Chapter 14.

"Mariana?" Stef called. She found her younger daughter in the living room. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"I guess so," she shrugged. "What's up?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "I'm worried about your sister, and I was thinking- hoping, actually- that you could give some insight."

She sat down beside Mariana, placing her hand over hers. "Have you noticed Callie acting... I don't know... different, or strange?"

Mariana's heartbeat sped up, but she hid her anxiety well, rubbing her chin lightly. "I hear her crying at night, sometimes."

"Really?" Stef asked. "How often does that happen?"

"I don't know," Mariana replied. "A few times a week."

Stef nodded, concerned. "Did you happen to notice a strange bruise on her shoulder?"

Sucking in her breath, Mariana looked down into her lap. She wanted to tell the truth, but she promised not to. "Yeah. She fell out of bed the other night," she lied, using Callie's cover story.

"That's not what she told me," said Stef. "She told me she bumped into something. Do you remember anything else?"

"No," said Mariana, shaking her head.

"Okay. Let me know if you do, yes?"

"I will."

As soon as her mother left the room, Mariana hurried to the bathroom and locked herself in. Then, she dialed Lexi on her phone, silently begging her to pick up.

"Hey, girl!" said her friend, as bubbly and cheerful as ever,

"Hey," she said. "Listen... I need to ask you about something."

"Okay. What is it?" her friend asked.

"Callie's dating Vico," she explained. "And I was just wondering... what was he like when you guys dated?"

"Ugh," Lexi sighed. "You had to bring him up, when I was having a good day."

"Sorry," Mariana apologized. "I'm just worried about Callie. Should I be worried?"

"Tell her to stay away from him" said Lexi. "He's bad news."

"What do you mean?" Mariana knew of Vico, but she didn't really know him personally.

"He's really bossy," Lexi told her. "Really controlling. And he has a bad temper. When he loses his temper, he can be the biggest jerk."

"Did he ever hurt you?" she asked, growing more upset by the second.

"Yes," Lexi quietly admitted. "Most of the time, he just yelled at me and called me names. But he did hit me a few times. I'm really glad I got out when I did, before things got worse."

She was silent for a moment, then continued. "Callie better do the same."

Once Mariana hung up with Lexi, she sunk down on the closed toilet, her head spinning. Her suspicions were right. Vico was abusive. Lexi had recognized it and gotten out of the relationship, though. Why didn't Callie? Then it hit her: Lexi was always so confident and sure of herself. Plus, she had Jesus to lean on. Maybe Callie's poor self-esteem made her more vulnerable than Lexi? Maybe she thought she needed Vico, or even deserved to be treated that way? Nothing in her past, up until coming to live with them, would lead her to believe otherwise.

Mariana jerked her head up when someone banged against the bathroom door.

"Are you almost done in there?" Jude called. "I have to pee!"

She stood up, and opened the door. "It's all yours, Judicorn."

Standing outside the bathroom door, Mariana realized she needed her big brother. He always listened to her and gave her advice. She hurried across the hall, and burst into Brandon's room.

"Can't you knock?" her brother asked, from where he sat at his keyboard.

Sighing with frustration, Mariana turned around and tapped on his open door. "There."

"Ha ha," he replied sarcastically. Then, he noticed the fear in his sister's eyes. "Hey- what's up?"

Mariana shut the door, then turned to him. "I need to talk to you. It's about Callie."

He looked her in the eye and nodded. "I'm listening."

They sat down side by side on Brandon's bed, and Mariana told him all about the bruise, and how Callie had gotten it. "She asked me not to tell moms," she explained, her eyes filling with tears. "And I didn't. But I'm worried, Brandon. Vico used to hurt Lexi. I think he's doing the same thing to Callie. I don't know what to do!"

Brandon squeezed his eyes shut, his heart aching. "I had a feeling something like this would happen." He wrapped his arms around his sister, resting his chin on top of her head. "Don't worry, okay? I'll figure something out."

"Thanks," she breathed. "But please, Brandon, don't tell Callie I told you all of this."

