re-watching Orphan Black lately.’ Two sets of eyebrows raise skeptically. I huff out a breath in defeat, “Okay not really, but it was some neighborhood dogs that kept me up, not Doctor Who. Do you guys hear them? My dad never does and I don’t know how that’s possible. Those dang dogs are so loud. It’s like they are right outside my window, and once I’m up I can’t fall back asleep. They howl all night long, how do you not-”
“Whoa there, L. Take a breath.” Laf reaches across the aisle and grabs my hands, which had begun to wave about frantically during my rant. “What are you talking about? I’m only a street over and I didn’t hear any howling dogs.” They look at Perry, “Did you?”
Perry, who lives next to Laf, shakes her head, “Sorry sweetie.”
I frown. LaFontaine not hearing anything isn’t much of a surprise, they sleep like the dead. But Perry not hearing anything either? That’s just weird. She’s the lightest sleeper I’ve ever met. ‘Oh God, what if it’s hellhounds? That would explain why only I can hear them!’ I physically shake the thoughts from my head. Clearly I have watched way too much Supernatural. ‘Plus, unless I made a deal with a crossroads demon when I was seven, there’s no reason for hellhounds to be after me.’ I cover my face with my hands and groan softly. Sometimes I concern myself with how big a dork I am. Of course I find comfort in the fact that I haven’t sold my soul, not the fact that demons and hellhounds aren’t even real.
“Hey, I can come over and soundproof your bedroom window if you want.” Laf says excitedly, “J.P. and I have been working on a sound-absorbing goo to use in the science labs. That way the whole school won’t freak out every time something explodes.” They rub their chin thoughtfully, “Although, lately it has been the goo that explodes. Which doesn’t even make sense since considering the chemicals we’ve been using…” They trail off and reach down into their bag, pulling out a folder full of papers covered with notes I have no hope of ever understanding. Their brow furrows and I know they’ve gone into “science mode”.
Perry looks at them affectionately and I just chuckle. Closing my eyes again, I hope a short nap will keep me from yawning all day. Twenty minutes later the bus jerks to a stop, throwing me sideways and onto the floor. Laf erupts into hysterical giggles at the sight. I get up and brush myself off. Then I shove them back into their seat and run off the bus holding in giggles of my own.
“Seriously, how old are the two of you?” I hear Perry ask.
~/~
I drop my backpack on the floor and collapse into my chair. Then I drop my head onto my desk. My English and History classrooms are right across the hall from each other. So, I’m always the first to my second period English class. Which is good, because I need a moment to recharge. I think I fell asleep three times while Mr. Harrison was lecturing, my notes are full of blank spaces. He follows the book almost word for word, so I will just have to read the chapter more carefully tonight. I can’t do that with Ms. Cochrane though. She likes to have class discussions on the reading assigned the day before. She’s my favorite teacher, and the faculty advisor for the school newspaper, so I like to participate as much as possible. I hear shuffling at the front of the room. Ms. Cochrane always wears heels, so I know it’s not her. I plan on keeping my eyes closed until I hear the telltale clicks.
The shuffling stops and someone clears their throat, “Uh, are you Laura Hollis?”
I lift my head off the desk and, I swear, my jaw hits it immediately after. Standing in front of me is the most impossibly tall and beautiful girl I have ever seen. Most people are tall compared to me, being a whopping 5’2”, but this girl is tall. My eyes trail up mile-long legs clad in jeans, a red and white baseball tee, a friendly smile, and long red hair. I’m getting lost in her bright blue eyes when I realize I have been staring for at least a minute.
“Oh-um-yeah, that’s me. Hollis, Laura Hollis.” I say quickly. ‘Smooth Hollis, smooth.’
The girl just smiles wider at me. “Oh good. Ms. Cochrane said you would be the first one in here. Although, she made you sound like a ball of sunshine.” She says the last part questioningly.
