Chapter 10
Stef is driving to San Ysidro High School. Brandon is sitting in the front seat looking at his phone. Callie is sitting in the backseat with Jude.
Brandon chuckles at something he sees on his phone.
"What's so funny?" Stef asks.
"Just this picture of Mariana. The real Mariana would be mortified if she saw what she was wearing," Brandon laughs.
"Brandon, stop making fun of your sister. Unless you want me to start making jokes about the other version of you I had to endure."
"Hey, I think the other version of me sounds bad ass."
"Yeah, you were bad alright," Stef agrees. "I definitely like the real you a lot better. I like the real versions of all of you a lot better." Stef smiles at Jude and Callie in the rearview mirror. Jude returns the smile, but Callie rolls her eyes as she looks out the window.
Stef sighs as she looks back at the road. How on Earth am I supposed to get through to her? I don't get why it's so hard to convince Callie when it was so easy to convince Jude and Brandon. Maybe getting to know the Callie from this world will help me figure out how to get through to this Callie. "So, Callie, Colleen told me you're trying to get into an Ivy League college. I take it you must be quite the student."
"Yeah, I guess," Callie responds shortly.
"What's your favorite subject?" Stef asks.
Callie sighs as she looks away from the window and back at Stef. "If I had to choose, it'd have to be between English and History."
"Why English and History?" Brandon asks.
"If you must know, it's because English and History aren't so straightforward. Both subjects can be open to interpretation. With Math and Science, everything has a definite answer. I like that English and History can be more personal."
"Wow, this Callie is so much more profound," Brandon jokes.
"Brandon," Stef warns. "So, what are you planning to major in?"
"Prelaw," Callie answers quickly.
"You want to be a lawyer?" Stef asks intrigued.
"Yeah"
"Let me guess, in corporate law?" Brandon asks.
"No, criminal law, actually. Corporate law is boring. Criminal law actually makes a difference. I want to be a prosecutor," Callie answers with an attitude.
Stef looks at Callie in the rearview mirror intrigued by Callie's career choice. I wonder just how different this Callie is from the real Callie. Obviously my Callie doesn't act so arrogant and she definitely isn't so dramatic, but I wonder if the real Callie has the same ambitions. Maybe there are some similarities between the two. It would make sense that Callie would want to be a prosecutor, especially after she's had to deal with so many criminals in past foster homes. It would make sense that she wants to make a difference like that.
"So, which Ivy League school are you trying to go to?" Brandon asks.
"I have to go to Yale," Callie answers emotionless.
"Have to?" Jude questions.
"Yeah, my great-grandfather went to Yale. My grandfather went to Yale. My father went to Yale. I think even my mom went to Yale."
"Mom?" Jude questions.
"Not our mom. Jill, my step-mother."
"You call Jill mom?" Jude asks in disbelief.
"Well, yeah. She's my mom too. I grew up with her."
Jude looks out of the window, clearly bothered by Callie's response. Jude didn't even recognize this version of his sister. It was like she didn't even care about him or Colleen. The real Callie would do anything for her family. This Callie couldn't even recognize her own brother on the street.
Stef sees Jude's change in his demeanor. "Are you okay Jude?"
Jude turns to Callie emotionless. "I don't even know who you are anymore."
Callie looks taken back by Jude's statement. "Jude, what do you mean?"
"Jude, sweetheart, she's not the Callie you know. You have to remember that," Stef reassures Jude.
Callie looks between Stef and Jude and rolls her eyes as she looks out of her window again.
Jude sighs and looks out of his window. Right now more than anything, he just wanted his sister back.
"Um, I just got a friend request from momma," Brandon suddenly announces.
"Well, accept it! Accept it!" Stef answers back quickly.
Brandon accepts the friend request and quickly sends her a message. 'Momma?'
'Brandon! Thank God! I wasn't sure if you would be you! Are you with mom!? Have you heard from the twins or Callie and Jude?'
"Momma's definitely normal," Brandon says as he types a response. 'Yeah, I'm with mom, Callie and Jude. Jude remembers everything, but Callie's still cracked. Mom's working on her. We're on our way to the twins' school.'
'That's great! I'll be in San Diego around 6PM. I'm on my way back from Puerto Rico right now.'
Brandon looks puzzled by Lena's message. "Momma's on her way back from Puerto Rico," Brandon states quizzically.
"Puerto Rico?" Stef questions curiously.
