Chapter 1 : We get to know
BOOK ONE : Pilot
We accept the love we think we deserve - Stephen Chbosky
I remember when I was a little kid. I always did my best to keep my family proud of me. I was the first little girl of my parents. I was cherished every single minute of my youth. In our family, there was no clear line between work and “get what you want”.
It all began when I was twelve years old... We moved from California to France.
Everything began to construct extremely slowly. The difficulties with the language was one of the most inevitable problems. All my father’s projects took form at the end of 2005. I was fourteen.
Day after day without feeling it my father had already restarted all his business. The comfortable life we had was reborn in a good way. My father is a great businessman in commerce at the top of five enterprises in France today. After years and years of galley to learn French, our life was officially inaugurated. Nothing was lacking, and all the stuff were reorganized in a no time. What a beautiful rebound you may say; but that was a long time ago...
Every time that my father wanted to do something, it was always by concerting me, as if I was his second hand. None of my brothers and sisters had that damn pressure in their life besides me. They weren’t that good in French. I was the one to learn it so fast, so my father always had to demand my help until he began to do it himself.
As my mother tells every time: “Ana honey, you’re meant to be a doctor, a journalist and why not an awesome businesswoman, I’m sure you have all the abilities but before you become all of these you have to help your father first...” But seriously the thing that I wanted in my life wasn’t even counted. It was all messed up. I think that I didn’t have the adolescence that every teenager had: go to parties, make new friends, listen to music, read books, or simply have fun...
Although, I may say that I’m thankful of my parents; because without them, I wouldn’t be a pediatrician today. I’m sure that without them I would be nobody today.
You might ask yourself: “Is this girl crazy?” Oh, well if you insist! No! I’m kidding. Yeah, I know my little imperfection, first I’m complaining and now I’m saying that I’m thankful of my parents. Oh my god! This is getting so weird! Let’s move on, shall we?
I study in the most famous university in Paris: “La Sorbonne”. I began studying medicine at eighteen. I always wanted to become a pediatrician. It was a passion and a goal to accomplish in my life.
Deep inside myself, I’m certainly modest, more timid than supercilious. However, that’s not what I send like image of myself for my family. I’ve always had difficulty feeling comfortable and the most of all is that it’s very difficult for me to trust someone. I entrust my feelings but don’t like listening to those of others. Well, I must say that I’m pretty difficult for someone to understand without truly knowing me.
I’m sure that you will get to know me better after...
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“Hey, wake up sleepy head! You must drive me to school, remember? I don’t want to be late!” Someone was calling me. But my head was turning, so I put some seconds to recognize the voice behind the door. It was my sister. “I DON’T WANT TO ACCOPAGNE YOU TODAY GO ALONE AMBER!” I shouted as loud as I could with my half-sleepy head.
“Please Anastasia, open the door, I’m going to be late!” She said calmly. Oh dear, what can I do after all? I got up to open the door, but she opened it before me. So, clever.
“What happened to you? Look at your face! Your mascara poured!” She was inspecting me from top to bottom. “It is not important, what do you want Amber?” I said holding the door handle.
“Yeah, I want to go to school normally as everybody do at this hour.” She was always sarcastic like this, it was becoming very irritating sometimes, but she is Amber! She has her tempered character, yet at the same time she is very douce, funny, nice and amiable with everyone. She was dressed in black and white. So, fashion.
“Okay, I’m coming just give me five minutes, I want to change if you mind!”
"Oui, mais fais vite!” (“K, but hurry!“)
“Being downstairs right now,” I put my baskets, did my hair in a messy bun, cleaned my face and went down.
“I’m ready, let’s go!” I glanced at my sister and took my KIA’s car keys.
I started the car and began to pass by the parking. Finally, I turned on the radio on NRJ (must have list check) and so we hit “Boulevard Saint-Michele”, it’s shorter to get to her University by passing by this route. The view was just so beautiful: all these great standing buildings, shops, restaurants were opened even at this early hour. I looked at the board, it was showing eight o’clock.
