AN: Back with another update. I don't really have an outline or anything. This story is just flowing straight from my noggin. I do have a few ideas I want to play with. Thoughts are in italics.
AN2: I can't promise weekly updates because I just started summer school. Thank you readers for all the favorites and follows! I may not respond to your reviews but I do read every single one :) Ya'll are awesome!
Callie's POV
"What?!"
I groan as I wake up. Who was disrupting my precious sleep? What was all that yelling and why was it happening at 9 am?
"You know what? Fuck you Jim! We are over!" The yelling continues and I recognize it as Addison's voice. I hear a groan of frustration and, after a few minutes, sobbing begins.
Shit. Get up. Go find her.
I roll out of bed and grab my robe on the way out. Addison's room is right next to mine so I don't have to walk very far before I get to her door and tentatively knock.
"Adds? Sweetie? You okay?" I ask, my voice still raspy and thick from sleep.
I hear her sobbing harder and decide to walk inside. A pile a of red hair is sprawled across teal colored sheets and her face is buried in a pillow.
Making my way over to her bed, I take a seat and rub gentle circles on her slim back.
"Let it out hon. Just let it out," I comfort softly. Addison continues to cry for a few minutes as I wait patiently. She moves her head into my lap and I stroke her hair gingerly.
"That bastard. Calling me so early in the morning. Apparently, he was at the airport about to board his flight. He called to tell me that he fucked some other girl," she starts.
"Then he says it didn't mean anything. He just wanted me to know because he's going away for a tournament for a week. Fucking coward couldn't even face me," she continues. Addison looks at me with puffy, red-rimmed eyes that house freshly formed tears.
"Fuck him. He's a fucking piece of shit. He doesn't deserve you. You deserve better, okay?" I tell her.
She sniffles, smiles a little, and gives me a small nod. I grab some tissues from the nearby box and hand them to her.
"God, I'm such a mess. Look at me," she chokes out and new tears fall out. She dabs her eyes and bows her nose with the tissues.
"Hey, you are beautiful. You can get anyone you ever wanted, I swear. You're gonna get through this and I'll be here for you just like how you were there for me," I respond.
Addison sits up and pulls me in for a hug. She starts laughing after a second and I pull back to look at her in confusion.
"Look at us! We're both single at the same time for the first time in years!" she exclaims.
With a laugh, I say, "well yeah, miss I'm-so-hot-I'm-never-single!"
"Well I can't help it if I'm so irresistible," she jokes.
"Don't let it get to your head now. Come on, let's make some breakfast," I say and we head to the kitchen.
The kitchen is spacious and beautiful. Addison comes from a very wealthy family, but they're not snobs about it. When I was looking for a place to live after I transferred from Miami, Addison offered me a room in her apartment. She lives in a three bedroom and one of the rooms had just become vacant due to a recent graduate. The other roommate is named is Ella and I have yet to see her even once in the whole month and a half that I've lived here. But she pays rent and that's all that really matters.
"What are your plans for today?" I ask as I pour some eggs onto a heated pan.
"Uh, it's Wednesday right? So, I've got Gyn with Smith at 1 and then Psych with Thomas at 4:30. Then I'm meeting Mark at the library after that," she replies with a mouth full of toast. I grab the plate of cooked eggs and two mugs and she grabs the toast and peanut butter and we settle down on the dining table.
"Meeting with Sloan again? You guys are getting pretty cozy lately, huh?" I tease. The red head scoffs, pours both of us some coffee, and takes a sip of hers before replying.
"Nope. No coziness. I'm just tutoring him for Pathobio. You know how hard that class was," she clarifies.
"Yeah, definitely. I was just making an observation," I say.
"Hm mhhm. Anyway, what are your plans?" she asks.
"I have my meeting with Webber today at 11 and then Family Medicine at 1. Labs are supposed to start next week, so my afternoons are gonna be spent teaching lab," I respond.
"Nice! Do you know what're class you're gonna be TA-ing?" she inquires.
"Not yet. I'm sure I'll find out today. I'm so glad I was able to get this job. I really need the money," I confess.
"You know you can take as much time as you need to get yourself settled. I can take care of your rent," the red head assures.
"Addison, I can't -" I start but get cut off.
"I'm serious Callie. These past few months have been hell for you. With everything that went down with your family and your relationship. Just take care of yourself and you can start paying rent when you've really settled," she insists.
I tear up a little because Addison has been my rock; so solid and constant when everything in my life was the opposite. I pull her into a tight hug.
"Thank you Adds. I really mean it. Thank you for everything," I say.
She pulls me even tighter and says, "That's what best friends do." I hear her start crying once again and I pull back to look at her.
"You're gonna be okay. We're both gonna be okay," I say, confidently.
"Yes we are," she wipes her tears hastily, "now let's get ready before we're late."
An hour later I find myself in front of Dr. Webber's office with a travel mug in my hand and a purple backpack strapped onto my back. I take a breath to calm myself. I've only met the man once, but everyone knows who is. I mean Dr. Webber. The same man whose clinical trial on diabetes made medical history. He won a Harper Avery for it, so it's easy to see why he can be intimidating.
