Linda stepped out of the shower and grabbed the fluffy towel and proceeded to dry her face and then roughly on her hair, just enough to stop it from dripping. It would be a good three-day weekend now that she had the grime of work off of her. Not that she got grimy at work, being a claims processor for an insurance company kept her at a desk most of the time, but she felt grimy since she was well known as a bitch and arrogant besides. Linda thought she was only aggressive, trying to just keep her job, which was having several ups and downs lately. Her one big thrill of late was tormenting her roommate of the past two months.
Hiroki Chao, what a name. Linda wondered who could name a child Hiroki but then the girl came from some Asian country which did things weird anyhow and paid her share of the rent in full and on time. She had only been in the USA a month, going to the local university when she came and Linda turned on the charm and secured herself a new housemate. Linda went through them rather quickly and it looked like she would be soon finding yet another one. āHickyā, the nickname Linda had for her housemate and which the housemate hated, would soon find she was going no place.
Linda dressed in sweats and headed for the kitchen, grabbing a plate of stew of some kind as she passed the counter. It was her housemateās supper, but Linda thought it smelled good and that was enough for her to steal it. Hiroki protested and all though her english was pretty good for a foreigner, Linda still made fun of it.
āShut up Hicky. When you can talk well enough to protest, I might listen, but I doubt it.ā
Linda had a forkful and it was as good as it smelled. Hiroki protested again and Linda tossed a piece of paper to the other side of the table and pointed to it. The Asian girl stood five feet even as compared to Lindaās five seven and her dark hair was another contrast to the ash blonde eating her supper. Last week Linda had come in while she was taking a shower to yell at her for using up the hot water even though she had just stepped into the tub. Then she commented on that fact that if it wasnāt for nipples, the slant-eyes could be a boy as she had no tits. Linda pointed to her own 34c behind the sweater and asked the embarrassed girl if she knew what ātitsā were and laughed as she exited the bathroom.
Hiroki knew then that she had to leave despite the six months lease she had signed. She had no inclinations toward girls and thought it disgusting and she couldnāt bring herself to stay where the loud American was so rude. If she could pale more than possible, she would have as she read the paper and realized it was a copy of one of her visaās.
āThatās right, Hicky. I found a bunch of them in your room ā visaās, passport, and a few other papers you need to stay here. I have them safe and sound so you donāt lose them. Now, either you get arrested and jailed for not being able to prove youāre here legally, or you pay attention.ā
Hiroki dashed off to her room without listening to anymore. She tossed her small room until the neatness of it was lost in the shambles. All of her papers were gone, her checkbook, savings that she used as backup in case her parentās money didnāt arrive in time, and almost everything else. She turned to see Linda at her doorway.
āNow, when you shower, no hot water as I aināt paying for your utilities. Since you like a clean house, you can keep it all clean, including the master bedroom where I sleep and my bathroom. I also expect to have the cooking done since I donāt like to cook and you may want to make sure I have a menu to choose from so I donāt get mad and call the cops on you. Oh,ā the girl smiled at the worried eyes before her āsince you slant-eyes have so much money, your share just went up another hundred. Donāt expect to pay late.ā
Hiroki saw little way out so she spent the weekend doing chores instead of studying as she had planned. She felt humiliated and used and wondered when the bossy bitch would call a halt and quickly realized that she would not. She had the Asian girl where she wanted her and Hiroki had to clench her teeth each time she had to respond to a nickname or other degrading title. She had only one other possible aquaintance, her fatherās friend at the university. She had yet to meet the man, but she needed someone to talk to about the dominance of Linda and Hiroki's forced submission. So Tuesday, she looked him up and found herself in front of a professor that had seen better days. Her father had told her about the time they had once served together in Vietnam and the man in front of her looked nothing like a warrior. He was old, balding, 20 pounds overweight, and not anywhere near as handsome or dashing as her father had known.
Hiroki placed herself into his hands when she was done trying to find out what to do. He told her a plan of action, one that made little sense to her but at least he had one, so she added the powder to the supper on Friday and watched from the kitchen as Linda ate it down. Linda yawned once and then nodded off, still sitting upright in the chair as Hiroki placed her phone call. Within twenty minutes, two girls, the Professorās assistants, showed up and carried Linda to the garage and into the backseat of her car. One girl was strawberry blonde and about Lindaās build and she drove the car away as the other girl told Hiroki to just sleep well and join the Professor at eight the next morning.