Hello everyone! Our new story, Hope is Hard to Kill, is about one limp, one doctor's appointment that changes everyone in the Foster family's life. For the purpose of this story, Callie and Jude have only been at the Fosters for a few weeks, therefore have not been adopted. This chapter is just an introduction, so the chapters coming after, will have much more of the storyline. Here is Chapter 1!

Jude's POV~

"An atom had three parts. Can anyone tell me what those parts are?"

I watch the pencil rolling across my desk, half listening, not willing to answer. Slowly, I raise my head as I feel my teacher's eyes burning into me, "Jude, how about you?"

"Um… Protons, neutrons, and…" I trail off, my face burning red from embarrassment. I should've known those, Callie just went over them with me at breakfast.

Sensing that I won't finish, Mr. Wilkins turns away, "Alright then. Can anyone help Jude out?" I glance ashamedly around the room, hoping, praying, someone will raise their hand. When no one does, Mr. Wilkins continues, "No one? The correct answer is electrons people. These things should be second- nature by now, there is no excuse for any of you to have forgotten." His eyes never leave my red face, even though he addresses the whole class. Mr. Wilkins is about to say something else, but is interrupted by the shrill ringing of the bell. "Don't forget, the test is tomorrow!"

I gratefully leave my seat, and enter the rambunctious hallway. There are so many people, but as I make my way through, I only see one. Callie is waiting for me, scanning the crowd until her face lights up with recognition.

"Hey buddy!" she shouts, pulling me into a hug. I return it, though my mind still wanders back to science class. "How is your day going?"

"Not so good. I forgot a question on the review for tomorrow's test. The parts of an atom again." I meet her gaze for a second, then look back at my books.

"Hey," she says quietly, putting her finger under my chin, and lifting it so I am forced to look at her. "It's fine. We can review again tonight, okay? I will make sure you ace that test."

"Okay," I whisper. I'll never remember this, but if Callie believes it, maybe I can make it through just the one test. "How are you? Is everything okay?" She is always supportive, but her smile doesn't really reach her eyes. I've seen this look a lot; it means she's trying to distract herself, and me, from what's really going on.

"Of course, I'm great," she says unconvincingly. "Join me for lunch? I think Lena packed PB&Js, your favorite." The Fosters. Lena, Stef, Marianna, Jesus, and Brandon. We've been here for a few weeks, but I can tell Callie doesn't trust them. I want to, but… trust leads to getting hurt eventually. If it's one thing being in the foster system will teach you, it's the art of getting hurt. NO matter how many times we get hurt, it still doesn't change the fact that a family would be nice. But Callie is my family. Always has been, and always will be.

We walk to the tables outside, all around us people whisper and stare, snickering as the two of us walk by.

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"No. Should it?" Her face betrays the meaning of her words for a second before the happy mask is back.

"Well… I guess not…" I'm not sure what to say. Should it bother her? Should it bother me like this? I watch the way she ignores them and try to do it too as we get to an empty table. We take our seats, Callie pushing the abandoned trash away from us.

"It's better just to ignore them, if you let it roll off your shoulders, it won't matter what they talk about. Right?"

"Yeah. But they shouldn't be talking about us because we're not like them." Callie shrugs her shoulders.

"Well, bud, that's their problem right? Who would want to be like them anyway?" I let out a small laugh, and take a bite of the peanut butter sandwich. Having Callie here makes it so much easier to be in another new school. Always starting fresh means she's the only friend I've ever been able to keep, the only one I won't have to leave behind.

"Definitely not me," I glance around the small lunch area at the people who are still staring. Callie is right, it's their problem, not ours. "Don't they have better things to do than stare at us?"

Callie smirks, "Probably not," she jokes. "Come on, tell me more about your day."

"It was fine, really. I only had a problem in science, so the others were okay." Lie number one. We had math before science, and I failed a pop quiz. Then I had English where I had to read out loud and I stammered through the whole thing. It was like I was a third grader. I glance over at the clock on the building, through the wall of stares, and realize I have five minutes to get to gym. After a pause I sigh, "Gym starts soon, I have to go."

"Alright, I should probably go too. I'll meet you at Lena's car after school, right?" Callie asks me.

"Definitely," I reply, hugging her before I turn to go. The stares follow me back into the building, singeing holes in the back of my head. Will I ever escape the stares?

So how was it? Please don't forget to review, favorite, and follow if you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading!

Until next time~

KDanceWriteDream and WrittenInTheStarsAbove