Chapter 14.

"Hey, Beautiful," Brandon whispered, drawing Callie into his arms, and pulling her onto his bed. He leaned down and kissed her neck. It was a risk for them to be alone together in his room, but Stef and Lena were out grocery shopping, and had taken Jude along, which cleared a little time for them to be together. Brandon pressed his lips to hers, then smoothed back her hair. "You look sad today."

"I am," Callie admitted. "Rough day."

"What happened?" Brandon asked.

Somehow, Monday had rolled around again. Callie had come home from group less than an hour earlier. "I got in trouble again today," she told him. "Sarah and I had an argument in group. She got taken from the Olmsteads since Liam got arrested, and she blames me."

"That's stupid," said Brandon. "You didn't do anything wrong. She should be thanking you, if anything."

Callie nodded. "I know... but I get it. I really do. I probably would have reacted the same way when I was in her place. It still hurt, though. You know?" She rested her head against Brandon's chest. "I thought maybe it was my purpose in life to stop what happened to me from happening to her, but she isn't grateful at all."

"Well," Brandon reminded her. "The important thing is that she's safe, I guess."

"That's not what's worrying me, though," Callie told him. "I'm afraid my stupid counselor is going to go to Bill about today. She said she would if I didn't straighten up."

"Try not to worry," said Brandon. "I bet nothing will ever come of it."

Callie shrugged. "Yeah... you're probably right."

Two days later, Callie was coming down the stairs when she heard the notes of Brandon's composition. He was practicing "Callie's Song." She found him at his keyboard, absorbed in his music. She stood quietly for a moment, not wanting to interrupt him, then went to his side. "That's sounding great," she told him quietly. "I bet you win the competition."

"I hope so," Brandon replied. "Have you heard the ending yet?"

Callie shook her head. "No. Play it for me."

Brandon nodded, then began to play the most recent portion of his piece. When he was through, Callie clapped her hands. "I love it. I still can't believe it's about me, though. It's so perfect, and I'm so... not perfect."

"You're perfect to me," said Brandon, making room for her to sit next to him on the bench. "And I love you just the way you are." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, hugging her to his side. "Do you want to play a duet with me? We could do an easy one. I need the practice. I don't want to get rusty before the competition."

"Sure," Callie nodded. She wasn't as proficient in playing the piano as Brandon. He was what most would call a prodigy. But she did understand how music works from playing the guitar, so she could pick up simple tunes pretty quickly.

Brandon found the sheet music, setting it up, then started playing a lively tune. Callie followed along, reading the music, then jumped in when it came to her part. He gently guided her fingers when she got lost. "You're doing great," he whispered.

They played the tune several times through, the song becoming easier for Callie each time, until she got distracted by voices from somewhere in the house, and lost her place. "Shh... do you hear that?" She and Brandon stayed still, listening. The voices were coming from the kitchen. It was Stef and Lena, and they sounded upset. Callie strained her ears to pick up their conversation. Their tones of voice worried her. She thought she heard Lena say; "They can't do that." Her curiosity piqued, she got up from the bench, Brandon following, and they walked into the kitchen. When Stef and Lena saw her, they became silent. "What's going on?" Callie asked, concerned.

"Callie, Honey," said Stef. "Can we talk to you about something in private?"

Callie shook her head. "I want Brandon to stay. Please?"

Stef nodded. "Okay. Why don't you guys sit down?"

"Is Callie in trouble?" Brandon asked.

Stef and Lena looked at each other, obviously uncomfortable. "I'm not going to beat around the bush," said Stef. "Callie... we got a letter from Bill, today. It seems... well, it's been decided that they want to place you in a group home. We're so sorry, sweetheart."

Callie somehow managed to hide her grief behind an indifferent expression. "I knew this was too good to last," she sighed, shrugging.

"They can't!" Brandon shouted. "Callie belongs with us."

"We know she does," said Lena, sadly. "And we're going to do our best to keep her here."

No longer able to maintain a brave face, Callie began to cry. Brandon rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. "I don't want to go," she sniffled. "I like it here. And Jude... what will happen to Jude?"

Stef took Callie into her arms, heartbroken at the thought of losing her. When the teenager first arrived at their home, beaten and angry, she never thought that the girl would so thoroughly capture her heart. But now, though she felt terrible for even thinking it, if she absolutely had to choose a favorite child, next to Brandon, of course, it very well might be Callie. "We're going to fight it, Baby," she promised, trying to sound steady for her sake. "We're going to do everything in our power. You're part of our family, Sweetheart." She held her foster daughter close, her tears wetting her hair as they fell. "We love you, Cal. We won't let you down."

Callie wiped her eyes, sore from crying. "Can I be excused? I just want to be alone for a while." She stood up, and hurried upstairs to her room.

To Be Continued