A/N- If I don't get my visa application done and end up stuck in the states for the next six months because I was busy writing fan fiction- it'll be on YOUR heads! You're all just lucky I can't figure out which form I need to fill out and the office I need to call isn't open on weekends.
Chapter 10- Paint Me A Picture.
True to her word, my mom found the money for me not only to start at the Academy, but for the car that I'd need to drive myself there and back everyday once I got my license. Until then she managed to convince Tony that it would be safer for Dom to drive me than for me to catch the bus there and back. I don't know how she did it, but all I have to say is the forty minute commute with Dom each way was a hell of a lot more pleasant than a seventy minute bus ride would have been. Granted Dom wasn't pleased that now instead of waking up at 6 to go for our runs he had to wake up at 5:30 in order for me to get all 5 miles in and get to school on time. Luckily there were ways for me to make up to him.
The classes at the Academy were a hell of a lot more interesting than those at my old school had been. The English, history and science classes were integrated to give us a "global" perspective on what we were learning- and to make more time for art. I had less free time during the day, but I was pleasantly surprised to find my new school still had a shop class. When I was going over the schedule with Dom, he made some crack about even fruit cakes, faeries and dykes needing something to fall back on. I promptly cancelled our date for the night. If you want to teach a dog a new trick, you've got to be Pavlovian about it. Positive behavior gets positive reinforcement. Stupid comments like that get dogs neutered.
Actually, it turned out that Dom wasn't that off the mark. When I met with my new guidance counselor, Sunny, (the bottle blond daughter of two famous actors from the 70's), she said that the school pushed practical life skills in order to ensure that graduates were self-reliant. Translation- not everyone was going to be making bank, so we had to learn how to work in one just in case. Every semester we took the required core curriculum required by the State, plus two or three art classes and two life skills courses.
More often than not there was some overlap between the art and skills courses so that we could kill two birds with one stone. For example, there was a mechanical drawing and draft making class, auto design, sign making, silk screening, and web design. There were also courses like accounting, small business development, entrepreneurship, a business law class, and introductory courses on intellectual property and entertainment law. I guess on the off chance we did strike it rich, they wanted us to know what we were doing so we wouldn't get fleeced.
Having topped out in Spanish and fulfilled a lot of my core requirements for the year already, I ended up in that integrated class, mechanical drawing, web design, shop, glass blowing and doing an independent digital photography project. It was going to be a hard semester, but shop wouldn't be too much of a challenge and I.D.P. was something I could do on my own time, so I wasn't too worried.
One thing I hadn't counted on though was Dominic becoming so curious about my classes. Somehow I figured if he had any reaction to the new school, it would be jealousy or distrust. Before he would always pump Mia or Jesse for information about what I was doing each day and he knew the teachers and shit so he didn't have to worry about other guys hitting on me since he could keep tabs on things. I thought now he'd worry about me entering this new world and leaving him behind. Apparently I don't know Dominic as well as I thought I did.
Contrary to my fears, Dom was totally supportive. Whenever I was snapping pictures with the new camera Mama bough for me for Christmas, Dom would ask me questions. It was as if he got excited knowing I was excited about something. And for the first time in my life, that something was school so in some strange way Dom was getting turned on by school. If it wasn't so freaking hilarious it would be perverse.
One morning while we were driving to school I asked Dom what his favorite subject in school had been, besides shop that is. Turns out that he had really liked biology and chemistry. He'd admitted grudgingly that he almost missed studying them and that half the reason he got Mia subscriptions to U.S. News, Time and Scientific America were so that he could read them.
"Did you ever think about, I don't know, going to college or something?" I asked, fascinated by this new side of him. I watched as he nodded, shifting in his seat while he waited for the light.
"Yeah, but then Vince and I got suspended for some stupid thing. I remember sitting in the office waiting for Pop to come and pick me up that day and hearing the recruiter for the UC schools telling some girl that as long as she had a decent G.P.A. and hadn't gotten suspended or anything she shouldn't have any trouble…" Dom's voice trailed off as he looked in the mirror and changed lanes. "I dunno, I guess I just figured everyone expected me to work for Pop after I graduated and that Mia would be the one to go to school, you know?" He shrugged and shifted gears. "It's not a big deal."
