Bay Boy

The next morning I quickly showered, ate a bowl of cereal and got dressed. I put on a blue Oxford shirt, my trusty black Keds and jeans. I braided my hair and Dad and I hopped in the Prius and headed to McGill. It had been three days since Jordan had kissed me and we'd been texting everyday since. I still hadn't made any friends in Montreal, so it was nice to have Jordan as a friend, even if he was in Pittsburgh. He was a hockey player, the kiss probably meant nothing to him and I was glad to just be friends. Yes, he was hot and sweet and funny, but we were in different cities. Montreal and Pittsburgh were 600 miles away from each other. I was however going to a Pens game in Pittsburgh in four days, on Friday. I walked to one of the science buildings, excited for the human dissection my class was doing. I loved medicine and had always been driven. Unlike most kids, I had loved hospitals from the time I knew what a hospital was. That had changed when I was twelve though only to come back when I was fourteen. I suddenly felt like crying and looked at the inside of my left wrist where вера was written, it was my mother's name in Russian. Vera had been my mother's name and in Russian it meant faith. I had gotten the tattoo last year when I had started medical school.

After the lab the Asian kid sitting next to me looked fairly disgusted. What a wuss. He would need to suck it up if he ever wanted to be a doctor. There was no need in the world for doctors who were afraid of a bit of blood and gore. The professor dismissed us but I stayed after, asking if he needed any help disinfecting the surface he'd done the dissection on. He accepted my help and we talked for a bit. At the end, he shook my hand. "You're determined and you'll make a great doctor, Milena. I see you going far in life. I'm glad you're in my class." That was the best compliment I could ever receive, all I wanted in life was to be a doctor and make my mom proud. "Thank you so much. Have a good day Professor Laneau." I exited into the crisp Montreal air. It was seventy degrees, in DC it was generally about eighty this time of year. I stopped at a small cafe on campus and got a yogurt parfait to satisfy my stomach before rushing off to my microbiology class.

At the end of class I was exhausted from taking furious notes and peering into the microscope, observing euglenas. I loved the class but the workload was incredibly heavy. I had fallen into the habit of walking the two miles home from McGill and as I walked home my phone started ringing. I listened to the first few notes of Otis Redding's Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay. It was Jordan. He jokingly called me Moscow girl so I'd started calling him Bay Boy. He hated it but it suited him. I picked up. "Hello?"
"Hi Mila! You better congratulate me, we just beat the Red Wings!" I smiled. So far, the pens had lost 2 out of 3 of the games on their road trip. The win was a good way to wrap up on a high note. "That's awesome! Did you score?"
"No, but I got an assist." I scoffed. "Just an assist? You loser," I said jokingly. "I would love to see you play hockey. Wait, shit, you're Russian you'd probably be good,"Jordan said. He was so cute. "I highly, highly doubt that."
"Well when you come to Pittsburgh we'll have to test my hypothesis. We'll go skating."
"Look at you using big scientific words Jordan."
"I only know the whole scientific method because you had a spaz attack when I said I didn't know it and you lectured me." I walked into the brownstone. "I gotta go Jordan. Bye."
"Bye Mila."
I hung up and changed into Nike Pro shorts, a navy tank top and my running shoes. I went to the small local park and ran three miles then walked two. I went home and showered then changed. I started on dinner-steak, quinoa, salad and steamed broccoli. Just as I was setting the table Dad walked in. He took his shoes off and we sat down to eat. "So Mila how was your day?"
"It was great Dad! I got to watch a human dissection in anatomy and microbiology was fun as usual. How was work?" Dad lived for his work now that Mam was gone. "Good, good, I have some bright grad students that are a pleasure to teach and work with. Have you made any friends yet?" I shook my head sheepishly. Dad's brow furrowed in concern. I hated making him worry. "I have good news though! I obviously can't graduate a year early but I think I might be able to graduate a semester early, next January." Dad speared a piece of broccoli. "That's good Lena. But you should really make some friends and enjoy Montreal, this city has a lot to offer." Lena, the e pronounced softly, was a Russian nickname for Milena. "Dad, when I graduate I want to do my internship and my residency, and then eventually work, at either Washington Hospital Center or Sibley Memorial Hospital. I'll only be in Montreal for another year and a half, two years tops. I'll see my friends in DC when I go back. I don't need to make friends here. I'm fine." Dad sighed and put his plate in the sink. "I only want what's best for you my dotcha,"he said, using the Russian word for daughter, "Whatever makes you happy." I wrapped Dad up in a hug. Leaving him would be so hard. "Mila, I'll do the dishes tonight. Thank you for dinner."