Okay you guys! This is my first fan fiction! I hope you enjoy it, and please leave me any reviews and comments! I'd like to thank PatatoGirl, for beta'ing this story with me! Its already been so much fun and its only been one chapter! Anyways, Enjoy!
Callie took small breaths, trying her hardest to keep calm. 'What have I done?!' she thought to herself. She knew exactly what she'd done. She had just left the best foster home and family she'd ever been a part of, all to protect Jude. It may sound like a backwards way of doing it, protecting Jude by leaving, but it was the best option, in her opinion, to keep Jude safe. Her little brother was the most important thing in her life, more important than herself, and she wasn't about to ruin his chances of getting adopted into a good family, for some stupid teenage romance with Brandon.
"How much further until we're out of California?" she asked Wyatt.
Wyatt had become her closest friend during her time at Anchor Beach, and he had been there for her when she needed support the most. Sure, he was a little rough around the edges and maybe a little damaged, but then again, so was she. 'Maybe that's why we work so well together' she thought.
"About another 20 minutes." Wyatt replied, snapping Callie from her train of thought.
Twenty minutes. '20 minutes and I'll be ruining everything. 20 minutes and I'll be violating parole. 20 minutes until I would be forced back into Juvie if she got caught' she kept thinking. She fought back tears, asking herself if this was really wanted and if it was even worth it. 'No it wasn't worth it and no, this isn't what I want, but it doesn't matter what I want because Jude will get the family he deserves when I leave, and that's enough for me.'
"Shit!" Wyatt exclaimed, "I'm almost out of gas, we need to stop and fill up real quick."
Callie was overcome with both relief and fear at this statement: relief, because the stop delayed the inevitable drive over the state line; fear because she didn't know if she had the will power to keep herself from turning around and going back home. Her thoughts stopped abruptly. 'Home?' Had she just called the Fosters' house 'home'? She shook it off, 'no, that wasn't her home, she had no home, she had Jude, but she had no home.'
Deep in thought, she hadn't realized the weird stare that Wyatt had begun, aimed at her.
"Are you okay?" Wyatt asked, "You look like you're going to be sick".
"No, I think I'm fine", she replied, "I just need to get out of the car for a second".
Wyatt pulled into the gas station, and before he could even shift the truck into park, Callie opened the door and threw herself out of the vehicle, hurdling towards the trash can. She vomited, and then her knees gave out and she sunk to the ground, sobbing.
Wyatt runs over after he sees her sink to the ground, and gets down on his knees next to her. He starts to speak while she continues to sob.
"You need to go back. They-"
"No!" Callie cut him off before he could finish, "No, I can't. They're better off without me" She fell limp beside the metal bin, whimpering, and letting a tear leak out of the corner of her eye.
"Honestly Callie?" He nearly shouted in disbelief, "No one is better off without you. You are the strongest girl I know, and I truly believe that those people love you Callie. You need to go back. Give them a call. Tell them you'll come home." Callie felt more confused than she ever had been in her life. She didn't really believe they loved her, but she might as well call to tell them she was okay.
She turned on the phone Lena and Stef had given her when she first moved into the house, and dialed the number she'd been thinking about calling all day, it was on speed dial, Stef and Lena his been the first number she ever had in her contacts.
Stef picked up on the first ring. "Callie? Callie? Love, is that you?" Stef questioned frantically. Callie opened her mouth to reply, but instead, another sob escaped and she broke down again. She tried to speak again, although the words come out choppy.
"Y-Yes St-Stef, its m-me" she cried into the phone.
"Oh baby! Its okay, where are you? Are you okay? I'm coming to get you, just tell me where you are" Stef said, crying now too.
The line was silent for a second, and Stef was afraid she'd scared Callie off. She decided on a calmer approach the next time she spoke.
"Okay Callie, We're not mad at you, sweetie." She cooed into the phone, "We just want you to come home, we love you so much".
"I-I love you guys too. A-and I want to come b-back home, b-but you d-don't have to come g-get me." Callie cried, "I'll take the bus home, I promise. I just want to be back with you guys".
Stef let out a sigh of relief, but she still couldn't stand the idea of Callie taking the bus all alone. Stef knew she'd have to let her though, if they attached too much to Callie, she'd just push away from them even harder.
"Okay, Cal. You can take the bus, but you must call us every hour to let us know you're okay. If you don't, I'm tracking you down and dragging you back here" Stef joked, although it came out more serious than she had planned, probably because it was true.
Callie breathed out a sigh of relief, she could go home; back to Jude, back to the twins, back to Stef and Lena, and finally back to Brandon. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought about that last one. Stef and Callie finalized the plans, and Callie promised to call when they got to the bus station and she purchased her ticket.
'Things are finally looking up for me' was her last thought before heading to the bus stop.
Boy was she wrong.