AN: Shorter chapter for you today, because I'm tiered. Hope you enjoy :)

Callie POV

December 7th

My search for Jude wasn't going as good as I had hoped it would. I have been to 6 homes, since I have started the search, but I haven't found any clue to where he could be. None of residents of the homes I had gone to, knew of Jude Jacob. All the homes were a dead end.

I couldn't go out to look for him over the weekend, because Amy and Aaron insisted on me staying home and resting, even thought my ribs are fine now. They kept repeating themselves like an old vinyl plate recorder – the doctor said you need rest, you need to rest the ribs...BLAH. I had heard it all hundredth of times before.

Besides, I had a feeling if I would tell them that I would want to go for a walk, Amy would insist on joining me.

On Monday and Tuesday I skipped the last 3 classes after lunch. But both of the times I managed to get back to school just in time for Aaron to pick me up. Neither one had mentioned anything about me skipping school. They didn't have a clue! Markus, who am I pretty sure, has been asked to keep an eye out for me in school, had no idea was well.

I was proud of myself for being so sneaky, for leaving no clue behind me that could get them suspicious.

Little did I know, there was something that I hadn't thought about, that could and will get me in trouble.

"Callie Jacob! Please report to principals office immediately!"

I stood in the middle of the cafeteria, holding the empty food tray in my hands, frozen in my spot. Everyone was looking at me. It felt like I was in the spotlight. It's like everyone knew it was me, even thought no one really knew me.

Some kids, with whom I am in the same grade, started pointing to me, whispering with each other and looking at me weird.

"Someone's going back to Juvie!" a boy from my math class called out pointing finger at me. The boys with whom he was with, laughed out loudly along with him. The whole cafeteria laughed about me.

Somehow the news of me being a foster kid and me being in Juvie had up and the other kids have been starting to use it against me. It all started this Monday - the bullying, the laughing, pointing the finger, the gossip, the insults. Over the last 4 years, I had gotten used being made fun of and bullied because I was a foster kid. The Juvie jokes, thought, those were new. It will probably time some time to get used to those.

I don't even know how he knew that I was in Juvie. I never told anyone. I haven't even spoken to anyone in this school, even though this is my 4th day here. No one should have known that I was arrested. That's private, personal information. That's one of the perks of being in high school, I guess. Gossip and news travel faster than the speed of light between high school students. By the end of class or break, all school will know of your secrets. Every bit of information they get on you, they use against you. To insult you, to humiliate you, to make fun of you.

Other boy called out "Go back to Juvie! It's where you belong! In a cage! Locked up!"

I heard girls from my chemistry class gossip/whisper about me as they walk by me "No one wants her! She's such a freak! Look at her. She belongs in Juvie. She's so-"

Then the announcement rang out again hushing the whispers "Callie Jacob. Please report to principals office immediately!"

"Let me get that!" Markus said, as he walked up to me. I hadn't seen him in the cafeteria before now.

He reached for the tray in my hands and whispered to me "Don't listen to them. They are idiots! I don't know how they found out, but don't let them get to you!" I was surprised that Markus wasn't making fun of me as well.

"Freak!"

"Get lost!" Markus hisses back at the boy that had just thrown the insult to my face. When he looks back at me, he says in calmer voice "You should go to the principals office. Mrs. Witters doesn't like to wait." He offers me a small, sad smile at the end.

I looked around the cafeteria. There were still students, who were watching me. Probably waiting for me to burst out in tears so they could rub it in my face some time later.

"Do you want me to walk you?" Markus offered me. I shook my head before I turned and walked away.

In a minute, I found myself in front of the principals office.

"They are already expecting you!" the assistant said from her desk "Go on right in!" the lady smiled at me

I briefly stop by the doors. The sign on the doors read – Principal. Victoria Witter. I heard some talking inside the office, but I couldn't hear what they were talking about. All I knew was that I heard both, men and women, voices.

I take a breath before I raise my hand up to knock on the doors. Instantly I hear a call back, saying to come in. I open the doors a little at first and only peak in.

"Ah, Callie!" Mrs. Witter said when she saw me "Come on right in!"

When I push the doors open, I see Aaron and Amy both sitting in the chairs facing the principals desk. My heart stopped for a fraction of second, when they both looked over their shoulders to me.

Why are they here? Am I in trouble? What were they talking about?

"Close the doors please!" Principal said to me calmly. Once I have closed the doors, she gestures to empty chair "Please, take a seat, Callie!"

As I walk to the chair, I glance to Aaron and Amy, to try and tell if this will good or bad meeting. Neither one looked angry. They actually looked concerned more than anything else.

"Callie, do you know why I asked you to come here?" Principal asked when I had sat down in the chair and made myself comfortable. She placed her hands on the desk and intertwined her fingers as she waited for me to answer.

I glance to Amy and Aaron, who were both sitting on my left side "No," I reply, when I look back at the principal. I wasn't lying, I honestly had no idea why I was called here or what was this meeting about.

"You have been absent from a lot of classes these short few days you have been here, Callie!" The principal stated as she reached for the paper that was in front of her "You were absent from your last 4 classes on Friday and last 3 classes on Monday and yesterday!"

I swallow a lump in my throat as I continue to listen to the principal talk to me. No other school has ever cared about my absence. Okay, well, I hadn't been skipping school this frequently before. I did one class here and there. Nothing that would be a cause for concern or grab anyone's attention. Maybe I had outdid myself this time.

"Now," she sets the paper back down "I was asked to inform your probation officer about how you do in school. Right now, Callie, you are not doing so great! I don't have anything good to tell him about you, expect that you have been absent from 10 classes the last 3 days. You haven't taken any tests now, so I don't know how you are doing academically."

