AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The other students won’t look at me now. I’m a freaking pariah. Why is he doing this to me? I’m a serious artist, but this has happened before. The other people see my young face and try to throw me out. Screw that. I’m not leaving. Folding my arms over my chest, I lean back in my seat. “I belong here as much as anyone else in this class. Just because I missed a day—”
“Exactly. You missed a day. You failed to notify me, didn’t bother to prepare for today’s lesson, and you had to bum a syllabus off of the gentleman sitting next to you. All of those things combined tell me that you’re not serious and I don’t have time to play art class, Miss Hill. We’re serious people and you’ve proven that you are not, unless…?”
Carter flicks his eyes my way and gives an almost imperceptible shake of his head, but I’m already speaking. “Unless what?”
“Unless you want to prove to the class, and myself, that you are, in fact, a serious artist and won’t waste anymore of our precious time.” Evil Santa stares me down, but I don’t look away.
My jaw is set, locked, to keep from cursing him out. What an assface. “Fine. Done.”
The professor smirks. “You aren’t going to ask what I mean by that?”
“No. I’m all in, as long as it’s art and you didn’t just sucker me into washing your car for the semester.” I glare at him, hoping I earned a little respect. The man seemed so nice when he first walked in the room. It’s weird that he did a one-eighty so quickly.
“Very well. You may stay.” Evil Santa continues the lesson and forgets about me.
Carter doesn’t speak, but his eyes keep wandering in my direction. At the end of the class, he gathers up his books and follows me outside. Running to catch up, he falls in step beside me. “He played you, you know. You walked right into his trap.” He laughs softly, but I have no idea what he’s talking about.
I shrug. “What’s he going to have me do? Clean the desks and knead all the erasers until my hands cramp?”
The corners of Carter’s lips twitch as he tries to hide his amuseme
nt. “Nope. You just signed up to be the model in the Tuesday night figure drawing class.”
“What?” I stop walking and every thought flies out of my head. “I did not!”
He’s laughing. “You totally did. He suckered you into it. Dr. Jax always pulls shit like that.”
I punch Carter’s arm to make him stop sniggering, but he just laughs harder. “I can’t be a model!”
“No one wants to be the model. Like, ever. But it is difficult to learn how to draw when there aren’t any volunteers.”
I’m standing in the quad with my jaw on the grass. “I volunteered to be a model?”
“Yup.”
“In a figure drawing class?”
“Yup. Now, connect the dots, freshman.” Carter’s eyes sparkle, the smile on his lips growing broader.
Horrified, I look him in the face. “It’s a figure drawing class, so the model is… Oh God.”
Carter chuckles. “Yeah, God can’t help you. You signed up to be the nude model. It’ll be way better than drawing the same old, wrinkled dude that usually shows up.”
My eyes shift slowly to the side, and glance at him. “You’re in that class?”
“Kerry, every upper classmen in the department is in that class. Don’t worry. I bet you won’t be the only model he suckers into it.”
“Really?” I ask hopefully.
“No. I seriously doubt it. I was just trying to make you feel better.” He pauses and smiles. “Come on, it’s not like it matters. You’ve drawn nudes before.” Carter tugs my elbow and starts us walking toward the main building.
My feet move slowly, but my mind is reeling, spinning like a top, struggling to figure out how to get out of this situation. “Yeah, I’ve drawn nudes, but they’re other people. I’m not a model! Carter, you have to help me.”
“I tried.” I give him a look and he amends his statement. “Okay, I didn’t try very hard. I’m selfish and you’re beautiful. I bet he lets you wear a drape or something. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m going to puke.”
Carter pulls the glass doors open and walks inside with me. We grab lunch and he takes me over to a table filled with art freaks. My people. I sit down next to a guy with blue hair and a pierced face, like everything is pierced—his nose, eyebrow, cheek, lip, and tongue.
