ENTRY 12
Hello digital diary. I have a lot to tell you so I apologize in advance if this entry runs long. But let's go ahead and get started...
I have recently become best friends with the argument that the ends justify the means. Well, this entry... this confession... is at the front of that belief. But the ends were not for me this time. This confession is not about how I had to do a one time event to advance closer to my dream of becoming head cheerleader; which is going very well by the way. No... this one time sacrifice that I made was for my loving boyfriend Daniel.
You see he's been killing himself this year to be the top student, or at least the top freshman, in all of the college of medicine. This particular semester he has practically been living at the school, working on a special project at the expense of our relationship. The way he described it to me was 'no freshman has ever done one of these and completed it in their freshman year. I am breaking new ground.'
Most recently he explained to me that this project is pivotal to him being chosen for an exclusive internship. He justified it by saying 'this internship is the primo option for a student in the college of medicine and it has never been offered to a freshman. If I can finish the project and finish first in my class, I should be the best candidate.'
Needless to say it was clear how important this was to him. It made me feel like the time away from me and our relationship could result in something great. But this is the crux of why I did what I did. Let me explain.
More than a month ago Daniel let me know that there was a party hosted by the college of medicine to celebrate the good work the school and its students had done during the year. If you want my opinion they created this event so that they had at least one day a year where they could go out without lab coats or scrubs on. Anyway, the event was last Thursday evening. Daniel asked me to go with him and help him mingle and be social. So I did.
It was a decent party, for doctors anyway. I was doing well working the room with Daniel when a colleague of his asked to borrow him. So when he left, I went to the drink table. It was there where it all began.
I had just grabbed my drink and turned to leave when I bumped into a man who was in my path. I said, "Excuse me." He replied with, "You are so beautiful. You must be Candace."
I was shocked and asked him how he knew my name. He went on to tell me that Daniel talks about me all the time and I fit the description. "What description is that?" I asked.
"Gorgeous beyond imagination, over the top fun, most caring, loving, and supportive person on the planet."
"Daniel described me like that?"
"Indeed he did. He told us all that he had way outkicked his coverage. That's a sports metaphor."
"I got that. I am cheerleader here at the school. Anyway, you know who I am. Who might you be?"
"Oh, how rude of me." He held out his hand to shake. "I am Professor Stengle. I am the dean of the college of medicine among other things. You can call me Brian."
We continued to chitchat about the school and more about him. He was quite full of himself. That affliction applies to lot of successful doctors I hear. Then he casually mentioned, "You know, Daniel is being considered for a very important internship at the surgical center downtown. It is a very prestigious opportunity and for Daniel, as a freshman, to even be nominated, is a great accomplishment."
It confirmed what Daniel had told me about it. Brian went on to tell me, "This internship, should he get it, would set his college career way ahead of everyone else. If he got to do this in between his freshman and sophomore years, it would allow him to become a teacher's assistant or a junior resident before he even graduates school. The relationships he would build, the resume he would build. He would have his choice of graduate schools and he could get into any hospital in the country."
I felt like I understood the magnitude of what Daniel had been working so hard for. But for it to be spelled out like that I felt the weight of it even though it was not me going through it.
Brian continued, "There are 5 finalists being considered; Daniel being one of them of course. But it appears as if it is truly down to Daniel and one other candidate. It is neck and neck so far as I can tell."
"So is there anything else Daniel can do to pull ahead and ensure his selection?" I asked.
"I don't think there is anything else Daniel can do. The challenge is that the other leading candidate is doing all the same things. You see Daniel is working on finishing a research project. So is the other candidate. Daniel is on pace to finish first in his class and so the other candidate. At the moment the only difference seems to be that the other contender is a rising senior so maybe the selection panel will choose the older ever so slightly more accomplished candidate."
I felt extremely sad. He basically just told me that he expected the other person to be chosen. I thought Daniel would be crushed. Brian saw that I was visibly sad and said, "Listen I think there is something you can do to help."
I looked up with some glimmer of hope, "What can I do?"
He smiled and said, "I lead the board that makes the ultimate decision. I can influence other voters and as a last resort, I am the tiebreaker. What that means is that I can make it happen for Daniel... or make it not happen."
I didn't understand how that impacted me. "So I still don't understand how I can help Dr. Stengel."
"As much as I love being called doctor. Please call me Brian."
"I still don't understand how I can help Brian."
"Have you seen the movie Indecent Proposal? It is a little before your time."
I shook my head. He explained, "You see the main actors are a couple, Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore. They are a young sexy couple with big dreams. They start building a house they architected but they hit hard times and get low on money. So with the remaining bit of money they have left they go to Vegas to try to win enough money to finish the project. Through some ups and downs they lose their money. They are at the bottom of the barrel."
I did not know where this was going or how it applied to me, but I patiently waited.
"They run into this billionaire who wins some money with Demi Moore as his lucky charm. Fast forward, this billionaire offers to solve all of their money problems by giving them one million dollars if he can have one night with the wife."
It did not click yet even when it should have. I waited. He recognized that I did not get it. He asked, "Do you want to help Daniel get this internship?"
I said, "Of course I do."
He asked, "Do you feel like you would do anything if you knew it would guarantee his selection?"
I sarcastically responded, "Uh...yeah... of course. I know how much it means to him."
"Good. Well I have a proposal, an indecent proposal if you will. If you spend 24 hours with me and do everything I ask you do, I will make sure Daniel gets the internship."
A lot of things swirled in my head. Part of me was still trying to grasp what it was he was specifically asking of me. Most of that was drowned out by his words 'I will make sure Daniel gets the internship.' I did not reply to him and finally he asked me, "Did you understand what I said? Do you understand my offer?"
I looked at him and replied, "I think so. You want me to spend 24 hours with you and you will make sure Daniel is selected?"
"Yes. Doing everything I ask you to do."