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Laura got her first laptop when she was fifteen, and she rejoiced at the fact that she no longer had to use her dad’s computer for everything. Especially since convincing him took a lot of begging.
She got a long conversation on internet safety, which Laura expected. Of course she knew all the basic rules, like ‘don’t post any personal information’ and ‘don’t talk to anyone you don’t know’ but Dad, being her dad, made her go the extra mile. So she went on a website called ‘netsmartz.org’, took a bunch of internet safety quizzes, and watched some videos about girls who met strangers and ended up dead, kidnapped, or a combination of both.
And then she got her tumblr, which was so worth it.
Of course Laura loved her dad, and she didn’t want to break his rules--she just really, really wanted to follow a bunch of Harry Potter and Doctor Who blogs. And maybe reblog a few interesting posts. But she was good. No strangers.
Until she saw the post.
Laura was scrolling through the Hufflepuff tag. She had just bingewatched the series again (because why not) over the weekend, and that always got her in the mood for looking at stuff about her house, which was the most underrated house ever.
And then...a post from someone named ‘someonefightme’.
Finally took the Pottermore test and got GRYFFINDOR! So happy I didn’t get Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff is totally the lame house.
Lame house?
LAME HOUSE?
Before she could even think about internet safety Laura hit the reblog button as her fingers flew across the keyboard.
Okay, first of all, posting Hufflepuff hate in the Hufflepuff tag is REALLY disrespectful!!!! Second, LAME? Excuse you, we’re awesome! We just don’t need to broadcast all the cool stuff we do to the world for recognition--we’re humble, unlike SOME houses.
Laura posted it, feeling pretty good about herself.
And then get a reply about five minutes later from the original poster.
The sorting hat literally says Hufflepuff ‘took all the rest.’ You guys got nothing. Also, name one cool Hufflepuff. Who DOESN’T die in book four, before you mention Cedric.
Laura bit her lip, trying to figure out a response. She might have to open google just to wipe the stupid smirk that was probably on the other girl’s face. Before she could though, someone else reblogged the post--someone whose tumblr name said ‘canonicallyace.’
But Dorothy, Hufflepuffs are especially good finders! Are you saying I’m lame? :(
Almost as fast as she posted that, someone else (sassyinspanish, apparently?) reblogged the post and added:
Of course Dorothy isn’t saying that Beth, you’re the queen of cinnamon rolls. You couldn’t not be a Hufflepuff.
Laura was watching a bunch of people reblogging the post like a cat watching ping pong. Finally, she huffed and added:
THAT’S RIGHT WE ARE GREAT FINDERS. #PuffPride
Yeah, someonefightme responded, but you still haven’t FOUND an answer to why Gryffindors aren’t WAY COOLER than Hufflepuffs.
Ugh, you have such a narrow view of houses! I bet you think all Slytherins are evil too!
They didn’t go to the Battle of Hogwarts.
THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO FIGHT THEIR OWN PARENTS CAN YOU BLAME THEM
Laura threw her hands in the air, going downstairs to grab her TARDIS mug from the dishwasher, filling it with hot cocoa and walking back upstairs to her laptop.
And notice a string of notifications saying she had asks.
Someonefightme asks: Hey! The post was getting kind of long, let’s make a new one. I’ll start. GRYFFINDORS ARE BETTER, FIGHT ME.
Laura cracked her knuckles. Oh boy.
Laura never meant to keep talking to her. But she just sort of never stopped.
Sure, it made her feel kind of guilty. Laura trusted her dad, she respected him, and she knew he’d freak out if he knew she was talking to some random girl she met on the internet.
On the other hand, she was really really cool.
Her name was Dorothy. She was into pretty much all of the same stuff Laura was, and she was Laura’s age, and was the only person Laura ever talked to that didn’t get put off by Laura’s passionate rants about Severus Snape.
That is, assuming Dorothy is really who she says she is. Laura had to keep her sense of perspective, after all.
So I barely know anything about you, Dorothy messaged one day.
What do you want to know?
Like, when you’re not on the internet, what do you do for fun?
Laura frowned at your laptop, shifting so she was sitting on her bed with the computer in her lap.
The internet IS my fun. I don’t get out much. :P
Seriously?
Only child of incredibly overprotective father in a small town? Yeah. I don’t have a lot of friends here.