“We are late anyway.” She gritted her teeth as she began to look for something in her bag.
“Yeah, say that to yourself I am not obligated to drive you.” I said with a disgusted air. She gave me a fake smile (she knows me so well), I instantly began to laugh. I can’t stand her beautiful, little, cute, minion head. We laughed and singed all the way to her school.
“And now we’re arrived mademoiselle.” I affirmed with a victorious smile.
“Thanks sis, you are the best, love you,” she said as she came out.
“Hey!” I shouted to her from the inside of the car. She walked through me: “What?”
“Good luck for your today’s French exam, I know it’s difficult, but you’ll do your best, you’re brilliant Amber. I’ll try to send you my good vibes!”
“Of course, you remember, even if we’re in September we have one, they have to be kidding me, but thanks!” And this was the last time that I’ve talked to her that day...
I adore Amber so much that I could not live without her by my side. She always has the right words and the right gests to comfort me in every situation. Crazy enough but vital.
I turned around to go back home so I could take my stuff and head to the medicine university. I had already had enough from this day.
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I entered from the main entrance of the university, walked through the hall; it was around nine am, everybody was occupied with their own business. They were walking with their books without even looking around. There were some couples in the corners who were making out for some reason, they make me laugh! The bell rang after five minutes, I didn’t want to be late for my science course. I’ll just say science because in reality it’s anatomy majoring surgery course. I took a hint on my phone, 9:02 AM 22/09/2015.
Knocking.
“Anastasia, you are late!”
Bastard, I tought, that on everything else.
Just one second let’s do it again, so you may understand the situation.
I was walking in the hallway as fast as I could to try and not be late to my science course.
Knocking.
“Anastasia, you are late!” My handsome, blond, muscular and tall professor exclaimed.
We call him Doc. Lombard. One of the best professor in the entire Uni.
He was well-built. He looked heavy when he was dressed. His teeth were white; his skin was thin. He had lot of hair but with an indecisive tint between brown and blond. Big eyes, but one of that blue extinct which is generally called gray. Imagine, he was the perfectness of all the teachers that I’ve ever had in my whole life. Every girls’ dream candy. He always destabilizes me every time he talks or looks at me. He teases me all day long when we bump into eachother in the cafe of the Uni. He’s such a pain. A good one.
But now that I’m used to him, I don’t let myself blend with my own emotions.
“Sorry, the bell has just rung, technically I can enter now and I’m not late,” I said calmly looking at him. Yes! He was destabilized. A smile decorated my face. He saw that. And bam! Ana, one professor, zero. I love this game. I took my bag and went to my place on the strades. He was disgusted.
He began to explain today’s lesson about human body thing that we did again and again mixing with that surgery lesson that’s very hard to understand and even harder to do it in practice.
Once again, the hour flew very quickly, I was so much concentrated that I didn’t even notice it. I ordered my things and began to go out until...
“Don’t forget your final exam is tomorrow and this test will decide IF you are going to achieve your projects. This exam is your only hope to have the chance to join the USA and have your trainee ship in one of the most precious hospitals. So, if you want to do this and not stay here with me another year, then revise all your lessons without ANY exception and be at the top of yourself tomorrow.”
Gosh, he was mad today. Something was up with his wife apparently.
He started to present us the project that we were working on since the beginning, our final assignment was tomorrow, and I had to do my best to finally have the unique chance to go to LA.
If I fail this, I can say goodbye to my dreams.
All of them.
Without ANY exception.
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It’s my seventh year in medicine and tomorrow is the day that I’ve been working for this year, I must do this in the best way just to show to everyone who I am and what I value for real, for what I am working in my life. I have to be strong. My sister will assure her exams in literature and me, well I will do my best for medicine!
"Au revoir Ana.”
"Au revoir M. Lombard.” I said while I left, saw him smile even behind my back.
Yup, he was moody today.
