Page 29 of Rat Park
“Still. You’d make a good doctor,” Dominic said.
“Would I?”
“Yeah. You’re empathetic, you’re not squeamish. And you’re smart enough, too.”
There was a slight pause. “Thanks,” Flor said quietly. Now it was Dominic’s turn to shrug.
“It’s the truth.”
The glow of a streetlight passed over the car, lighting up Flor’s smile.
**********
Dominic had expected Flor to stop volunteering when the end of summer neared and his last year of high school started, but he insisted on going. Mostly it would be Cat, Flor, and Dominic, but sometimes it was just Dominic and Flor when Cat was too busy to make it.
“I went by the G-Town supermarket you work at. Did you change your shift? I didn’t see you there,” Flor said from the passenger seat, just him and Dominic in the car.
“I don’t work there anymore,” Dominic said, signalling a turn before taking it.
“What! You never said!”
“Didn’t think it was relevant.”
“Urgh. Why wouldn’t I want to know that you’ve changed jobs?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t think it’d be a big deal.”
“What are you doing now, then?”
“Delivery guy for a vegetable vendor.”
“That’s cool! Do you like it?”
“Well, it’s better than bagging. And it’s not like I’m smart enough to do much else.”
“First of all, that’s insulting to blue-collar workers, who are the backbone—”
“Jesus.”
“Secondly, it’s not like you’re stupid.”
“Actually—”
“Don’t even.”
“I don’t even have my GED.”
“Get it, then!”
“That’s easier said than done.”
“Well, most things are, Dominic,” Flor said, sounding angry.
“Why are you so upset?”
“I don’t like it when you talk about yourself like that. How would you feel if I did that?”
“If you talked to me like that?”
