Page 30 of Rat Park
“You know what I meant. How would you feel if I talked about myself like that?”
Dominic didn’t point out that it was different when what Dominic said was true, whereas Flor’s self-recrimination would be baseless.
“Fine. I’ll stop.”
“Thank you.”
They drove for a few minutes in silence.
“Whydon’tyou get your GED?” Florian asked eventually, voice quiet.
“What would be the point?”
“Whatever you wanted it to be.”
Dominic sighed. “I don’t know. Let’s drop it.”
“I wasn’t trying to say—you obviously don’t have to. But. If you wanted to. You could.”
Dominic nodded, but the gesture was sarcastic inside his head.
Despite his protests, Dominic found himself looking online at GED courses nearby.
Just for curiosity’s sake.
CHAPTER TEN
Dominic and Flor sat down in the diner booth, something they did semi-regularly after their Brown Paper Bag shifts, even if it was late at night. Dominic looked at Flor as he kept talking. Even in fluorescent lights, Flor looked like he was glowing instead of washed out like everybody else.
“She was trying not to show it but was being totally prissy about the fact that I got higher marks in Bio this time. Usually I get higher marks in Chem and she does in Bio but—it was like one time. And, it’s not even a competition! What I get has no bearing on what she does. Like, grow up!”
Dominic nodded in agreement before accepting two menus from the waitress.
“Like, I get her parents put a load of pressure on her and I feel bad but—”
“Not your fault. You’re bright, you work hard. Like you said, it’s her issue. End of.”
Flor looked down, blushing slightly. “Stop complimenting me,” he complained.
“I’m not complimenting you. I’m saying the truth.”
Flor rolled his eyes, blushing harder. “Anyway, Imma need the good Bio grades if I’m gonna be a doctor, so…”
Dominic perked up, smiling slightly. “Yeah?”
Flor shrugged. “Yeah. I mean, I’ve been thinking about what you said. I think…I mean I’ve looked into it. It’s a lot of years.”
Dominic nodded.
“But, you know. I think—I think I might be good at it.”
“You’d be great,” Dominic said firmly.
Flor grinned at him. “Would you let me be your doctor?”
“’Course,” Dominic said easily. They were interrupted for a moment as they accepted some decaf coffee from the waitress. When she left, Flor was looking at him with a cheeky expression.
“Really? Wanna play doctor?” Flor smirked.