Suddenly I had an idea. "Let's make a deal."
"What?" Dom looked at me with curiosity.
"You and me, let's try it out. We can go part time, or something. That way we can still work at the shop full time." I dug thru my bag for a flyer on the upcoming college fair.
"What are you talking about?" Dom scratched his head and looked in the mirror again, debating whether or not to change lanes again.
"College. No one said you have to become a mechanic. I bet your dad would still love you if you became Dr. Torretto instead. I know I would." I pulled the flyer out and read him the important info. "There's a fair this weekend at my school, on Saturday from 10-3. No one would think twice if you said you had to drive me."
"You just want to drive that Volvo," Dom teased, but I could see he really was thinking about it. "You really think I could become a doctor?" He rubbed his jaw for a moment as he slowed for a red light.
"You'd be great. I saw how you were with my dad. You treated him like a person, even at the end. And you don't have to work in a huge hospital if you don't want to. You could work in a neighborhood clinic like half time or something, and still run the garage if that's what you wanted to do." I handed him the flyer with a grin.
His eyes lit up and I could tell he was excited. "And while I'm at the clinic you could run the shop. But while I'm there you could be doing whatever it is you art freaks do."
"Artists Dominic, we're artists, not freaks. That's like calling a mechanic a grease monkey you uncultured swine!" I stuck my tongue out at him briefly before leaning over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "But yeah, we could work something like that out."
"Well, when would I start? I mean don't I have to take the S.A.T.s or something?" Dom asked. "And doesn't medical school take a long time too?"
"All good things take time, but they're worth the wait." I rubbed his neck and shoulder gently. God, I love touching him.
Grabbing my hand he kissed it. "Like you."
Six months ago I would have rolled my eyes. Today I blushed. "Keep talking like that and you'll be getting a very special birthday present Valentino."
"Natural Born Lova baby, that's me." Dom winked acknowledging the reputation his birthday gave him. "By the way, in case Hallmark hasn't made you hate my birthday yet, I was wondering if you'd like to spend it with me."
"You seriously think your father is going to let us spend Valentine's day together?" I asked incredulously.
"Well maybe not so much together-together as much as have pancakes and shit with me and Mia at the house and watch some movies at the house. Maybe go watch Pops race. You know the drill. But let Mia do the cooking, okay?" Dom was quick to add in the last part, remembering what had happened the last time I tried to cook at their house.
Forced to defend my reputation, I shook my head with indignation. "Hey, it's not my fault Vince didn't know the difference between teaspoons and tablespoons. Half that fiasco was his fault!"
"I'm not blaming you, I'm just suggesting that maybe, you know, since it's my birthday, you might look better on your hands and knees like you did on the last birthday than- oof! Hey, don't hit the driver!" Dom laughed as I whacked him. "Think of it as tradition!"
"You are such a pig!" I threw my hands in the air. "Why God! Why couldn't you have made me fall in love with Adrian. He had culture. He had class."
"He also drives his father's Camry, empties trash, washes dishes and mops floors for a living." Dom snorted. "Real classy."
"Obviously you think like a man. Having a guy clean for you is one of the ultimate turn-ons for a woman," I teased.
Never to be out done, Dom tweaked my nose as he pulled into the Academy's parking lot. "Oh is that right my little grease monkey art freak?"
"You're incorrigible, you know that?" I smiled, unable to help myself.
"And you love me for it," Dom laughed, leaning over to kiss me.
"Mmmhm." I closed my eyes, enjoying the moment. Sighing, I opened my eyes as he broke the kiss. "Guess I have to go to school now, huh?"
"Guess so. Your moms would flip if you cut seeing as she pays all that money for tuition now." Dom rubbed my lower lip and gave me his lazy smile. "I'll see you at 3:30?"
"Yup." I grabbed my bag and got out of the car. "See you later Dr. T."
"Later Art Freak."