“Well not getting enough sleep tends to do this to me,” I explain, “but she’s right, I am usually much more cheerful. This is only temporary”
“I look forward to seeing that. I was also told you would be able to tell me where to put my stuff and where she puts the warm-up sheets. I’m Danny, by the way, Danny Lawrence. I’ll be Cochrane’s new aid.” She steps forward and holds out her hand.
I almost trip over my bag in my haste to stand up and shake the offered hand. “Nice to meet you Danny. You can sit over here.” I lead her over to a table covered in papers and books. “This is where Ms. Cochrane has us turn in all our assignments. Each class is supposed to have its own tray, but the table is kind of a mess right now. Maybe you can help her out with that.” I say with a laugh. She hums in agreement and starts to clear a space for herself. I grab a spare chair and drag it over. “So, the warm-up sheets are in a folder on her desk,” I gesture towards the front of the room, “and she usually hands them to us as we come in. Which she might have you do now.”
The bell rings just as I finish talking. I turn around and realize all the other kids in my class had come in. Ms. Cochrane entered at some point too and was telling everyone to take their seats. Danny shoots me a smile and make my way back to my desk. After introducing Danny to the class, Cochrane starts talking about the warm-up for the day. Danny hands out the worksheets and I can’t help but smile when I take mine. The rest of the period goes by quickly. I feel much more awake by the time the bell rings an hour and a half later. I don’t know if it’s because of the lively discussion, or a certain redhead I kept glancing at. After I pack up my stuff I look for Danny. She’s talking to Cochrane so I just wave to her on my way out the door. She gives me a small wave in return. I walk into the cafeteria with a smile on my face and the usual bounce in my step. I make my way through the crowded tables to where Laf and Perry are already sitting. I plop onto the bench and greet them cheerfully.
“Look who is all smiley and bouncy again.” Laf says around a mouthful of their sandwich. “Have a good class?”
I feel the blush coloring my cheeks as Danny’s smile flashes through my head. “Well, since you aske-” I’m interrupted by a very large body sliding along the bench and crashing into me.
“Wassup little nerd hottie!” Kirsch throws an arm around my shoulders and squeezes me into his side. “Long time no see bros.” He raises his other hand to high-five LaFontaine. Perry nods and says hello.
“Hey Kirsch. Congrats on the win Friday.” I say breathlessly to the giant puppy-like guy next to me, “And can you let go a little, I can’t breathe.”
“Oh sorry bro. I forget how small you are sometimes.” He laughs while releasing me. LaFontaine started laughing at the irritated look on my face and ends up choking on the sip of water they tried to swallow.
I glare at them while Perry rubs their back. “You are only like, an inch or two taller than me. You have no room to talk.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“Taller is taller, little L.” Laf replies once they can breathe again. At this, Kirsch raises his hand for another high-five and the two of them laugh at how touchy I am about my size.
“But anyway, dude, you gotta help me out with the assignment on that Beobab guy. Cochrane is making your class read it too, right?” Kirsch pleads.
“You mean Beowulf? Sure, I can help with that. I finished my paper already anyway. Just text me when you’re free later and I’ll come over.”
“Thanks Laura! Practice tonight is gonna be killer since coach doesn’t want us to slack off just ‘cause we won, but I’ll text you tomorrow for sure.” He wraps me in another bone-breaking hug, only letting go when someone calls his name across the cafeteria.
“Kirsch! Get over here! Cooper is trying to fit thirty tater tots in his mouth!”
“No way, I totally gotta see this.” Kirsch jumps up from the table and takes a few steps before turning back to us, “Thanks again little hottie, see ya later!” Then he rushes over to a table of his fellow football players to cheer on the guy stuffing his face.
“Well that is just completely childish.” Perry mutters while neatly folding up her napkin.
I look at Laf and neither of us can keep a straight face for very long, laughing till our sides hurt. Perry just huffs at us and continues cleaning up the table. After that lunch goes by as usual. We talk about our weekends, Laf’s latest experiment, how Perry had to help clean up said experiment, and anything else we think of until it’s time to go to our next class.
