The Housemaid [in edit]

The Housemaid - Chapter Twenty-Three

NOTE: Expect more delays for The Housemaid and Beginnings because I started school this week. :( I hate to delay it but I must! I apologize in advance.

And I apologize in advance for this chapter.

23: Inspiration

As Christine, Erin, Millie, Vada, and Faye all turned to the hallway that led to the living room they stopped before the opened door when they heard a frustrated Aaron talking over Tom, who was the only band member in the room along with Sandy.

“Tom, what is in that bloody head of yours? Are you purposely trying to make our job more complicated than it already is?”

Tom scoffed. “Wait, so all the shit that goes around this house is all because of me? How about the times when Max and Jay brought in more girls in their rooms? The time when we had a housemaid job fair? That wasn’t my fault!”

“You drove two, maybe three women away from this house—and you very well know who they are.” Sandy added. “Do you want Christine to be the fourth?”

Christine felt her cheeks burning. Even though she wasn’t in the room, it was extremely awkward to hear them talk about her out of earshot.

“Not to mention, you are this close—this close in tearing this band apart!” Aaron continued.

Tom’s eyes widened. “I am not—”

“It’s affecting them, too, you know—Jay and Nath won’t come out of their rooms because of this!”

“Not just us and the girls…but your disappearance sometimes…” To Christine and the girls’ realization, Siva and Max were also in the room. They just weren’t in their view from where they stood. “You always leave without telling us where you’re going; sometimes you show up late to meetings, and it’s so unlike you.”

“Yeah, mate. You’re usually the lad that keeps us together.” Max mentioned.

Taking the brief silence which probably meant that Tom was thinking for an answer, Christine noticed Jay and Nathan discreetly come out from the guest room across the hall. She averted her gaze from theirs and wasn’t in the mood to talk to either of them, let alone the rest of the band. After last night’s scuffle, she felt that the band’s current separation was her doing.

“…We should go in.” Erin said quietly. Sandy then peeked out of the room to see them in the hall.

“You’re just in time.” She gestured them all to come in. They all walked in line and scattered to find a seat. Max and Siva were sitting in the corner couch, while Tom was on the big chair. Christine decided to sit next to Siva, with Erin on the opposite side; she did this to avoid awkward stares from Tom or Jay. Millie, Vada, and Faye sat on the couch across from Tom, and Nathan and Jay sat on the piano chair behind the couch where the three girls sat. Finally when everyone settled in, Aaron turned to Tom and folded his arms. “I suppose you lot all heard the conversation earlier…Tom, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Tom stood up and sighed sadly. “You’re right, Aaron, Seev…I owe you all an apology for my behavior, and my…actions towards everyone…including you, Christine…”

He turned to Christine, showing the guilt on his face. She glanced briefly at him, but continued to look away from him. The only thing she wanted to do was listen.

“Before we came here, I had split with an ex-girlfriend, who I had been with for a while back in England…I took it hard. I took it out on you lot. I wanted to have someone again. But I took it far too much and became someone I wasn’t.”