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hell, she’d even managed to
do it over the past several days whilst she’d been
convalescing.
    “Don't
just stand there,” Alicia announced, her irritation clear as she
whisked a hand towards the couch and pointed at an enormous pile of
clothes. “Help me move those into my room.”
    Mutely, Nida walked over, grabbed the clothes, and marched
them into Alicia’s pigsty of a bedroom.
    “Why
exactly are we doing this?” Nida asked as she walked back into the
main room.
    “Boys,” Alicia answered clearly.
    Nida
rolled her eyes. Why had she bothered to ask? There was only one
thing Alicia cared about, and that was men.
    There
was also only one thing she ever bothered cleaning the apartment
for. Men, again.
    Usually Alicia didn't invite any guys back to their apartment
because it was such a tip, that and Nida hated walking in from a
long hard day at the Academy to find her flat mate rolling around
on the couch with her latest catch.
    “Oh,
don't look at me like that,” Alicia actually stamped her foot.
“They are just coming here before we go out. We'll be out of your
hair pretty quick,” she fobbed a hand Nida's way as she walked over
to the enormous pile of dirty dishes in the sink.
    “They?” Nida asked as she narrowed her eyes. “You mean, you
have more than one date?”
    Alicia
harrumphed. “No, I've organised a double date.”
    For a
moment, Nida stood there, stock still, fear rising through her
belly like a tidal wave.
    Alicia
clearly saw Nida’s shocked expression, and she tipped her head back
and laughed. “Oh my god, not for you, not for you,” she emphasised
as she chuckled even harder. “For Bridget. Don't be an idiot,”
Alicia walked past her and clasped a hand on her shoulder, “I would
never organise a double date for you.”
    Nida
didn't know whether to be relieved or insulted, so she decided
ignoring Alicia was best, and she picked her way through the open
kitchen towards her room.
    The
apartment was split into three rooms. The enormous shared living
space in the middle that had a lounge, kitchen, and a big table
directed at that enormous view through the plate glass windows. On
either side of that room were Alicia and Nida's bedrooms. Both
bedrooms had their own bathrooms, personal computers, beds, and
storage spaces.
    If it
weren't for Alicia's mess, this place would be beautiful, but you
didn't get to pick your roommates at the Academy.
    “Hey,
what are you doing? Come back here and help me clean up this mess,”
Alicia demanded.
    “Look,
I've had a really long day, and I’m still feeling kind
of . . . funny,” Nida managed with a
swallow.
    “Oh,
get over it. I know you fell over and bumped your head,” Alicia
gave a surprised laugh, clearly amused that someone could do
themselves so much damage by tripping up, “but that was several
days ago, and the doctors gave you the all clear yesterday. Now you
have no excuse, so help me clean up your mess.”
    “My
mess?” Nida challenged in a rare moment of bravery.
    Alicia
opened her mouth to say yes, but clearly thought better of it. “Our
mess,” she tried instead. “Now hurry.”
    “Why?
When will they get here?” Nida turned to look at the door, ready to
see several bright and handsome cadets sweep in to vie for Alicia’s
attention.
    Alicia
was stunning. The kind of stunning that knew it was stunning, and
leveraged every favour from that fact.
    “Oh,
they’re not coming tonight; they’re coming tomorrow night. But I
have to go out soon, so we need to clean now,” Alicia
announced.
    Nida
closed her eyes for a moment, pursed her lips, and blew a breath of
air against her ragged fringe. “I'm tired, and I need a shower.
I’ll clean up later,” she winked one eye open to see Alicia
standing there with her hands on her hips.
    “No,
we’re cleaning now. You can shower later.”
    With a
fresh new groan at how terrible her life was, Nida didn't complain
any further, and got to work. Whilst Alicia faffed around, Nida