~/~
When I finally collapse on my bed, after finishing my homework, I am looking forward to getting some much needed sleep. My stomach is full of the pizza Dad picked up on the way home from work, grape soda, and an unhealthy number of chocolate chip cookies. Dad also got me some earplugs from the drug store. I put them in and burrow into my blankets. Between the warmth and my exhaustion, I drift off minutes after closing my eyes.
I wake up gasping for breath, the moon from my dream seared on the backs of my eyelids. My alarm clock says it’s one o’clock in the morning. ‘Two and a half hours, I think that’s a new record.’ I lay on my back, chest slowing to a normal pace, willing myself to fall back to sleep. After twenty minutes of counting sheep I give up. Avoiding the steps that creak, I make my way down to the kitchen. The moon is bright enough that I don’t have to turn on the lights. I rinse out my TARDIS mug and fill it with water. While the mug is in the microwave, it’s quieter than the tea pot, I get the hot chocolate mix out of the pantry. Mixing it all together, I take the steaming mug over to the window above the sink. The sky tonight looks the same as it does in my dream, with the moon outshining the stars. ‘It’s beautiful.’ I stare at it for a minute or two when the desire to be outside washes over me. The walls of my house suddenly feel like they are closing in on me. My chest tightens and I put my half-empty mug in the sink. Throwing on a hoodie and my boots, I slip quietly out the front door with my keys in my pocket.
I am a couple streets from my house when I realize I have no idea where I’m going. Spinning in place, I look around for some kind of destination. The park behind the neighborhood pool catches my attention. ‘I’ll go swing for a little while and go back home.’ As I approach the little playground I’m startled by a sound from above me. Stepping back, I look up at the roof and see someone laying up there. ‘Who comes to the park at this hour? Besides me, obviously.’ Their arms are bent behind their head and their legs are crossed at the ankles. Unnoticed, I take a moment to assess the mysterious figure. All I take in is a lot of black clothing and dark curls before a low voice sends chills down my spine.
“Like what you see, cutie?”
My breath audibly catches in my throat. Oh, dark and mysterious is a girl. A girl with a voice that literally took my breath away. A girl who just caught me staring at her like a creep. Great. “Get it together Hollis! Say something!’
“Yes.” ‘Really? Anything but that!’ “I mean no. Well, not no as in I don’t like what you look like, because I do. I mean no as in I wasn’t looking at you because I think you’re attractive. Actually, I can’t even really see you. So I don’t know if you’re attractive or not. You sound attractive, like really attractive. I just mean you don’t look like a creeper, which is good. Oh God,I totally look like creeper. Sneaking up on you at night and staring. I am so sorry. I’m gonna go. Sorry for disturbing you.” The words pour out of me without pause or permission. I turn around so the girl can’t see how red my face is turning and start to walk away.
I hear a dull thud behind me and then I feel a cold hand wrap around my wrist. I turn around to look at her. A cloud must have been in front of the moon and moved just as our gazes locked on each other. If her voice takes my breath away, her dark eyes makes me forget how to breathe in the first place. They glint like obsidian in the moonlight and I could stare into them for hours. She breaks eye contact to rake her gaze up and down my body. My breath finally decides to return, although shortened and hitched. I feel my blush deepening further under her scrutiny. While she takes me in, I do the same. And I was right, she is really attractive.
Dark hair hangs down past her shoulders, curling at the ends, framing her face. Eyeliner and red lipstick stand out against her ivory skin. She has her hands in the pockets of her black leather jacket. The words on the black shirt she is wearing underneath are so faded I can’t read them, but it looks like a band tee. Black skinny jeans, with rips at the knees, end at a pair of worn out black combat boots. So basically she’s gorgeous. Like drop dead gorgeous.
Her eyes catch mine again when I look back up at her face. Red lips stretch into a smug smirk. “Well, I definitely like what I see, cupcake. I’d take looking at you over the stars any day.” She leans forward so her lips are brushing up my neck. My heart is beating so fast I fear I’m going to pass out if she stays this close. Then her breath is ghosting over my ear. “You are far too cute to ever be considered a disturbance.” She whispers. The scent of spearmint and old books invades my brain. ‘Yup, totally gonna pass out. Any second now.’ I feel her fingers on my chin and she closes my mouth, which had fallen open at some point. She brushes past me with a wink. The confidence coming off of her is almost tangible.