I take a quick sip of hot, caramel colored liquid - silently wishing it was spiked with something stronger than cream - and knock on the door. I hear a deep, strong voice say 'Come in'. With a big smile on my face, I take a step inside and realize that he's not alone.
"Come in and take a seat, Ms. Torres. You can shut the door," he says.
I do as he says and take a seat next to a very familiar looking blonde who is avoiding my gaze. Why is she so nervous?
"Callie, you know why you're here of course. I wanted you to meet someone. This is Arizona Robbins, a second year," he informs.
"Hi, nice to meet you," I say and hold out my hand. She finally looks at me and I recognize those electric blues. She takes my hand in hers and I see her gasp so softly that I almost miss it. I feel a weird tingling feeling travel up my hand and release hers quickly. Webber doesn't seem to notice and, instead, continues his meeting.
"She assisted me last year with my labs. Are you comfortable with Molecular Cells and Tissues 1?" he asks.
"Yes, absolutely. I actually got an A in that course," I respond.
"Excellent. Ms. Robbins is here to orient you to the lab rooms, equipment, and anything else you might have questions about. She's an excellent TA, but she decided to abandon me this year for some reason," he jokes.
"I just wanted to focus on my studies this year before things get really intense next year. I'm sure Callie will be awesome. Plus she's a year ahead of me, so she probably knows a lot more," she responds for the first time since I walked in. Her voice is so…perky. I usually would find it annoying, but it's kinda cute on her. Stop! Stop it right now!
"I'm just poking some fun. Dr. Roffls spoke very highly of you when I read his recommendation. We're happy to have you here Ms. Torres and welcome to UT Med!" he holds out his hand and I take it.
"Thank you Dr. Webber. I look forward to working with you," I say. The blonde stands up and I follow her to the door.
"If you have any questions, don't be afraid to just shoot me an email! I will send you more information later this week, so that you can prepare for next week's labs. And thank you Ms. Robbins for your help," he says.
"No problem," she says as she holds the door open for me to walk out. I wait for her just outside the door.
"So, do you want to see the rooms now? I don't think there's any labs going on until later this afternoon," she says with a smile on her face.
Dimples. Really? And what was that tingling feeling? No, Callie stop! She spilled a drink all over you and ruined your shirt. It's too soon anyway. I probably look like a crazy person, having an inner monologue with myself.
With a nervous chuckle, I say, "Um, sure. Now's a good time."
She leads the way as we start walking through the Davis science building. We step into an elevator and she punches a number. We stand on opposite sides of the carriage in silence. I can see out of the corner of my eye that she's pulling her hands in and out of her pockets. I take a sip of my coffee and say nothing.
"I'm sorry. About the other night a few weeks ago at the party. I didn't mean to make you so upset," she finally says.
"It's okay. I was just having a bad day, really," I respond and then I really look at her for the first time. She's wearing baggy jeans, pink converse, and a black Paramore shirt with a khaki messenger bag on her shoulder. Long blonde hair that travels past her shoulders and those piercing blues that are so intense I have to look away for a second.
She steps a bit closer and I can smell her perfume, which I hadn't noticed before. Is this elevator ever gonna stop?
"Well as an apology, can I buy you a coffee?" she asks.
"That sounds an awful lot like a date, Arizona," I tease.
Her cheeks flush slightly pink as she says, "No! I meant like an apology coffee," she clarifies and scratches the back of her neck.
"An apology coffee? That's not a thing," I chuckle.
I see a small smile pulling at the corner of lips, but she suppresses it.
"It's kind of a thing. Anyway, I'd like you buy you a coffee. As a way of saying I'm sorry for ruining your shirt," she says.
"Well, I kinda already have a coffee," I hold up my mug and her smile falters just slightly.
"Oh, right. Well how about -" A ding interrupts our conversation and I step out of the elevator. She follows me out and I turn to face her just in time to see her eyes move quickly away from my ass. I smirk a little because it feels good knowing that people still find me attractive.
After clearing her throat, she says, "it's just down this way." The shorter, blonde woman walks down the hall, steps into a room and flicks the light switch on.
"This is room 6.246 and it's where MC&T lab is. Always. Some professors like to switch rooms, but Webbs is pretty consistent. Have you ever TA-ed before?" she asks.
I walk further in and take in my surroundings. Pretty average lab room. Has a lot of the same high quality equipment that I'm used to, so it shouldn't be too hard to adjust. Though the chalkboard is something new to me compared to the whiteboard I'm accustomed to.
"Yeah, I taught a lab the summer after my first year back in Miami," I respond.
"Cool! Well, then I guess I don't really have to explain much. Goggles are over there in that cabinet. Gloves are there as well as aprons if you need them," she says.
Walking over to a closet, she says, "This is a storage that had extra supplies if needed. Everything else is pretty much like other labs. Dr. Webbs is kind of anal about cleanliness, so make sure your kids clean up after. He might drop by sometimes." I chuckle a little at her use of 'kids' to describe first year medical students.
