Chapter 2:

Callie Torres was awake early and she was not happy about it. This was highly unusual for her to be up so early, as sleep was her favourite pastime. But she was up and at the gym closest to her university dorm room, punching the crap out of a punching bag. She was mad. Her mother and father had come down for a surprise weekend visit. The surprise part was walking in on Callie in bed with another woman. Callie was mad that she hadn't been able to tell her parents on her own terms. She was also mad that she had accidently come out for a woman that was nothing more than a one night stand, as enjoyable as it had been. But she was mostly pissed because her parents had yelled, screamed, cried and in the end denied to understand or accept her lifestyle. Her father, Carlos, had informed her that they could not be a part of each other's lives until Callie changed her ways.

She finished up with the punching bag and took a quick shower, before heading out to her favourite coffee place right around the corner. She ordered a coffee and an omelette and sat down with her cell phone. Not one single text message or email from her family. Not even her sister, which hurt them most.

As the waitress came out with her breakfast, she grabbed a paper to have something to read about to get her mind off her family and her foul mood. Soon enough her mind drifted and she decided to send her sister Aria an email. She began typing away furiously on her cell phone.

Aria,

I do not understand why I haven't at least heard from you. I thought our relationship was better than this? I've always been able to talk to you before. Is the family stopping you? Is our father stopping you?

Please be on my side Aria. I need you more now than ever, and I don't know if I will get through this without you.

Love, Callie.

Callie sent the email and then picked up the newspaper and her gym stuff and went to the counter to pay.

"I'm sorry love, but this credit card has been declined", said the older woman at the counter. Callie frowned, never having had this problem before. She shrugged, assuming something was wrong at the bank, and gave the lady another card her father had given her instead.

"I'm sorry, but this one is declining as well", the woman said sympathetically. "Do you want me to try it again, or do you have any cash on you?"

Callie's stomach flipped. Two cards was not a coincidence. She had been cut off. Just as she was about to start panicking, a deep voice spoke quietly over her shoulder.

"I've got it love", and she turned to see her best friend Mark Sloan handing a twenty dollar note to the woman at them counter. "Come on Callie, let's go somewhere to talk", Mark whispered to Callie, reading the panic and hurt across her face, knowing that she was either about to bust out with angry Spanish rambling or tears, neither of which the public was ready for.

Callie managed to keep it together until Mark aided her into his car and shut the door. She burst into tears. "What am I going to do Mark?" she croaked as Mark slid into the driver's seat next to her. "Shh honey, it's going to be okay" Mark put his arms around her and pulled her close. He really loved and cared for the girl more than anyone else in his life, they had a strange but yet magical bond that had never been sexual, but just easy. "It is not going to be okay Mark", Callie whimpered. "I am broke! If I have been cut off, I have no money! Like zero! I don't have a job, no income, nothing! How am I going to pay my way through medical school! Let alone eat or pay rent!"

Mark looked at his friend and his heart broke. Callie didn't deserve this treatment from her family. She was as good as a person could be, studying to be a doctor so she could save lives, hardly ever spent her free time doing anything but volunteer community work, and he had witnessed on many occasions her generosity with friends and strangers. The money she received from her father was quite substantial, but the only time she was ever extravagant with her money was to help someone out.

"So we get you a job", Mark replied as he held her close and rubbed her back. "You get an evening or night job so you can stay in school, and I will do my best to help you in the meantime. You can even crash at my tiny apartment until you get on your feet". Callie looked up in surprise. She knew Mark was her best friend, and a wonderful person, but she hadn't expected that someone outside of her family would so easily help her. "Thank you Mark", she sobbed and buried her face into his neck. "I promise it won't be for long, just until I work something out".

"Let's get you back to the dorm so you can grab your stuff, and we will get you back to mine so that we can work out a plan. You can stay with me as long as you need to". Mark started the car and drove Callie back to the dorm.

Later that afternoon, after a long nap on Mark's couch, she woke to Mark opening the door to his apartment. "Hey sleepyhead", he whispered. "I went down to the university and sorted everything out with your dorm and the university has given you a week of to sort something out". He put down a stack of notes in front of her. "I photocopied all my notes so you won't fall behind" he said as he handed her a double shot latte, just like she liked it. Callie opened her mouth to thank him, but Mark spoke again. "I also have something for you that I know is going to be hard to accept, but I want you to anyway", he said as he avoided eye contact, and shoved an envelope into her hands. "You take this please without an argument. You can give it back to me when you get back on your feet".

Callie peeked into the envelope and saw what had to be at least five hundred dollars in it. She looked at Mark and sobbed. "I don't know what I did to get you as a best friend Mark", she swallowed thickly and balled up on the couch, the weight of everything hitting her at once. "Hey hey hey, now none of that Callie" Mark exclaimed. "You think I don't notice how good you are to other people and me in particular, Callie? It's about time someone else helped YOU out for once. You will get through this, and I will do whatever I can to make it better for you". He cuddled up to her and fished out the newspaper Callie had bought earlier that morning, and pressed it into her hands. "I have an idea", he said as he rose off the couch. "I'm going to get that bottle of tequila I have tucked away for occasions such as this, and we are going to get stupid drunk and look for jobs for you". He threw her a big red marker and shuffled off to the kitchen to find the tequila.

Callie flipped to the job section of the newspaper, resting the marker between her lips and pouted. Most of the jobs being advertised seemed to be unsuitable for someone who spent their daytime studying medicine. She took a deep breath and started circling.

Four tequila shots later and her and Mark were giggling like school girls. She felt the best she had felt all day. "I am not supposed to say this, as I am your best friend and therefore am not allowed to view you as attractive in that way, but all else fails, you would be an amazing stripper!" Callie giggled at that. "Yeah right Mark! I love to dance but come on. I don't have the confidence for that kind of gig!" she laughed harder, trying to imagine herself in that position. "I would be the most awkward stripper!"

"Oh well it was worth a shot!" Mark laughed. "You'd rake in the dollars big time if you did". "Seriously though Mark, I have gone through at least forty ads so far, and only two of them are remotely suitable for a medical student!" She frowned, not quite drunk enough to forget the seriousness of the situation. "You'll find something love", Mark replied and he pulled himself off the couch. "Keep looking! I have to go to bed because unlike somebody I know; I have to go to class tomorrow". He bent down, kissed the top of her head and shuffled off towards his room.

Callie took another shot and returned her attention to the newspaper. She sat there for another hour, and just as she was about to call it a night, one ad caught her attention.

Nanny required for nine year old girl. Mostly evening work, additional housework help would be appreciated. Free and private accommodation can be included if desired. Pay negotiable.

She tore it out of the newspaper, put it in her purse and hoped to God it was suitable for her. Tucking herself under a blanket, she fell into a drunken rest, praying tomorrow would be better, even if she had a supreme hangover.