Too many fucking horses.
I shook my head and sighed while she searched online job websites.
“My parents didn’t say they’d stop helping with tuition,” she said to herself. “Just rent. I can figure that out. There’s jobs. I’ll go to career services tomorrow and see what I can find. I’m sure I can figure this out.”
Yeah, she wasn’t talking to me. She was just thinking out loud.
I tried to catch her gaze, but her eyes were wild, like those god damn horses again. She didn’t even realize I was in the room with her, willing and able to help her through this.
She was oblivious to my presence.
There was nothing more I could do but give her time, enough space, and be there if she fell.
I heaved another sigh.
It hurt that she didn’t want my help, like I was somehow a bad person waiting to take advantage of her. But I couldn’t force my help on her, no matter how easily I could solve her money problems.
Man, that sucked.
“Samantha, if it gets to be too much,” I reassured, “let me know. I’m here for you,
I don’t think she’d heard me.
I needed a drink.
Chapter 12
SAMANTHA
Needless to say, I slept like crap that night. I couldn’t stop thinking about finding a job. Christos had left after an hour. I only had the one computer, so there wasn’t much he could do in the way of helping me job hunt.
I had searched around the internet for hours, trying to find something, but had no luck. I would look on campus for a work-study job today between classes, but feared there’d be none left this late in the academic year. If that happened, I’d try looking in my neighborhood for a restaurant job, a coffee shop, anything.
I did my best not to think about it.
My only class that morning was Oil Painting with Romeo and Kamiko. I had to buy supplies at the campus bookstore before class. I picked out the paints, brushes, palette, canvases, and other supplies and took them to the register.
The total was $147.38.
My money was going to be gone in two weeks at this rate.
I walked toward the Visual Arts building with my bag of supplies. When I’d walked this route to Life Drawing for the first time three months ago, I’d been full of hope. Now I was full of dread. I had to find a job. That was all I could think about. My lack of money.
How was I going to concentrate on painting? Or my other classes?
“There goes Poor House,” Tiffany Kingston-Whitehouse giggled.
Great. That was all I needed.
Two hobots stood next to her on the pathway. All three of them held cups of designer coffee from Toasted Roast. I’d already cut daily coffee from my budget.
I ignored her and kept walking.
“She lowers thrift-store chic to a whole new low, don’t you guys think?” Tiffany asked her minions.
“Totally,” they chorused.
“She makes bargain-basement look bad,” one said.
I had a moment to think about how Tiffany’s yacht probably cost more than four years of college tuition for fifty kids. Whatever. Envying her wealth wouldn’t help me find a job. I didn’t have time for her childish insults anymore.
“Grow up, Tiffany,” I said, never looking back.
I made it to the painting studio shortly after.
People were already setting up at the easels. I found a space next to Romeo and Kamiko.
“Hey guys,” I said. I was so happy to see them. “What are we going to paint this quarter to top all the nude models in Life Drawing last term? A live sex show?” I joked, trying to force myself into a better mood.
“I wish,” Romeo said. He gestured toward the center of the room. A waist-high pedestal had a square of black cloth draped diagonally over it. A wooden bowl of fruit sat on top.
“A still life,” Kamiko said. “Fruit is way easier than people.”
“But not nearly as interesting,” I said.
“Wait and see. Dealing with mixing paint and working with brushes will offer a bunch of new challenges. You’ll be glad you’re just painting apples and grapes.”
“I agree with Sam,” Romeo said thoughtfully. “I preferred painting people. Especially fully-nude Christos. But there
My cheeks glowed red. “Romeo!”
“Relax, Sam,” Romeo said dismissively. “We’ve
Kamiko gawked at both of us.
“No!” I blurted.
“No, you won’t describe it,” Romeo said, “or no, you haven’t peeled it?”
“Uhhhh…” Why did I feel guilty all of a sudden?
Kamiko snorted laughter. “Romeo, even
“If they have a foreskin, you do,” Romeo said plainly.
“It’s not the same kind of peeling,” Kamiko corrected. “It’s more like pulling down the wrapper on a freezer pop.
I grimaced. “This conversation has officially become uber disgusting.”
Romeo frowned. “Wait a second, Kamiko, how do you know so much about mansicle wrappers?”
“I am pre-med, in case you forgot. I know what a foreskin is.”
“Yes, but you seem to have intimate knowledge of their function. First-hand experience, perhaps? Are you hiding a boyfriend, Kamiko? I mean, other than Finn the Human? Like, a real live boy, boyfriend?”
“No, Romeo,” Kamiko insisted.
“Whoa!” Romeo chided. “Down, girl! Strident denial is a sure sign you’re hiding something!”
“Do you think she’s secretly dating Brandsome?” I suggested coyly, happy to have the heat off of me.
Kamiko’s cheeks flushed red. “I don’t know what you guys are talking about!”
“Hmmm,” Romeo considered shrewdly. “This bears further investigation. I do believe the plot has thickened. Unless that’s just me thinking about Christos’ manana again.” He shifted his belt around and wiggled his pants while jiggling his hips. “Yes, my plot has definitely thickened.”
“Oh, gross,” Kamiko grimaced.
“Anyway,” Romeo dismissed her, “back on topic. Sam, is Christos’ peeled manana curved or straight? I need to know.” He held the imaginary microphone up to my face again.
“Romeo!” I pleaded, pushing his hand away.
“I hear the curved ones hit a lady’s G-spot the best. Although, I think when it comes to my B-spot, straight is my preference.”
“What’s a B-spot?” Kamiko asked, confused.
“It’s in your bu—”
“Okay, class,” the professor said, clapping loudly several times right behind Romeo’s head, “enough chatter. We have a lot to cover today. Shall we begin?” The professor was a middle-aged guy with unruly hair and a