"Weekly quizzes, new learning modules every week as well. You know all that jazz. Any questions?" she asks.
"Uh, no. I think I'm good. Thanks by the way," I say as we leave and hop back on the lift.
"My pleasure," she replies with a mischievous smile and I blush a bit.
"As I was saying before this machine so rudely interrupted. How about I buy you some lunch? If you're not busy or anything?" she asks.
"You're very persistent, aren't you?" I say.
"I just feel like I need to give you a better impression of me other than the blonde klutz who spilled a blue drink on you. I'm actually a pretty awesome person," she informs me.
"Fine, you can buy me an apology lunch," I say. She giggles and I find myself wanting to hear the delightful sound again and again.
"Is Jones okay? We can go off campus if you prefer," she says.
"Jones is fine. I have class at 1 anyway, so lets just stay on campus," I reply.
"Off campus next time then," she flashes me that smile of hers. I just laugh and shake my head without responding.
Jones is packed when we finally get there. We were both pretty quiet on the way over here except for polite and awkward conversation about the weather. I grab myself a wheat chicken wrap with a bottle of iced tea. Arizona piles three slices of pepperoni pizza onto her plate with apple and bottled water. She pays for our food and we find a small booth in the corner of the cafeteria.
"So, Callie. That's an interesting name," she observes and then takes a bite out of her first slice.
With my eyebrow raised, I say, "Says the girl named after a state."
"Not after the state actually. So is Callie short for something?" she deflects.
"Uh, yeah. It's short for Calliope," I quickly say and start eating my wrap.
"Calliope. That's beautiful. It definitely suits you," she says. I feel my cheeks heat up a bit and take a sip of my tea. I see her eyes wander for a moment to my cleavage. My coat had been covering it up earlier, but I had just taken it off and blue eyes immediately latched on.
"If you're not named after the state, then what are you named after?" I ask, trying to get her attention to my face.
The blonde starts on her second slice and I noticed that she doesn't eat the crust. She finally looks at my face, her cheeks a bit flushed, and answers my question.
"I'm named after the U.S.S. Arizona. My grandfather was serving on the Arizona when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and he saved 19 men before he drowned. Pretty brave," she says and continues eating.
"Wow, that's pretty cool. Very brave indeed," I reply, not knowing what else to say.
"So you're a third year? You transferred from Florida?" she asks.
Swallowing a bite of chicken, I say, "Yeah. I had a great time there, but just needed a change of scenery," I reply, a bit sadly.
Arizona eyes me for a second, but doesn't press on the issue. She finishes her last slice and takes a drink of water.
"And you are a second year, right?" I ask.
She nods and swallows her water before replying. "Yeah, but I'm in a dual program. MD-PhD," she says.
"Oh really? How does that work?" I ask, intrigued.
"Well, you do two years of med school, three years of doctorate level courses with research, and 18 more months of med school, mostly clinical in the hospital, to finish up the medical degree," she informs me.
"That's really cool. So what are you going to focus on in your PhD?" I ask.
"Um, I got my undergrad in Biomedical Engineering, so I'm gonna do that," she replies.
"What made you get interested in that?" I probe some more. Arizona loses eye contact and she seems to be stuck in her thoughts. Her eyes get watery and she clears her throat.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. You don't have to tell me," I apologize and reach across to put my hand in hers. I ignore the electric feeling seeping into my hand from hers.
"It's okay. Just a story for another day. We should go, you're gonna be late," she releases my hand and stands up with our trash. I can tell her smile is forced, but I let it go.
"Thanks for lunch. While I'm not going to forget the blue drink incident anytime soon, I'll admit you're a pretty cool person," I say.
With a small laugh and a real smile with dimples popping, she says, "I told you! I'm pretty awesome."
"I guess I'll see you around then. Thanks again for today. I had a nice time," I reply when we get outside.
"Uh, maybe we should exchange numbers. You know, so that you can reach me if you ever have any questions…or just to chat or something," she asks, hesitantly after a minute.
I raise my eyebrow once again. "How do I know you're not a stalker or something?" I joke.
"I promise I'm not. A little strange. A good strange, but definitely not a stalker," she clarifies.
I stare at her for a few seconds. I know I just met her, but I feel like I can trust her. "Alright," I say and enter my number into her phone. I check the time and see that I really gotta go.
"I have to get to class, so just text me and I'll save your number," I say while walking away backwards.
"I will! Bye Calliope!" she hollers and heads towards the opposite direction.
I get to class five minutes before it was about to start and take my seat at the front. I've never liked my name. Never. Kids were pretty mean to me when I was younger. But yet when Arizona says, it sounds sexy. Like really sexy. And her dimples. Her freaking dimples are killing me. Oh my God. I gave my number out to a freaking stranger. I mean a really hot stranger. A hot blonde stranger. A hot blonde stranger with blue eyes as deep as the ocean. What the hell am I thinking? Obviously not thinking at all.