Little Lies

A cough comes from my right. I glance at Elise, and she widens her eyes at me. I don’t know what message she’s trying to send, but it distracts me from my rage-glaring. I exhale my frustration and prepare for the torture of having to look at my least favorite person in the entire world for the next few hours. While he’s naked.

I pick up my pencil and get to work, sketching first the outline of the chaise and then Kodiak’s form. I avoid looking above the neck. Even with as little direct contact as we’ve had recently, I can draw every detail of his face from memory. However, I don’t take the literal route with this particular project. Instead, I take a few artistic liberties.

Halfway through class, we take a ten-minute break, and Kodiak, whose semi has deflated—and whose unerect penis is still annoyingly impressive—shrugs back into his robe. A few of the bolder students, who obviously know who he is, giggle and titter as he passes them, flashing his dimpled smile.

I wait until he leaves the room before I finally relax. I need to pee, badly. Instead of using the bathroom on this floor, I go down a level so I can avoid running into Kodiak in the hall. Of course he’s standing out there, surrounded by girls, his smile fake and uneasy.

Kodiak was always good with small doses of interaction, but he never did well with being surrounded, especially by people he doesn’t know. Not that I care to save him. This mess is his, not mine.

A few minutes later I return to my easel, and Elise shifts in her seat, eyes narrowed and homed in on me.

“What’s the deal?” She motions to the empty chaise.

I give her a what-are-you-talking-about look.

She rolls her eyes. “He’s been staring at you the entire time.”

“He plays hockey with my brother.”

“So, you’re a thing?”

“No.”

“I don’t believe you. He’s been looking at you like he wants to either stab you or eat you for dinner.”

“The former is more likely than the latter.”

“You know Bethany already has dibs on him. Plus, I’ve heard he’s kinky as hell. Likes to watch and stuff.”

I don’t respond. I have nothing to say to that.

The class trickles back in, and Kodiak drops his robe again. At least he’s not hard anymore.

I spend the second half of the class working on the details above his neck and between his legs. Professor Meyer stops behind me. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if I end up with a failing mark for this, but there’s so much gratification in the end product that it will be totally worth it.

She clears her throat, and it actually sounds like she’s trying not to laugh. “That’s an interesting perspective, Lavender.”

“Just embellishing the subject, so it lines up with my vision.”

“I look forward to hearing all about it in your write-up.” She moves on to Elise and calls out, “Ten minutes left. Please put the finishing touches on your piece.”

I add extra shading, taking liberties by adding a hint of color until Professor Meyer calls time and we all have to put our pencils down. Elise looks over, forever trying to compare us when we have completely different styles. Besides, I’m going to spend my life sewing costumes, not creating masterpieces on canvas or paper. This is my therapy, not my career.

She’s in the middle of a sip of water, which she sprays all over her drawing and the floor. “Oh my God!”

All of a sudden, I have the attention of the entire class. I’m actually surprised the students behind me didn’t notice until now, or maybe I was covering the head with my body.

Curiosity must get the better of Kodiak, because he shrugs into the robe and comes around to look at my piece. He coughs a couple of times. “Wow, that’s—”

“Astoundingly accurate,” I supply.

I drew a half-erect penis where his head should be, and where the head of his actual penis should be, I drew his face—a tiny, very detailed version, red and angry, with horns, like the devil.

It’s actually one of my better drawings.Chapter ThirteenThe Secrets We Keep

Lavender

Present day

POST-ART CLASS, I spend the night at Lovey and Lacey’s, not wanting to go home to the possibility of having to face Kodiak. He’s always at our place. I don’t know why they can’t hang out over at his and BJ’s house. I love seeing BJ, but Kodiak is always with him.

I don’t tell the girls why I don’t want to go home until after I’ve had two coolers. And then my motormouth kicks in and I spill all the half-hard-on beans. They’re equally as mystified by the fact that he posed for my class as I am. It’s completely out of character for him. I also tell them what happened with Dylan and how I’m not really interested in another tutoring session, and I doubt he is either.