God's Lonely Man

Stargazing

Carmilla takes deep breaths as she walks through the hubbub in the dimly lit space.

"Hey," she calls out to Will, her mother's right hand man. "Is she in?"

He nods, not looking up at her from his desk. "She's expecting you, kitty."

Carmilla rolls her eyes at the nickname and walks towards the office. She knocks a few times on the door before hearing a muffled, "Come in."

"Mother," Carmilla greets.

The woman at the desk, intimidating even when seated, folds her hands. She smiles, but there's no genuine happiness behind it, her eyes as cold. "Carmilla." She gestures to the seat across her desk. "Please, sit."

Carmilla slowly slides into the chair. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, darling," she says, reaching into her desk and smoothly sliding keys across the desk. "Here are your car keys, which were generously given to me by a friend in the sheriff's department, now that it's been cleared from evidence."

Carmilla reaches out for them but a hand rests on top of hers, holding it in place.

"This friend had quite a lot to say, actually." Her mother removes her hand and watches as Carmilla uneasily puts the keys in her pocket.

"Such as?"

Not one to mince words, Lilita Morgan taps the table. "You were seen with the chief deputy's daughter."

Carmilla shrugs. "I didn't know she was his daughter until yesterday."

"How did you two meet?"

Carmilla bites her lip, contemplating whether to lie to her or tell her the truth. She hadn't told her mother yet about the whole "cop attacked me and I killed him and buried his body" thing.

"Carmilla," her mother presses impatiently.

"Coffee store slash bookstore near the school," Carmilla answers.

The older woman quirks an eyebrow.

"She was there for the former, I was there for the latter."

"Hmm." The woman hums in thought. "Do you have any other interaction with her?"

What is she getting at? "We have class together."

The older woman settles back in her chair, smirking and satisfied. "Excellent."

Knowing better that to push her mother, Carmilla sits and waits patiently.

"Continue this... relationship," she begins. "It could be beneficial."

Carmilla crosses her arms. "How?"

Her mother smirks. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about that, dear. For now, just befriend her."

Carmilla swallows hard and glances down at her shoes. Getting close to people, with her mother's knowledge, has had a bad track record. And this Laura Hollis was probably one of the most genuinely sweet people she'd ever met–– murderer and all.

"My darling, do you understand?" she asks stiffly.

Carmilla slowly meets her mother's eyes. "You've made yourself clear."

"I should hope so," she says, smiling thinly before waving her hand dismissively. "That'll be all."

Carmilla stands and has to check the urge to run out of the office. She calmly walks out of the room and the building and waits until she's a block away before slamming her fist against a wall.