Ties of a Friendship

Chapter 1

It been a few weeks since Jude told his Moms that he and Connor did something, but he didn't tell them what. He only told them that he and Connor did something that could be wrong leaving his parents with a lot of questions and no answers and he refused to tell them anything more. Jude couldn't believe he broke his promise to Connor, but if he was responsible for anything that happened to Connor then he knew he had to end his friendship with him.

Lena walks into his shared room with his brother Jesus where she finds Jude reading a book. She sat down next to him as he pulls the book up to his face trying not to look at his not mom, "Jude honey look at me?" She asked him, but Jude was too ashamed to look at Lena. She pulls the book away from him, "Jude we're not mad, I'm not mad at you…a little disappointed that you couldn't trust us with the truth, but never angry you and Connor have something special and whatever it is…is between you and him, but whenever you ready tell us we'll listen to you, okay honey?"

Though Lena was trying to reassure Jude, he just felt guilty about her quitting her job for him, "Can you get your job back?" Jude asked trying to change the subject.

"Well, I'm in talks with the board of education and Miss Porter about getting my job back," Lena tells Jude, but he just shutters by her explanation, Lena places her hand on his cheek stroking it, "honey, listen it's not your fault! I was rushing I wasn't in my right mind... I mean a lot of things happened with the loss of the baby I guess I just thought I lost control of everything and you're the youngest and I don't want to see anyone hurt you and I don't want you to end your friendship with anyone, Connor included if your friendship makes you happy then it makes me happy I love you and I'll never leave you," Lena explains to Jude getting teary eyed.

"I love you too and I'm sorry for everything," Jude hugged Lena she kisses him on the forehead and leaves him in his room by his self to think on his thoughts. He looks at his cell phone, seeing he has missed three calls from Connor, but he didn't know what he should do he feels like everything is his fault he had to get out of the house with everything else happening around here he could use some quiet time alone.

Jude gets up out of his bed and tosses his book down. He grabs his cell phone and puts in his pocket as he walks out of his room he walks down the stairs slowly he hears Lena and Stef talking about him and Connor.

"Did he tell you anything?" Stef asked Lena leaning over the kitchen island.

"No, nothing whatever Connor and him did is between them and I'm not going to force him to tell us what they did it's not right and it won't do anything, but make him withdraw from us and that's the last thing I want for him to shut down again," Lena crossed her arms in frustration about the situation, "I made up my own mind it was my decision even if he did tell us. Connor's father is still a bully, I will work on getting my job back and I'll keep Jude safe even Connor if I have to!" Lena told Stef, but Stef wasn't so sure if this was really about Jude and Connor.

Stef walks over to her wife and wraps her into a warm hug, "Okay love you do what you need to do, but promise me you won't overact and let your personal feelings get in the way of your judgments okay?" Stef replied kissing her wife and leaving her in the kitchen to her own devices.

After Lena and Stef conversation, Jude comes down the stairs and walks in the kitchen to see Lena prepping food for dinner, "Hey mama, you mind if I go to the bookstore?" Jude asked Lena.

"Sure honey, you have your cell phone so I can call you?" Lena asked Jude.

"Yes I have my phone and I will be back before 6 pm," Jude said walking towards the door, "I love you, mama…" Jude looks back Lena with his brown eyes of sorrow regretting everything he's done.

"I love you too Jude!" Lena tells him as he walks out the door leaving Lena alone with her thoughts.

Jude finally arrives at the bookstore he walks in and looks around for a book something that could help him books always help Jude when he's feeling a certain type a way it gives him the ability to lose his self for a bit and focus on the story. He picks up a book called The Chosen the book is about two fathers and two sons and the pressures on all of them to pursue the religion they share in the way that is best suited to each. As the boys grow into young men, they discover in the other a lost spiritual brother and a link to an unexplored world that neither had ever considered before. In effect, they exchange places and find the peace that neither will ever retreat from again. Jude finds a table and sits down and begins to read the book.

"The Chosen by Chaim Potok I never read the book before, but I heard great things about it," The stranger said to Jude. He looks up to see a boy standing before him holding the Fault in our Stars. Jude slides back from the table looking at the smiling stranger who seems too appeared out of nowhere, "Sorry, that's rude of me! I just saw the book you were reading and…well anyway, I'm Trey! You mind if I sit down with you?" Trey scratches his head awkwardly as he felt he probably creeped the boy out and that wasn't his intent.

Jude wondered about the boy. He was a stranger first of all and second it was weird to just randomly talk to a person he never met before. He shrugged at the idea, "Sure you can." The stranger sits down on the opposite side of the table, "I'm Jude by the way."

"Nice to meet you Jude, again I'm sorry for coming up to you!"

