Chapter ten: A necklace lost
They were in the boutique across the street from the mall. Callie was still miserable, sitting on the floor against the wall. She had been drug into more stores than she could count and she was beyond done with the entire shopping "experience."
She had new clothes, which had all been picked out by Stef and Lena, who then made her try them on until she had been ready to cry, but she had stubbornly refused to. She didn't need new clothes. She had plenty. More than she had had in a long time because her social worker had given her a bag when he had come over after she had gotten Jude safely away from Jim Pearson. Nothing fit perfectly, but it was more than she had had before. Now, though, she had tons of clothes. More than she even knew what to do with.
"Try this on, Callie." Marianna said from the middle of the store, holding up a long sleeved fuzzy shirt that had pink hearts all over it.
Callie was absolutely done. She was not trying that ugly ass sweater on.
"No," Callie said, picking at her worn converse shoes, with her knees drawn up to her chest.
"Yes. Callie, you have to try this on. Come on," Marianna said again.
"No." Callie said again, reaching up to hold onto her necklace, something she often did when anxiety was starting to set in.
When she reached, though, it was to nothing. No necklace. Just her neck, bare.
Her heart began to race faster, and she jumped up, looking around frantically. She had to have lost it when she was trying on the endless pile of clothes at the mall. So it had to be at the mall. She hadn't tried on anything at this stupid boutique. So it had to be at the mall.
"This is your fault," Callie screamed towards Marianna, Stef, and Lena. Several other people in the store turned towards the group, curious about what was going on.
Callie needed to go to the mall. It was across the road, or roads. Four roads to be exact. She needed to go to every store they'd made her try on clothes. She needed to do it now. Her mind was racing. She had to figure this out. She had to find it. That was all her mind was set on after yelling at her fosters moms and sister.
Stef, from across the room, could see it in Callie's eyes. She could see the timidness leave Callie. She had seen this in the eyes of many criminals. Callie was suddenly fearless. Determined. She wasn't her usual self.
Callie was about to run again, for the second time that day. Stef just wasn't sure why this time. At the least the first time she had understood. This time she was clueless.
Callie stared at Stef and Lena and then the door leading to the outside. She then bolted out the door and towards the street.
"Shit," Stef said, shoving her purse to her wife and running after the thirteen year old girl.
There was nothing in Callie's mind except that she had to find her necklace. She had to. She was running as fast as she could, not watching traffic as it sped past her and horns honked.
She was just about to reach the median and cross onto the other side of the street when she felt herself being jerked out of the air by her arm.
"What the hell? Let me go," Callie screamed, turning to see who had her arm and, at the same time, trying to get to the mall.
But, it was Stef.
Stef.
If looks could kill, at that moment Callie Quinn Jacob would have been dead. Because the look Stef was giving her was full of the fear Callie had lost and the anger Stef had mounting inside of her.
"Let me go! I have to go get it," Callie yelled, struggling to get out of Stef's grasp so she could continue to the mall. She could get there if the woman would just let her go.
Stef, who had reached her limit and possibly shaved years off of her life after watching Callie run through traffic and nearly get hit several times, turned Callie slightly and, with her palm out, swatted the child's jean clad bottom eight times, punctuating each smack with a word, "We. Do. Not. Run. Out. In. The. Street!"
Callie froze. She didn't know what the hell had just happened, but her face was blushing from embarrassment as cars passing were honking or giving the duo a thumbs up.
"Give me your hand," Stef said, not waiting on Callie to respond, but grabbing the girl's hand to walk her back across the street to see what in the hell had spurred this little event.
Tears were flowing down Callie's face now. She was confused. Stef had smacked her, and it should have hurt. But it didn't. Well, it had hurt her pride. But nothing else. She wasn't even sure what she had done wrong.
"I have to find it," Callie whispered, tears falling down her cheeks. She reached up with her hand, the one Stef was holding, and without thinking wiped her nose across the back of Stef's hand. Stef grimaced, but it wasn't the first time and probably would not be the last a child had wiped their runny nose on her.
"What, Callie? What do you have to find that is so important you nearly got yourself killed," Stef asked, lecturing, watching traffic, and guiding Callie back to where Lena was standing by the car, fear also written all over her face, her hands wringing nervously.
"My necklace!"
"All of this for a necklace, Callie Quinn Jacob? Necklaces can be replaced. You cannot," Stef said irritably, opening the car door and guiding Callie into the car, still holding her hand. She was afraid if she let her go, she would take off again. Stef buckled her in, hoping it would stop her from running.
"It was my mother's. It is all I have left! I have to go get it," Callie cried, rubbing her face and running nose on the back of Stef's hand again. Stef knew the teen was distraught. There was no way she'd ever willingly wipe her nose on her foster mother's hand the way she was at the moment.
"Are you sure you were wearing it today, Cal," Lena asked from behind Stef.
"I always wear it, Lena," Callie screamed through her tears. Why didn't these women understand anything? Lena sighed. She'd not meant to set Callie off at the moment. She was truly concerned about what had just happened.
Stef had to take a deep breath, her adrenaline was still running high. They did not smack their children's behinds often, and she definitely should not have smacked Callie's behind because she was their foster child and more than likely didn't understand why she'd been swatted, but Callie had scared her to death. A few swats versus a dead child was worth it. But she had to regain control of her own emotions so she could better control the situation. She knew this wasn't an ideal situation.
"Watch your tone, my friend. Because you are in enough trouble right now," Stef told her, more softly than she had been talking.
"I have to find it! I have to," Callie said, tears now falling down her face in earnest. Stef could tell Callie was about to have a panic attack. Her breathing was fast, her tears were falling down her face more quickly.
"We will retrace our steps, Cals. Every store. Every dressing room. Okay," Lena asked, causing Stef to nod in agreement.
At that moment Mariana came out of the store with Frankie and a shopping bag.
And that was when Callie saw it.
Frankie was wearing her necklace.
AN: Like it or hate it, there is a reason for everything and for everything there is a reason. Merry Christmas.
