Callie

I can't believe I let Stef see me like that last night.

I'm in the bathroom, attempting to run a comb through my hair as I go over the events from last night. My nightmares come and go without warning. My foster parents would never pay much attention to me when they occur, only if it disturbed their own sleep.

Then they would get mad.

I'm usually pretty good about calming myself down after they happen but last night was different. Stef just wouldn't leave me alone. I thought she would be angry at me for making so much noise in the middle of the night. Instead, she wanted to know what the nightmare was about and I don't know why. It doesn't matter. She'll never find out. If she did, I could get separated from Jude and that can't happen.

I give up on my curls which seem to not want to cooperate this morning and head downstairs to the kitchen. It's a flurry of activity and I'm not sure where to start. Stef is at the stove watching some eggs and Lena is taking out glasses. Mariana is bickering with Jesus over something stupid, I'm sure. Brandon is looking at some sheet music and tapping his fingers on the table. Jude is sitting, taking in the scene with intense curiosity. I grab a mug off the shelf and head for the coffee. I pour myself a cup and am about to sit down with it when the mug is plucked from my hands. I turn around to see who I need to yell at.

Stef.

"Thanks for pouring me a cup, Callie." She says with a wink before taking a large gulp of my coffee.

"Wasn't for you…" I mumble and feel a tap on my knee. Jude is giving me the look, the 'don't-screw-this-up' look. I take a deep breath. Had this been earlier in the week, I probably wouldn't have dropped this, but Jude is here now and I have to take him into consideration. So I let it go and reach across the table for the orange juice instead.

"Listen up guys," Lena says, catching everyone's attention, "We have Callie's bed coming in today so Brandon, Jesus, some help please? Everyone meet me in the parking lot after school and I'll drive you guys home."

"Except for you, Callie," Stef interrupts, tapping the table, "You and I are going to go meet Dr. Kodema for your group so you'll come with me."

I don't like this. I would rather Jude stay with me. I don't think Lena would do anything to him but you can never be completely sure. I don't have to look at Jude to know that he's feeling nervous about this, too. I reach under the table to take his hand and give it a squeeze. It's okay.

"Kelsey and I have to work on a project," Mariana interjects, waving her hand a bit.

Stef nods and takes a sip of my coffee, "Be back before dinner please." She stands up and walks over to the sink to dump her dishes, "I gotta run. Callie, I'll see you at 3:00. Have a good day!" She gives Lena a quick peck on the cheek and disappears.

I'm ready to call it a day and it's only lunchtime. Today was the same as yesterday times two since I am here for the entire day instead of just part of it. People are still whispering behind my back and ignoring me when I face them. I don't think I can stand to be around these people for another second and veer from the courtyard and head for the music room.

I've wanted to come back ever since the first day Stef brought me here. I walk inside and am relieved to find it empty. I set my stuff down on a chair and walk over to the guitar I had been looking at a few days earlier. It's been a while since I've seen one of these or touched one for that matter. I take the instrument off its stand and take a seat so that I can settle it in my lap. Its weight is familiar and comforting. I run my fingers across the strings. The sound that fills the air is one I haven't heard in years.

"You play?"

I nearly drop the guitar on the floor and have to shoot my hands out to catch it. I whip around to see Brandon standing near the door, backpack slung over his shoulder.

"You snuck up on me," I say accusingly, eyes narrowed. I want him to leave. Of course, he doesn't take the hint and settles himself at a keyboard. He stares at me, waiting for an answer to his question.

"A little," I finally reply, "My mom, she taught me before she…" I trail off.

"Before she…?"

I eye him for a minute before nodding at the keyboard, "Do you play?" I hope he takes the hint that wherever he wanted to go with this conversation is not going to happen.

Fortunately he does, "Yeah, I play the piano." He moved his fingers to the keys and began to play a light melody. He's good and it looks like he really knows what he's doing.

"I play the guitar, too." Brandon says as he continues to play, "I could teach you. Well, help you remember."

I mull over the offer in his head. He sounds nice and he hasn't done anything that's put up any red flags thus far, but then again Liam was the same way when I stayed with his family.

"I'll let you know," I finally say, "Thanks."

After school I wait on a bench near the parking lot with the Foster kids. I see Jude heading our way and I relax because he looks happy and unharmed. Jude is different and kids can be cruel, so I'm happy he hasn't had any bad run-ins yet.

"Hey, buddy," I say as soon as he's close enough, "How was school?"

"Good," he answers, taking a seat between me and Brandon, "We're reading this book. A Wrinkle in something."

"A Wrinkle in Time?"

He nods his head with a smile, "Yeah, that's it."

"Hey, guys!" Lena is heading towards us now and everybody stands up. She unlocks the door as she walks along the path and Jesus immediately dives for the passenger seat leaving Brandon to climb in the back. At the same time, Stef pulls into the parking lot. She stops her car right behind Lena's and lowers the window.

"Ready, Callie?" I look down at Jude who is nervously biting his lip. I know he doesn't want me to go without him, and quite frankly neither do I.

Lena comes up next to him and puts her hand on his back, "It's alright, Jude," she says in a placid voice, "Callie will be home before you know it."

I shift a little at the way she says home, because the Foster's house is anything but. I put my hands on Jude's shoulders so that he is forced to look at me, "Hey," I say, ducking my head down a bit, "It's going to be fine. I just need to go talk to someone and then I'll be back at the house and we can read that book together okay? Just an hour or two, tops."

Jude nods and I reluctantly drop my hands so that I can get into Stef's car. I close the door, put on my seatbelt and lean back in my seat. The car doesn't move and I turn to Stef to see what the hold-up is. She's smiling at me weirdly.

"What?" I ask defensively, crossing my arms.

Her smile gets bigger, "You're such a good sister, Callie."

I get a weird feeling in my stomach. No one has said that to me before except for my mom. The past six years have been dedicated to making sure Jude had the best life possible, considering the circumstances. If he was happy, I was happy. If he was hurt, I hurt even worse. I've always wanted a sign or an acknowledgement to let me know that I was doing something right and here is someone telling me in the most direct way.

I look up at Stef's blue eyes, "I am?" I ask quietly. I hate how unsure I sound, but I really want to know.

"You are." She reaches out her hand to pat my knee and I force myself to hold still even though every fiber of my being is screaming for me to move away from this woman who's already seen too much of me already.

"Thanks, Stef."

She squeezes my knee one last time before shifting the car into drive and making her way out of the parking lot.

This is more of just a filler chapter. Callie will let her walls down, I assure you. I wrote it out and I'm going back and nitpicking. I started work this week and today's only the third day and it seems like it's been a lifetime. So. Tired.

Poor Jude in this week's episode :( I wonder how this issue will be resolved.

Thank you for all the support and kind words. They keep me motivated :)

Please review!

-Liv