Chapter 10
The potent smell of bacon and freshly brewed coffee assaulted Callie's nostrils as she limped into the kitchen. Stef smiled at her and pulled out a chair for her. Callie forced a smile in return and slowly lowered herself onto the chair. She winced as Stef slid a plate of eggs in front of her. "Can I skip breakfast today? I'm kind of nauseous."
"Callie, you have a different excuse for every meal." Stef said with a sigh. "Please just eat."
Callie stared at the food with a look of disgust painted across her features. She reluctantly slid a spoonful of eggs in her mouth and forced herself to swallow. Her stomach was in knots. It had been since the night of the winter ball, which is why she never wanted to eat. She was also pretty sure morning sickness was contributing to it.
"Thank you." Stef whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of Callie's head. "Are you sure about going back to school today?"
"I already took a week off and then Christmas break. The longer I stay home the worse it's going to be." Callie replied, pushing at her eggs with the fork.
"I'm working, but if you want to come home don't hesitate to call me or tell Mama and she'll call me and I'll pick you up and bring you home. We won't be mad." Stef was worried about Callie going back to school. She wasn't sure what the other kids at school knew, but Mariana had told her they knew something happened. Everyone heard about Vico's arrest and Callie's week absence occurred at the same time. The students had linked the two together and once they see Callie's bruises and casts their assumptions will be confirmed.
"I'll be fine." Callie insisted.
"We'll look out for her." Jesus said, shoving another piece of bacon into his mouth.
"Thanks." Stef smiled, patting her son on the shoulder.
"Car leaves in five minutes!" Lena shouted as she placed her mug in the dishwasher.
The kids scrambled to finish their breakfast, clean up, and grab their things for school. Callie finished her eggs and placed the dish in the dishwasher.
"I could have gotten that for you." Stef said.
"It's fine."
"We have the date for the DNA test. It's in three weeks. So once that is done the adoption should be on its way." Stef announced before taking a sip of her coffee.
"Okay."
Stef watched Callie with concern as the brunette started for the front door. Callie had been making progress; finally starting to open up to Stef and Lena, but her walls had gone back up after the incident at the winter ball. The only person Callie seemed to let her walls down around was Brandon, and Stef didn't know how to feel about that.
Callie hauled herself out of the car as it rolled to a stop. She swung her back pack over her shoulder, earning a concerned look from Jesus. "Do you want me to carry that for you? It's not too heavy is it?"
"No, it's fine. I've got it." Callie shook her head. It was pressing against the cut on her shoulder, but she refused to accept the help. She couldn't look weak at school and if she said the bag was hurting her somebody would follow her around all day to carry the bag for her. She didn't want to be babysat. "Thanks."
Lena rubbed Jesus's arm as they entered the school, happy at his offer. "I have a meeting after school. Jesus and Mariana are staying after for wrestling and dance, Brandon is going to take the car home, and Mom is picking me up after my meeting. Callie, you'll go home with Brandon?"
"I'm actually going to meet Daphne after school if that's okay."
"It's fine, I just don't want you walking there and then home. You need to rest that knee and ankle."
"I'll drive you and then go to the stores across the street until you're ready to go home." Brandon offered.
Callie hated that she needed someone to drive her; it made her felt weak. She didn't want to make Brandon go out of his way. "No, I don't want you to have to do that. I'll just tell her I'll meet her another time."
"No, it's fine really. I had to go to the store anyway. I want to."
Lena smiled. "Okay great, Brandon will take you. If you have any problems during the day let me know, and if you want to go home tell me."
Callie nodded before everyone dispersed their separate ways. She walked beside Brandon, trying to ignore the looks and whispers as people passed her. They stopped outside Callie's first class. "If you need anything just text me."
"Okay. Thanks." Callie said. She walked into the classroom and took a seat. The conversations between the students quieted as they gawked at Callie and whispered to one another. She felt like a monkey in a zoo and all she wanted to do was climb into a cave to hide. She jumped when she felt a large hand on her shoulder and whipped her head around to see who it was.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Wyatt said as he retracted his hand. He slipped into the seat beside her. "So are you going to tell me why you've been missing for weeks and have been barely answering my texts?"
"Wyatt…" Callie sighed. "I was…"
"Sick." He finished, an unconvinced look written across his face. "Yeah why do I have trouble believing that?"
"The slut decided to return to school." Talia snarled loudly as she entered the classroom, earning several snickers from the other students.
The comment felt like a stab to Callie's chest. She took a deep breath and remained quiet. She wasn't going to let Talia get to her.
"Talia." Wyatt warned.
Talia walked to the front of Callie's desk, folding her arms over her chest. "You're pathetic. You really are. Do you really have to go after every guy I'm involved with? First Brandon, then Wyatt, and now Vico."
Callie tensed at mention of Vico's name. She felt her chest begin to heave as her lungs screamed for oxygen. She could feel everyone's eyes burning her skin.
"We went to the winter ball together. I was supposed to win queen, but you stole that from me too. And did I hear that Vico was arrested? Did you screw him and then cry rape like you did with your foster brother? What was his name? Liam?"
