Page 5 of Too Hostile

My eyes nearly pop out of my head. The nerve of this kid. “You could get a job.”

He just grins even more at me now, knowing without a doubt he’s annoying the shit out of me. And likely knowing that I can’t say shit to him because I don’t want to lose my job. “Now, that doesn’t sound very fun, Professor.”

Yup. I’m not going to make it. There’s no way. One of us is going to die this semester.

Two more weeks.

I grit my teeth. “Let’s move on.”

There are more pleased laughs from his classmates, and he just settles into his seat, clearly happy with himself, as I continue on with the lecture he so rudely interrupted. I’m not going to make it.

“I’m telling you, I’m not going to make it. This kid is the most arrogant little shithead I’ve ever seen.” I toss back another gulp of my beer, and my best friend, Nathan, just groans loudly.

“Not this again.”

“What?” I ask, turning to look at his irritated grimace.

“I cannot listen to you whine about Fletcher Moore another night. It’s Friday night. I just want to drink a beer in my favorite bar and maybe play a game of pool without hearing about the infamous Fletcher Moore.”

“No.” Annie, our other friend and a professor at the college, just like Nathan and me, groans as she plops down on the bar stool next to Nathan. “I’m not doing it.” She gestures for the bartender. “Gin and tonic, please, and make it strong.”

The bartender grins and gives her a nod as she places her purse on the bar and looks past Nathan and right at me. “We aren’t doing this again, are we?”

“Do what?” I ask grumpily. I swear these two are being very dramatic right now.

“You know what.” Annie deadpans and gladly takes the drink the bartender places in front of her, taking a sip.

“I don’t talk about him that much,” I grumble and sift through the bowl of pretzels on the bar, picking one up and bringing it to my lips.

“You do,” Nathan says very clearly, his eyes on mine and the irritation clear.

“He’s a pain in the ass,” I say. Nathan just shakes his head as I continue, “I mean, the kid is proud that his parents pay his way through everything. His mother pays his rent, and he considers that to be economical.”

Annie shrugs and takes another sip of her drink. “I mean, he’s not wrong.”

I glance at my friend with no smile on my face because she can’t be serious. “Really?”

She waves me off easily. We’ve known each other long enough, so I don’t bristle because she’s put up with me from day one. Literally. My first day on campus, I was a mess and totally lost, and there was Annie, showing me the way. She’s about ten years older than me and knew her way around already.

She introduced me to Nathan that night at this very bar, and the rest is history. I don’t trust many people, but these two and their spouses, I do.

“Listen, I know. We don’t really need to go into the whole Ronan Barlowe’s sad little life thing, do we?” She grins, and I can’t help but laugh a little.

“Fuck you too.”

She cackles and takes a drink of her gin and tonic. “I mean, I am a sociology professor, so don’t get me wrong, I do love the whole sad backstory...”

“Again.” I raise my middle finger at her. “Fuck. You.” Normally, I’d be a little more refined, but it’s Friday, and this bar is far enough from campus, I feel safe letting loose a little. It’s one of the many reasons I like coming here.

She laughs, and Nathan grips my shoulder happily. They know my past. I’ve told them both pretty much everything. Something else I really don’t do—and yes, it may have first come out because I had a little bit too much to drink—but it actually feels good to have someone else in the world know.

“I’m just saying, just because you had to literally work your way up from the bottom doesn’t make his life any less valid.”

I bristle. I’d like to think I don’t judge people who appear to have had it easy, but then again... shit. Maybe I do a little. Not one thing was ever given to me, so maybe I am a little bitter.

“Besides, the kid is a genius.”

I snort at that and take a drink, shaking my head. “No. He’s not.”

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