“Ugh, not again,” I muttered as I stepped into the living room and saw the mess.

The dishes were piled high in the sink, clothes were scattered everywhere, and the garbage was overflowing.

I flopped down on the couch with my favorite book, hoping to find some comfort in its familiar pages.

But I couldn’t focus.

All I could think about was Alice and how she’d been neglecting our cleaning schedule.

Alice is 23 years old, and I’m 22. We met in college and decided to get a place together after graduation.

At first, everything was great. We split the rent and utilities evenly, had a cleaning schedule, and enjoyed hanging out together.

But about three months ago, things started to change.

Alice stopped caring about the apartment. I found myself cleaning up after her constantly, and it was driving me crazy.

“Why does she always do this?” I sighed, looking around at the mess.

The apartment used to be our cozy little haven, but now it felt like a pigsty.

Just then, Alice walked in, her hair disheveled and her clothes rumpled. She plopped down on the couch next to me, not even noticing the mess around us.

“Hey, Chloe. What’s up?” she asked, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my frustration in check. “Alice, we need to talk about the cleaning schedule. It’s not fair that I’m the only one doing all the work around here.”

Alice glanced at me, then back at the TV. “I know; I’ll take care of it later,” she said dismissively.

“Later?” I repeated, my voice rising. “You always say that, but it never happens. The place is a mess, Alice. We need to keep it clean.”

She sighed, clearly annoyed, and turned off the TV. “I said I’ll do it later, Chloe. What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is I’m tired of cleaning up after you. We agreed to share the responsibilities, remember?”

Alice rolled her eyes and stood up. “Fine, whatever. I’ll do it later,” she said, walking away without another word.

I watched her go, feeling a mix of frustration and disappointment.

The apartment felt even messier now, and so did our friendship. I didn’t know what had changed in Alice.

Still, I hoped she would keep her word. But when I came home from work the next evening, the apartment looked like a frat house.

Madison, Bella, and Emma, Alice’s friends, were lounging on the couch surrounded by empty pizza boxes and drink cans.

“Seriously, Alice? What happened to our place?” I snapped. “We just talked about this yesterday!”

Alice glanced up, clearly irritated. “Oh, come on, Chloe! You’re always cleaning anyway! I’ve got more important things to worry about,” she said dismissively.

“Alice, this isn’t funny. We both live here. It’s not fair that I’m doing all the cleaning while you and your friends trash the place.”

“Relax. We’ll clean up later,” Alice replied, turning back to her friends.

I clenched my fists, trying to keep my temper in check.

I have to do something. I have to make her realize what she’s doing! But how?

“Lighten up, Chloe,” Madison said, snapping me to the present. “It’s not the end of the world.”

Bella and Emma nodded, clearly siding with Alice.

After the chaotic night, I decided enough was enough.

The next weekend, Alice came bouncing into my room, all excited about her big date with her new boyfriend, Mark.

“Chloe, I need the apartment spotless tonight,” she said in a demanding tone. “You love cleaning, don’t you, Cinderella? Make sure everything’s perfect for my big night.”

Her snide comment made my blood boil. But I forced a smile and nodded.

“Sure, Alice. I’ll make it perfect,” I said.

“Thanks, Chloe! Who needs a fairy godmother when I have you?” she chuckled.

As soon as she left, I knew it was time to teach her a lesson. I started by meticulously cleaning the common areas.

I scrubbed the floors, wiped down every surface, and made sure the living room and kitchen sparkled. The place looked amazing, just like it used to.

But I had a special plan for Alice’s mess.

I gathered all her dirty dishes from the sink, picked up her scattered clothes from the living room, and even grabbed the overflowing trash from the bins.

Then, I carried everything to her bedroom and carefully placed it all over her room. Dirty dishes on her dresser, clothes on her bed, and trash in every corner. It was impossible to miss.

After I was done, I stepped back and admired my work.

“Perfect,” I said to myself.

Then, I locked Alice’s bedroom door and left a note on it: “Enjoy the clean apartment!”

That evening, when she returned home with Mark, eager to show off our now spotless living space, I watched from the kitchen, curious to see how things would play out.

“See, Mark? I love keeping things neat and tidy,” Alice bragged, leading him around the living room.

Mark looked impressed, and Alice beamed with pride.

I couldn’t help but smirk as I pretended to busy myself in the kitchen. I knew what was coming next.

Alice walked over to her bedroom door and tried to open it. It was still locked. “What the…?” she muttered, clearly confused. Then, she saw the note I left.

She tore the note off the door and read it, her confusion quickly turning to horror. She fumbled with the key, and as she unlocked the door and pushed it open, the look on her face was priceless.

Her once-smug expression dissolved into shock as she saw her bedroom overflowing with dirty dishes, scattered clothes, and piles of trash.

“Oh my God!” she gasped, turning bright red. “What happened here?”

Mark stood in the doorway, his mouth agape. “Alice, I thought you said you loved cleaning?” he asked, clearly appalled by the mess.

Alice stammered, trying to come up with an explanation. “I…I do, I mean…this isn’t what it looks like…”

I stepped out of the kitchen, unable to hide my satisfaction.

“I thought you’d appreciate having all your things in one place, Alice,” I said sweetly. “After all, you love cleaning, don’t you?”

Mark looked between us, trying to piece together what was going on.

“Well, Mark, I guess Alice has been a bit busy lately,” I said, trying to sound sympathetic. “But I’m sure she’ll get this all cleaned up in no time.”

Mark shook his head, looking disappointed. “Yeah, I hope so,” he said, stepping away from the mess. “Maybe we should go out instead.”

Alice turned bright red, her frustration boiling over. “You sabotaged my evening on purpose, Chloe! How could you do this to me?” she yelled, her voice trembling with anger.

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “Alice, this is what I deal with every day. I’m always cleaning up after your mess. I thought maybe you’d finally understand how it feels.”

Mark, who had been watching the whole scene, shook his head in disbelief. “Alice, this is too much. I don’t think I can stay,” he said, clearly disappointed.

He turned and walked out of the apartment, leaving Alice standing there, mortified and furious.

“You’ve ruined everything, Chloe,” Alice spat. “You ruined my night just for your stupid revenge!”

“No, Alice,” I said firmly. “You did this to yourself. All I did was show you the reality of what I go through every day. It’s time you started taking responsibility.”

For a moment, there was silence. Alice’s face softened, and she let out a long sigh. “Fine. I get it. I’ve been unfair and lazy. I’ll start pulling my weight around here.”

Her apology took me by surprise. “Thank you, Alice. I appreciate that. We can make this work if we both try,” I found myself saying.

From that day on, things began to change. Alice started taking her cleaning responsibilities seriously. She no longer left dishes piled up or clothes strewn around.

The apartment slowly returned to the cozy, inviting place it used to be, and our friendship improved as well.

What would you have done?

If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one: Hazel discovers a hidden folder on her father’s computer filled with photos that turn her world upside down. As she prepares to confront him, Hazel must ask herself: is she ready for the answers?