TOTAL STRANGERS

       "So what's up?" Nora asked in a low tone as she put the last becon in her mouth. 

      Faith was by the sink, doing the dishes. Ethan was in the living room, fingering his phone. Faith was pissed at his non chalant attitude towards the rule. 

       "Nothing's up. I found him on my bed again, something about him being cold in the night. I can't deal with this."

         "Shh, bring your voice down," Nora said almost in a whisper. 

      Faith turned to look at her, her head tilted and a quizzical frown on her face. "Why?" 

        "Because, he is right there and could hear us." Nora pointed towards the kitchen door. 

        "I don't really care what he hears or not. I need my privacy and he is not letting me have it." She took the plates she had rinsed and started wiping them with her neat napkin. 

         "Can I say you're being selfish here?" 

       "It's not selfishness, it's called loving my space and besides, he looks like he is not hygienic enough." 

     Nora dropped her spoon on the plate and let it clatter. "Faith, don't tell me you're going to make him do that." 

       "Do what?" 

        "You're a hygienic freak, not everyone is comfortable with it, especially the guys." 

        "Well, if you have to live with me, you have to put up with that." She took the plate to the rack. 

        "Just let him breathe okay. To be honest, I kind of like that he is here with you." 

      Faith looked at her wide eye, her mouth agape. "Are you for me right now or against me?" 

        "You know I'm always for you, but you're still hurting and you need someone to always be around you." 

       "I don't need anybody. I was alone in San Francisco." 

        "Did you see how you looked when you came here? You looked like a ghost, I was scared you were gonna drop dead." 

        Faith glared at her. "Still, I can't believe you are trusting me to a total stranger." 

         "He is not a total stranger. You have slept two nights on the same bed..." 

         "What do you mean?" Faith came towards the table. "That doesn't make him an ally or friend." 

        "Whatever, but people meet as total strangers before they co exist. We met as total strangers, now we're the best of friends, Danny and I met as total strangers, but we're about to get married..." 

        "I get your point. But this one's not gonna turn out that way. We have set boundaries, so whatever you are thinking is not gonna happen." 

        "What am I thinking? And what boundaries did you set?" 

         "We made rules, we won't get personal with each other, no personal questions, we would live like the other is not there."

        "Why do I feel those rules were made by you?" 

        "Because they were made by me," Faith said and quickly tuck her hair behind her ear. 

         "Isn't that a bit unfair? Shouldn't he have a say?" 

         "I gave him opportunity to make his own rules but he started bluffing." 

          "What did he say?" Nora asked eagerly. 

           "He said, those that makes rules are always the first to break them," she mimicked. 

        The kitchen door flung open and Ethan stood there, they both turned to look at him.