AN: Hi, i am back, like i said i would be. Okay, for those who know my previous story, you can just skip the next paragraph and enjoy the read.
For those who are not familiar, quick recap: Callie and Jude after their mom's death got placed in foster homes, but they were separated. Jude was placed with Stef and Lena, adopted by them 4 months later. Callie was bouncing foster home's for 4 years, till a woman named Amy Scott and her family decided to foster her (Amy's husband - Aaron, and son - Marcus, died in car crash ~3 months after Callie was placed with her. But, still, few months later Amy adopted Callie. Callie is now living with Amy for ~2 years. The two siblings got reunited (details about that you can read in my previous story "Waiting for someone like you")
First one is just a little fluffy chapter between Callie and Amy. Jude will join in the next one.
Hope you enjoy :)
Callie POV
January 19th – Sunday
I was jumping up and down next to mom as dad was running after Jude's bike as he kept going "Keep pedaling, baby!" Mom called standing next to me, I looked up to her and saw this big smile on her face
"Don't stop pedaling" I called too and continued to bounce as my excitement was as huge as mom as we saw how Jude was riding his bike for the first time
He was now trying to make a turn and about hallway in the turn he had lost the speed he had and me and mom both saw how he was about to fall. But Dad stepped in and pushed the back of the bike to keep him going. Now Jude was on straight road back to home with dad jogging after her
"You are riding! He is riding!" Mom clapped her hands and as I looked up I think I saw tears in her eyes
"Mommy, mommy look!" Jude called as he ride pass us "I am so proud of you baby!" mom called and sent him a kiss thought the air. I decided to join dad and run after him. My little feet started running-
A sudden light hit my eyes "Rise and shine, Poo Bear!" It was moms voice, that completely pulled me out of my dream. As I opened my eyes and glanced at her from my bed, I saw how she was pushing the curtain aside neatly letting the sun shine right on my face. I pull the blanket over my head and lower my head back to the pillow "Get up, we have lots to do today!"
"Mom, Jude is coming over today!" I grumble back as my face now was hidden under the blanket.
It was his time to visit me at home, last week I went to visit him on the weekend. We like to take shifts, because it just seemed fair. That way both of us can build not only relationship with one another, but also with the family. I have a lot more relationships to build, so I was usually the one that visited him on school nights (not all school nights), just for 1-2 hours at a time, not to bother the family for too long. Also, he had curfew at like 8, it just made sense that I- the oldest sibling – visit more often, as I can actually drive to him myself.
"Yes, I am aware" her footsteps indicated she had come up to my bed "but that won't happen for few hours!" then there was a force that ripped my blanket off me, out my hand as I was holding it over my head "Chop, chop. Don't waist daylight, Poo Bear!"
"Why do you keep calling me that!" I groan and turn on my stomach, my face falling in the pillow as I just wanted to sleep for few more minutes "It makes me sound like I poop a lot!"
"Yeah, well, English translation is a little weird, but trust me, that bear does not poop all the time. He eats honey all the time!" she explains and then swats my butt "Let's go. If you are not down in 10 minute I am coming up with water bucket"
"You wouldn't dare" I say in the pillow but loud enough for her to hear it
"Try me!" she says back. I turn my head and see her walking out of my room. She had this bounce in her walk. Which means she is having a great morning. At least one of us is a morning person.
I groan again but still stay in bed for a minute, that was until I heard mom yelling from downstairs "I DON'T HEAR YOU WALKING!"
"Ugh" I push myself up "I'm walking, I'm walking" I mumble as I sit on the bed and stretch.
When I get down for breakfast there was already cereal box on the table, along with milk and a bowl. First I just drink the milk from the box as I was thirsty, but as I do that, I hear mom's voice coming out from the storage unit "That's nasty! Don't do that!"
I look to my right and see mom walk out of the storage room that was in the kitchen on the right side. In the floor planning, you could tell that it was situated under the stairs actually, similar like in Harry Potter, but no little boy with scar on his forehead was sleeping there. She puts 2 buckets down and two mops, then she walks back in.
