For The Love of Callie

Answers

Marianas POV

It's been a couple days since the incident with Liam at the party. Callie went back to school two days after getting out of the hospital and I went back the day after. I know it's wrong, but I've made over $300 off of Callie's pills selling them for $50 a piece. I didn't think anyone would buy them for that high of a price but I guess it's a need that these kids can't get easy. So far, no one has noticed anything, including Callie. I'm not sure if she's even taken them lately.

"Hey Mariana, do you have any more of those...you know?" Kelsey asks subtly as we walk into school. "Yeah, but I'm getting low and once they are gone, that's it..." I remind her. "I know, can't you just steal more though?"
"Not without someone finding out."
"Ughhh fine...I'll take two and find a different way I guess." Kelsey takes them from my low and hidden hand and places a $100 in my hand. "If you get any more, let me know." I nod and watch as she walks away with them.
Jesus walks up to me "Kelsey? I didn't know you were friends."
"Here and there. I guess."
"What did you give her?" He asks with a brow raised.
"What do you mean??" I ask defensively.
"Cmon, you weren't subtle enough to fool your big brother. What was it?"
I bite my lip searching my head for something but under pressure, I can't think at all. "Umm."
"Mariana." Jesus says trying to push for an answer.

Callie's POV

Stef, Lena and I are all sitting at the table in the kitchen. They had told their eldest son to take Lena's car and drive the others to school so they could have a moment with me alone, something I always dread no matter the home.

"So Callie...we have something important we'd like to discuss with you." Stef says grabbing my hand. Anxiety rises in my chest. There's so many thing that they could bring up. The party, Liam, schoolwork, social work...
"You're not in trouble so don't worry about that."
That eliminates the party and schoolwork from the mix.
"We got a call from the doctor from the test..." Lena quickly says.
"The results were positive. Your digestive system is working at an incredibly slow rate and that it what is making you sick."
I get a wave of adrenaline and anxiety again. They know what's wrong. "That means we can figure out how to fix it right?" I say hopeful.

Stef and Lena look at each other and sigh. "Callie, this type of problem isn't curable. All they can do it treat symptoms hun." Stef says softly.
I swallow hard "so what does that mean?"
"This means...you're going to have this for probably the rest of your life and we have to figure out ways to manage it." Lena says
I shake my head as thoughts fly through it. "So you guys don't want me anymore because it's an extra problem....I can pack my things." I say getting up from my seat trying to hide the anxiety of having an incurable issue.
"No no no, sit Callie. You are not going anywhere. We do not ever want you to feel like you are a burden. We want to do this Callie. We want to help you. We are not sending you back just because of a bump in the road." Stef states ensuring I am making full eye contact throughout.
"This just means we have to get you set up with a new doctor that specializes in this and figure out how to handle it as a family." Lena chimes in with her iconic smile.
"Okay...umm...can I just take a minute? Maybe get my stuff and come back? Just to process it?" I ask.
"Yes, we will be right here when you are ready." Lena responds.
I nod and head up the creaky stairs to Mariana and I's bedroom. Quickly, I go to my bag and grab my bottle of anxiety medicine. I know I'm probably going to need one today with all of this stuff going on plus this new information.
When I open the bottle though, I see many of them are missing. Much more then I've taken. Because Lena and Stef don't know I'm on them, I have been careful with when I am using them so it's only on day I know I need them. Not just security like they were when I could get them from an old doctor I had. Things are all different here.
I look around. Did I take more then I thought? Had I miscalculated?
As I look, I see something under Mariana's bed. It's mostly hidden but in my squatted position, I can just see it. I walk over and grab it from under the bed. It's a half open box and inside it is a load of money. Inside the box is a little slip of paper that says "for Ana."