She stood in front of the sink and stared out the dirty window. She wasn't really looking for anything, she just figured the outside world had to look better than this house. Foster home number seven. It was their second night in the home, and so far everything but the home's appearance seemed to be okay. The home looked rundown from both the inside and outside. There wasn't an abundance of food, but there was enough present that it looked like everyone would be fed. The house was small, but it wasn't too crowded because there were only three people living in it: Jude, herself, and their foster father.

The foster father didn't seem to be around much, and when he was, he didn't pay her and Jude much attention. Just like right now. He left the two siblings to do their chores as he sat in front of the tv with a beer in his hand. That didn't really bother Callie though. Of course, they still had to be careful not to do something that would upset the man. One thing that she had learned throughout the six years of being in the foster system was that a drunk, upset man was never a good thing. Even though a sober, upset man didn't turn out to be much better, Callie learned that alcohol increased emotional instability. It made people unpredictable and she did not like situations to get too out of control.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a small voice, "Callie? Are you okay?" She looked down at Jude and realized she had stopped handing him clean plates to dry. "Sorry buddy. I'm fine. I was just spacing out a little." She faked a laugh and forced a smiled as she handed him a wet plate to assure him that she was okay. He nodded his head, silently accepting her weak excuse.

She felt bad for worrying him. She wished this wasn't his life, him always being afraid. She wished she could provide him with everything he deserved. She hoped that soon, Jude would find a forever family before his childhood disappears the way hers did. She prayed that someday in the near future, Jude would find a loving, caring family that would keep him safe. She knows he hasn't really felt safe in over six years and that makes her feel an overwhelming amount of guilt. All she ever wanted was for Jude to be happy, and here, for right now, they were okay. Maybe this house could be an okay place for a little while as long as they stayed quiet and out of the way. However, the sound of a plate smashing on the floor quickly brought Callie back to reality. She looked to Jude who looked like he was about to cry. His face turned pale and his whole demeanor changed. He was no longer a relaxed kid helping his sister clean. He was now a terrified little boy. His fears only seemed to worsen when the sound of heavy footsteps came from the living.

"What the hell is going on in here?!" Their foster father, Marc, entered the small kitchen angrily. When he saw the shattered pieces of glass on the floor, his fury only increased. He glared at the Jacob siblings and screamed, "Who the hell dropped one of my nice plates, huh?! I had to work and earn enough money to pay for that!" Callie spun to face him after trying to console a sobbing Jude. "I'm sorry. That was my fault. The plate was wet and slippery and I just lost my grip on it." She tried to answer Marc as calm as possible. She knew the importance of keeping her composure in check. Another valuable lesson she had learned was the fact that people exploit any weakness that they can find. Showing fear would only make the already bad situation that much more terrible. Being afraid shows vulnerability, and vulnerable is not what you want to be in this type of situation.

Marc looked between the two siblings and directed his next question at Jude, "Is that true?!" Callie looked down at Jude with pleading eyes. Please just say yes. Please let me protect you. She slightly nodded at him in case he couldn't read her pleas. Jude looked at Marc and nodded his head in the affirmative. After doing so he returned to crying. He probably feels guilty... But he has to know I'm doing this to help him, Callie thought. She knew she couldn't try to reassure him right now though. Instead, she stood tall and looked right at the furious man. She had to try to make herself look bigger and braver than she actually was because in reality, she was terrified. His eyes held an anger that Callie was quite familiar with. Predicting what would happen next wasn't hard, and no matter what, she knew exactly what she would have to do. She'd do what she'd always done. She'd protect Jude, protect him with everything she had, and make sure that he does not get hurt.

When Marc stood still with his fists clenched, Callie hoped that maybe he wouldn't try to hurt them. Maybe she wouldn't have to protect Jude from physical harm. She could tell that he was furious. She had to be good at reading people, it's what kept her and Jude alive. The vein protruding from his forehead was an easy indication that he was upset, but he hadn't moved any closer to them since he discovered the situation. He swayed a few times, no doubt from all of the alcohol that he consumed before this unfortunate incident. Maybe this house actually could be a safe place to stay and all Marc would do was just yell at them. However, she realized how ridiculous that thought was when the man started rushing angrily towards her. The distance between them began to shrink considerably, much to Callie's dismay. As Marc grew closer, he started shouting at her, telling her she'll have to pay for what she'd done. "You're gonna regret being so careless in this house! In here, if you do something stupid like this, you will be faced with consequences! I'll make sure you learn your lesson!"

Okay so this is my first story. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet so please review! (Positively or negatively)