The principal gestures to Aaron and Amy "I asked your parents to come in today, so we could discuss it. I was hoping maybe I could get some explanation about your whereabouts, but they didn't know about you skipping school the last 2 days!" She returned her full attention back to me "Care to explain, why you have been missing school, Callie?"

I look down to my hands in my lap and say quietly "Foster parents,"

"What did you say? You need to speak up, Callie!" Principal asked as she leaned a bit closer to me, pressing her elbows to the desk

I look up to her and say louder in a flat tone of voice "Foster parents. They are my foster parents, not parents!"

"We are not here to discuss, who your guardians are Callie!" Mrs. Witter stated sternly "We are here because you have been skipping school! If you don't tell me why you were absent from the classes, I will have to inform your PO about it, who will then suggest for you to be put back into Juvenile detention facility! Do you want to go back to Juvie? Because that is where you will end up if you keep skipping school like this!"

"Whoa!" Amy called out as she sat up more straighter "Don't you dare threaten her!" Amy said sternly to the principal

The principal looked shocked at Amy's statement. She turned to look at Amy with stunned facial expression. I was taken by surprise as well, because I did not see this conversion to take this curse.

"I'm not threatening. I am merely doing my job!" She said pressing her index finger to the desk

"That tone...was not okay. Just as the way you formed your statement!" Amy moved a bit more to the edge of the seat "You can't threaten her, by sending her back to Juvie, if she doesn't answer your question!" Amy continued in firm and slightly raised voice "You do not get to talk to her like that! We all know just how much power you hold over her…it's not necessary to scare her like that!"

I made myself smaller as I continued to listen and witness the adults argument.

"Don't you want to know where your daughter went during school time?" Mrs. Witter asked her back

"Of course we do!" Aaron spoke up before Amy could manage "But we would never threaten her with sending her back to Juvie if she doesn't talk to us! That's no way of talking to a kid or anyone for that matter! You do not get to scare her like that!"

"I need to write a report to her probation officer at the end of the month. If I don't know why she was absent from these classes, I can't help her! Trust me when I say, that I want to see Callie succeed in school. I do. But she won't get the chance to succeed here if she keeps on skipping school, like she has been doing the last few days!" Principal argued back

"We want her to succeed at school as well, but you have to see thing from Callie's perspective as well. You have to understand that Callie needs some time to adjust. She has barely lived with Aaron and I for a week!" Amy gently touched Aaron's wrist, when she mentioned him

"Callie needs time to get used to the new setting, new house, new school, new environment, new foster family. It can't happen overnight." Aaron spoke up

"That's not an excuse for skipping school!" Principal shot me a stern look, when she said that

Amy scooted to the edge of her seat and gestured to me "This is the first time that Callie has gotten in trouble in this school! Don't other kids gets warning for first time mischief?"

"Yes, warnings are-" Principal started, but Amy quickly interrupted her

"So why do you skip warning, detention, suspension and expelling and jump straight to threatening my kid on the first time she has gotten in any trouble? Is it because she's a foster kid?"

"No, I-"

"Would you threaten other kids like if they skip few classes? What about when your own kids got in trouble when you became principal of this school? Did you jump straight to expelling with them, when they skipped classes to go get ice-cream with friends?" Amy paused a little but answered it herself "The answer is no! Other kids get warning first! Why is Callie any different? Why doesn't she get a warning first!"

Principal took a deep breath, while Amy took a calming breath. Aaron rubbed Amy's back gently to keep her calm.

I had never seen anything like this before. No one had ever stood up for me like this. It was a very nice feeling to have someone on your side.

"I get that 10 missed classes in 3 days is bad. I understand that! But you have to give her another chance, before you throw her under the bus!" Amy said in much calmer voice. Principal was now eyeing the three of us closely. It looked like she had gotten a change of heart.

"We will have a very serious conversation with her about skipping school, when we will get back home," Aaron added while Amy glanced to me. Amy gave a look and barely visible nod to where the principal sat. Her lips moved a little, she was mouthing something to me.

"It won't happen again?" I say in a whisper. It sounded more like a question. Amy nodded her head and smile, suggesting that I understood her correctly.

I repeated it, this time, making sure it didn't sound like I was asking the principal "It won't happen again!"

I leave the office together with Amy and Aaron some 10 minutes later. Together we walk towards the hallway, which leads to the yard.

"That went...well!" Aaron breathed out and looked to Amy "I think you being friends with her few years, because our boys play on the same football team, helped! A lot!"

"I won't get any favors after this one," Amy said back to Aaron and then turned to me "Aaron will pick you up after classes!" Aaron nods his head to that, confirming it "My lunch break is over. I have to go back to work! I will see you both at home!" she gives a quick peck on her lips to Aaron and then turns to me "We will talk about this, when we get home!" Amy informs me.

I nod my head back stiffly once, showing her I heard her and understood her "Please, stay in class!" she says right before she turns around and walks out of the school

"She was right, when she said she has to give an assessment to your PO! If you want to stay out of Juvie, you have to be smart about this, Callie! Don't give them a reason to send you back there!" Aaron tells me, once Amy out of my sight. We stand in the hallway in awkward silence for few seconds, before Aaron spoke up "I will pick you up in 3h!"

"Okay," I nod back. Aaron smiles at me, before he turns on his heel and walks out of the school

After today events, how Amy and Aaron both stood up to me, I didn't have the guts to skip school again. It was nice to have someone stand up for me like that. For the first time in a very long time, I had the feeling that I owed my foster parents. I was grateful for what they did in the principals office, for how they had my back.

I turn on my heel and head towards the next class, without having any thought about skipping school today. I owe them this, because they stuck their necks out for me, even thought they didn't have to.