1.0 Struggling
-A week later-
-x-o Callie -x-o
"Mariana!" I stopped suddenly and looked at her after she bumped into me after pestering me. "I will not drive you to a party and be there."
"Come on, Cal!" She pleaded to me as she put her hands together to plead. "Mum and Stef aren't going to let me go by myself."
"Yeah, well there is a good reason why!" I answered her back as we walked down the stairs into the kitchen. "You have a history."
"We all have made mistakes, Callie." Mariana muttered under her breath as I grabbed a glass and filled it up with orange juice.
"Not your type of mistakes, Mariana that's for sure." I answered back annoyed then took a sip of my orange juice.
"Okay. That was uncalled for." Mariana pointed out with a frown as she sat down then looked at me with her big brown eyes. "Please."
"And aren't you grounded?" I pointed out to her as I pointed to the chore chart seeing more chores on Mariana's. "For trying to find your Mother in the middle of the night without permission in a dangerous part of the city?" Mariana looked down looking ashamed.
"Callie, I know they won't let me go by myself but if you went, Stef is going to say yes." Mariana whispered looking up again and I shook my head.
"Don't ever bring Stef into this begging, pleading stuff." I ordered sternly as I pointed at her angrily. "I am standing my ground on this."
"All you ever do is have your head in books." Mariana stood up with an annoyed expression. "And it has got worst since Stef has come back into your life. All you ever do is stay in our room and do school work." I tried to walk away but she grabbed my arm.
"Mariana!" I shouted and pushed her off me gently but sternly. "I am overwhelmed by your care and love but I want to kindly ask you to back off." I said in a strong, firm and sarcastic tone. I walked away from her and stormed past Stef as she walked out of the office. I ran to my room and locked the door not caring if Mariana is coming up.
-x-o- Stef x-o-
"Want to explain what just happened?" I questioned as I folded my arms and saw Mariana looking down with guilt.
"It is just an sisterly argument." She replied with a simple nod as she looked at me but it wasn't fooling me. "I swear it was."
"Don't swear." I ordered firmly and gave her a little look that meant I wasn't believing her. "I heard what you told her and it was out of line." She looked away as she folded her arms.
"You are only saying that because you are her Mother and want to win her back." Mariana replied back with a sassy tone which made me more disappointed in her.
"That is out of line too." I pointed out as I put my finger out to symbol my impatience. "Do you want to get into more trouble than you are already in." She looked at me and sighed.
"Okay. I am wrong." She replied back as she threw her arms to her side a little annoyed. "What else is new?"
"Sit down." I whispered as I went into the living room and she followed taking a seat on the couch, and I took a place in front of her on the table. "I am sorry you are mad at your Mum and me, but I am not sorry for finding you before anything bad happened." She looked away and I sighed. "We are both trying our hardest with Bill to locate your biological Mother."
"I just thought-"
"Mariana, you didn't think." I answered her in a motherly tone taking her hands into mine. "That is why we are disappointed.. You couldn't possibly think going to where you think she is in the middle of the night was the right choice." She finally looked at me with teary eyes.
"I need answers!" She sobbed after a short silence and threw herself at me crying. "I need to know, Stef!"
"I know baby." I answered her softly as I put my arms around her and brushed my fingers through her brown hair. "I know you want to know.. But, it isn't as simple as calling a number and getting information just like that." I whispered softly as she cried. "You need to be a little more patience for Mum and me.."
"Okay." She hiccupped as we pulled apart and I grabbed a tissue to her to wipe her eyes. "I already said this but I am really sorry for doing this. I know how much Mum and you were worried about me."
"We were very worried, honey." I assured her as I tucked her hair behind her ears. "You are lucky that there is GPS located in your phone or else, I don't know what would of happened." She nodded and sighed.
"I won't ever do it again." She whispered and my eyes widen.
"Oh, you better not." I answered back as I poked her arm. "You almost killed us." She giggled a little knowing I was joking. "This is the last time we will be talking about this, alright?" She nodded and hugged me again.
"I love you." She whispered and I smiled at that.
"I love you too." I replied back looking at her with a smile realising that she is looking up to me as a Mother figure. She walked out and upstairs leaving me to my thoughts.
"Jude!" I said in an happy tone walking into the living room seeing him doing his home work. He looked up and smiled a little at me which I returned as I drop the clean basket of washing down to sort out. "How is the home work going, bud?"
"It's okay." He whispered going back to his piece of paper which looks like Maths to me. "Just a little hard because I am not good at Maths." I nodded as I picked up a shirt and folded it but returned my gaze back to Jude who looked like he was growing annoyed.
"I am here if you need help?" I offered with a smile and he looked up with a calmer look. I came over after he nodded and I sat next to him to take a look. "No wonder." I said with a smile looking at him. "This is some hard stuff." He smiled as I took the pencil to write the equations simpler for him. "I reckon you will get it now." I replied after writing it to make it more simple for him to grasp and handed his pencil to him. I stood up and went back to folding seeing him smile proudly getting the home work done.
"Thanks Stef!" He said once he packed up and put everything back in his bag. "I think I understood it more once you put things in." I returned the smile and nodded.
"It's my pleasure, bud." I replied with a smile and he ran out. I smiled to myself realising how much family means to me now since coming back to the real world instead of being trapped between four walls and un fresh air. I decided to take a walk out in the garden and to look around at the beautiful world I am lucky to live in.
"Stef?" I turned around after daydreaming outside and saw Jesus standing at the door shyly.
"Hey Jesus." I greeted him with a smile as I put my hands into my jeans pockets to make myself seem less imitating since Jesus hasn't really spoken to me or interacted to me like Mariana and Jude have. "Are you okay?" He walked out from standing in the doorway and took a sit on the edge of the pouch.
"I am worried." He whispered softly as he pulled his legs to his chest and I sat next to him but not too close.
"About Mariana wanting to see your biological Mother?" I questioned slowly with a sad smile and he looked at me with sad brown eyes. "You don't need to see her when we have located her.. You don't even need to feel like you have too because your twin sister is."
"It isn't because Mariana is making me feel like I have too.." He admitted with a sad smile as a single tear fell from his left eye. "It's because no matter how angry and hurt I am at her, it doesn't seem to matter to my brain because I am curious and want to see her with my own two eyes." I nodded not knowing what to say because it is complicated. "I want to see the type of person who would choose drugs over her own kids.. And never look at those type of people ever again." I looked at him and nodded again.
"I see that Mariana and you have so much hurt, confusion and sadness between you two that can't go away until you can meet this woman." I finally whispered as I sat closer and wrapped my arm around him. "Mum and I are trying our best to locate her so you can fulfil your wishes and live your lives." He slowly got comfortable from my touch and melted into my arms in silence. I kissed his forehead and he didn't push away like I imagined he would.. He just smiled at the touch and let me hold him.
"Oh, you are back!" I greeted Lena as she walked into the kitchen where I was and placed take out on the table. "Take out?" I questioned with an raised eye brow.
"I couldn't be bother to cook after the board meeting today." Lena answered as she got plates out and called the kids down.
"Lena, this is what I was talking about last week!" I whispered before the kids came down and I took her hand into mine. "I could've cooked."
"I know." She answered with a sad smile and I slowly shook my head with disapproval but I forgive her sweet heart. "I just have to get used too this." She replied with a smile and we kissed. Then, everybody came in for dinner. I smiled at our family. OUR family..