Dorothy doesn’t answer for awhile, which made Laura nervous. Maybe that was TMI, even if it was true. She always grew up with this indescribable sense of being different. All the other girls Laura’s age were obsessed with boys. Laura didn’t really care--a late bloomer, she guessed.
She was about to message Dorothy to see if everything was okay when she messaged her first.
Would you like to meet some of my friends? Dude, they would LOVE you. I’ll give you a link to a tinychat room and it’ll be awesome.
Laura bit her lip. Talking to this one person was a lot different than joining a chatroom. There would be no going back from a chatroom.
On the other hand…
Sure, I’d love to!
Fight_me_More: Guys, this is Laura! You’ve all seen our epic tumblr war showdowns.
Cookiemonster: ...Hello guys?
Emblue: OH MY GOD IT’S HER #Hollmore
Cookiemonster: What?
Sassyinspanish: Oh my God emblue don’t start.
Breton: Yeah seriously she just got here.
Cookiemonster: GUYS I USE TUMBLR THAT LOOKED LIKE A SHIPPING NAME WHAT
Canonicallyace: Emblue ships everything, don’t worry about it.
Fight_me_More: Yeah emblue is weird.
Emblue: Oh come on. Their arguments on tumblr are full of romantic tension.
Allaroundgreatbi: You’re going to scare her away.
Cookiemonster: No I’m still here. A little confused, but still here.
Fight_me_More: So about Severus Snape…
Cookiemonster: DON’T GET ME STARTED
Laura grinned, eyes darting across the computer screen as she typed along with the others. It was fun. And, more importantly, she fit in like a missing puzzle piece. It was like she already knew all of them.
After a few hours, Laura finally saw the time on the clock.
Cookiemonster: OMG I need to go guys! So cool to meet you!
Canonicallyace: It was so nice to meet you Laura. :) Welcome to the Inseparables!
Cookiemonster: What is that?
Fight_me_more: It’s just a name we made up for our friend group. We all met through the internet.
All of the other members threw out their own congratulations. Laura couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face.
She had friends.
She was part of a group.
She was an Inseparable.
Okay, Dot, if we’re going to skype you need to give me some proof you’re who you say you are.
First off, either stop calling me Dot or fight me, she responded. Laura rolled her eyes.
Come on. It’s only fair. Just take a photo!
...How would you know I didn’t just steal it from somewhere?
Laura smirked. Write ‘Hufflepuffs are the best’ on a piece of paper, she typed. It took a few seconds longer than normal for Dorothy to respond.
Sure. I couldn’t steal that off the internet because we both know noone has ever written that before. XD
YOU KNOW WHAT CASTLEMORE JUST SEND ME THE PIC.
Fine. Write ‘hi Dorothy’ on a piece of paper. I’ll send you my pic first.
Laura laid back on her bed and waited. And waited. And then she got the little notification saying Dorothy tagged her in a post.
Hey @laura2theletter, here. Still think I might be some forty year old douchecanoe?
And, when Laura saw the picture, she sucked in a breath.
This girl she basically considered her best friend for months was real.
And she was cute.
Like, really, really cute.
It was a selfie she took with one hand, smirking at the camera and holding up a piece of paper that said ‘hufflepuffs are DA BOMB.’ She had her hair in a loose bun that let several stray wisps fall into big, hazel eyes.
Dorothy was really attractive. Like, objectively really attractive.
Which was totally not weird to think about your friend at all.
Immediately, Laura took her own picture and posted that.
Nope, @someonefightme. As promised, a picture of me--and the other Inseparables can check it out too! Here’s my face.
It was a selfie of her in her favorite sweater.
Dorothy messaged her pretty soon after.
Aw, an owl. You’re more adorable than I though. XD
I AM NOT ADORABLE DOT
...Did you just call me Dot. NO.
DOTTY
YOU ASSHOLE YOU KNOW I HATE THAT NICKNAME
FIGHT ME
LAURA THAT’S MY THING
She was able, just for a moment, to ignore the butterflies in her stomach when Dorothy said she was cute.
It was the most dangerous thing she’d ever done by far. But Laura Hollis was determined. And she was going to hear her friend’s voice.
There was a little alcove in the basement that Laura used. She could hear her dad before he saw her, and that way she could sign off or close her laptop. No one would ever have to know.
So, with her back pressed against the concrete wall, Laura signed into skype and accepted a chat request.
