Rat King

p “I wanna break up with the other rats,” said Jack.<br><br>p “I don’t know what you mean, Jack,” said his girlfriend Rachel.<br><br>p “Break up—break up, you know—for good.”<br><br>p “What’s so special about this break-up?”<br><br>p “I’m a Rat King,” said Jack, “and I’m sick of it.”<br><br>p “So?”<br><br>p “So, I wanna break up with all the other guys.”<br><br>p “Why?”<br><br>p “I don’t know,” said Jack. “I just wanted to spend some time with you. You know? As a regular guy?”p “I don’t know if I’m that interested in seeing you,” said Rachel.<br><br>p “Why?”<br><br>p “I&#39;ve got a whole group of rats as friends,” said Rachel. “I don’t want to be a rat without friends.”<br><br>p “You could always spend time with us,” said Jack.<br><br>p “What do you mean?”<br><br>p “I mean, we could hang out, you, us, you know?”<br><br>p “You’re a Rat King,” said Rachel. “I want to be a Rat King.”<br><br>p “That’s not possible,” said Jack. “I’m only a Rat King because I have a bunch of rats stuck to my tail.”<br><br>p “So, cut them off,” said Rachel.<br><br>p “And then what?”<br><br>p “Then you’ll just be a regular rat.”<br><br>p “What’s so special about being a regular rat?”<br><br>p “Well, for starters, you won’t have as many rats in your tail,” said Rachel.<br><br>p Jack was taken aback. He had never thought of that before.<br><br>p “What’s so good about having fewer rats in your tail?” he asked.<br><br>p “Well, for starters, you won’t have as many rats in your tail,” said Rachel.<br><br>p Jack was taken aback again. He had never thought about that before either.<br><br>p “Is it really that important?” he asked.<br><br>p “Of course it is,” said Rachel. “That’s why I want to be a Rat King.”<br><br>p “But you don’t have to be a Rat King to have a tail with fewer rats in it,” said Jack.<br><br>p “I don’t know if I’m that interested in seeing you,” said Rachel. “I’d rather be a Rat King.”