Camila, dozing in the middle of a lecture regarding the human nature in Plato's Phaedo, jerks awake when a head peeks into the classroom. Ally waves their latex glove-covered hand. Camila hastily packs up her books and not even shooting her classmates and her professor a glance, she walks out of the classroom.
"What's wrong? Did something happen to Lauren?"
"Erm, more or less," the biology major says, still clad in their lab coat, protective goggles over their eyes. Their burnt red locks a messy pile atop their head. "She kinda locked herself in your dorm room right now and won't come out until I bring you back." Ally shrugs. They powerwalk across the quad, Camila's nails digging into the flesh of her palm. If she had a heartbeat, it would be thundering against her rib cage, terror like a raging beast begging to be unleashed.
"I think she's fine though," Ally says, eager to assuage the vampire whose dark eyes are flaring bright. "She sounded healthy through the door."
"Whatever," Camila spits out.
She takes off into a sprint. She barges into their dorm building and up the third floor. Breathing softly, she raps against the doorframe. "Lauren? What's going on?" She rattles the brass doorknob but it's locked. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Camz?" She hears the terrified lilt in Lauren's voice and it takes everything inside her not to kick the door down. Camila lets out a shaky breath, forehead against the door. "Is that you?"
Camila closes her eyes and clenches her fists. "It's me, cupcake. Are you hurt in there?"
"N-no, I'm fine." Inside the room, Camila hears Lauren shuffle around, her voice becoming louder as she steps nearer to the door. "Something just happened with the Alchemy Club and I don't know how to tell you about it."
"Open the door, Lauren." Camila says. "Please. I need to know with my own eyes that you're okay."
"I'm not hurt, I swear. But..." She trails off and then sighs. Camila hears the rattling of the doorknob. Lauren unlocks the door and peeks out. "See? I'm not hurt."
"Why are you just showing me your head?" The vampire asks, her arms across her chest. "Look, I need to know what happened so I can help you. Or, maybe not." Camila cracks her knuckles. "Maybe I can just go right ahead and beat up everyone in the Alchemy Club to get answers." She moves as if to leave, and it produces the desired reaction. Lauren squeaks and takes Camila by the wrist to pull her into their shared dorm room.
Camila bumps against Lauren until she is against the headboard shelf of their joined bed. Her hand on the small of Lauren's back, Camila smiles at her girlfriend's wide eyes before pecking the corner of her lips. She cradles Lauren's heated cheeks in her palms. "Will you tell me what's wrong now?"
Lauren shifts away from Camila to sit on the edge of the vampire's bed. She takes her yellow pillow and clamps it over her lap. Before Camila asks her about it, Lauren begins to speak. "I was walking by the dungeons earlier today-"
"What were you doing there of all places?" Camila asks.
"It's not important," Lauren insists. "But anyway, I was there, there were explosions, and then now I have... this."
She removes the pillow like she's uncovering a dish, and Camila finally notices the bulge that stretches the fabric of Lauren's jeans. Camila stares at it until Lauren shies away and curls into herself to hide it. "Is that... Did the Alchemy Club somehow gave you a penis?"
Lauren's bottom lip quivers and she cries out, "Yes! And it's so hard it aches and it's stretching out my pants and I haven't looked at it yet and I kind of don't want to because it might look weird!"
