Page 78 of Bully Roommate

I glanced over my shoulder at the art gallery. “The guy you don’t like? He does them or sells them?”

Artie pushed away from the counter. “He doesn’t do them. He isn’t stupid. I think he sells them. Not sure.”

I stood up, placing some worn books on a shelf in the corner. “What makes you think he sells them?”

Artie groaned when he sat back down. “I see students around there all the time.”

“Couldn’t he just teach students?”

“Oh, he does. He works at LSU as a professor. Professor Howard or something—,”

The phone rang cutting off our conversation.So, this is the art studio where Josie will help teach? That means Professor Swoony is a drug dealer.

I laughed at the thought. Artie must hate this guy. Of course, students would be around an art studio where an art professor teaches. I didn’t want to poke the bear and get him worked up, so I let it go when he came back talking about an antique sale he wanted to go to in Arkansas.

When I got back home, Jordan waited for me in the living room. “Dude,” he said. “They found some new kind of Adderall in King’s locker.”

“Adderall?” I asked, glancing over his shoulder at an empty kitchen. “What kind of Adderall makes you act like that?"

Jordan shrugged. "Something new off the streets, that's additive. I'm not sure."

"How do you know?”

Jordan twisted his hat around backward. “Someone overheard Coach talking to the police while we were taking our tests. Where would he even get that?”

I shrugged, looking past him toward Josie's room. “Don’t know—,”

Jordan laughed. “She’s at that class tonight. That Professor asked her to come help with an adult class.”

I checked my phone and noticed an unread text message. Sure enough, she’d be home around nine tonight. I felt suddenly lonely without her. I wanted to come home and check on her after what happened with her parents.

“I’m sorry.”

I glanced up at Frankie. He looked worn down standing in the hallway. “About what?”

“About letting her parents inside. I didn’t know everything was a secret.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “They were going to find out sooner or later.”

Jordan chuckled. “I guess the cat out of the bag, huh? Josie has turned my gay lover straight.”

Frankie cringed. “Uh,what?”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Josie

The art studio was bright, with large glass windows and art hanging on the walls created by Derek’s students. I’d been happy to get an email about helping out with one of his classes during the week.

I felt giddy sitting at the front of the room painting for everyone to see. After what my mother said, and how Maverick spent the entire morning holding me, I needed something to lift me up.

Unlike Derek’s classes at the university, the ones at the studio were more diverse in gender. I hadn’t realized the hour passed so quickly when Derek tapped me on my shoulder. I glanced up from the distorted mess I’d created based on my mother’s harsh words and into Derek’s dark eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” I said. “What time is it? Has everyone left?”

Derek chuckled as he grabbed a stool and sat down. “This is different from the ones before. The ones about your … friend,” he said. “Are you two fighting?”

I swiped a bead of sweat from my forehead. “No, actually it’s from my mother. She doesn’t understand this, and wants me to do something that’s going to make me a living.”

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