Despite her aggravation, Carmilla helped her mother set the table. She might be playing the role of the dutiful daughter of the college's Dean tonight, but she certainly was not going to look happy about it. For the first time in a long time, some idiot had fallen for the heartsick single mother act and she had invited the man and his daughter home for a 'meet the family' dinner. Carmilla's brother, Will, had begged out due to a football something-or-other and left her to fend for herself. Nothing she had said or offered had moved her mother to set her free.
Carmilla had fully expected to hate Mr.Hollis and his daughter, Laura. She wasn't wholly disappointed. They were both much too cheery and optimistic. The dad seemed overly proud and protective with a laugh at least ten decibels too boisterous. His jokes were of the awful dad variety. The daughter was cute enough if you were into the preppy type and full of rainbows, sunshine, and glitter. Carmilla was not.
Laura had more of a backbone than was obvious, however. Carmilla had to give her that. As soon as she saw an opportunity, even before dessert was ready, Laura Hollis pounced on Carmilla's mother's politics. The younger Karnstein sibling had long theorized their mother might be dirty, but Laura had come prepared. Had Camilla been paying a bit more attention, she may have noticed the pencil tucked behind one ear and the flip notebook in a back pocket.
It took work not to laugh at the look on her Maman's face or the way redness had begun to creep up Sherman Hollis' neck and up to the tips of his ears.
"Shop talk is not polite at the table, dear. I have done my best to teach my children so over the years. Do you not agree, Sherman?" Maman asked with a sickly sweet smile when the little journalist had to stop to breathe.
"Oh, that is rich, Maman. We haven't even seen this table in at least a year and a half. Everything I have learned has been from a private tutor you hired to get me into your stupid college." Carmilla scoffed. She stood and began to clear her plates from the table, ever the gentle-lady. "Feel free to put that on the record, Cupcake. We can continue this conversation elsewhere. I find you to be delightfully savage."
Carmilla deposited the tableware in the sink and retrieved a bottle of Jack Daniels from the cupboard where her mother thought it was hidden and two tumblers before leading the other girl away.
"You backed me up in there, why?" Laura asked, rolling the glass in her hands.
"Don't beat around the bush, do you, Pumpkin?" Carmilla asked rhetorically in response. "I guess just because you stood up to her and weren't afraid to ask the hard questions. I have wondered many of those things you asked about myself, but have never had the courage to look her in the eyes and ask, point blank, if she's corrupt ."
"She's your mom. It makes sense for you to want to see the good in her." Laura said softly. She didn't know this girl well, but it was clear this was not the time for judgment or questions.
"At times I wonder if there is any good left to see." Carmilla's voice was barely a whisper. Her black hair fell to hide her face.
"There has to be at least a little... she ended up with a daughter like you, didn't she?" Laura bumped the other girl's shoulder with her own. "From what I have seen of you so far, you really aren't too bad."
The grin the budding little reporter shot her could start fires, it was so sunny and cheerful. For the first time since they had met, Carmilla didn't mind.
"You are alright yourself, Lauronica Mars." Carmilla replied, downing her third glass. "We had best go and check if my mother has eaten your father alive, yet. I wouldn't put anything past her."
"That does sound quite possible." Laura replied as she decided then and there to be a part of Carmilla's world.
