Title: Mentor

Chapter Eight: Confidante

Allison pulled her headphones off and looked at the phone. She hadn't been imagining the ringing after all. Turning off her CD player, Allison grabbed the receiver. Part of her hoped that it was Greg, but she quickly pushed the thought aside. After all, he hadn't told her that he'd be calling, "Hello?"

"Ally?"

"Hi, Greg!" Allison felt giddy excitement at hearing his voice, like her anticipation had not been disappointed just by hearing the sound of his voice. She saw Julia roll her eyes and go back to studying, obviously annoyed by Allison's overwhelming happiness over getting a phone call. "What's up?"

"Not much." His voice sounded low.

"What's wrong?" Allison sat up straighter and flung her headphones from around her neck to lie on the bed next to her textbook.

"Nothing."

"Liar. You didn't tell me you were calling. You always e-mail me ahead of time. So, that makes this spontaneous." The girl rattled off.

"I am spontaneous." House grumbled.

"Yeah." She agreed, "But that's not the reason today. I can hear it in your voice. Now, what's wrong?"

"If you two are going to be doing this all night, then I'm staying over at Joe's." Julia said, snapping her homework shut and getting off the bed, "See ya, Dr. Sardonic Bastard." Julia hollered so House could hear.

Amazingly, Allison heard House chuckling at Julia's new name for him.

"Stacey left me today."He confessed at last.

"I'm sorry." Allison felt guilty at the happiness she felt. Over the course of their conversations, they had gotten more and more personal, and when he'd told her about his girlfriend, Allison had felt a large tingling of envy. "Why did she take off?"

"I kicked her out 'cause I came home to find her fucking another guy."

Allison was shocked, "Oh my God. I'm sorry, Greg."

She could visualize him getting up and beginning to pace. It still amazed her how well she remembered how he looked. Light brown hair, graying in places, scruffy face, t-shirt and jeans. And those eyes. She still sighed when she thought about those glowing blue eyes.

"She had her reasons."House sighed.

"For cheating on you!?" Allison scoffed, "I don't see any reason for that!"

House laughed, "I suppose you wouldn't."

"Then explain it to me." Allison flopped back down on her bed, sprawling out with the phone against her ear.

House sighed, "I just wasn't in love with her anymore. And being the idiot that I am, I tried to pretend that I was. She knew though. I guess she didn't want to hurt me either by leaving. I guess catching her fucking someone else isn't the best way to break up. We both got hurt this way."

"How do you wake up and stop loving someone?" Allison asked out loud, even though she'd only meant to think it.

"I take it, you've never been in love." House replied.

"Not sure yet." Allison eluded cryptically, and hoped that he didn't think she was implying him, though deep down she knew she wished he'd catch on.

"Being in love is a lot of trouble. It makes you feel conflicted. On one hand, you want what's best for yourself, but on the other, you have someone else you want the best for. So when the pages are torn, you have to make a decision. Do you want yourself to be happy or do you want the person you're in love with to be happy. I guess I just chose myself more than her."

Allison listened to him speak, "I thought love was wanting the best for both. What about common ground?"

There was another heavy sigh, "Ally, I fell out of love with her a while ago. It just took both of us too long to realize we were living a dead relationship."

"Are you going to be all right?" Allison asked gently.

"Yeah, talking to you actually helped."

"I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, but the fact that you wanted to listen to an old guy go all emotional on you is quite comforting." House chuckled a bit, "Besides, I think I just needed to vent. Couldn't do that with my colleagues, because they always insist on butting into my personal life that I'm not trying to talk to them about."

Allison laughed and nodded, "That makes enough sense." Then she finished more firmly with, "And you're not old! So don't say that you are!"

House chuckled for a moment,"Fine, fine." He agreed, "I'm not old. I'll talk to you later, Ally. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." His line went out and Allison hung up the phone.

-------------------------

When Allison went to check her mail at the end of the week, a ritual that was only intended for once a week due to her lack of received postage, she was surprised to actually find an envelope waiting for her. Taking it up to her dorm, she examined the return address. It was marked from Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Had Greg sent her a letter? As she entered her room, she began tearing it open.

"What's that?" Julia asked, surprised just as much as Allison by the letter.

