((Authors Note: All characters are over the age of eighteen. This is Chapter two of the story so if you've haven't read the first part please read that first as it does immediately follow on from there. I attempted a slightly slower build up in this chapter, which I hope pays off, but let me know your thoughts in the comments, as long as you don't rip me to shreds! Thank you for reading my work.
Little Sister Dominque
Chapter Two
"I don't see why we didn't think of this before." Dominique chirped as she plonked her bag down on Stephanie's sofa. "You have this whole spare room just going to waste. It just makes sense for me to use it."
Stephanie, still out in the corridor, didn't answer. Partly this was due to her not wanting to offend her sibling by saying the wrong thing, but mostly this was because she was struggling to carry the two suitcases her sister had elected to bring with her. She forced the suitcases through the front door and kicked the door shut behind her.
"Make yourself at home, I guess." Stephanie said, seeing her sister had already laid down on the couch and was stretching her tight body out. A momentary flash of Stephanie's fantasies from the night before flickered in her mind, forcing Stephanie to lift up the heavy suitcases once again to distract herself. "You're room is the one on the right. I'll just pop these cases in there for you." She said.
"Thanks Steph." Dominque nodded before adding idly. "You know this apartment isn't as big as I thought it was."
"No? Well, it gives you an incentive to get this modelling career of yours off the ground then." Stephanie replied, trying to keep any venom out of her voice. "That way you can get your own, bigger, place."
"Hmm..." Dominque mused, not really listening and still looking around the room.
Stephanie sighed and lugged the suitcases into the spare bedroom. She left them next to the bed, which was covered by all of her sister's requested beauty products and felt annoyed that her space was being invaded. This was supposed to be the room her best friend used, before that plan had gone down the drain. This was even the room Stephanie had fantasised about using as a studio of some kind. To make what, she didn't know. She just liked the idea of having a studio at home. Now though, it would be home to her, frankly, bratty little sister.
But all of her frustrations at the situation wasn't going to make it any better. The best thing she could do to improve things, or at least make it a bit more liveable, would be to try and keep on Dominque's good side. Even if that meant holding her tongue from time to time. She was her sister after all. They weren't estranged or anything. Sure, they might not be the closet of siblings, but Stephanie didn't hate her sister or anything. Slightly resentful of how her mother fawned over her maybe, but that wasn't exactly Dominque's fault. Maybe a change in outlook was in order?
Instead of seeing it as Dominque getting her way yet again, Stephanie could view it as a chance to get closer with her sister after having been away from her for three years. Maybe her little sister had actually grown up a lot since then. Dominque had only been fifteen when Stephanie last had to live with her, she reminded herself. And Stephanie had changed a fair bit during her time studying too. It wouldn't be a rerun of what things used to be like back home.
"Steph?" Dominque's voice summoned her from the lounge. "Steph?"
"Yeah?" Stephanie answered, coming to the bedroom door and seeing her little sister now sitting up straight on the couch and looking at her.
"I just wanted to say sorry." Dominque said softly, keeping her gaze on the floor.
"What for?" Stephanie asked as she moved into the room.
"I didn't mean to offend you with my stupid comment about the size of your place." Dominque said. "And I am really grateful that you agreed to let me stay here. I know it's annoying to have your little sister hovering around all the time, but I promise I'll try not to get in the way too much."
Stephanie smiled. It seemed she'd prejudged her little sister wrongly indeed. This kind of social awareness was not something Dominque had ever really displayed back when they were growing up.
"You're welcome." Stephanie said. "As long as you don't trash the place, and help out a little, I'm sure we'll be fine."
"Okay. Yeah, sure." Dominque smiled and nodded as her eyes rose to meet Stephanie's.
"Great. Now why don't you give me a hand to make some food? I don't know about you but I'm starving after hauling those suitcases upstairs. What did you even pack anyway?" Stephanie teased.
"Oh, you know, just the essentials." Dominque smiled, with full dimples on display.
"The essentials being a full powder room set up?" Stephanie joked as she opened the fridge.
"Hey, you might be fine using that small palette you get from the supermarket, but some of us have taste." Dominque retorted getting up to join her sister in the kitchen.
"Sure, sure." Stephanie teased. "Speaking of taste, what do you fancy?"
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It was barely four days later when Stephanie got back home late after her day shift. A note pinned on the fridge told her that Dominque had got a last-minute callback for some advertising company promo and that she'd be home late herself. Not that Stephanie needed the note to realise it had been last minute.
For the first few days life with Dominque had been fairly easy. She mostly kept herself to her room in the evenings, watching make up tutorials or whatever, and during the day Stephanie was out at work. Occasionally Stephanie had to wait an additional couple of minutes to use the bathroom, but as soon as she expressed her need to use it, Dominque had been fairly good about finishing up whatever she was doing. Stephanie was actually fairly impressed with her. She'd even helped cook a few meals and done the dishes, something she'd never done before.
However, the state of the apartment now told a different story. There were dirty dishes from whatever Dominque had made for lunch still by the kitchen sink. A small collection of shoes were strewn about by the couch, no doubt from where her sister had been in a rush to find the right footwear for the promo. There were even a few jumpers and cardigans hung over the back of a chair.
It wasn't an ideal way to leave the apartment, but this was only her first real transgression, and even though it was annoying to have to tidy it all up, Stephanie figured she'd let this one slide. Especially if Dominque had actually been able to land something so quickly.
Stephanie gathered up the shoes and the clothes and went to her sister's bedroom door. She nudged it opened using her elbow on the handle and was stunned by the carnage that resided inside.