"No it's okay..." Jude tells him.

I see, but tell me what's your problem?" Trey asked pulling Jude back by surprise, "And please don't tell me nothing, I know that look I've had that look before if I were to guess problem with your best friend am I right?"

"Wait…how in the world could you have even guessed that?" Jude wondered, it's impossible that this complete stranger just walked up to him and now asking him about him and Connor, curious to how he knew that just by looking at Jude, "I mean I am having problems, but it's nothing for a stranger to know that!"

"Hey, call it what you want, I just call what I see, but I know I used to be in your shoes, but hey if you don't want my advice I can leave it alone and you can wail in the pain of losing your best friend or whatever going on, find then!" Trey tells Jude.

"It's not like that it's just..."Jude was lost for words this wasn't how his quiet time going to the bookstore was suppose to turn out.

"Hey I get it man, I really do!" Trey tells him as he gets up from the table, "If you ever change your mind I'll be here at the bookstore same time the same place, you know if want to talk about it, catch you around hopefully!"

He leaves Jude alone to his thoughts as Jude couldn't believe a total stranger knew what he was thinking and the problems he was going through with Connor, but what did he know anyway? Jude had so many questions and little answers and to make it worst Connor was still trying to communicate with him. He ignores the messages Connor send him, he finally gets up from the table and puts the book up and walks out of the store on his way home. He walks in the loneliness and silence of his thoughts still feeling as if he was to blame like everything else he walks towards his home that he can see in the distance the closer he gets noticed someone in the distance standing there. It was Connor he saw his best friend waiting for him to get home.

"Connor, what are you doing here?" Jude asked him.

"Really, Jude? Do you really have to ask me why I'm here?! You've been ignoring me lately!" Connor said snapping at Jude, "You're shutting me out again!" Jude didn't want to admit it, but it was true he was shutting Connor out again like last time, but could he be blamed being friends with Connor has gotten more complicated than he thought it would.

"...And why not Connor?! Your father doesn't want us to be friends and I'm not going to be your secret no matter who it is!" Jude told him.

Connor touches the left side of his face where bruise in his face was placed on his face the last time he and Jude saw each other, "So you decided that our friendship isn't worth fighting for?!" Connor felt hurt that Jude didn't want them to be friends he wanted them to be friends, but he knew Jude was right about not being a secret.

Jude couldn't look at Connor he turns away from him, "No it's not like that and Connor you of all people should know that I want to hold on to our friendship, but because of me Lena quit her job because she wanted to protect me from your father and lastly you. Your father is beating you because of it and plus if people at school knew what we did you'll be made fun of I can't let that happen I won't let the people I care about be hurt because of my actions!"

"Wait… Jude, you think…" Connor was caught off guard by everything that Jude said.

"Don't lie to me! I know Connor I know you're being hurt by your father because of me and I should've done this before… I'm sorry Connor we're done I don't want to be your friend anymore!" Jude tells Connor he brushes pass him, but Connor grabs him by his arm.

"Jude this isn't your fault!" Connor told him reminding him that his bruise on his face had nothing to do with Jude, "My dad thinks he can still punish me at this age and I ran from the spankings, but it was never your fault he's always been..."

"Enough, Connor!" Jude shouted at Connor jerking away from him, he walks up to the door of his house before entering his home, "…by the way I told Moms that we did something in the tent, but I didn't tell them what, I kept that part of promise to you now leave me alone!" Jude walks in the door shutting it behind him leaving Connor to ponder alone.

"Jude, if only you understood what I have to go through as well…" Connor thought to his self, he turn around to walk away, but before he takes a step he looks at the door of the Fosters just one more time and finally walks away leaving Jude alone.

Jude closes the door trying not to get upset at what he did, but he knew he had to protect Connor and now he had to help get Lena's job back. His heart was racing from his argument with Connor.

"Jude sweetheart is that you?" Lena asked from upstairs.

"Yeah I'm home!" Jude told her.

"Good wash up from dinner!" Lena told him, "Your brothers and sisters are coming back home soon so I want you to be clean up and place the table for dinner okay?"

"Yes, Mama!" Jude said as he runs upstairs and went up to his bathroom he walks into the bathroom and looks at the bathroom mirror it was as if he couldn't stand to look at his self he turns the cold water on and splashes the water in his face trying to snap out of his deep thoughts. He quickly cleans up and goes down stairs he walks in the kitchen, he reaches up in the cabinets and grabs the dinner plates and place them from the family as well glasses soon Lena walks down the stairs and sees Jude finishing placing the table.

"Hey, honey did you find what you needed at the bookstore?" Lena asked Jude, but he was too preoccupied in his own thoughts to even hear Lena, she walks over to him while he was placing his the forks on the side of plates, "Jude honey… did you hear me?"

