Teaching Mr. Graham

Chapter Sixty

    The rap music was so loud, that it was a wonder Aubrey's neighbors weren't putting in complaints. Thankfully, there were a lot of young residents in his building. That was probably the only thing keeping him from getting fined up the wazoo because of OB's need for obnoxiously loud music. There's a reason why the word obnoxious starts with "OB," he thought miserably while staring down at his cell phone.

    OB danced crazily in the center of the living room while downing an entire bottle of Virginia Black, straight. No chaser. When there was a lull in fast hip hop beats, he collapsed on the couch beside Aubrey. "Will you lighten the fuck up?"

    Aubrey looked at him.

    "Okay, so what? You've got a dean breathing down your neck about your relationship with the girl."

    "My job and reputation are on the line," Aubrey said, his voice heavy with guilt. "Her reputation and education are on the line. I fucked up."

    "Well of course you fucked up," OB exclaimed, chortling. "She's a damn kid. And you had her little friend and her friend's man up in here. Not a wise move."

    Aubrey stood up from the couch and started pacing.

    "I'm going to have to nickname you Chester the Moles-" Before OB could get the full nickname out, the bottle of whiskey was knocked out of his hand. "Hey!" he shouted, leaping up from the couch and sidestepping the whiskey-soaked floor. "The hell did you do that for?"

    "Not everything is a damned joke!" Aubrey bellowed.

    OB's red, nearly non-existent eyebrows shot up.

    "This is major. Okay? I fucked up. And now I can't even talk to her. I can't even see her. Because they're watching my every move. I'm freaked out and what I need right now isn't someone who's going to make me feel fucking worse or make fun of the fucking situation."

    Holding up both hands in a defensive gesture, OB said in a softened voice, "Okay, yeah. I get it. I gotchu. I'm sorry, man."

    Aubrey ran a hand over his fade and turned his back to his friend. "I've put her entire education in jeopardy. She tried to be smart about it. She tried to wait until she was out of my class, but I wouldn't let her. And now I can't even warn her that they're watching us. I can't text her to let her know to stay away from me. I don't know what I'm going to do. It was already torture trying to stay away from her in class. With this investigation shit, now I have no choice but to avoid her altogether, and I don't know how I'm going to do that."

    "Okay, just...calm the fuck down," OB said, approaching and setting a hand on Aubrey's shoulder. "You'll figure shit out. I mean...if you and the girl stay away from each other, then the investigation shouldn't turn up anything, right?"

    It's not that simple, Aubrey thought, shaking his head sadly.

    "All right, then how about..." OB's hand fell away from Aubrey's shoulder. "How about you find a way to warn her? Or find a way to communicate with her?"

    "How would I do that?" Aubrey asked, glancing at OB over his shoulder.

    "Shit, I don't know..." OB folded his arms across his chest. "You could get her a burner phone. Like the kind that crackheads use in crime fiction shows."

    Aubrey laughed. "I'm too paranoid to use a phone."

    "All right, then...how about...how about..." OB frowned, but then his expression brightened. He stretched his arms out. "Duh. How about me?"

    Aubrey raised an eyebrow. "You?"

    "I could visit their dorm."

    Aubrey narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side. "How does that help me?"