Brallie Metropolis AU | In This Together

Chapter 7 | Over?

"Hey mom, dad." Brandon said as the light faded out. Callie stepped towards the door so she could see.

"Callie, honey, grab your things. You're driving back with me in my car." Stef commanded, looked at  Brandon and continued to bark orders. "And Brandon you're dad will be driving your car back with you. Grab your stuff."

Brandon and Callie did as they were told in complete silence. There were no works spoken, but there was communication between Mike and Stef's eyes. They all made there way down to the parking lot. Stef jumped in the driver's side of her car and Callie got into the passenger seat. Mike got into the driver's seat of Brandon's car and Brandon got in the passenger side. Brandon and Callie both sat in the separate cars, looking straight ahead in shame and guilt. What had they done?

The cars were headed back to San Diego. Brandon and Callie only made it a few hours. Mike was leading the pack.

"How did you find us?" Brandon spoke softly.

"Dumb people do dumb things. Careless things. One we got a tip from my buddy at the department's brother, it wasn't hard to locate your car, corner the guy at the front for the room number of the two, idiotic runaways, and knock on the door." Mike judgmentally answered.

"It's over. For real this time. Everything's over. Are you still sending us to boarding schools?"

"That's what you said last time." Mike said realizing what he had just said. "Geez Brandon. What were you thinking? Running away." He laughed a little because of how crazy he thought Brandon was. "And the boarding school thing may have been a little much. It was impulsive, a quick fix. I will discuss it with your mothers."

"Callie, what are you thinking." Stef said concerning, surprisingly, as she shifted her eyes to Callie, then to the road, back at Callie, and then back at the road, repeating this over and over while waiting for an answer. Callie was sure Stef would blow up and shove her in closet until she died. Maybe not quite that harsh.

"I don't know. But it's over now. Totally over. Forever." Callie got right to the point, knowing that that was what Stef was going to ask in long run.

Stef didn't know what to think. Her son and daughter had run-off together. Now, Callie was saying it was over. Mike and her were thinking the same thing. "I guess we could of handled this situation better. The boarding school choice was impulsive. Me, Lena, and Mike will discuss how we can go on with this." Stef got right to the point, too.

The remaining drive was a quiet one for both vehicles. Brandon and Callie were both relieved, yet terrified when Stef and Mike pulled into the driveway. They were relieved because they didn't have to be in the cars with the hot air and disappointed, furious adults. But they didn't want to go into that house and face what was to come. The unexpected.

Lena watched out the windows as Mike pulled into the driveway and Stef was right behind him. She walked out the front door to see the two teens staring blankly ahead, not moving. Mike and Stef hopped out of the vehicles and walked towards Lena.

After a few minutes of Lena, Mike, and Stef staring at the two teens in the cars, they slowly, regretfully, exited the vehicles with bags in hand. The three adults started to walk into the house and Brandon and Callie got the feeling they were to follow them, follow them all the way to the kitchen.

"We are going to talk. About how to handle this, again. Callie go out back, your guitar is out there, and Brandon go to your room. You two can't be on the same level, or you guys may conspire an incredibly idiotic, stupid, failure of a plan." Stef scoffed. Brandon and Callie went their separate ways as Lena, Stef, and Mike collected their thoughts.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Mike questioned as they gathered around the table.

"I think we can all agree that the boarding school idea was a little hasty." Lena spoke.

"Clearly," Stef scowled. Lena returned the scowl to her. "What? They did runaway after we objected them to life in hell."

"Going to a boarding school is not life in hell. They have clear rules, which could be good for Brandon and Callie to learn." Lena argued. "And it was your idea anyway."

"Hey-" Stef started to defend, but was interrupted by Mike trying to stop the fight that no one would win.

"Okay, okay. Why don't we stop pointing fingers and let's figure this out." Mike paused, trying to come up with a solution. "Should Brandon come live with me? Do you guys still want to adopt Callie?"

Stef and Lena gave each other an undistinguished look. "Well I still want to," Stef said looking at Lena again. "What do you think?"

"Yes, of course I still want to adopt her." Lena said, not even having to think of that answer.

"Ok, but I don't think Brandon living with you is an option." Stef continued.

"Yeah I know, I'm just making suggestions." Mike scoffed. He know Stef was against Brandon living anywhere else except under her roof.

"Maybe we shouldn't take it off the table though, Stef. What if they can't get past this?" Lena interjected.

"Callie did say that her and Brandon were over, for good." Stef added.

"So did Brandon." Mike pled. This made everyone go silent. They had no idea what to do, if anything.

"And we believe them? So do we just, go on as normal?" Lena murmured. The looks in their eyes were all over the place. Mike didn't want Brandon, and Callie, getting in trouble. Stef and Lena wanted their family back together, and to make Callie an official member, on paper. Maybe one or two of them would have to live without their dreams.

Lena called Brandon and Callie back into the kitchen. They walked in and sat down, not close to each other. This one another sign that they were done.

"We have decided that Callie you will continue to fostered here and will continue to go through with your adoption. If that's still what you want?" Stef started to speak. Brandon looked up, wondering what his punishment is. "And Brandon you will keep living here. Same as usual." She looked back at Callie and Brandon, who both had confused looks on their faces. Stef knew what they were thinking and answered before there was even the question asked. "We are under the impression that whatever conspired between the two of you is over. We plan to go on exactly as we were. Jesus, Jude, and Mariana do not know that you two ran away, so please do not bring it up. We told them that you were driving and the car broke down,and we went to pick you guys up and fix the car."

Lena motioned them away. Brandon and Callie went up to their rooms, not speaking or looking at each other until they were in their room's doorways.

"Good night, Callie."

"Good night, Brandon. I'm sorry about everythi-"

"Me too." Brandon interrupted Callie before he walked into his room and shut the door. Callie did the same.

From this point on, Brandon and Callie would have to maintain a brother-sister relationship. Their romantic relationship be over for now, but it certainly wouldn't be over for long.