Callie was trying so hard not to cry, but it was proving to be an impossible task. She was breathing hard now. She needed to leave. She needed to get away. She stood up quickly and started for the door.
"Aww poor baby." Talia mocked. "Watch out boys, she'll screw you and then claim you forced her into it when really she's nothing more than a pathetic whore."
Callie walked to the nearest bathroom as fast as her throbbing ankle would allow. She choked out a sob as she threw the stall door open. The bell screamed throughout the building. Callie mentally cursed herself for falling apart in front of everyone. Talia was right; she was pathetic.
She took in deep breaths, managing to avoid a full-blown panic attack. She wiped at her eyes furiously and stepped out of the stall, shaking her head as she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her tears had washed away the makeup covering the fading bruises on her face.
Callie couldn't go back into that classroom. Especially now that she was late. The stares would be too much to handle right now. She walked down the hall to the stairs, climbing them slowly, and stopping outside the second door on the right. Her non injured hand reached out to turn the knob before she stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
Brandon whirled around from his seat on the piano bench at the click of the door. He met Callie's eyes. His features softened when he observed her dampened cheeks, puffy eyes, and hurt expression. He stood up and took a step towards her. "What happened?"
She let out a sob and collided into the arms that folded around her. Her arms wrapped around his neck, clinging to him like he was her lifeline. She buried her head in his chest, soaking his shirt with her tears.
Brandon just held her, allowing her to fall apart as his fingers danced in her curls. He waited until her sobbing subsided before he spoke. "Callie, what happened?"
Callie lifted her head off Brandon's chest and sniffled. "Talia."
Brandon closed his eyes for a moment as he let out a frustrated sigh. "Of course. I'm going to kill her. What did she say?"
"It doesn't matter." Callie whispered. "Don't say anything to her, please. It's only going to make things worse. I already made things worse by running out of there."
"Okay, but don't listen to what she says. She's wrong." Brandon said, gently wiping her tears with the pad of his thumb. "Just hang out in here with me for the rest of the period."
Callie fiddled her fingers nervously as she sat at the table. She glanced up at the sound of approaching footsteps to find Daphne strolling towards the table. She pulled out the chair across from Callie and slipped into the seat. "Hey, how you holding up?"
Callie sighed. "Uh…I'm okay."
Daphne squinted her eyes at her friend. "You want to try that again?"
"What do you want me to say? I'm holding up…just barely." Callie said, taking a sip of the ginger ale before her.
"Rita keeps asking about you. She knows something happened she just doesn't know the extent. You should talk to her." Daphne suggested.
"I know. I will." Callie nodded. She looked at her friend hesitantly. "Were you nervous when you found out you were pregnant with Tasha?"
Daphne studied Callie with concerned eyes. "Of course I was. I think everyone is even if they planned it. Where is this coming from?"
"I'm pregnant." Callie whispered, casting her eyes down at her hands.
Silence fell between the two friends. Daphne let out a long breath. "Wow. Is it…"
"Yeah." Callie nodded sadly. "I haven't…you know…with anyone else."
"I don't know what to say. Does anyone else know?"
"Just Brandon." Callie stirred her drink with the straw, watching as the droplets of condensation splashed onto the wooden table. "I'm not ready to tell everyone else. Especially since Lena announced she was pregnant."
"Wow." Daphne said, raising her eyebrows. "Have you been to a doctor? Are you positive? Didn't they give you Plan B or something?"
"I got so sick after that. I threw up for hours and they couldn't repeat it because I was so dehydrated and risking my lung to collapse again." A shudder rain down Callie's spine as she recalled that horrible night in the hospital. "But yeah I'm pretty sure the three pregnancy tests confirm it."
"Have you thought about what you're going to do with the baby?"
"I'm not getting an abortion. I just can't personally do that. And I don't think I can do adoption either. Not after what I've been through in foster care. I mean even if I find a couple, who is to say they're who they say they are. Or what if something happens to them and the baby ends up in foster care? But I don't even know if I can handle raising a baby. And I'm still a foster kid. What's going to happen when they find out I'm pregnant? What if they pull me from the Fosters and throw me into a group home?" Callie rambled nervously.
"I don't know what the system will do when they find out you're pregnant, but I do know that the Fosters would not let you get taken. They wouldn't stop at anything to make sure you stay with them." Daphne said.
"Daphne, can you help the customer at the register?" A man called from the back.
Daphne pushed her chair back and walked to the register. A tall man with light grey hair stood at the counter patiently. He glanced at Callie every few seconds until Daphne appeared before him.
"How can I help you?"
"Can I have two vanilla milkshakes to go?" He asked, pulling his wallet out of his pants pocket.
Callie felt a wave of nausea at the potent smell of the fries cooking in the back. She glanced at her phone before standing. "Daphne, I think I'm going to head home. I'm not feeling too great. I'll come by on Friday again."
"Okay, hang in there." Daphne smiled softly
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