I Hate Myself but I Love You

Chapter 59

Laura's POV

"Holy Isaac Newton, Perr." LaF gasps. They're the first of us to react to whatever just happened. "Your spell thing worked." They squint at her. "It did work, right? You are Perry?"

She turns to them as the circles beneath her feet fade into the ground. It's a weird sight, even for Silas and I find myself grimacing, resisting the urge to pull my hand away.

"You can lift up your hands now." Mattie says, standing gracefully (seriously, I mean I know she's a big cat but still. I've fallen on my face more than ten times since I was turned, and I'm apparently a lioness. How can she and Carm move so elegantly?). She eyes possibly-Perry warily but is met by a blank look. "Whoever is in your friend is there to stay."

Perry's eyes are unfocused for a moment and she takes a step towards LaFontaine. I stand slowly, watching Carm do the same out of the corner of my vision. I'm tense and just hoping that this dazed look isn't just to distract us so she can murder us all easier.

Perry shakes her head, her red curls bouncing and falling in her face. Her expression clears and she frowns for a moment. She looks at LaF and I can see fire burning in her eyes (it's kind of terrifying and I'm glad she's not looking at me like that). Perry grimaces and spits a small piece of white fuzz onto the ground. Well, that could have only come from-

"LAFONTAINE, DID YOU PUT YOUR DIRTY SOCK INTO MY MOUTH?"

LaFontaine winces, "The Dean was going to kill Mattie and JP-"

Perry speaks quieter now, but if anything it's even more intimidating. I find myself automatically gravitating towards Carmilla. "It isn't the why, it's the what. LaFontaine you put your filthy sock that hasn't been washed in weeks into my mouth."

"Uh yeah." They rub the back of their neck awkwardly, looking sheepish. "Sorry about that." Perry mutters something about buying a gallon of mouthwash and LaF's eyes widen, a goofy grin spreading across their face. "Perry!"

"Yes? Oomph." Perry has to take a step back because LaF practically tackled her into a hug.

"It worked! It's really you!" LaFontaine doesn't let go as they say this, I think I see their arms tightening around her. "And you complain about me making you worry. I just blow things up; you get possessed by the thousands-of-years old spawn of Satan."

Perry's hugging them back now. JP's off to the side of them, fiddling with his fingers and looking happy.

"I'm incredibly pleased that you are back, Miss Perry. It's very nice to see you again."

Perry and LaFontaine break their hug and she gives him a quick hug (JP's body goes rigid and he looks very uncomfortable for those three seconds). She and LaF stand shoulder to shoulder, leaning on each other.

"I hate to ruin your moment, but we don't know where Maman is." Mattie points out, not sounding particularly sorry at all.