Callie woke with a panic when she felt someone breathing on her neck, she turned and jumped to see Jude staring at her. Jude's pale face, illuminated by the hallway light and filled with fear, stared back... sending a silent message. Callie sighed and looked back at the alarm clock to see that it was 5am... time to get up and get read for school.
At twelve years old, Callie was fairly independent and usually took the motherly role for her nine year old brother Jude. The siblings had been thrown around between foster homes for the past two years... and things weren't any easier in their 5th and current home. John, a heavy drinker and not one to comfort or coddle the children was in fact, not the ideal father... foster or not.
As Callie led her brother out of the bedroom, carefullly avoiding the creaky floor boards, they made their way to the bathroom... to prepare for another day. Callie quickly and efficiently pulled dirty clothes out of the hamper and handed them to Jude, "Sorry buddy, she forgot to do the laundry again... these will have to do." Jude looks at the clothes in disgust and shakes his head... relaying the same thoughts as Callie. Mary, their foster mother was not a mother at all. More of a gold digger... fostering for the money and nothing else. Mary's interaction with kids was limited... usually a scoff in their direction was about it. However, Mary was very careful to make it appear differently to the public eye, she put the money in for the kids to go to Anchor Beach charter school... only the finest school in San Diego. Callie and Jude certainly didn't mind... school was their escape from John and Mary... Their escape from reality.
Once changed, the brother and sister headed down stairs to look for some breakfast. Callie found a frozen waffle for Jude... unfortunatly that meant she would have to go without breakfast this morning. Jude took the waffle from Callie and looked to see what she was going to eat, he stared at her with a pain in his eyes, he glanced down at his waffle and placed it back in the freezer. "No, Jude, you need to eat. I'll be fine... ok? Don't worry about me." Callie picked up the waffle and handed it back to him and then turned to pack their backpacks.
Jude was very small for nine, and the lack of food was only making him look even more unhealthy. Like always, Callie was putting Jude first, making sure his needs were met and making sure he was happy or as happy as possible.
Nine year old Callie followed her 6 year old brother Jude, in to the house... both yelling their versions of the situaton at hand. Colleen, was at the counter making dinner whe she heard the kids coming, she turned to see a very upset Jude and a frustrated Callie. With exasperation in her voice, she sent both kids to their bedrooms while she decided how to defuse the argument.
A few minutes later she found Jude in his room, sitting on his bed... sulking. She took his face in her hands and examined the bruise forming around his right eye, "Jude, baby, what happened?" Jude tried to answer but his words were drowned in tears and he was incohherant. Colleen decided that her best bet was to go straight to Callie. In her room Callie was pacing, hands clasped behind her back and a look of worry crossed her face when her mother enter with Jude on her hip. "Callie come sit with me, please tell me exactly what happened." Callie tenativly approached her bed and began to explain, word from word what happened in the backyard. Colleen couldn't help but laugh when she realized that this was all just a big misunderstanding. Callie and Jude were playing catch when Jude caught one with his eye and then overreacted. Colleen engulfed both her kids in to a hug and made them exchange apologies. She sent Jude to find an ice pack and asked Callie to sit back down, "Baby, Jude is your only bother, he is so lucky to have you and you are so lucky to have him... thats why you need to protect him, support him and love him uncondtionally. Do you understand?" Colleen looked deep in to Callie's eyes when she reached over and wiped a tear from the young girl's cheek.
The next day, Colleen was taken from them... far too soon and Callie stepped up for her brother.
As the kids were getting ready to walk out the door, they were stopped in their tracks by John, a chill was sent down Callie's spine and she felt Jude's body tense up next to her. Callie made a brave attempt to step around him when John reached out and grabbed her pony tail. He pulled her back around to face him and snarled at her... that disgusting grin that made her cringe. He looked her in the eye and said, "Have a good day little girl." Callie felt nausous with the smell of his breath and the deadly tone he had used... she wanted out of there... now. John forcefully slammed her against the door and turned to face Jude, he frowned and wagged his finger in Jude's face, "and you... you stupid mute. Sleep with your sister again?" Jude stared blankly as Callie pulled him out the door. John clipped Jude in the back of the head with his hand and laughed. That very laugh haunted the children as they walked to the bus stop, but as soon as the doors to the bus closed behind them... a weight was lifted of their shoulders. For seven hours, they'd be safe. For seven hours, they wouldn't have to worry. For seven hours... they could be remotely happy.