A few weeks after coming to live with Stef and Lena, Jude has a class trip and he needs to find a way to get the money for it. He should have known that things never go well for him or Callie.
(A two-shot based on the beginning of the show simply because I miss those episodes.)
"And it's like a real amusement park." Jude said excitedly as he walked home from school with Callie on Wednesday. "With rides and game and food stalls and everything."
The two of them had been living with the Fosters for two weeks now and the seventh grade class was going on a field trip to Belmont Park on Friday. Each student was required to bring twenty-five dollars with them - fifteen for the ticket and ten for food and souvenirs
"It sounds fun baby." Callie smiled, happy that her brother was getting to experience something special. This was the best home and school they'd ever been in and events like this never happened to them before.
"There's just one thing..." Jude said, sounding a little regretful. "I have to take twenty-five dollars."
"Twenty-five?" Callie asked in surprise. What the hell did he need with twenty-five dollars.
"The ticket alone is fifteen." Jude justified. "And that's a discount because we're a school. The actual price is like twenty bucks or something." He added for good measure.
"Jude, I don't have twenty-five dollars to give you." Callie said, knowing that's what Jude was asking.
"Well, I have six dollars and thirty two cents." Jude said quickly so I only need like eighteen bucks or so.
"Yeah, well all I have is seventeen dollars." Callie answered.
"That's fine, I can make that work." Jude told her, excited to have even that much.
"Whow, Jude, I'm not giving you all my money." Callie quickly stopped him. "We need to save it."
"But the whole class is going Callie..." Jude whined like a little kid. This was his first trip to an amusement park and he definitely didn't want to miss it.
"No Jude." Callie said firmly. "Look, You know how hard it has been for me to save up even that much so we really can't just waste it, we aren't going to be living here forever and I need to save that money for food. "
"Well, there will be food at the amusement park." Jude tried to justify.
Callie gave her brother a dirty look as they turned the last corner towards the house. They were almost there and soon this conversation would come to an end.
"Fine." Jude accepted as his shoulders slumped. He understood what Callie was saying because he remembered going hungry before and being so thankful that Callie was able to get them some food with the money she'd saved up but he just didn't like the idea of missing out on this opportunity either.
They had reached the end of the driveway when Callie stopped her brother. "Look, I know you really want to go on this trip but we really can't spend all our money on it. I wish I could get you in but I just don't have that kind of cash.
Jude didn't respond as he pulled out of his sister's grasp and headed up the driveway.
Later that evening Callie walked into Jude's room. Jesus was downstairs getting a snack and Jude was alone.
"Consolation prize." She offered, as she held out a Hershey's bar, trying to cheer her brother up.
"Thanks." Jude said gratefully as he took the chocolate. He knew Callie was trying and he knew she was right. "Share it with me?" He asked as he held out the open packet to Callie.
"Really?" Callie asked in surprise as she broke off a couple of pieces. "I remember when mom bought it for you, you would scream if I took a bite." She said laughing at the memory.
"I was six." Jude defended, breaking off a couple of pieces for himself. "Besides, mom always bought you your Butterfingers." He reminded her.
"But you conveniently forgot that you ate half of it." Callie reminded him, poking him playfully in the side.
"That's besides the point." Jude dismissed with a laugh as he broke off another couple of pieces and handed them to Callie.
"I'm sorry buddy." Callie said late on Thursday afternoon when Jude came into her room looking completely disheartened.
"What do I do?" Jude asked. "What do I say to get out of going? It's not like they're the unobservant kind."
"Tell them you're not feeling well." Callie suggested. "Tell them you have a bad stomach. You'll be able to stay home from school instead of sitting in the library for study hall."
"Will they let me stay alone?" Jude asked.
"Tell them you can't go too far from a toilet." Callie suggested, hoping to bring a smile to his face. "They're bound to fall for that one."
"Fine." Jude agreed as he left, still just as disappointed.
