Prompt: Arizona's thoughts after Callie slammed the door in her face when she returned from Africa.
Submitter: Anonymous
Title From*: "Fools Like Me" - Lisa Loeb
*[The entire song doesn't apply to the story, I just use lyrics/song titles from the Grey's Anatomy Soundtrack to title my fanfics.]
The harsh sound of the door slamming rang in Arizona's ears, as a sharp "Oh" escaped her lips. She stared at the door, rooted in her spot in the hallway, hoping Callie would change her mind. Arizona waited there almost two hours before realizing Calliope wouldn't be reappearing any time soon.
She sighed in defeat as she walked back to the street. She called a cab, then leaned on a signpost at the curb, trying to figure out where to go. I could go stay with Teddy for the night, she's a good friend, she'll let me in. But if I go to Teddy's she'll ask why I'm back so soon and then I'll have to explain…Arizona shook her head. I can't go to Teddy's. A frown started appearing on her face, masking the famous dimples. I could go to Karev's Arizona thought, remembering her peds surgery protégé. Oh…he's probably still mad at me for leaving. That, and I don't want to face the others at Meredith's frat house right now.
As the cab neared, Arizona's mind was racing. I would go the hospital and sleep in an on-call room, but I don't want to run into anyone and I don't have my ID badge anymore.
"Where too, miss?"
The cab driver's question snatched Arizona out of her thoughts and back into reality. "Uh…" Arizona realized there was only one place she wanted to go right now, and that door had just been slammed in her face. "Seattle Coast Hotel please." she replied.
Her blue eyes stared out at Seattle's nightlife for the short cab ride. Arizona thanked the driver, checked in, and took the elevator up to her room. She fought back tears as she pressed the floor number on the elevator, remembering the first time she had asked Calliope out in the hospital's elevator. How the hell did I let everything get so messed up?
She entered the room, and collapsed onto the double bed. Pulling a pillow to her, Arizona hugged it tight, and let the tears begin to fall. She had held them back ever since Calliope had slammed the door in her face, and now it seemed like those tears would never end.
What felt like a lifetime later, Arizona dried her last tear and stood up slowly. She caught sight of herself in the mirror and frowned. Her hair was dirty and uncombed, her clothes crumpled, her face streaked with tears and mascara. I need a shower.
After the hot shower, as she sat on the edge of the shower-tub encircled by steam, Arizona realized how tired she was. She shrugged off the fluffy hotel towel, slipped into pajamas, and laid down on the bed. Tired as she was, she couldn't sleep. The bed seemed so big without someone to share it with.
It was a short walk from the hotel to Callie's apartment, so Arizona decided to walk there. She changed into clean clothes and grabbed a jacket as she left, to keep her warm in the chilly Seattle early-morning air. As she neared the apartment, Arizona ducked into the nearby Starbucks to get herself a hot coffee, figuring it would calm the butterflies in her stomach as she thought of facing Calliope again after last night. Coffee in hand, she made her way to the apartment and sat down outside, bracing herself for what would come next.
