at Pompeii, but now I was famished. My stomach was ready to wage a civil war in retaliation to my neglect.
Lucas tore into his burger. “You know,” he said, mumbling around the food in his mouth, “I’m not one to eat Mickey D’s at home. Give me breakfast food or a burrito any day. But this”—he pointed to his burger—“is divine.”
I took another bite and agreed. “It really is.”
Lucas and I sat quietly for a minute, enjoying our lunches. Taking a sip of soda, he washed down a few fries and smiled at me. “I’m feeling this relationship is a bit one-sided.”
“How so?”
“You know my birthday, where I’m from, and my favorite places to eat. The only thing I know about you is that you’re American, you’re traveling alone, and you got busy in the back of an SUV.”
I shrugged and popped a fry in my mouth. “Seems pretty balanced to me. Three facts for three facts.”
He wagged a finger. “Nope, I’ve offered a fourth. Mr. Waddles?”
Crap! He had me there.
“Where are you from, Sophia?”
“St. Louis. I just graduated from Washington University. I’m starting med school in the fall.”
“Wow, a doctor. I’m impressed.”
I nodded. I used to be impressed by that distinction, too, but it sort of felt like a lie now. I may not have the opportunity to become a doctor. And then what? The prospect of becoming a doctor had consumed my life for so long, there was nothing else I was good at. It was the only thing I knew. A sinkhole opened up in the pit of my stomach, and I was standing at the edge, peering into the scary, black depths. “Technically, I should be there right now, but my dad sprang this trip on me at the last minute and my mom insisted that I go. I withdrew from summer classes, rearranged my fall schedule, and here I am.”
“Remind me to thank your parents.” Lucas grinned and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
My lips pressed into a thin smile and my cheeks warmed. He was such a flirt. “What about you? What’s your story?”
His smile faded slightly as he mulled over my question. “Not really that interesting.”
“Oh, and mine was? Come on.”
He shrugged. “I was in my second year of grad school but decided to take a break to focus on my design company.”
“That’s right, you said you design video games?”
“I do. Me and my friend, Dean. We’ve been designing video games for the better part of three years. Our senior year of college, we struck gold when our indie zombie survival game, Undead Resurrection , hit it big. That was the beginning of WalStock Software Design. Since then, we’ve turned out a new game each year and have a pretty clutch fan base.”
“Sheesh, you’re like a legitimate grown-up. I’m impressed.”
“Ha. Yeah, right,” he said with a quick roll of his eyes. “I also like sleeping till noon, spending my days at the beach, surfing, and loading up on energy drinks. A right grown-up there,” he said with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
“At least you’ve got stuff figured out…know where your life is headed.” My shoulders slumped.
“What are you talking about? Med school isn’t like falling down a damn rabbit hole. Takes a dedicated, no-nonsense adult to make it through that.” He tossed the napkin on the table and sat back in his seat.
“I guess.” I shook off the chill of uncertainty the best I could. “It’s just, I’ve had some stuff happen over the last few weeks. Has me questioning whether med school is a good choice.”
“Fucking life,” Lucas sighed.
Stepping out into the world was scary. Even more so now that I didn’t know what my world would look like in fifteen, twenty years. All my careful plans scattered like dandelion seeds in the wake of my dad’s pronouncement.
I hated uncertainty. With a passion. Control was a basic life need, like water, air, and shelter. I envied Lucas. He had control of his life. It had direction and purpose, and he seemed happy. I used to have that kind of security. I
Lucas tore into his burger. “You know,” he said, mumbling around the food in his mouth, “I’m not one to eat Mickey D’s at home. Give me breakfast food or a burrito any day. But this”—he pointed to his burger—“is divine.”
I took another bite and agreed. “It really is.”
Lucas and I sat quietly for a minute, enjoying our lunches. Taking a sip of soda, he washed down a few fries and smiled at me. “I’m feeling this relationship is a bit one-sided.”
“How so?”
“You know my birthday, where I’m from, and my favorite places to eat. The only thing I know about you is that you’re American, you’re traveling alone, and you got busy in the back of an SUV.”
I shrugged and popped a fry in my mouth. “Seems pretty balanced to me. Three facts for three facts.”
He wagged a finger. “Nope, I’ve offered a fourth. Mr. Waddles?”
Crap! He had me there.
“Where are you from, Sophia?”
“St. Louis. I just graduated from Washington University. I’m starting med school in the fall.”
“Wow, a doctor. I’m impressed.”
I nodded. I used to be impressed by that distinction, too, but it sort of felt like a lie now. I may not have the opportunity to become a doctor. And then what? The prospect of becoming a doctor had consumed my life for so long, there was nothing else I was good at. It was the only thing I knew. A sinkhole opened up in the pit of my stomach, and I was standing at the edge, peering into the scary, black depths. “Technically, I should be there right now, but my dad sprang this trip on me at the last minute and my mom insisted that I go. I withdrew from summer classes, rearranged my fall schedule, and here I am.”
“Remind me to thank your parents.” Lucas grinned and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
My lips pressed into a thin smile and my cheeks warmed. He was such a flirt. “What about you? What’s your story?”
His smile faded slightly as he mulled over my question. “Not really that interesting.”
“Oh, and mine was? Come on.”
He shrugged. “I was in my second year of grad school but decided to take a break to focus on my design company.”
“That’s right, you said you design video games?”
“I do. Me and my friend, Dean. We’ve been designing video games for the better part of three years. Our senior year of college, we struck gold when our indie zombie survival game, Undead Resurrection , hit it big. That was the beginning of WalStock Software Design. Since then, we’ve turned out a new game each year and have a pretty clutch fan base.”
“Sheesh, you’re like a legitimate grown-up. I’m impressed.”
“Ha. Yeah, right,” he said with a quick roll of his eyes. “I also like sleeping till noon, spending my days at the beach, surfing, and loading up on energy drinks. A right grown-up there,” he said with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
“At least you’ve got stuff figured out…know where your life is headed.” My shoulders slumped.
“What are you talking about? Med school isn’t like falling down a damn rabbit hole. Takes a dedicated, no-nonsense adult to make it through that.” He tossed the napkin on the table and sat back in his seat.
“I guess.” I shook off the chill of uncertainty the best I could. “It’s just, I’ve had some stuff happen over the last few weeks. Has me questioning whether med school is a good choice.”
“Fucking life,” Lucas sighed.
Stepping out into the world was scary. Even more so now that I didn’t know what my world would look like in fifteen, twenty years. All my careful plans scattered like dandelion seeds in the wake of my dad’s pronouncement.
I hated uncertainty. With a passion. Control was a basic life need, like water, air, and shelter. I envied Lucas. He had control of his life. It had direction and purpose, and he seemed happy. I used to have that kind of security. I
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