God's Lonely Man

Have Some Class

Laura sits in class, twirling her pen, waiting for class to start. She usually listens with half her mind present in the class, jotting down the occasional note, since it's just a philosophy class she has to take to make the requirements for graduation.

She showed up to the room so early that the previous class was still in there. It's not like she's normally tardy, but she had so many problems sleeping that she just figured she might as well just head out of the house.

It didn't help that that girl, Carmilla, had left her damn shovel in the back of her car. The storm was still raging on when she left the house, and it hadn't surprised her when her dad called during the drive over–– probably to see if she was okay.

She'd ignored the call and then texted him when she got to class that she was safe. There was a voicemail, but she didn't feel like dealing with hearing the paranoid rambling message.

Laura's mind drifts back to Carmilla. For a murderer, she didn't seem so bad–– slightly snippy and broody, but it felt like there was something safe and warm about her. After all, she had let Laura share the grave, right? And there didn't seem to be any danger of Carmilla turning her in...

It isn't until she feels a tap on her shoulder that she's drawn out of her thoughts.

"Well, hello, cutie," a familiar voice purrs into her ear.

Laura jumps.

"Relax, it's just me," Carmilla says, amused. "No reason for all of this... twitchiness."

Laura scoffs as Carmilla sits in the seat next to her. "There is no twitching. There is an absence of twitching."

"Mmhmm," Carmilla hums, unconvinced.

Laura rolls her eyes. "Why are you sitting here, anyway?"

"I figured I should go to class at least once this semester," Carmilla drawls.

The professor walks in and actually does a double take at seeing Carmilla, not just in the classroom, but early. "Hello, Miss Karnstein," he says dryly. "Nice to see you present for once."

Carmilla throws him a "rock on" sign and smirks when he sighs and makes his way to the front.

Laura's mouth hangs open slightly. "You're in this class? Why are you never in class?"

"My mom is a... How shall I put this... A member of the board for the university," Carmilla says. "The professors in my major department are highlyencouraged to not fail me."

Laura raises an eyebrow. "Then why are you here now?"

"Couldn't sleep." Carmilla shifts closer to Laura. "Burying bodies kinda makes you wired, you know what I mean, creampuff?"

Laura swallows hard, trying to ignore the fact that she can feel Carmilla's breath on her.

"I have no idea what you mean," Laura insists, causing Carmilla to snort.

The professor begins the lecture, talking about Panoptes from Greek mythology.

"Did you get your car yet?" Laura asks, doodling on her page.

Carmilla shakes her head. "It's pouring out there, cutie. I don't know if you realized it, but I just happen to live like two minutes from this lecture hall."

"I could drive you after class if you want," Laura offers.

Carmilla quirks an eyebrow. "Why?"

"To be nice?" Laura responds, chuckling. "This is my only class today."

The professor clears his throat. "Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Hollis, am I interrupting you?"

"Yes. Yes, you are," Carmilla replies dryly.

Laura kicks her under their table. "Sorry, professor," Laura says.

"Can you tell us what Jeremy Bentham theorized, Miss Hollis?" the professor asks stiffly.

"Uh..."

"He thought that if you built a prison a certain way, with a guard tower stationed with the perfect vantage point for every inmate cell, the inmates would automatically self-regulate their own behavior constantly, even though they don't actually know if they're being observed," Carmilla answers. She gives the professor a pointed look and he sighs.

"Thank you, Miss Hollis," he retorts sarcastically, continuing with the lecture.

Laura smirks. "Thanks," she whispers.

Carmilla gives a noncommittal shrug.

They spend the rest of the class in silence, with Laura doodling on a blank page and jotting down the occasional note. Carmilla keeps picking at her nails, bored. With five minutes left, she glances over and notices that Laura's been lazily drawing a hill with a tree and a girl leaning against it.

She leans over and starts adding to the page, putting a moon and stars in the sky. Laura lets out a soft chuckle and shifts a bit so Carmilla can get to more of the paper. Soon, the entire sky is filled with stars and there's a second girl on the hill, an arm wrapped around the other's waist.

"Pretty presumptuous, don't you think?" Laura teases, hushed.

Carmilla scoffs. "Who says that second girl is me? If anything, it seems like you're the one being presumptuous."

Laura blushes and is at a loss for words when the professor dismisses the class.

They pack up their stuff and leave the hall, heading through the parking lot. The rain has died down.

"How did you know the answer, by the way?" Laura asks once she's in the driver's seat.

"Answer to what?" Carmilla asks, buckling herself in and crossing her arms.

"The professor's question," Laura replies. "We just started that topic today."

Carmilla shrugs. "Just because I don't show up to class doesn't mean I don't do the reading."

Laura hums in response and starts driving down the main road towards the forest.

"Can you do me a favor and see if I have any missed messages or calls from my dad?" Laura asks after a few minutes, gesturing at the phone between them.

Carmilla pokes the home button and shakes her head. "Nothing."

Laura lets out a sigh of relief.

"What's the matter? Daddy's little girl afraid he wouldn't approve of murder?"

Laura rolls her eyes. "Daddy's little girl has a paranoid father who freaks out every time there's a storm and I'm driving," she answers, annoyed.

The rest of the drive is short and in a comfortable silence, until they see the flashing lights near the side of the forest.

"Shit," Carmilla curses as Laura pulls up to the area. She starts to back up, but someone in a uniform knocks on the driver's window.

Laura takes a deep breath and rolls down the window. "Hey, dad."