I turn and try, really try, not to ogle her butt as she moves towards a nearby bench. I fail, epically. But it is impossible not to. Those pants hug all the right places and the way her hips are swaying is practically hypnotic. She glances over her shoulder, smirk growing when she sees that my mouth has once again fallen open. She sits down, resting an ankle on the knee of the opposite leg. Her arms stretch out across the back of the bench and causes her jacket to fall open. My eyes drop to her chest. I can now make out the Guns N’ Roses logo on her shirt. My fading blush comes back with a vengeance when I hear her chuckle.
“You gonna join me, cupcake? Or do you need a minute?” A perfect eyebrow raises in question.
“Cupcake?”
“I don’t know your name, cutie, and…” She looks pointedly at my legs.
I follow her gaze and look down at myself. ‘Holy frickin’ Christmas cake.’ I completely forgot I’m still wearing my pajamas. I’m in my oversized Hufflepuff hoodie and flannel pants with smiling cupcakes all over them. ‘This cannot be happening right now.’
The girl laughs and a genuine smile brightens up her face. “Oh it is, and it’s the most adorable thing I have ever seen.”
My hand flies to cover my mouth. I said that out loud. “Just stake me now.” I groan.
Her face softens and she pats the bench next to her. “Come here. It’s not like you can embarrass yourself more.”
“You shouldn’t underestimate me.” I mutter, sitting down. I’m careful to not be too close to her. I don’t think my still racing heart can take much more.
She laughs again and I decide that it’s my new favorite sound. She shifts her body slightly so that she’s facing me. The arm on the back of the bench falls a little and I can feel it barely touching the tops of my shoulders. She cocks her head to the side and looks at me, smirk back in place. I just look back her, unable to name the emotion in her eyes. The way she switches from blatantly flirting to quietly contemplating is giving me emotional whiplash. The silence stretches out. I fidget nervously, wringing my hands in my lap, until it becomes clear she isn’t going to go first.
I suddenly thrush my hand at her, her eyes widening in surprise. “Laura Hollis. Nice to meet you.” I say. I cringe slightly at how loud my voice sounds compared to the quiet that previously surrounded us.
She stares at my hand for a moment before taking it in her own. “Carmilla Karnstein.”
'No fair, even her name is pretty.’ I don’t know when, but at some point she moved closer to me. Her knee is now pressing lightly on my thigh and her arm fully across my shoulders. I know I should be warier of this practical stranger being so far in my personal space. My dad would have a freaking fit if he could see us right now. But Carmilla’s eyes are on mine again, and all I can think about is how soft her hand was in mine.
“So, Laura Hollis, what brings a pretty girl like you out to this little park in the middle of the night?” she asks.
The moon is shining on her hair and reflecting in her eyes, momentarily distracting me. I lower my head to hide my blush, again, while processing the question. She’s smiling at me when I look back up. There it is again, that switch. It’s like she’s trying to hide something behind all that bravado and sarcasm. ‘That is working about as well as me trying not to look at her butt.’ I’ve seen two different sides of Carmilla so far. The first oozes confidence and sex appeal. I have no doubt she could get any girl, or guy, with just a look. The second is the reason I found her on the roof of the playground, looking up at the stars. I want to be able to define this side of her. ‘The side that is currently looking at me like we are the only people on Earth.’ The knot of nerves in my stomach is replaced by a literal swarm of butterflies. ‘Fudge. I am so gay.’
“I couldn’t sleep and the sky looked so beautiful, so I decided to take a- a-” I stop mid-sentence when I feel her thumb start to rub circles on my upper arm. By the way she raises her eyebrows, she didn’t miss my stutter. ‘Switch.’ I’m not going to let her keep messing with me without retaliation. “So, I decided to take a walk. I planned on swinging but I was waylaid by a brooding stranger.” I put my hand on her thigh, moving my thumb back and forth.
