The Harbor

Missing Yesterday (Part 5)

She still couldn’t believe it. Carmilla had left flowers? She had left food? She had looked genuinely concerned for Perry. Could she actually be compassionate? The questions buzzed around in her head.

Perry had spent the day, when she wasn’t in class, running around campus looking for Carmilla. Danny, on the other hand, spent the day running after Perry. Even though she had been track captain in highschool, she was very surprised at how fast Perry could move.

“Perry,” Danny breathed heavily once they got into the philosophy department for the second time today, bending over trying to catch her breath. “Could-could we stop? Just for a second?”

Perry turned around to look at the panting athlete. “You don’t have to follow, you know,”

“Yeah… Yeah, I know but-”

“Why don’t you rest?” Perry placed a caring hand on Danny’s shoulder.

“Yeah, okay,” She breathed deeply, trying to slow her breathing down.

Danny walked over to a bench against the wall under a painting and sat down. By the time she looked back up, Perry was already on the other side of the floor and going up the stairs. Danny just shook her head. Perry had this.

Perry was on a mission. She had even opened the door to several on-going lectures. Nothing was going to stop her.

Finally, she opened a door and found Carmilla with one of her “study buddies”, as Laura liked to call them, in an empty classroom. Even though they had papers and a few textbooks spread out on the desks, it looked like they were doing anything but studying.

“Carmilla,” Perry said, trying to hide her nervousness.

The two girls looked up at the sudden voice. The girl that Perry had never seen before’s face grew angry.

“We can’t go anywhere without someone interrupting,” she quickly gathered her things and stormed out, looking pretty annoyed.

“Really? What now?” Carmilla rolled her eyes and leaned back against a desk, crossing her arms.

Perry took a deep breath in. She had spent so long chasing Carmilla but had never thought of exactly why or what she wanted to say.

“Umm…”

“Seriously? If you’re going to interrupt my free time, then at least know what you’re going to say,” Carmilla turned around and started to pack her things.

“I wanted to know… Why did you leave those flowers?”

Carmilla stopped, tensing her shoulders at the sudden question. Her head turned to the side to say something sarcastic but something told her this wasn’t the time. With a sigh, her shoulders slumped and her head bowed.

“You… found out, huh?”

“Yeah…”

“Look,” Carmilla turned around. “This doesn’t mean we’re chummy now, okay? It’s just…” She paused, her gaze falling. “I’ve had someone in the hospital like LaF is. But… she didn’t make it,” her voice was heavy.

“Oh… Sorry…”

“So, I dunno, I guess I thought you’d like them? Or whatever,” Carmilla shrugged, trying to hide her feelings. She crossed her arms.

“And the same with the food?”

“Well, LaF needs you. We can’t have you passing out because you aren’t eating. Then ⅔ of the ginger squad would be out of commission,”