I fill the bowl with cereal and then pour milk on top. Take the bowl and decide to walk up the storage room, watching as mom goes thought it "It is not spring yet!" I take a spoon full of cereal "are we seriously having spring cleaning?" I ask her with full mouth as I am chewing
"Not spring cleaning" she balances on her fingertips as she looks at the top shelf
"Before you say it, I will - my room is not that messy! It is a normal teenager room. My mess is organized mess. I know where everything is places. And no, it does not need the strong cleaning chemicals either"
"Not your room either" she says as she searches for something on the shelf
"Did you see the spider again?" I ask giggling. Still remembering the last time that happened.
Flashback
December 14th
It was late evening. I had gone to bed, to read a book that I had to read for English, when a scream filled the house. She had run in my room, wrapped herself in just towel, hair dripping. I had jumped up from my bed, tossed the book aside
"What, what is it!" I asked hurrying up to her
"There was a HUGE ass spider in the shower! It crawled up from the drain! It…it had the red cross on it's back!"
"Are you for real?" I ask now heading to the bathroom, wanting to see it myself "Wait, wait…don't go! What if it bites you? What if it bites me?" she asked me as she stood in the hall
"I just want to see it myself" I said walking in. The room was filled with steam, I walked up the shower and looked to the floor, then all around
"There is no spider mom"
"Are you sure?" she asked and as I looked over my shoulder to her, she was only peaking her head in the bathroom "Yes, I am sure! No spider! Anywhere!" I say back now taking one last glance around
"Not on floor too? Or ceilings? Or walls!?" there was clear panic in her voice
I checked the whole room just to calm mom down. "There is no spider. Not a single web. Nada!"
"I'm not taking a shower anytime soon!" mom said back "That thing was huge! And the cross!" she shivers
"There is no spider. You can go back to finish washing your hair" I walked back out and kissed her cheek on the way out
End of flashback
Mom stopped what she was doing, turned to me, extended her index finger to me
"You-were-not-there. I know you don't believe me, but it was huge and it had one of those red crosses on its back! I had legit reason to be scared, missy!" she finishes her fantasy story and then turns back to the shelves
"Whatever you say mom" I giggle again and take another spoon full before I head back to table "I will laugh at you too, when you see it. Don't expect me to help you! Or give you antidote!" she calls back from the storage room
I put the bucket with the cleaning stuff down to my feet . I cross my arms on my chest, look up to mom with a look "Are you serious?"
She was standing with her hands to her hips, she was smiling, full of energy, happy "Look at this space! Once we clean it all up, we can make it in like a cool, relaxing chill spot!"
"I didn't realize we needed a cool, relaxing chill spot" I uncross my arms and look at the garage again. 2 years I have lived here, and I have never seen anyone go inside the garage! Never! We don't use it as a garage either. The garage just- exists! It just takes up space at our property.
She stepped inside "If we move these boxes away, and remove that workbench, clean everything on the shelves, remove that cabinet…maybe buy a small fridge right here, and a small couch here…." she was already picturing the whole thing in her head, gesturing around where everything is going to be places or what is going to be removed
"Or we could clean it out and use as garage!" I suggest the obvious choice
"Don't be silly! That is stupid!" she said not looking back at me. "We will start from the right deep corner and move to this corner." She gestured to the outer side of the garage, left side of garage doors " We will throw out every single junk that is in here! If we find metal or scrap we could sell it. If it is toys or clothes we could wash them and give them away to charity or something"
"Do you even know what is inside here?" I ask stepping inside the garage and look at the ceiling, by the doors. There was a huge spider web by the ceiling, I tap on moms hand and point up to it "Hey, mom…maybe your red cross spider lives here!"
"Don't joke about that thing!" she shivers "Okay!" she rubs her hands "You go start looking thought the boxes I will go fill the buckets with water so we can clean the surfaces and the floor!" she left going back out the garage.
"Could you fetch me a face mask too!?" I call as I see how dusty everything is. I step further in the garage, looking around at all the junk in there, but I don't get too far in the garage when I see something on the ground that catches my attention.
I am standing by the thing I saw till mom walks back with two buckets of water. "Why are you still standing? I asked you to start going thought the boxes" she said and I heard her put the buckets down.
