MidReal Story

Tempted by My Mom’s Friend

Alastair

Scenario:I stared at the clock, counting down the seconds until Veronica knocked on the door. She’s my mom’s friend and was tasked with house-sitting while my parents are away on vacation. Apparently, they didn’t trust me to be alone at the house. Finally, I heard the knock. Opening the door, I was greeted by Veronica—blue hair tied in a bun, wearing a black tank top and leggings that perhaps showed to much. "Heyyyy! Long time no see, honey," she said, stepping inside with her suitcase and a bright, teasing smile. She set her suitcase down and stretched, revealing smooth skin under her tank top. "Looks like we’ll be alone together for a while," she added with a wink. Her gaze shifted toward the backyard. "I heard you have a pool... Maybe I'll let you watch as I swim with my bikini on."

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I stared at the clock, counting down the seconds until Veronica knocked on the door. She’s my mom’s friend and was tasked with house-sitting while my parents are away on vacation. Apparently, they didn’t trust me to be alone at the house. Finally, I heard the knock. Opening the door, I was greeted by Veronica—blue hair tied in a bun, wearing a black tank top and leggings that perhaps showed to much. "Heyyyy! Long time no see, honey," she said, stepping inside with her suitcase and a bright, teasing smile. She set her suitcase down and stretched, revealing smooth skin under her tank top. "Looks like we’ll be alone together for a while," she added with a wink. Her gaze shifted toward the backyard. "I heard you have a pool... Maybe I'll let you watch as I swim with my bikini on."

Christine Windsor

young adult, relationship with Veronica and parents, petite with curly brown hair, curious and naive

Mateo Windsor

Christine's father and Veronica's friend, relationship with Christine and his wife Nicolette, tall with greying hair, protective and trusting

Veronica Carter

house sitter and friend of Christine's mom, relationship with Christine and her parents, striking blue hair in a bun, seductive and manipulative

My parents are going out of town for a few days.

They're visiting his sister and their family.

I'm not going with them because I have school, but I'm not staying behind to study or work because I'm off during that time too.

I could have gone, but my mom didn't plan it that way.

She said she was going to ask one of her closest friends to stay here with me.

I don't know her that well, but I've seen her a couple of times.

The only thing that I remember is that she's striking, with blue hair put up in a bun on her head.

I don't remember her name though.

I was looking forward to spending some time alone though.

I like being alone sometimes, but I know my mom would never go for that.

She would never leave me by myself like that.

"Christine, could you come downstairs now? There's something I need to talk to you about," my mom calls from the base of the stairs.

I'm in my room doing some reading.

I'm curled up on my bed with a blanket and a cup of hot tea beside me on the nightstand.

I set my book down and get up from my place on the bed.

I walk to the banister and look down at the hallway.

I grip the banister and start down.

I'm barefoot, and my feet pad against each carpeted step.

My mom is waiting for me at the base of the stairs, holding her phone in her hand and shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

That's something she does when she's anxious about something.

The afternoon sun shines through the front windows, casting long shadows across the hallway.

I reach the final step and my mom gestures toward the living room couch.

We walk there together and sit down, the leather creaking beneath us.

She holds her phone out to me, tapping on the screen to show me a contact photo.

It's of a woman with blue hair, and I know right away that it's Veronica, my mom's friend who's coming to house-sit while they're gone.

"Veronica is going to be here starting tomorrow. She's going to stay here until we get back," Mom says carefully.

She chooses her words deliberately when she's worried about how I'll react to something. I stare at Veronica's photo on the screen as Mom continues to explain how it will work.

She'll be here at night, and she'll keep an eye on me if I go out during that time.

She'll sleep in my parents' bedroom, and she'll keep an eye on the house while we're sleeping or gone.

Mom explains that she has a key, so I don't have to let her in tomorrow morning when she arrives. "She'll be here from 8pm to 10am every day. If you're going out during that time, you need to let me know so I can make sure that Veronica knows about it too," Mom says.

She pauses for a moment, watching me expectantly.

I nod mechanically, still staring at Veronica's photo on the screen.

Her blue hair is tied up in a bun on top of her head in this picture.

Her eyes are dark and intense-looking, and she's smiling brightly at the camera.

"I'm sure that you two will get along just fine," Mom adds after a moment of silence passes between us.

She smiles at me reassuringly, but I'm not really listening anymore.

I get up from the couch and go back upstairs to my room.

I'm not sure what to think about this situation.

Veronica looks... interesting, I guess.

I'm not sure how she's going to be as a house-sitter.

She seems like a free spirit, but that's just based on a photo.

I walk to my desk and sit down in the chair there.

Mom left a schedule on my desk for me, and I pick it up now.

It's a list of rules and times that she wrote out by hand on a piece of notebook paper.

She explains when Veronica will arrive every evening, and when she'll leave in the morning.

She also wrote down some rules for me, like letting her know if I'm going out during the time that Veronica will be here.

She reminds me to be respectful to her and to let her know if I have any plans. I set the paper back down on my desk and stare at it for a moment.

There's a knock on the front door downstairs, and I hear it open.

I get up from my desk and walk to my window, looking out at the backyard.

I can see the pool glinting in the afternoon light, and there are splashing sounds coming from it.

I look around until I see Veronica swimming laps in the pool with her blue hair loose around her shoulders.

She stops swimming for a moment and waves up at me when she sees me watching through my window.

I quickly pull my curtains closed and go back to my desk.

I pace back and forth in my room, stealing glances at my closed curtains.

I can still hear the splashing sounds coming from the pool outside.

I'm not sure what to do.

Ten minutes pass as I walk back and forth in my room, thinking about what to do.

Finally, I grab my phone off of my desk and head downstairs.

I pause on each step, listening to the sounds of the house around me.

I reach the sliding glass door that leads out to the pool deck and look through it.

Veronica is floating on her back in the water, her eyes closed and her blue hair spread out like a halo around her head.

She's wearing a bikini top, and I can see the outline of her breasts under it.

My hand hovers over the door handle for a moment before I grip it and slide it open. She must have heard the door slide open because she rights herself in the water, turning to face me with that same teasing smile from her photo.