Page 61 of Bro Amazing

I did the same with Sasha's notes from last week, but this week's critique has almost as many red marks. A few super helpful, and the rest bordering on nitpicky. It's okay though.Deep breath. She's helping me improve, and once we get through my story, it'll be so awesome, my editor will have practically nothing to do.

"How is it going with the new roommates?" Maddie shuffles away the edited copies of her chapter.

"They're actually gone this week, right?" says Sasha, causally sipping her cosmo.

"Yes, well, no. They're technically still on break this week, but a couple of them came home early." And since I need to apologize anyway, I add, "That's why I had to leave early the other night."

"Were they locked out or something? Did you have to go let them in?" Sasha arches an eyebrow.

"No, they asked me to come home and help them with something." I absolutely am not going to tell them what specifically they needed me to help with.

"That's cute though that they wanted you home when they got in," says Angela. "When I lived with friends, we'd get so used to each other being around that when someone was out, the whole vibe in the house felt off."

"It definitely felt that way with them gone." I laugh. "We all work from home so it's weird when the house isn't full."

"What did you say they do again?" Sasha swirls her drink.

"I don't think I did." I know I didn't, and I still sort of don't want to tell them, but I can't really see a way around it. I doubt they'll make anything of it, anyway. "They're gamers."

"As in, they play games all day?" asks Angela.

Sasha frowns as she looks me over, as if she's displeased with my answer. But I can't help what my roommates do for a living.

"And they make a living from this?" asks Maddie, equally skeptical.

"I guess so." I shrug, knowing full well that between their subscribers and their monetization on other platforms, and the fact that they can afford to cover my room and board, they're doing just fine.

"I don't know that I've ever met a professional gamer before, just casual ones," says Maddie, staring off into space for a moment. "Are they super nerdy?"

"Let's just say, I'm watching a lot of new shows I've never heard of before." Police boxes. Hitchhiking aliens. Pirates.

Though that last one wasn't nerdy so much as instructional, I guess. I like learning new things from my roommates. And I'm pretty sure they enjoy teaching me.

"I had a roommate once who was nerdy. Not a professional gamer, but I think he played some games," says Angela. "We didn't spend much time together, but he had a lot of dolls. Hecalled them action figures though. In general, I'd say he really liked toys."

I nearly choke on my wine. "Yeah, my roommates have some toys too."And not just the kind Angela is talking about.

"I'd love to meet them," says Sasha, watching me carefully.

"They work a lot," I remind her. "And at weird times, so that might be difficult."

My parents were easy to fool into believing that we're platonic roommates, but I'm not sure Sasha would believe it as easily. Anything beyond roommates hadn't even occurred to my parents, but she might be looking for it. She had asked if they're dating anyone.

"Roommates who work a lot are the best," says Maddie, "even if they work from home, because they're so busy they're never around and it's almost like living alone. But you don't have to pay all of the bills yourself."

"Yeah, we're in one of those really big old houses because there are so many of us," I concur. "I don't even want to imagine what it costs to heat a place like that."

"You don't see your own utility bills?" Sasha sits up a little straighter.

"Uh, no." I look around at Maddie and Angela. Maybe I just made a huge slip-up. "I just moved in, and we haven't had really cold weather yet. We probably won't have to really turn the heat on fully until it starts snowing."

That sounds plausible. Besides, I could be paying a flat rate each month for my room. I've heard of people doing that, I think. I really hope they buy my explanation and don't ask any more questions.

"Oh my god, don't look now." Sasha's gaze shifts away from me, and she fluffs her hair.

"Oooh, do I have anything in my teeth?" Maddie leans forward and flashes her teeth.

"No?" Next to me, Angela seems just as confused by their weird behavior as I am.

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