Their Violence, Your Silence.

Helen was a pleasant motherly woman with a round faces and laughing wrinkles at her eyes. Her grey hair was curly and kept in a bun that didn’t look all that neat… She wore a large woolen vest in a lavender color.

She had a lot of other jobs to do but she stuck me with another girl named Ashley that I’d simply accompany in the morning to get a hang of how to do stuff.

Ashley wasn’t as nice as I’d hoped. She reminded me a hell of a lot of one of the girls in Marley’s posse. Ashley had a tongue piercing and was constantly chewing gum. I found it a rather disgusting combination.

The work was easy but heavy, making the beds the right way, dusting everything putting up
new towels and cleaning the bathroom. Although things weren’t all that dirty since everything was cleaned every day.

When Helen spoke to me during the break she said she’d checked all the rooms we’d done and they looked great. I was allowed to work the rest of the day on my own, it was a great relieve.

Ashley hadn’t been very forthcoming in her explanation’s and quick in saying what I was doing wrong. Tall and leggy as she was it was easy for her to reach the high up towel rack where as I’d have to climb on top of the toilet to place them correctly. It was a source of much amusement for her.



I was working on the last room on my list when Caleb showed up. It was stupid of me to hope he wouldn’t keep his word about checking my rooms… Stupid of me to think he’d leave without bothering me at all.

He was carrying a long list with him and as soon as he saw me he started reading it out loud a smirk playing on his handsome features. It was a long list of the many things I’d done wrong. A very long list.

He made me go back to every single room to correct things to perfection before finally, grudgingly he allowed me to go home.

‘Don’t forget Winter, tomorrow you start on your own right away, please don’t make so many mistakes then… I really hate having to stay late,’ he said as he got into that same sleek black car I had seen at the garage last weekend.

I could only nod my head mutely and watch him drive off into the sunset.

With a groan I made my way slowly to the bus stop. I’d started at seven this morning and it
was now five in the afternoon. Already the sun disappearing and the temperature dropping.

I was starting to doubt my conviction about getting this job. Especially the even if it doesn’t pay well I should take it, I have to start somewhere part.

My feet were killing me and I was mad at Caleb for making me do all those stupid extra things. If he hadn’t had that horrible list I’d have been done hours ago.

The bus came and I hopped on quickly glad to be out of the cold and able to finally sit down. Tomorrow was going to be hell, of that I was sure.



I hadn’t said a word to Jared about the job, only that Caleb worked there as well so he shouldn’t have to worry. It really seemed to ease his worry a hell of a lot so…

Caleb wasn’t at the front desk when I came in but another girl in the same uniform as I was wearing minus the apron but with a scarf and blazer was there. She smiled pleasantly enough as I made my way to the servant door to get my basket of cleaning supplies.

Helen was there waiting to pass out the pass keys and the clipboards with the lists of rooms each of us would be cleaning.

Ashley was there and two other girls who looked bored. Although one of them did smile at me. I took of quickly.

It seemed like luck was on my side, Caleb wasn’t here and if Helen would be checking the rooms at the end of the day to see if I didn’t miss anything I was sure it would be fine.

Maybe I’d be able to finish in time today. I was still sore everywhere from the hard work I’d done yesterday. I wasn’t used to doing so much, all I ever did was read.

After the fifth room I cleaned I got into a rhythm and sort of dancing to a random song in my head work was actually kind of fun.

I banished all thoughts of Caleb as soon as they arose just like thoughts about school. Instead I thought of what to tell Katie about my new job and how I could possibly convince Cassandra to meet my parents and tell them she was my friend.

‘You missed a spot,’ a voice startled out of my reverie. Quickly spinning around to face whoever was talking to me I tripped over the cord of the vacuum cleaner and landed with a loud ‘Oomph’ on the bed I’d just made.

Caleb in all his perfection stood in the door opening I’d propped open with the dirty towels. Wearing black slacks and a white button up shirt, a tie loosely around his throat. He looked both casual and dressy at the same time.

It wasn’t fair how one boy could look so amazing, it couldn’t be good for his ego.

A smirk was playing on his lips, one eyebrow slightly raised as he looked at me, awkwardly lying on the bed now. A blush already blazing on my cheeks.

‘I’ll…I’ll get right to it, sorry,’ I muttered trying to disentangle my feet from the cord. He was already striding over and pulled them free in one quick motion. Then he pulled me to my feet.

‘Careful alright? Now you’ll have to redo the bed…’ his tone of voice was amused but a frown creased his forehead.

Still blushing I nodded, and under his watchful I finished vacuum cleaning and redid the bed. Then I turned around and got to cleaning the bathroom.

He was still watching me work but without comment this time. As I got the clean towels I climbed carefully on the closed toilet to place them on the shelve there. A hand suddenly came to rest on my waist.

Scared shitless I nearly fell over but the hand was joined by another and steadied me easily. I looked back at Caleb, wide-eyed. A blush yet again spreading across my face.

‘Looks precarious… Don’t think your balance is all that well so I thought I’d help you…’ Caleb trailed off sounding embarrassed himself. He didn’t let go until I’d placed the towels and climbed back down.

After that he quickly left the room muttering something about having to check the others.

I was left in confusion. What did this mean? He’d been surprisingly nice all of the sudden.

Although ‘you missed a spot’ comment was a little… well annoying. He’d not really been harsh like yesterday.