“Laura!”
And, from across the world, Laura was now face-to-face (screen to screen?) with a living, breathing Dorothy Castlemore.
“Wow. That’s your voice. I am actually listening to your voice.”
Dorothy laughed, and wow, her voice was exactly how Laura imagined it to be. Strong, loud, and fun. It had the faintest hint of almost daring in it. Daring Laura to do what, she didn’t know, but whatever it was she was game.
“Am I as magnificent as you thought I’d be in person? Or like, sort of in person?”
Laura shook her head. “No, I mean, I just can’t believe I haven’t even known what my best friend sounds like until now.”
“Really?”
Laura fought the burning sensation that threatened to redden her cheeks. “Um. Like I said before...I dunno, I’m not really close with a lot of kids at my school. You know. My dad doesn’t like me going anywhere without him. It’s not like he’s, like, a dictator or anything? But it’s annoying. Plus people think I’m a nerd. So yeah. I know it’s kind of weird to call you my best friend when I’ve never met you in real life--”
“Hey, online friends are totally legit Laur,” Dorothy interrupted, “so don’t apologize for that.”
Laura bit her lip.
“Second,” Dorothy continued, “seriously, if the kids you know don’t think you’re totally awesome, they are either totally oblivious or not worth your time.”
“I mean, I guess…”
“Laura, repeat after me,” Dorothy said, “I want you to say, ‘Laura Hollis can do anything!’”
“Laura Hollis can do anything?”
“Feel it!”
“Laura Hollis can do anything.”
“Mean it.”
“Laura Hollis can do anything!”
“NOW LIVE IT!”
“LAURA HOLLIS CAN DO ANYTHING!” She exclaimed, putting her laptop down and standing, puffing out her chest.
“Laura, what is going on down there?”
“Nothing, Daddy!”
Laura smiled sheepishly, picking up the laptop. “Thanks, Dorothy.”
“No probs, Laura. That’s what best friends are for. And hey,” a grin spread across Dorothy’s face. “My grandma always says ‘one for all, all for one.’ It was from her old sorority. I’ll always be there for you, okay?”
“Yeah.”
“And anyone who doesn’t want to be your friend can fight me.”
Laura rolled her eyes. “Yeah.”
“Although, they are kind of right. You’re a huge nerd.”
“OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT CASTLEMORE--”
She sat back down, settling back into the comfortable routine of banter and fighting they had perfected. But Laura really couldn’t fight the blush anymore.
Laura was almost sixteen years old now, and she was starting to accept the fact that maybe she wasn’t quite as heterosexual as she thought.
Actually, now that Laura actually thought about it, she never really thought she was heterosexual. There were no indications. No confusing feelings about male friends. No obsessions with male actors. She was always way more interested in Emma Watson than in Daniel Radcliffe…
Meanwhile, she had a pretty damning amount of evidence to place her in the ‘super gay’ category.
Like the fact that she was totally crushing on her very heterosexual friend.
Laura couldn’t really deny it anymore. Her stomach did flip flops whenever she got a message from her or a skype request. Dorothy was super pretty, and feminist, and awesome--she made Laura feel like she could do anything, and all she needed to do was actually, y’know, do it.
Except admit she had a crush on her, apparently.
Because seriously, there was nothing more terrifying to Laura than Dorothy not wanting to talk to her anymore because she made things weird.
That would be a great way to be inducted into the ranks of gay teenagers, to have her best friend go ‘ew, no.’
Her dad was obviously not any help. She was scared to come out to someone on the internet--she wasn’t going to bring it up to her dad. Not yet.
But she needed someone.
Which is why one day Laura logged into the Inseparables chatroom.
Cookiemonster: Hey guys. :) Dorothy? You here?
Canonicallyace: I’m pretty sure she had something to do after school. Hey Laura! Excited for your birthday? :)
Worstdanceever: Sweet sixteen, right? :D
Cookiemonster: Haha, yeah. Actually I’m glad Dorothy’s not here.
Sassyinspanish: Why? Did you guys have a fight?
Emblue: That’s a stupid question. They’re always fighting. That’s why all my posts from them on tumblr are tagged ‘OTP: fight me.’
Breton: Dude, you got to stop with the shipping real people.
