God's Lonely Man

Misery Loves Company

"I can't believe you've been going to classes all week," Danny comments. "You got attacked and beaten up and then just went to classes Monday through to yesterday!"

Kirsch bangs his fist on the diner table. "Nothing can keep the little hottie down!" Danny kicks him under the table and he clears his throat. "By which I mean, nothing can keep Laura down!"

Laura smirks and bites into her burger. "Thanks, Kirsch. And Danny, it was just a couple bruised ribs..."

Danny rolls her eyes. "If it were up to you, you would've pushed to go out to a party or something tonight."

Laura takes a sip of her milkshake. "Is that why you suggested this diner? To keep me from doing something stupid on a Saturday night?"

Danny averts her gaze and Laura huffs.

"Guys, I'm not doing parties for a while. My dad may be part of the reason there's always a target on my back but he's right. Me making myself more vulnerable like that isn't helping things."

Kirsch grins. "How about next time one of us walks you home?"

Danny glared at him. "So not helping."

"I'm just saying," he replies with a shrug. "If one of us had been with you that night, maybe you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"We were lucky LaF called Perry to pick them up and she happened to see what was happening," Danny admits.

"Exactly! And while I'm not one to turn on my Zetas bros, Will was only a pledge, and a late one at that, so it wouldn't have gone against our code to kick his ass to save yours!"

"Thanks, again, Kirsch. I think."

He nods eagerly, his trademark goofy grin lighting up the table.

It slowly fades as he clears his throat. "Why did he attack you, though? It was unpr—under—improv—"

"Unprovoked?" Danny offers.

"Yeah! That's it! It was improv-oak!"

Laura starts to give some excuse that it was about her outfit when Danny cuts her off.

"Isn't that Carmilla?"

Laura turns around to see the two girls who just walked into the diner and, yes, one of them is Carmilla. Their eyes meet and for a moment Carmilla looks like she's unsure if Laura wants her to acknowledge her, but Laura gives her a small wave. Relief washes over Carmilla's face as she waves back, says something to her friend, and they walk over.

"Hi, Carm," Laura says. "You met Danny the other night at the party. And this is Kirsch." Both wave at her and mutter hellos.

"Laura," Carmilla greets. "This is my... friend Mattie."

Laura doesn't miss the small hesitation but doesn't want to bring attention to it, so she just beams at Mattie.

"So you're Laura," she sneers. Mattie, an older woman, stands impossibly tall, as if she resides above the rest of the world. And, as if Laura's mere presence was offensive to her.

An awkward silence lingers until a waitress walks up to Carmilla and Mattie. "I have a table ready for you two whenever you're ready."

Mattie smirks and walks away with the waitress.

"I'm, uh... Happy to see you're doing better," Carmilla mumbles as Danny and Kirsch suddenly find something super interesting to look at outside the window.

"Thanks," Laura says softly. The cuts and bruises on her face have healed up nicely.

Carmilla hovers a few more seconds before clearing her throat. "Right, well, I should go and join Mattie."