"Don't know. It's from Greg's hospital." She pulled out the letter and read it aloud, "Dear Allison Cameron: We, at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, would like to extend an invitation for you to observe our internship program here in New Jersey this summer. Due to a series of recommendations made by Doctors House, Cuddy, and Wilson, a special opportunity for you to observe our internship program has been made so that you may become familiar with a working hospital and its procedures. Please contact Dr. Lisa Cuddy to either accept or decline this opportunity. We hope to see you this June at our hospital, and upon your response, additional information will be sent to further explain the privileges and restrictions of this program. Sincerely, Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital Medical Director, Franklin Diar." Allison finished reading the letter and then reread it again to herself before looking at Julia, who's mouth was hanging agape.

"No. Fucking. Way!" Julia lept up from her desk and snagged the letter. "Well, hell! I shoulda sucked up to that bastard too!" She lamented and then gave her roommate and friend a playful nudge, "Congrats then! I'm not gonna lie. If I wasn't your best friend I'd kick your ass."

Allison was still confused. "I can't intern!"

"Honey, it's not an internship. They're making a special spot just for you. They're letting you observe the internship program, get to know the hospital atmosphere, and get to know the staff. You lucky bitch! Do you know what this means!?" Julia couldn't deny that she was extremely envious, but she was also happy for her friend, "This means that House has been bragging up a storm about you! They're trying to convince you to work there when you finish medical school. If you do this program, every medical school in the country is going to accept you!"

Allison collapsed onto her bed. Her head was swimming. Was this really happening? Was she dreaming? A little over a year and a half ago, she had no clue what she even wanted to major in, and now she was getting conditioned for entering a prestigious medical school of her choice? Placing her head in her hands, Allison felt nausea consuming her stomach and body. She was going to throw up, all over the floor. She was going to vomit and then faint, probably landing her face in the mess. "I don't feel good." Allison mumbled.

"Why the hell aren't you screaming!?" Julia asked passionately. "We should be celebrating!" She cried.

"Why is he talking me up like this?" Allison felt tears spilling from her eyes, "All I did was answer a fucking sciatica question and he's raving about me!? I can't do this!"

Though Julia was well aware that slapping a hysterical individual was relatively pointless, she did it anyway. The sound of Julia's hand connecting with Allison's cheek was almost deafening in the quiet room, "Shut the hell up, Ally! This goes way beyond fucking sciatica! Don't you think that you've learned so much more than that by now? Don't you think that he recognizes that you've learned so much more than that!?" She waved the letter in Allison's face, "I would give my right arm for this opportunity. Do you know how hard it's been for me watching you breeze through textbooks when I can hardly keep my eyes open through them? Do you know how frustrating it is to know that I'm the one that pushed you towards this field and now you're outshining me in everything?" Tears were pouring down Julia's eyes now too. "It's been fucking hard." She wiped away the tears with a furious hand, "But I still want this for you, because I can't- CAN'T- discourage you when I know how great you can be!"

Allison was still holding her cheek that had been so abruptly assaulted. "I'll go." She said, tears pouring just as quickly as Julia's, even as she wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders, the tears fell, "I'll go."

"Just tell me it's what you want." Julia choked, "Are you sure you want to be a doctor?"

Allison nodded jerkily.

"Then go get 'em." Julia managed to crack a smile, "And remember to give me some recommendations when you're a big hot shot doctor."

Allison nodded again, just as spastically. "I will."

"I'm so proud of you." Julia encircled her arms around Allison's waist, "I'm so proud of you."

The two girls cried, hugged, laughed, and cried some more. Though Allison's roommate was still envious, and still disappointed that she couldn't have the same opportunities, at least she had something to work for now. In a way, getting Allison in the program had given her the energy to keep up with her own studies. And she couldn't be angry at her for giving her a goal.

"I'm gonna call this... Dr. Cuddy and accept the invite." Allison pulled away and wiped her eyes. "And then I'm gonna call my family." With a wide grin, Allison nudged Julia playfully, "And then we're going to celebrate!"

TBC

A/N- Yes, very very very very unlikely for something like anything taking place in this story to happen. But you know what? That's why it is called FICTION (insert evil laugh here, complete with creepy hand and finger twitches like you see in japanese animes when a character laughs insanely). But you have to admit- I've at least tried to make it sound a little plausible :P... Review please!-Andi!