Cookiemonster: Actually, that’s kind of why I wanted to talk to you guys without Dorothy
Emblue: OMG I KNEW IT YOU ARE GAY FOR DOROTHY
Cookiemonster: Couldn’t even wait for me to ease into the coming out part, huh emblue? >__<
Canonicallyace: We all love and support you Laura! :D
Laura felt herself relax a little. Okay. This went well. Then again, Beth was literally incapable of being mean…
Akari^89: So wait are you?
Cookiemonster: SHE IS JUST SO COOL. AND HOT. LIKE REALLY HOT. OH MY GOD WHAT DO I DO
Emblue: TELL HER HOW YOU FEEL CONFESS YOUR LOVE #HOLLMORE
Breton: Shut up Emblue.
Cookiemonster: I can’t just tell her! She’s straight! What if she thinks it’s weird?
Canonicallyace: Well she never said she was straight?
Cookiemonster: Please, you never had to hear her go off about Channing Tatum in Magic Mike.
Allaroundgreatbi: You know I’ve been lurking, but I should add that there IS a third option here.
Worstdanceever: If you tell her and she’s really your friend, it won’t ruin your friendship. AND you might be able to get over her.
Emblue: OR you guys become the cutest couple ever and my ship sails!
Cookiemonster:...Well. Thanks for making me feel sort of okay about it, guys.
Canonicallyace: Good luck Laura. Happy early birthday!
Everyone followed suit with birthday wishes. Laura thanked them all and logged off.
She managed to get away from her dad and sneak in an evening skype session with the other Inseparables for her birthday. Which was nice. But also kind of weird. Because...no Dorothy.
On her birthday. No Dorothy.
Cookiemonster: None of you told her right?????
Emblue: Hey, I am Hollmore af, but I would never out you. Not cool.
Laura believed all of them. But still...it wasn’t like Dorothy to not even send an email. Why wasn’t she there? They planned it, she knew the time, she said she was looking forward to it...Laura signed off of Skype feeling kind of bittersweet. She had a good birthday. But how good could it be if her best friend didn’t even bother to talk to her?
Maybe she could tell that Laura was into her. Laura wasn’t exactly subtle. She could feel her face heating up like an oven every time Dorothy appeared on her screen. And this was her way of letting Laura down...well, it was her birthday, so not really gently.
Laura couldn’t even sleep. She was too worried about it. Should she message her? Give her space? Or--
Ding
Laura jumped out of bed and grabbed her laptop.
Skype request.
Laura opened it.
“Dorothy, where were--what the Slytherin? What happened to you?”
She had a split lip. She was holding a bag of frozen peas to her head. Her eye looked like it was starting to swell a little.
“Hey, Laur. Happy birthday!”
“Happy birthday? You don’t talk to me all day and then when you do, you look like you just got into a boxing match,” Laura hissed, not wanting to wake her dad up, “what the heck?”
“I was totally fighting the patriarchy one douchecanoe at a time, Laura.”
She was on a roll and kept talking.
“Okay Laura, so I was getting off the bus, right? And these senior guys, they thought it’d be hilarious to steal some girl’s backpack. And they smashed her glasses. So I walked up to the stupidest looking one--he was the leader--and I was like ‘give that back to her right now, bro.’ And you know what he did? He unzipped it and poured it on the ground. So I went full out Gryffindor on their asses. Total all-out brawl on the sidewalk.”
Laura stared at Dorothy, dumbfounded, while she rubbed the back of her neck.
“Yeah...the girl got her stuff back because some adults saw it happening and broke it up. I probably have a minor concussion? I had to go to the hospital. Couldn’t get to a computer--”
“I am gay!” Laura blurted out, “I am so gay and wow I have a huge crush on you, you are so righteous and pretty and a great friend and--and I am so sorry I can’t stop talking you are just so cool and I needed to tell you or else I’d explode please don’t let this make us weird and--”
Laura clapped a hand over her mouth to stop talking. Dorothy’s eyes widened.
“You’re gay?”
Laura didn’t trust herself to speak, so she only nodded.
“And you know this because of me…?”
“Sort of kind of yeah?” Laura managed to squeak.
Dorothy looked absolutely dumbfounded. Then, all at once, the tension leaked out of her shoulders.
“Oh, thank God,” Dorothy sighed.
“What?”
“Laura,” and Dorothy’s grin was wider and more blinding than Laura had ever seen, “I’m bi.”
Laura couldn’t respond; she didn’t know how to respond. Finally she settled for letting out a little puff of air that sounded vaguely like ‘wha…?’