"That's what she said," Brandon states as he gets another message from Lena. 'I have to go. Frankie and I are boarding now. I'll try to message you on the flight. Tell mom that I love her and I'll see you guys soon.'
"Her and…" Brandon stops for a moment when he realizes who Lena said she was with. "Momma said she and Frankie are boarding the plane now and she'll be in touch. She said she loves you and she'll see us all soon."
"Tell her we love her too… wait did you say Frankie?" Stef asks incredulously.
"That's what she said," Brandon responds looking at Stef with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh my God! This place is like a warzone! The people out there look so creepy and disgusting. Are we even safe to get out of the car!?" Callie asks from the backseat.
Stef glares at Callie. Callie glares back at Stef with her arms crossed. Stef looks back to Brandon. "To be honest, that wouldn't be the craziest thing I've heard today," Stef states as she parks in the parking lot of San Ysidro High School. "Okay, you guys stay here. I'm going to go to the office and have Mariana and Jesus called down."
"You're leaving us here alone?" Callie asks in shock.
"I'll be right back. I shouldn't be more than ten minutes. Just stay here and don't make eye contact with anyone outside, love. They might attack you!" Stef jokes as she gets out of the car and closes the door.
Inside the School…
Stef walks into the main office. "Hi, I'm Officer Foster. I need to speak with Mariana and Jesus Gutiérrez about an ongoing investigation."
"I can get you Mariana Gutiérrez, but Jesus Gutiérrez hasn't been to school in weeks. He's close to getting expelled for the amount of times he's skipped school."
Great, it sounds like another one of my kids is a delinquent.
"Mariana is heading to lunch now. The students eat outside. If you'd like you can head out there and speak with her there."
"Okay, thank you."
Meanwhile, outside…
Brandon, Callie and Jude are sitting silently in the car. Jude looks out of his window and can see students coming outside for lunch. He looks closer when he sees a girl that looks like Mariana sit down at a table by herself. "Guys, I think that's Mariana," Jude announces.
Brandon looks in the direction Jude is looking. "Yeah, that's definitely her."
"Should we go get her?" Jude asks.
"Um, hello? Did you not hear what Stef said? She said to stay in the car and not make eye contact with anyone or they might attack us," Callie states seriously.
"She was joking Callie," Brandon states obviously.
"About staying in the car?" Callie asks.
"No, about getting attacked!"
"Have you seen this neighborhood? It's definitely a possibility," Callie comments.
"Alright, you stay in the car, safe from the hoodlums. Jude and I are going to go get our sister back so we can all go home where things actually make sense."
"Fine, get yourselves beat up."
Brandon rolls his eyes as he and Jude get out of the car and shut the doors.
Brandon and Jude slowly approach Mariana, who is eating a sandwich while reading out of her textbook. She is wearing her big glasses and a pair of sweatpants with an oversized t-shirt. She also has a cardigan on top of that.
"Hi," Jude greets Mariana quietly with a smile.
"Hi?" Mariana responds.
"Um, do you mind if we sit here?" Brandon asks.
"Sure?" Mariana turns back to her book.
"What's your name?" Brandon tries to strike up a conversation.
"Mariana," Mariana answers back quietly before looking back at her book.
Brandon and Jude look at each other, lost at what to say next.
"Maybe we should just wait for mom to talk to her?" Jude whispers to Brandon.
"Maybe, I'll text her that we found Mariana outside." Brandon goes into his pocket but realizes he left his phone in the car. "I left my phone in the car. I'll be right back."
Brandon gets up from the table and heads back to the car. When he gets to the car he opens the passenger side door to get his phone, but quickly notices that the car is empty. "Callie?" Brandon looks around the back of the car and then quickly looks around outside of the car, but Callie is nowhere to be found. "Callie!?" Brandon yells a little louder. Brandon looks around the front of the car and notices that his phone is also missing. Brandon closes the passenger door and runs back to Jude and Mariana. "Callie's gone!" Brandon yells, startling Mariana and Jude.
"What do you mean Callie's gone!?" Stef yells as she approaches the table.
So, Callie's missing. Don't worry, Stef will track her down. Unfortunately, she might run into some trouble before Stef finds her. But, the real Callie and Mariana will be making an appearance soon. Only one we're missing now is Jesus.
I'll probably update GEM by tomorrow or Wednesday and then work on getting another chapter for this story up. This story is probably going to last up to 15-20 chapters. But, I've got another story idea I've been thinking about starting so look out for that to be going up soon. As always all feedback is greatly appreciated :)