Page 31 of Catch Me
There was a tap on my window that made me jump. It was the second time I’d been startled out of my head today, which was probably a bad sign.
I opened my door and stepped out. My friend, Leo, pulled me into his chest, then punched me in the arm. “Where the fuck have you been?”
“Around. Busy.”
“We’ve texted you. Kinda thought you died or ran away. Mark said you were probably holed up with Irene again, but I saw her making out with some guy who does sculpting. Shit, sorry if you didn’t know that.”
I shrugged and leaned back against my car. “I haven’t been with her in a long time.”
“Oh, cool. Someone new, then?”
“No one. Like I said, I’ve been busy. There’s this project I might be working on. Not school-related.”
“Shit, that’s good. Paid?”
I nodded. “Still working out the details.”
“Well, good for you, man. We’re hitting a bar tonight. Come with us.”
“I don’t know . . .”
“You’re coming. Something has you down, and I’m not gonna let my boy go home to feel like shit.”
“I’m fine,” I replied quickly.
“There’s no shame in struggling. We’re men, but we aren’t robots. Just hang out with the guys tonight, Roman. It might help.”
After a minute, I nodded. He grinned at me and patted my cheek hard.
“Seven o’ clock. I’ll text you. If you don’t come through, we’ll drag you out of your apartment.”
He jogged backward, still pointing at me. When he turned around, I dropped my head back.
Maybe he was right, but I still didn’t want to do it. I’d rather lie in bed and draw or get drunk by myself. If I didn’t go, they’d harass me, and I knew they weren’t above breaking in to haul my ass out, so I guess I didn’t have a choice.
*****
“You’re stuck on a project with this guy?” Mark asked, staring at Ben with wide eyes.
“Yeah, I tried to switch, but the professor won’t let me. It’s bullshit.”
“I’d tell him you’re uncomfortable. Like, the dude hit on you. That’s weird as fuck.”
“That’s the problem with art school, right?” Harris said.
My brow furrowed. “What?”
“Gays everywhere.”
He snorted a laugh along with a couple of the others. I spun my shot glass on the table, unsure what to say. I was teetering on drunk, and the conversation was getting on my nerves.
“Hey, let’s not be dicks,” Leo chimed in. Despite his words, there was a small smile on his face.
“He has a point,” Harris mused. “Dicks are what they like.”
Mark slapped the table and wheezed. “Brilliant.”
I shifted in my seat and took another shot. “I doubt he was hitting on you.”
