Never Leave

15

"Jeez, Cupcake. I forgot how ravenous you could be." Carmilla shook her head with a soft chuckle.

They made it to the diner Carmilla had suggested and chose the most secluded table they had. There weren't many people there, but Carmilla wanted to avoid wandering eyes. Silas was still as difficult about what took place on campus as American governments are about gun laws. They chose to pretend it never existed; so, that meant that anybody that had heard of Laura's death would simply pretend it never happened. In some ways, maybe it was better that way. Now that it was over.

Laura was already in double digits on her cookie intake and they hadn't even been sitting for half an hour yet. Carmilla didn't mind it. She chose this place because of Laura's sweet tooth- and because it was the closest place to the gym that served a decent coffee, though decent was an understatement.

Laura swallowed the contents of her mouth and reached for another cookie, "They're just so good! I haven't had freshly made...anything in forever!"

"Really? Mattie never tried to put her 1976 culinary degree to good use?" Carmilla grabbed a pastry and dipped it into her coffee.

"At first, yes. It took her a bit of time to adjust to an electric stove, but she got the hang of it; though, she did comment on how she missed the smell of gas as the stove got warm. She would make these 5-star restaurant type meals and gloat that she could put Gordon Ramsey to shame with her culinary know-how..."

"Eh. Gordon Ramsey isn't looking for any competition. He's proven himself. It's that Anne Burrell that could be knocked down a few notches," Carmilla scoffed. After catching Laura staring at her, she rolled her eyes with a smirk. "I watch the worst chef's show with Alex sometimes. Continue."

Laura giggled, making a mental note to make a joke later. "Anyways, her food was amazing. I was doing extra yoga sessions because of how much I was eating. After a while, she got too busy to cook anymore. So, I've been living off frozen dinners, salads, and minor cooking on my part; oh, and store-bought treats, and store-bought cookies are great. I just can appreciate a nice, warm-"

She paused as she noticed the grin on Carmilla's face and realized she'd started ranting. She just thrust another cookie in her mouth and moaned in satisfaction. A moan that made Carmilla have to get a hold of herself and pretend it didn't happen.

"Well, this wasn't the place I'd had in mind for tonight, but I'm glad you approve. Laf and Perry would drag me here every Thursday at noon for coffee cake and a meal. They just didn't imagine I'd keep coming by myself. After they moved, I still stopped by for a slice of cake and a cup of coffee."

"What were you originally planning?" Laura gulped and grabbed another cookie.

Carmilla chuckled at the sight before her. "I was planning to go to dinner at one of the more popular restaurants on main street, one that's only popular to those of us in the know. I've had some of the best cuisine from that place, not to mention the dessert. Afterwards, I was going to take you to the park. It's new. I thought it would be nice to sit by the water and enjoy the quiet. Aside from the ducks.

"THERE'S DUCKS?" Laura squealed, cookie crumbs flying in every direction.

"I've only been there once; but, yes, there were ducks."

They went silent for a bit as Laura continued her assault on baked goods and Carmilla ate an actual meal. It was nice to sit at a table in a public place with Laura. The way the dim light looked against her skin was almost mesmerizing. The way her eyes lit up after everything she consumed was heart-warming. It was sad to see Laura's face when it was time to leave. She looked so sad in fact that the owner gave her a few cookies to take home. They barely made it past the front door.