"I won't," he promised. "You have my word."

That evening, Callie only picked at her dinner, then went upstairs without saying two words to anyone. Concerned, Stef went up to check on her, and found her curled up in her bed, staring blankly at the wall.

"Honey," she said, going to her and touching her arm. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine," she nodded, rolling over. "My stomach just hurts a little."

Stef placed her hand on Callie's stomach, rubbing it lightly. "Callie, love... I want to know why you lied to me about that bruise on your shoulder."

Callie's eyes widened as she looked up at her mother. "I didn't lie."

"Yes you did, sweetheart," Stef replied. "You told me you bumped into something, and you told Mariana that you fell out of bed. I want the truth, and I want it now."

"I did bump into something," Callie replied. "The floor, when I fell. What's the big deal, anyway? I'm fine."

"The big deal," said Stef, "is that I'm very worried about you, honey. You're defensive, you haven't been eating right, your stomach always hurts, and you've been so secretive." She brushed back Callie's hair and gazed into the beautiful chocolate-colored eyes that she loved so much. "I don't know what's bothering you, baby. But I promise you that if you just open up to us, you will feel so much better."

"I'm fine," she insisted. "I'm just stressed about school."

"Well, say you're not fine," Stef told her. "We'll love you just the same. Remember that."

"I will," said Callie. "Thanks, mama."

Stef smiled, patting her daughter's stomach one last time. "You're welcome."

The next morning, Vico met Callie at her locker. "Hey," she said quietly, as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Hey," he said impatiently, leaning against a neighboring locker. "So, we're going to the wrestling banquet Friday night. Dress up, okay?"

Groaning internally, Callie looked at him sheepishly. He'd mentioned the end of the year wrestling event once, but it had completely slipped her mind. "Vico," she sighed. "I'm really, really sorry, but I can't go."

"What?" he looked at her with disgust. "Why not?"

"I'm grounded," she explained. "I lied and talked back to my moms, and I'm being punished."

"So," he shrugged. "Sneak out."

"I can't," she told him, looking around. The halls were quickly clearing as students made their way to class. "I'm in enough trouble already."

"Do you always do what mommy says?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Then, he spoke again, his voice more sober. "How is that going to look, me showing up without a date?"

"Look," Callie breathed, irritated. "I can't go. Get over it."

She immediately regretted her words when Vico sucked in his breath and raised his hand. And she flinched as he struck her cheek with a hard slap; hard enough to bring tears to her eyes.

"Dumb bitch!" he snapped. "You don't ever talk to me like that again." He grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard, rattling the lockers. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," she nodded, touching her stinging cheek. "I'm sorry."

With one hand, he gripped her arm tight. With the other, he pointed a thick finger at her. "You'd better be. You show me some respect."

Vico stormed off angrily, and Callie leaned against her locker, breathing slowly and steadily, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Callie?"

She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw Brandon turn the corner, his handsome face creased with worry. "What happened?"

He studied her hard, touching his fingers to the reddening hand print on her cheek.

Callie backed away as if his touch were poisonous. "Nothing. Just go to class."

He held up a bathroom pass, then stuffed it back in his pocket. "Do you think I'm going to believe that's nothing?" he asked, pointing at her cheek. "Callie, he did that to you, didn't he? Vico. He hits you."

"My relationship is none of your business," she hissed, wishing he would just leave her alone. All she wanted was to be alone.

"Some relationship," Brandon replied. "Why do you stay with someone who treats you like that?"

Callie didn't answer his question, and he continued to stare at her, unwavering. "I can't keep this a secret," he sighed. "He's going to hurt you a lot worse than that someday, and I don't want to see that happen. Look... you have one week to break up with him and tell moms about this. If you don't, I'll tell them myself."

"You're bluffing," she accused.

"No, I'm not," he told her. "One week."

"Brandon, please," she pleaded, close to tears.

He studied her, his heart softening. But he resolved to stay firm. He had to, for her sake. "One week, Callie."

To Be Continued