Jude was caught off guard by Lena he had forgotten she was there, "Oh I'm sorry…yeah, I saw a book, but I didn't buy it I just read it for a bit I might go back tomorrow."

"That's nice sweetheart…um, Connor called he said you didn't answer your cell phone so he called here, he asked could you call him back when you get a chance?" Lena tells him.

"Oh yeah I saw he called, but I was busy reading you know how that goes!" Jude giggles as Lena smiles hugging her son, "I wonder when everybody going to get home I mean I know it's a Saturday and everyone has plans, but I would think they'll be home by now?"

"They'll be home soon you there all teenagers after all," Lena reminded him, "And it's a Saturday, of course, be patient, maybe you can call Connor since he did call a few minutes before you got home."

Jude sighed he wasn't for sure if he should call Connor, just before he got home he told Connor that he was done, but Lena couldn't know she been fighting Connor's father to protect their friendship and now he just shattered it, but was it for the best?

Connor walks home in the dark he finally arrived home he sighed he open the door he sees his father sitting in the living room. "Connor, can you please come here?" Adam asked him. Connor obeyed walking into the living room, "Please sit down son…" He sits adjacent from his father, "Connor I love you…you know that right?"

Of course, Connor knew that, he knew something was going on why else would he asked that, but on the other hand sometimes he doesn't act like he does, "Yes of course… I know that."

"Okay I know I'm tough on you and I'm sorry for that, but that Jude kid isn't good for you I know that he's your friend, but I feel like he's a distraction and I don't want you falling behind in school so..." Adam tries to find the right words to say.

"I get it, Dad…" Connor gets up from the couch, "…and you don't have to worry about Jude. He stopped talking to me, so you don't have to worry about it anymore…" He leaves them in the living room and runs up to his room.

Connor wasn't a fool he knew his father didn't like Jude. The nerve of his father using some lame excuse about falling behind in his studies against him, he knows what his father real attend is he pulls off his shirt slowly and tosses it on the floor he walks into his bathroom and look at his self in the mirror he turns around so he can see his back near his shoulder blade it was a large bruise cut the same one on his face. Connor just sighed at the disgust, but he won't let anyone know anything he had to protect Jude. Maybe Jude was on to something maybe ending their friendship is the best thing to protect Jude from being hurt and maybe help Lena get her job back.

Suddenly Connor's phone rang and he saw it was Jude calling, Connor wondered why now…why would Jude call him? Didn't he want to end the friendship now he's calling him, he slowly picks up his phone and look at the options of answering or ignore he answers the phone before he could say anything Jude cuts in.

"Don't say anything let me talk," Jude tells him, "Connor, right now I don't even know what's going with us, but for now we can't… I'm sorry." Jude hangs up the phone Connor puts his phone down not to make anything of it was this really it could he really lost his best friend forever there was too much to think about.

Jude walks out of the bathroom and he tosses his phone on his bed making his way downstairs and see Lena finishing up dinner as the family arrives Stef kisses Lena on cheek and Jesus grabs something to drink in the refrigerator and sits down by Mariana who grabbing a spoon full of salad as she places it on her plate, Brandon places a steak on his plate and Callie grabs a bread, Jude feels like an outsider now, but Jude puts on a smile and comes down the stairs he sits down next to Callie he continued on like as if anything didn't happen at all the night went on like nothing else.

Next day Jude woke up a little late he got a late start at the day Jesus decided to sleep in for the day besides he had a wrestling match tomorrow and needed all the rest he could get Mariana told Moms she was going on a date with Mat Tan today Brandon decided to go and meet up with Lou and Callie and Stef went to Girls United helping them get settle into their new home while Lena stayed at home cleaning the house.

Jude takes a shower and cleans up brush his teeth he gets dress and grabs his phone and places it in his pocket and walks down the stairs he sees Lena cleaning up the living room.

"Hey, Jude honey you heading out do you need a lift?" Lena asked scrubbing the floor she gets up and dusts herself off.

"No I'm going to the bookstore again…unless you need help I can stay and help you clean up," Jude replied to her grabbing an apple out of the fruit bowl.

"No I'm good honey you go to the bookstore, beside I enjoy the quietness of the home go on and enjoy yourself," She said giving Jude a kiss on the forehead.

"Okay then see ya later," Jude replied rushing out the door.

He arrived a few minutes at the bookstore and goes to the same place that went to yesterday he grabs a book and sit down at the table, "I see you've returned I knew you would…and not because of this is a bookstore either." Jude turns around and sees a familiar face it was Trey again still reading The Fault in Our Stars from yesterday.

"Heh, are you always so smug Trey?" Jude asked him, "Or is that part of your charm?"