“Bi. As in. Bisexual. Guys and girls.”
“Have you always…?”
Dorothy shrugged. “I mean, I’ve been questioning for awhile. You just kind of confirmed it for me.”
“Me?”
“I told you, Laura Hollis can do anything. Like get her long distance best friend to, um...kind of think she’s really cute and kind of awesome?”
“Oh my God.” Laura shook her head in disbelief. “I can do anything. I really can do anything! My first gay crush actually likes me back!”
“I know, I can’t believe it either!”
They both smiled at each other, and they were these big absolutely dopey grins, because Laura was just so happy, they both liked each other and they were best friends--
“So...Laura, what do we do about it…?”
The smile fell off Laura’s face.
Right.
What did they do about it?
“Um…”
“The chances of us meeting in real life for a few years is probably pretty small,” Dorothy said gently. Laura nodded.
“My dad would kill me if he found out I met my girlfriend through tumblr anyway.”
“We spend sixty percent of our conversations calling each other assholes.”
“And that’s generous,” Laura added.
“We’d end up trying to murder each other, to be honest.”
“There were a few times I wished I could reach through my computer screen and strangle you.”
They both laughed at that.
“...I mean, it sucks,” Dorothy answered, “but at least we both know it isn’t because we’re not totally hot.”
Laura laughed softly. “Yeah. Hey. What if we make a deal?”
“Sure, what?”
“If and when we meet,” Laura said, “and if we’re both single, we make out. Like, we don’t even need to date. But if we’re single we have to make out at least once.”
Dorothy leaned in. “See, this is why I like you. I like the way you think.”
“Best friends?”
“Of course.”
Laura never felt more like herself in her life.
She met Dorothy in person years later, when she came to visit her sophomore year of college and all the crazy on campus had died down. Laura stood with Carmilla’s arm wrapped protectively around her, watching her own breath crystallize in air that was just a little too chilly for autumn.
“Carm, you don’t need to be jealous--”
“I’m not. I just want to make sure that she knows you are not available for any makeout sessions,” Carmilla answered gruffly. Laura rolled her eyes affectionately.
“See, this is why I shouldn’t tell you things--man, it is cold,” Laura continued, blowing on her hands. Carmilla pulled her in closer, and Laura would have been lying if she said she didn’t like Carmilla wrapping her arm around her.
Laura saw Dorothy in the distance. Approaching the fountain they’d agreed to meet at, scratching her head as she observed a map of the campus.
“Dorothy!” Laura shouted, holding up a hand and waving. Dorothy looked up. Their eyes met.
Without hesitation Laura broke away from Carmilla’s hold on her, running to meet Dorothy and give her a hug. Laura buried her face in Dorothy’s shoulders before pulling back, both of them laughing.
“Dorothy, it is so amazing to meet you in person! Finally.”
“Wow, you’re even shorter in person,” Dorothy answered with a smirk.
“Dotty.”
Dorothy frowned. “Fine, no more short jokes.”
Laura looked her up and down. She was completely decked out in sorority merchandise. Her sweatshirt had a big MST on it.
“I see you enjoy being a Sigma?”
“Are you kidding? I love it!”
She turned in a circle, and Laura got to see the Mu Sigma Theta symbol plastered large on her back. “Isn’t it great? One for all and all for one! It’s so cheesy. And feminist. I’m in love.”
Laura started laughing. “You should meet my friend Danny. She’ll love to talk to you about sororities.”
And Laura felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to look at Carmilla.
“Oh! Dorothy, this is my girlfriend. You’ve, uh...well, you’ve seen Carm, even if you haven’t really met her before. Carm, my best friend Dorothy.”
Carmilla wrapped an arm around Laura again, raising her chin slightly in acknowledgement.
“So…you’re the douchecanoe that dumped Laura and then tried to kill her friends,” Dorothy said, crossing her arms.
Laura bit her lip.
Carmilla shrugged.
“And you’re the girl that made Laura realize she was gay,” she replied coolly, “thanks.”
Laura breathed a sigh of relief. Carmilla didn’t take the bait. Dorothy, for her part, actually started to smile.
“It was no problem. Laura never acted very heterosxeual anyway…”
Laura couldn’t help beaming at both of them as they started to walk. Carmilla would be an Inseparable before she even realized what was happening.