This is a story about me. Alice. I'm the lodger. It's their house. Them being Caroline and her on-off-on again girlfriend Helen. They originally lived here together, then Helen moved out over a disagreement and Caroline rented me the spare room to help cover the costs. She had been generous about the rent and Helen had agreed that steady money from someone they knew was better than a series of unreliable strangers. I'd met Caroline in college, when she was a TA and I was an undergraduate. I was having a few problems with my course and she took her time with me. I feel that I owe her a lot. She was three years older than me and her and Helen were already an item then - they were like two peas in a pod. Twin's almost. Both blonde, both tall and athletic; both very sporty and fit - the exact opposite of me in fact. I'm small and quiet and could probably do with losing a few pounds, but I hate exercise and love the sofa and a good book, so where's the harm?
Soon after I took the room, they kissed and made up and Helen moved back in on a semi-permanent basis, even though she still has her own place. It feels like she lives here anyway as she's very much in charge when she's here and even when she isn't. Definitely the one who makes the rules. I worried that they'd want me to leave once they were a couple again but they said they liked having me around and thought I could fit in "with their way of living". I assumed they meant that I was relaxed about them being Gay - which obviously I was - but I eventually realised that they'd meant something else entirely.
Both women played a lot of racket sports - badminton and squash mostly - and the house was usually a mass of activity, with evening training and weekend matches and always a queue for the washing machine and the dryer. Despite this, the place was spotless. That was the rule. Helen's rule obviously, but Caroline made it clear from the start that she'd "enforce it too if necessary". I didn't understand what that meant right away, but a couple of months after I'd moved in, she had a weekend badminton tournament, Helen was at her own place and I had the house to myself. I'd had a tough week. I'd been optimistic after I'd graduated but I was stuck in a temping rut. Money was pretty tight and I was stressed about my non-career going nowhere fast.
I took advantage of the empty house, to have an indulgent day, deferring my chores and springing for wine and a takeaway on Saturday night. I ended up staying up really late though, promising myself I'd clear the mess up the next morning. Anyway, I'd overslept, Caroline had come back earlier than expected after being eliminated, only to find the sink full of dishes and takeaway containers on the lounge carpet. I ran around the house panicking, as I tried to cover my tracks but in the process spilled Chinese food on the carpet. I apologised for all I was worth - I know I wasn't supposed to eat in the lounge and dirty dishes were not be left in the sink - but Caroline just looked at me stony faced and told me to clear it all up and then come to her room and we would deal with the matter then. I figured she was just tired after some tough matches though and I'd be able to talk her down.
After I eventually got the marks out of the carpet, I knocked on her bedroom door, fully ready to grovel. The rent she charged me was definitely in the 'mates rates' category and I couldn't afford anywhere else, plus the place was lovely and (I didn't say this bit) but honestly I had a bit of a big-sister, platonic crush on her. There was something undefinably soft about her and I always felt safe here. Helen was nice too, but she could be scary when she lost her temper. Caroline never lost her temper. I was sure this was going to be okay.
Uncharacteristically, she didn't appear to be in a listening mood though. She was sitting silently in a chair by her dressing table, still wearing her tracksuit bottoms and white vest, her arms folded in front of her, emphasising the muscular form of her forearms and her strong shoulders. I noticed that she'd moved the chair so it was facing outward, away from her mirror and into the room, which I recall thinking was odd and strangely ominous. After a long pause, she spoke, quite softly and quietly. She'd obviously thought hard about what she wanted to say to me and I responded by giving her my total attention, looking into her eyes apologetically as she began. I was already really sorry and I wanted her to know that I'd make it up to her however she wanted.
"When I offered you the room here, I told you there were conditions".
I nodded and began to reply "I know.." But she cut me off.
"The conditions. The rules, if you like, are Helen's and they apply to me equally as they do to you. The consequences of breaking those rules also apply to both of us and with Helen not here, it is my responsibility to make sure those consequences are faced by you. Am I clear?" This wasn't what I'd been expecting. It was only a takeaway after all and I'd cleaned all the mess up already. I started to feel very small and picked on. This wasn't like her at all.
"Yes, Caroline. I'm really sorry and it won't.." She raised a hand to silence me again.
