“But Mom, Why can’t it just be us girls and LaF this year?” Danny asks with a groan.
“You call yourselves the Summer Society because of this trip right? You and your college friends? Why change it now?” Coach Lawrence asks, without actually turning around to look at her daughter.
“No. We didn’t name it after the trip. The Summer Society was active before your mother was born. You’re not understanding me, Mom. No one at our gym but Elsie was ever a sister. She’s the only one. But all of the Zetas are going to be there. We’re going to be grotesquely outnumbered if something happens.” Danny protests.
“But you and that Kirsch boy used to be such good friends.” the Coach complained as she focused on making their ridiculously healthy dinner. “Have you been thinking about how you’re going to woo Laura Hollis onto our tourney team, yet?”
“No, but I’ve been thinking about it, don’t worry.” Danny reassures her. This is partly true. She has been thinking about wooing Laura Hollis...just not onto the team.
-----/////-----
“Are you packed yet?” Laura’s dad yells up the stairs.
“Yeah, Dad!” she yells back.
“Did you remember your new swim suit?” he asks as he comes up stairs.
“Yes.”
“Sunscreen?”
“Yes.”
“Bear spray?”
“Yes.”
“Shark knife?”
“Yes, Daddy. I am prepared to be faced with any version of the apocalypse. I am going to be fine, trust me.” Laura says, tilting her head to the side and hugging her father.
“I know, I know, I just don’t like sending my baby girl off with a bunch of people that I don’t know very well. I know you can take care of yourself but a father worries.”
“I know you do, and I worry too. Find someone to spend tomorrow with. I don’t want alone all day. I’m going to be too busy to mope tomorrow, with the beach and the running and the exercise. So find something to keep your mind off of things and say “Hi and I love you” for me when you go see her.” Laura requested.
“Of course, baby girl. Anything for you.” Laura kissed her dad’s cheek and left.
-----/////-----
Carmilla wasn’t on their bus, but Coach said that she would be meeting them there, when Laura asked. She was sharing a seat with Danny, the really hot assistant instructor and was across from LaFontaine and Perry who somehow still weren’t a couple. At some point Perry had fallen asleep and was cuddled against LaF’s arm, using it as a pillow and a teddy bear. Laura had taken a couple of pictures and now was deeply engrossed in conversation with Danny.
“So, how’d you get into this business?” Danny asked.
“My dad started me in Krav Maga when I was really young and I fell in love with it. I was really hyperactive and excitable and karate has been a great outlet for me, especially during high-school, and after...but, yeah! I love it.” Laura said.
“Have you ever been on any tournament teams?” Danny asked. She didn’t even actually want Laura on their tournament team. Laura was amazing at everything she already did, and Danny didn’t want to be the reason that her balancing act toppled over. She was in a lot of very intense tournaments already, points, solo, mid-range, open...and Danny was pretty sure that Laura also did form and other kinds of competition for the original arts she was trained in. It was definitely a lot. Danny loved watching Laura solo spar.
“No, but I’ve always wanted to try. Does Silas have a team?” she asked, her eyes lighting up, and Danny decided that another excuse to spend time with Laura wouldn’t hurt. Especially since the shorter girl seemed so enthusiastic about it.
“Yeah, we have a team. Guess who the Captain is?” Danny said with a smirk.
-----/////-----
It was 1:30 in the morning when they finally arrived at the resort the Silas group and the Zetas were renting together. LaF and Perry had slept the entire way. Laura was trying, but Danny was a really active sleeper, so she ended up just closing her eyes and listening to music, having the moment to herself was relaxing. Yet somehow as soon as she was about to fall asleep, the bus jerked to a halt. She almost cussed aloud as everyone else popped awake.
------////////------
"You alright?" Danny asked when she saw the frustrated look on Laura's face.
"Yeah, I just don't want to be awake right now. Let's get off of this dratted bus." Laura mumbles as they climb off.
“Danny, wow, this place is amazing.” Laura says, grabbing her arm.
“Yeah, it’s alright. You get used to all of the awesome when you’ve been coming here to be tortured for seven or eight years straight.” says a voice that definitely does not belong to Danny. Laura drops Carmilla’s arm like it’s burned her and backs away from the older girl.
“Hey, Carm.” she says awkwardly.
“Hey, Cupcake.” Carmilla replies with a quirk of her mouth that could almost pass for a smile.
“But, I actually love this place. The way I can always find someplace to be alone relaxes me.” Carmilla says and immediately feels a pang in her ches, wanting to know what’s wrong and how she can help. She hates how much she cares.
“And then there’s the hot springs…” Carmilla trails of and starts to walk away, but Laura stops her.
“Hey, after we put all of our stuff away and get set up...do you want to take me to the hot springs?” she asks, her cheeks going fifty shades of pink.
“Sure thing, Sundance.” Carmilla said looking very confused.
------//////-----
“Everybody’s heading to the hot springs, you said you wanted to come?” Carmilla asked from Laura and LaF’s dorm-room door-way.
“Sure, just let me get my suit.” Laura replied with a grin, happy that Carmilla had thought of her, and suddenly a lot less exhausted.
“Oh, no, Cupcake, you won’t be needing any of those.” Carmilla chuckled wickedly, plucking the blue suit from the new girl’s hands.
‘Why in hell or Hogwarts, not?” Laura asks looking really freaked out.
‘We literally go in there to take baths and hang out. Naked. Like in an actual bathtub. WIth soap and shampoo.” Carmilla dead-panned even though her inner self was laughing herself to tears at the look on the younger girl’s face. She had long ago learned to repress those sorts of outrageous feelings.
“You’re kidding.” Laura said, still horrified at the thought of being naked in front of all of her friends...Danny...Carmilla.
“Nope. Now come on. Everyone is going to have stolen all of the good spots.” Carmilla said, grabbing Laura’s wrist and dragging her behind her.
“My key!” Laura protests.
-----/////-------
“Carm, I don’t think that I can do this. a wide eyed Laura said, standing maybe three feet away from her sparring partner. She was clutching an olive green tank-top to her chest, her tshirt already neatly folded and put in the locker. Carmilla had already cursed that tank top so many times.
“Why not? This has been a school time honored tradition for years.” she asks, her eyes devouring and memorizing the way Laura’s lip looked as she nervously bit it, all of the expanses of exposed skin….
“I’m not sure that I’m comfortable with everyone seeing me naked.” Laura admitted, heaven knows why, she didn’t even like Carmilla.
“Why? Theses are your friends, people who, in the four weeks you’ve been here, have already begun to treat you like you’re a part of some little family that they’ve formed. I’ve been with them for four years and they don’t even ask how my day was.It’s not like you have anything under your clothes to be ashamed of. Wear a towel until you’re in the water and the steam will cover you the rest of the time.” Carmilla said as she pulled off a pair of tight black jeans and unceremoniously shoved them in a cubby as Laura tried to tear her eyes from her lacy, black, boy short style panties.
“Enjoying the view?” Laura’s eyes snapped away as she grabbed a towel from the rack and laid it over the bench and pulled her own jeans off.
Carmilla had learned that no matter how much her partner clearly wanted to, she never gave in to her urge to watch Carmilla undress, so she was completely free to enjoy the view she had of Laura nervously undressing, and wrapped in only her own towel, memorized each flex and relaxation of Laura’s body.
“Ready yet, Creampuff?”