Her smirk falters and the hand on my shoulder stills. Then she turns so that our bodies are completely pressed against each other. My heart skips a beat and the butterflies in my stomach turn up the fluttering. Carmilla leans her head back to look up, “It really is beautiful tonight, isn’t it?” She says softly. ‘Switch.’ “It’s comforting, to think how small we are in comparison. All the lives we’ve led, the people we’ve been, nothing to that light.”
I rest my head on her shoulder. I hear a quick intake of breath above me and she pulls me into her even more. ‘I thought she would feel warmer, weird.’ I breathe in spearmint and old books again and the smile that spreads across my face must be massive. I’m not sure how long we stay like this, but I know I have never felt so comfortable with someone so shortly after meeting them. I feel a yawn coming on and try to stifle it with my hand. Carmilla must hear the muted squeak that escapes my fingers. She laughs softly.
“C’mon, sweetheart. It’s late.” She pulls her phone from an inside pocket of her jacket. “Really late. You should be getting home.”
She stands up, raises her arms above her head, and stretches her back. Her shirt rides up and I see how low her pants are sitting on her hips. I can’t take my eyes off the dimples that appear just above her waistband. ‘Where did she even find pants that fit that well.’
“Take a picture, cutie. It’ll last longer.” She smirks at me over her shoulder. ‘Switch.’
Then she turns and offers me a hand up. Carmilla doesn’t let go once I’m standing and I’m certainly not going to. We walk across the park to the sidewalk. I hesitate, looking down at our hands. She runs her thumb over my knuckles. I lift my head to find her staring at me intently.
“Take a picture. It’ll last longer.” I say, my voice lower than I intended.
“Don’t tempt me.” She replies, stepping closer. “Give me your phone.”
“What?”
“Your phone, creampuff. Let me see it.”
I slip my hand into the pocket of my hoodie and only find my house keys. I start frantically patting my clothes.
“Uh, everything okay?” Carmilla places her hand lightly on my bicep.
“I must have forgotten my phone in my room.”
“Oh. Well then,” She pulls her phone back out, “I guess I have to ask for your number, instead of giving you mine.”
My cheeks redden when I realize what she means. I take her phone and send a text to myself. She smiles softly at me. Then she takes my hand again, pulling me into her. Her free hand slides over my hip to rest on my lower back. ‘Cue the butterflies.’ She’s staring at my lips and I have to remember to breathe. The combat boots give her a couple inches on me, Carmilla has to lower her head towards mine. My eyes flutter closed in anticipation. I gasp at the feel of her cool, soft lips against my cheek.
“Give me a call next time you can’t sleep, cutie. I’ll be more than happy to take a walk with you.” She whispers, releasing me.
I don’t move for a moment. My emotions are going haywire. My thoughts are scrambled. My skin burns everywhere she touched me. When I open my eyes she is walking down the sidewalk in the opposite direction of my house.
“Carm!” I shout. ‘Carm? Where did that come from?’ She pivots on her heel, eyebrow raised. “Thank you. For sitting with me. We should, uh, do it again sometime.” ‘Well that was eloquent.’
She drops her gaze and kicks at the ground for a moment. ‘Switch’ “I think I might like that very much.” She answers. The shy smile on her face bringing a wide one to mine.
“Okay then!” I turn around and focus on not doing my happy dance in case she’s still watching.
The smile doesn’t leave my face the whole way home. I open the front door as quietly as I can and lock it behind me. I dive for my phone as soon as I’m in my room. Picking it up off the nightstand, I see the message I sent.
[Unknown]: Carmilla Karnstein
I save her number. After a moment I go back and change her name. Getting under the covers, I sigh contently. Hopefully my usual dream is replaced with Carmilla’s laughter and shy smile. I’m on the brink of sleep when my phone vibrates.
[Carm]: Same time tomorrow, cupcake?
[Cupcake]: It’s a date :)
I stare wide-eyed at my phone. What did I just do?