"I say both mostly my charm, so are you ready to talk now...Jude was it?" Trey asked as Jude sit down across from him.

"Yes Jude. Why do you care so much?" Jude asked him.

"Actually I don't…" Trey told him with a puzzled look on Jude's face, "…I don't want you to end up like me trust me I know what it's like. So I'll ask again are you ready to talk this time?"

To Jude that didn't make sense if he didn't care why bother to ask, but who knows what else he had to lose. "Yeah I think I am," Jude softly responds, "But before anything why are you reading The Fault in Our Stars you know it's about kids with cancer?"

"Yes, I do just like there's cancer in your friendship with…" Trey told Jude.

"… Connor is his name," Jude replied looking down with guilt.

"Ah… Connor is his name he must be your best friend the problem that you have, was the problem I used to have awhile ago with my best friend okay so explain to me what is wrong," Trey tells Jude placing his book down giving Jude his full attention. "You like what I did there cancer in the friendship..."

"Uh yeah...okay, so I used to be a foster kid me and my sister… Callie and I've been abuse in the foster care and my sisters always been there for me, we soon found our way to the Fosters," Jude explains to Trey who was caught in her story.

"Ah I understand being in the foster care you and your sister are loners," Trey tells Jude, "I can see it in your eyes those are my eyes as me being an only child I completely understand where you're coming from in a sense."

"…yeah I go to Anchor Beach Charter School and when I got there I was very shy still am and I met Connor that's where our friendship started after he painted his fingernails blue for me," Jude continued remembering the day he sat alone at lunch after being made fun of from wearing blue finger nail polish the other day he pulls out his peanut butter and jelly sandwich then he noticed Connor who says nothing, but sit by him and smiles, to Jude it means everything to see that Connor still wanted to be his friends and then he noticed Connor's fingers that were painted blue he was shocked to see this that someone would stay up for him.

Trey was shocked in the matter of what he just heard, "Oh my God get out of here he painted his nails blue for you? Wait hold on I like the color blue, but to paint your nails for someone wow now that's something interesting now that's a true friend!"

"Yeah he is…man he really is, isn't he?" Jude remembered asking Trey.

"Yeah he is, but what could tear away you guy's friendship I mean for me it was peer pressure so what could've started your problems with Connor?"

Jude sighed before giving Trey and respond, "…his father."

Connor was sitting in teammate's car looking out of the window looking at the trees flying pass it seems as he as if he was in a trance he was heading back to his father's house. Connor had an early soccer game he completely unfocused since everything from yesterday.

"Connor we're here," Connor's teammate mom said pulling up to his home. "Take care we'll see next weekend! Tell your father we said hi!"

Connor shakes himself out of his thoughts and turns to his teammate mother and the teammate giving them both a fake smile, "Oh yeah…okay I will."

"Well next time we'll win our next game!" The teammate tells him giving handshake before Connor exits the car.

"Yeah next time for sure," Connor said grabbing his backpack, "Thanks for the ride! See you next week!"

Connor gets out of the car and run up to his father's home he turns to look at his teammate's car pull off as he wave back before entering the home.

"Dad I'm here!" Connor said, but the home was quiet too quiet, "Dad…Dad? Are you here?" He puts his backpack down on the floor to the door he slowly walks upstairs he looks in the bathroom nobody was there, he looks in his room he has at his father's home and then he looks in father's room everything was clear, but that was strange so he must be in his bathroom Connor walks over to the bathroom and slowly opens it…

"… So his father is the problem," Trey said, "Hmmm that's going to be hard, but hey…" Trey's phone buzzes, "Excuse me, Jude." Jude nods as Trey take his call he returns just as quick as he picked up his phone, "Sorry Jude I have to run, but we'll talk soon okay?"

"Wait! I don't have your number to call you!" Jude told Trey, "How can I call you if I don't have your cell...you know to meet up or something!" Trey felt really stupid smacking his self on the head as a duh moment.

"Oh yeah I'm sorry here's my number I'll keep in touch try to sleep on it you and Connor has something special I don't think you guys shouldn't give up on each other like I said you guys have special bond don't let anyone or anything break it up!" Trey reminds Jude leaving Jude to his thoughts.

Jude took some of Trey's word to heart he looks at his phone and he scrolls for Connor's name he presses his name and calls him the phone rings at least 3 times before Connor picks up, but not in the voice Jude was expecting.

"Jude!" Connor yells, "Jude thank God you call I need you can you come over to my Dad's house, please!"

"Wait Connor what's going?" Jude tries to get Connor to calm down.

"Dad! Dad…." Connor screams over the phone and the call was cut off.

"CONNOR!" Jude yelled back and then all went dead.