Page 6

CHAPTER 6 EVIE

Once they got back from Saturday Sins, Lis hit the showers first, while Evie refreshed the whiteboard listing both her and her roommate’s schedules, as well as the division of weekly chores. This weekend, she had to clean the living room. She cleared off their coffee table, putting their coffee mugs from this morning into the sink. She went to right a fallen throw pillow and spotted her tablet, which was opened to an email about the Paul Hom Asian Clinic.

Dr. Iona had sent around another reminder about the application deadline, and Evie only had a few more days. She wondered if Jake had submitted his already.

The page cursor blinked back at her as she read through the app’s questions, which required long-form answers.

A freshly showered Lis appeared and crossed over to the kitchen, to the counter where they kept most of their go-to snacks: lychee jellies, Hi Chews, Oreos, peach gummies, and Goldilocks Polvoron. Evie guessed she would go for the jellies, her usual choice.

“I’m ready for nap time,” she declared. “Kale’s food always puts me to sleep.”

“I wish I could do the same. But I better start the application for Paul Hom. It’s due soon.”

Her roommate made her way over, observing the clinic website. “I’m imagining getting my sixty-six-year-old auntie to an appointment. My mom would have to drag her, and if by some miracle my auntie went, she’d probably make a student cry.” Filipino, Vietnamese, they were different but also the same when it came to stubbornness. “If you get into the program, you’ll have to take weekend shifts, right?”

“Yes, it opens at seven in the morning.” Evie was an early bird anyway; she was the daughter of long-time restaurant owners, after all. Her roommate was not.

“Here, let me help brush your hair.”

“You don’t have to,” Lis said, even as she handed over the brush and moved to sit on the floor directly in front of Evie.

“But I like your hair.”

Once dry and brushed again, Lis’s hair was long and lush and glistened as if the sun was hitting it the right way. Evie’s own hair was much wavier and didn’t shine as much.

They watched a video on autoplay that documented the clinic’s typical weekend. The patients looked relieved to hear their language being spoken. Undergrads calmly explained drug prescriptions and forms, and translated for the medical students who didn’t speak the language. Everyone had a role to play.

“Look, it’s a room full of different Evies,” said Lis out of nowhere.

Evie laughed. “What do you mean?”

“Everyone’s helping someone in this video. And you’re a natural helper.” Her roommate gestured at her own hair. “You’re perfect for the clinic.”

“Jake’s applying too.”

“Jake? I’m surprised his parents haven’t already lined up other opportunities for him.”

“Mm-hmm. I’m sure they have tried. It’d be nice if we could get in together.”

Lis tilted her head. “Are you applying because of Jake, or because you want to?”

“Both, I guess. My advisor told me about it, and then Jake told me he was also going to apply.”

Her roommate righted her head, and neither one said anything as Lis got lost in her thoughts. Or maybe she was falling asleep; she had planned for a nap. Evie continued brushing, finding comfort in the repetition.

“I haven’t seen Jake in a while,” Lis said through a sudden yawn.

Her roommate and her boyfriend had exchanged a quick hello and goodbye when Lis bumped into them at a café earlier this week, but that was it. As her boyfriend had predicted, he was busy fulfilling his parents’ demands. Today he’d agreed to give a tour to a board member’s son, a prospective UC Davis student. They had plans to study together at his place soon.

“I’m sure he’ll come by when he’s free.”

Lis’s response was delayed—she kept watching the video, now on mute. “Well, it’d be nice to see him soon.”