Page 62 of Promising You
“What kind of doctor do you want to be?” I take a big bite of my ice cream.
“I want to be an oncologist.”
I cringe as the ice cream causes a moment of brain freeze. When I recover, I say, “So you want to be a cancer doctor. Any reason why?”
“Yeah, because um . . .” Carson sets down the french fries he was holding and wipes his hands together, shaking the salt off. “My sister had cancer.”
I’m confused by his use of the past tense. She either beat cancer or is dead. I’m too afraid to ask.
He moves his tray to the side and leans forward, resting his forearms on the table. “I don’t like to talk about it, but since I already brought it up I’ll tell you. My sister died of cancer last month. She was 16.”
So that explains the past tense.
“Oh. I’m sorry. That’s awful.”
“Yeah. She wasn’t doing well last summer, so I didn’t start school in the fall because I wanted to spend time with her. She passed away the week before Christmas.”
I never know what to say when people tell me sad things. I just sit there looking lost and feeling like an idiot.
“Anyway,” he continues, “seeing her go through that made me want to be a doctor. Plus, my dad’s a doctor and so was his dad, so it kind of runs in the family.”
“I’m thinking of going to med school, too.” I had no intention of that little secret spilling out, but I was so flustered from the dead sister story that I wasn’t even thinking.
“Really? Do you know what you want to specialize in?”
“No. I haven’t even decided for sure if I want to be a doctor. I’m just thinking about it.”
Now I totally regret telling him that. I haven’t even told Garret. I can’t tell a stranger what I plan to do with my life when I haven’t even told Garret.
“Well, if you ever want to talk to a doctor about med school or different types of medicine, you could talk to my dad. He has a private practice and also teaches a class at a university.”
“Yeah, okay, I’ll let you know.”
“I should probably head over to the lab.” Carson gets up from the table. “Are you busy now or do you want to come with me and help get the supplies?”
“I might as well go with you, but I have to stop at my room quick and get my lab book.”
Carson follows me back to my room. Some girls on my floor see us together, but they don’t give me any strange looks, so maybe I’m making too big a deal out of this. I can hang out with a guy friend. Why not? Other girls do.
The girls walking past us are really checking Carson out. The way he looks, he’ll have a girlfriend by the weekend.
“I’ll just be a minute.” I hurry into my room and start searching for my lab book.
“You don’t have a TV?”
“What?” I look up and see Carson sitting on my bed. “Um, no. I don’t watch much TV.” I kneel down and sort through the stack of books on the floor by my desk. “I swear someone stole my lab book. I remember buying it, but now I can’t find it.”
“Hey, Jade. I got out of—” Garret walks through my half-open door, but stops when he sees the hot new guy sitting on my bed.
Damn! This is not at all how I pictured my first day of the new semester.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
“Looks like you have company,”Garret says to me.
I give up trying to find my lab book and go stand next to Garret. “This is Carson. He’s new here. Carson, this is Garret.”
“Hi.” Carson gets up and holds his hand out. He’staller than Garret, but only by an inch or so.