"I found something" I said tilting my head to other side look at the thing "I don't know if it is dead or alive! Or if it is even animal" I said looking at the furry thing that was lying on the ground, in a tight ball. Mom walked up to me
"What is that?" she leaned down a bit trying to get a better look
"I have no idea! Probably something form the wild life. Like they show in the big colorful box with the moving pictures"
"You are talking like a true city person" mom chuckles and stands up straight "What are we supposed to do with dead animals? You had plan for everything?" I ask mom with a smirk on my lips
"We will put it in a plastic bag and toss out or bury. I am not sure yet. I need to think about it"
"I'm not touching that thing! It is probably sick or was sick. That is what killed him. I don't want to die" I said to mom as I was watching the thing on ground.
Mom scoffed "Fine…I will pick it up" she said and walked back to all the cleaning stuff. I turned to her "You totally expected me to do it!" I said in accusing tone
"Whaaaat?" mom replied dragging out the world for far too long
"You totally were!" I cross my arms on chest. But then I feel something on my leg. Something was touching my leg around my ankle region. I looked down and saw the…the THING…up by my leg. Scratching on me.
I let out a scream and kicked it away and then run out to mom
"Why are you screaming?" mom asks as she now had the yellow glows on and the plastic garbage bag in her hand "It's ALIVE!"
"Don't be silly. It wasn't moving. It was de-" she was turning around and when she did she saw the thing move. Now the THING was running towards us, with his little legs quickly, white teeth and sharp looking nails "KICK IT, KICK IT!" I called and we both were now trying to kick it, but it just pulled back and showed us its sharp teeth once again. It was ready to attack! It was aggressive.
"What is IT doing?" mom asked as we both were stepping back now, slowly. Not to aggravate or scare that thing.
I was digging my nails in moms upper hand "run…RUN!" I screamed and took of first as the THING was now starting to run towards us again, only white sharp teeth showing. Mom run pass me and jumped over the banister to get on the porch. I made a different decision and instead just jumped on the hood of the car that was parked just there.
She threw her hands up "NOT ON THE CAR CALLIE!"
"DO YOU WANT ME DIE, MOTHER?! I CAN'T JUMP LIKE THAT!" I yelled back gesturing to where she was now and stepped up from the hood of the car to the roof.
"You will leave a bent!" she said lowering her hands still upset that I jumped on the car
"You worry more about your car then your own daughters LIFE! REAL Nice mom. Really, good job" I show her thumbs up then look around the yard "Where did it go?" I ask as I keep looking for it
She walked closer to the banister, leaned over looking to the flower pedals. "I don't see it" she says as she looks around. "Maybe It went back to the garage" I said as I was still looking for that thing
"What do you think it was?" I ask still not getting down "Badger maybe?" mom asked not knowing either
"It looked like a opossum at first" I said remembering the fur
"No, opossums look different. This one had his nose all different. His legs were shorter" mom said as she was walking from one side of the porch to other, looking for that thing
"How did a badger get here? Since when are they are so aggressive?"
"Did you poke it?" mom ask jokingly but when I don't answer she stops and looks to me. She reads me like an open book "You don't poke…animals, CALLIE! NEVER POKE ANIMALS!"
"I didn't really poke it, just kicked a rock its way to see if it moves! I was checking if it was alive! OKAY!" I throw my arms up expressing myself
"What a great job you did!" she replies "OK. I think it is gone. I think it went back to garage. I think we are safe now" mom said using stairs and stepped down to lawn.
I carefully got down from the car and we met up on the front lawn. We both stood there, looking at the garage "What is the game plan, mom?"
AN2: FUN FACT - The badger thing, as crazy as it sounds, is actually a real story from my life. I live on a outskirt of a town and weird things like that happened all the time. Me and my grandfather found a badger living in our barn. The problem with that, was that the animals decided to camp out in the barn that had our basement, that had like all our food supplies, like potatoes, carrots, jams, birch sap, different salads for winter. So we had to get it out. My reaction was basically Callie's, but Amy's was my grandfathers.