As Callie watched Jude go she realized that he looked so down that Stef and Lena might actually believe he was sick.
Jude left Callie's room and headed downstairs to play Jesus' video game when he spotted Stef's wallet sitting on the coffee table. She had been down there earlier and then rushed out to pick Mariana up from a friend's house, leaving her wallet behind by mistake.
Jude quickly glanced around to make sure no one was around and then opened her wallet and pulled out a twenty before putting the wallet back just the way he found it. He stuffed the note into his pocket and ran up the stairs, his heart pounding but filled with excitement.
The following morning Callie work up just a few minutes before everyone else and headed into her brother's room. She wanted to help him get his story straight so that they wouldn't doubt that he was sick. She had it all planned - he'd exchanged lunches with someone at school and the taco's he'd eaten were a little too spicy for him resulting in an upset stomach. Knowing Stef and Lena they were bound to give him something for it which he could easily just pretend to take and then the electrolytes they would give him wouldn't do him any harm.
"Okay so here's the plan." Callie began when she walked into Jude's room to find him sitting up in bed. "You're going to say that you tra..."
But before she could continue Lena walked into the room to make sure the boys were awake.
"Good morning." Lena called with a smile as Jesus began to stir. "Get a move on it guys, we'll be leaving in an hour."
Before Lena could leave Callie decided to tell her about Jude.
"Um, Lena." She said, stopping the woman from exiting the room. "Jude's not been feeling too well." She said. "He has a bad stomach."
Lena's face instantly filled with worry as she walked further into the room to the boy in question.
Callie, having not had a chance to tell Jude the story, continued up for him. "He traded lunches with someone yesterday and what he ate turned out to be too spicy." She explained. "He's been in the bathroom half the night."
"Oh, honey, why didn't you come wake us?" Lena asked the boy as she patted his back sympathetically.
But Jude didn't need the excuse any longer. He had the money and he wanted to go to school.
"it's not that bad." He tried to dismiss. "Callie's always exaggerating. I just went a couple of times and I ate a couple of slices of bread and it helped a lot." He answered. "I'm feeling fine."
Luckily for him Callie didn't intervene. This was not at all what she'd expected and so she decided it was better to just stay quiet. Unluckily for him, she was glaring at him, just waiting for Lena to leave so she could interrogate him.
"What was that?" She asked in a whisper, aware of Jesus' presence in the room.
"Nothing." Jude answered. "I feel fine." He shrugged.
"Jude, what did you do?" Callie asked in a warning tone, knowing that there was something he wasn't telling her.
"Nothing." Jude answered. "I just don't want to stay home alone and I can go to school."
"Jude." Callie asked again, not buying it one bit.
"I got the money okay." Jude sighed, knowing that he wasn't getting away with it. Callie would never let him steal the money and now his last chance was blown.
"How?" Callie asked, already having guessed the answer.
"I took it from Stef's wallet last night." He answered.
"Jude." Callie said in disappointment. "You know that's wrong."
"Come on Callie." Jude begged. "It's not like you haven't ever done it before."
"Not like this Jude." Callie said aghast. "I've only ever taken money for food." She clarified. "When have I ever stolen anything just for the heck of it."
"I know, but..." Jude tried to justify but couldn't come up with anything. He knew it was wrong and now he wished he hadn't done it. "What do I do now?" He asked his sister.
"I'll take care of it." She answered, reaching out so he could give her the money. "I'll put it back before we leave."
Jude handed over the money and began planning what to say to Lena so that he could skip school.
Callie tiptoed down the stairs to the kitchen where Stef's wallet and keys were. No one was downstairs yet. Mariana was in the shower and she was the first so everyone else was waiting in line for her to finish, Lena was blowdrying her hair and Stef was also upstairs getting dressed. This was her one chance and she had to do it quick. She grabbed the walled and opened it but just as she was trying to slip the note back in she heard a voice behind her.