So I tried to make this chapter extra long, but it ended up being one of the SHORTEST ones yet -.-

This chapter took longer to update than it should have... But I was kinda in the middle of exams at school and just... Stuff. Sorry? Still, enough with the excuses, here's the next chapter! Oh! And thank you thank you THAAAANK YOOOOUU to all the new reviews, followers and favourite-rs :D really, thanks. So yeah, onwards and whatnot...

DISCLAIMER: me owning ANY part of the Fosters is a fantasy/adream that'll NEVER happen... *sigh*

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

She didn't bother telling them that she was suspended, not when the evening before at dinner, nor at breakfast the next day, nor as she got into Robert's car and alnicer him to drive her to Anchor Beach. Instead, she remained silent, not wanting to talk to any of them. Not after her outburst the day before. She couldn't believe that she'd told them, she'd never mentioned her mom's death anniversary to anyone else but Jude voluntarily before - the only way that Stef and Lena had found out was because of the mirror-smashing fiasco. But since telling the Quinns, she just felt...numb. It was like all the emotion she usually held inside of her had just... ebbed away, like she could no longer be bothered with being mad at them. After all, what was the point? They were the adults and the adults were always the ones in charge, the ones who pretended that their actions were solely beneficial to her, even when it was clear that they were selfish gestures only for them. And Callie couldn't be bothered to care about that fact any more.

She stood by the curb, just outside of Anchor Beach, and watched as Robert drove away, his car turning a corner and disappearing from her line of sight. She knew that he was only doing what he thought was best, but that was the problem - it was what he thought, not anybody else. So she didn't feel guilty, not in the slightest, about manipulating him into dropping her off here, and she didn't need to. After all, he was the one who'd forced her to leave her home, he was the one who made her leave Jude - forcing her to break her promise to him - and he was the one who acted as though he was absolutely in the right by taking her away, all the while sounding as though he thought that he and his family were god damn matyrs doing so. He deserved to be lied to, he deserved to be deceived.

Anger washed through her body and she clenched her fists tightly, barely registering the pain as her fingernails dug into the palms of her hands, nor the sharp sting of her left hand were her knuckles were still bruised and painful from the other day. She didn't just hate him, she loathed him.

He was worse than all the crappy foster parents she'd had, worse than all the methods of punishments that she'd endured, maybe even worse than Liam.

Callie's breath hitched as she thought that name entered her mind. No, she decided, not worse - as bad as. Both Liam and her father had tricked her into trusting them, had fed her mouthful after mouthful of lies, before showing their true selfs. And both had thought that what they'd done was perfectly reasonable and well within their right.

A feeling of nausea overcame her as she felt bile rising in throat. Falling to her knees, she heaved, throwing up , her body shaking violently and her vision shrinking as black dots appeared. Half-walking, half-crawling, she made her way further down the pavement, before sitting on the edge of the curb and hugging her legs, slowly rocking forwards and backwards as she attempted to calm herself down.

"Callie?" A familiar voice asked anxiously, and she looked up. Jude stood a couple of feet away, concern etched on his face as he observed her behaviour. "Callie, are you okay?"

She drew in a shaky breathe, and smiled at her brother. "Really? You actually asked that?" She rolled her eyes. Standing up, Callie dusted the dirt off of her jeans, and wiped her eyes. "I'm fine, Bud," she reassured him, "really, no biggie I just... got upset."

Jude raised an eyebrow but didn't argue with her, which was a relief. The two of them stood side by side for a moment, not speaking.

"Callie, I'm-"

"Jude, I-?"

Simultaneously they both went to talk, and instantly, they both fell silent again, waiting for the other to continue. Looking at each other, they shared a smile.

"Jude, I am so so sorry. I didn't know that they'd do this, I mean, not right away. I didn't mean to break my promise to you, honestly, I swear. Please, Jude, I know that you don't believe me about that stupid voicemail Sophia-"

Jude put a hand on her arm, a gesture that both comforted and silenced her. Wiping away her newly shed tears, she offered him a watery smile. "I really am sorry bud, I didn't want to leave you."

"I know." He nodded his head, a more confident version of her smile on his face. "You wouldn't do that, not purposely. And I'm sorry about not believing you about that message - I should have known better. I... I miss you, Callie, I already miss you so much and it's only been one night. What's going to happen?"

Callie sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. " I don't know, Bud, I don't know. We'll figure something out." She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and led him to the entrance of the building. "Now school!" She gave him a gentle push, a small smile on her lips, "I'm pretty sure that the tardy bell went like five minutes ago, so vamoose or I'll have to tell Stef and Lena!"

Jude laughed at that, and made his way to the doors, pausing for one more look at his sister, before entering the building and leaving her alone. Callie fell back to the floor and wept.

...