By her twentieth birthday, there are a few things Valarie Ricci knows for certain.
She knows that her waitressing job barely covers the costs of living out of a beat up old van. She knows she's stuck in the dead end hometown her high school friends...
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The drive to the hospital took just over thirty minutes. With the exception of Theo fiddling with the radio dial every time a commercial or song she didn't like played, the two of them sat in silence. Valarie's attempts at conversation were shut down by a stony glare, which left her to endlessly replay the afternoon's events as she drove.
Are you stupid or something looped over and over, slipping in and out of Frank, Theo, and Mom's voices. She felt pretty fucking stupid. Nonno could have been hurt or lost. The whole street probably overheard how she argued with Mom and thought they were neglectful or incompetent. Would social services come back? Would they try to stick Nonno in a home where they'd just drug him all day to keep him quiet?
She shouldn't have spoken to Mom like that. Mom was doing her best with the both of them, even though Valarie didn't make it easy for her. Valarie had to do better. This afternoon shouldn't have happened; she should have been watching–
"This is not me apologizing for that asshole," Theo said. "Cause I don't apologize for him. But I am sorry about him bringing up... you know, your Dad. Garbage thing to do." She shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable. "Your Mom is pretty badass for spitting on him like that. If I'd done that..." She shook her head.
Valarie felt like someone stuck their fingers into her stomach and twisted. "Yeah." As she pulled into the hospital parking lot and found a space near the ER, she fought the sudden desire to ditch the car, ditch Theo, change her name, and never return to the town of Valentine.
The ER wasn't too busy. After speaking with one of the administrative nurses, they took a seat in the waiting area under a TV broadcasting one of the local news stations. She tried to ignore the horrible chemical smell and the masked man sitting across from them with an ugly cough. Posters about drinking and driving and donating to blood banks hung off the sterile walls, which were painted a light blue that was probably meant to be calming. She picked up a pamphlet about intestinal parasites from a nearby table and began flipping through it.
"Stop fidgeting."
"Huh?" Valarie looked up from a diagram of intestines.
"I swear, you're like a little kid sometimes." Theo placed her good hand on Valarie's knee, forcing her leg to stop bouncing up and down. Valarie hadn't even realized she'd been doing it.
They both stared down at Theo's hand.
"I've been hooking up with Paul Kushner," Theo said. "From the cross-country team."
"Oh. How is that?"
"Not great." Theo shrugged. "But he's learning."
"Do you like him?"
"Not really. He always tries to get me to watch Family Guy with him afterwards."
