Fostered

Chapter Six

At some point in the night, a few of the more laid back kids from Calla's Youth Group come over. They drunkenly try to figure out plans for a YG get together, but they keep getting distracted. The house is alive with laughter and music and shouting. Every twenty minutes, another person or two shows up. I don't mind at all, considering the fact that Calla had been cozying up against me all evening. She leans into me as we sit on the couch and exchange jokes and stories, discussing the usual drunk people topics.

Everything is going really well.

I look toward the front door when I hear Sissy barking and I see TJ entering the house. Never mind. I spoke too soon. Everything is going terribly.

"TJ!" Calla shouts with excitement.

She jumps to her feet and runs to TJ with open arms. He picks her up in an overdone hug and swings her around a little. She giggles and he sets her down. The rest of the people in the room greet him as he follows Calla back toward the couch. TJ plops down beside Calla, who sits beside me. I scowl at him as he begins telling everyone about his drive over and how he hit a deer. I could not care less about what this boy has to say.

"You hit a deer? Did it die?" One of Calla's friends-I think her name is Toni-asks in a concerned tone.

"Nah, it ran off the road. But I think it fucked up my car a little." TJ sighs.

"Holy shit, not the Benz!" Jeff exclaims, tossing his arms in the air.

"Yeah... It's pretty banged up. Wanna see?" He asks.

Jeff nods and follows TJ outside. Everyone follows and Calla stands up, ready to trail after the crowd. She turns around when she notices me sitting on the couch and staring into my bottle, swishing the remaining alcohol around a bit. She clears her throat and I look up at her.

"Are you coming?" She asks.

I shrug and then she gestures me over. I exhale loudly and Calla rolls her eyes with a grin. I can't help but smile myself as I follow her outside. We join the crowd of teenagers huddled around the front of TJ's Mercedes. TJ turns on his phone flashlight and directs it at the left side of the hood. The headlight is completely smashed and the front bumper is dented. Blood trickles off of some of the remaining shards of headlight and onto the bumper and front tire. I attempt to look away and everyone makes a collective gasp as they inspect the damage done to TJ's car. My eyes are locked on the blood as it rolls down the front bumper and drips onto the driveway.

My heart rate spikes and begins pounding in my ears as I shift my weight uncomfortably. I try to tell myself to remain calm, but I feel like I can't breathe. My brain involuntarily begins recalling the images of my brother lying on the pavement. I can almost hear the faint cry of an ambulance and multiple police cars and I look out toward the street. Everything in my body is telling me to calm down but my brain refuses to cooperate. I feel a complete loss of control and an overwhelming sense of dread consuming me for the billionth time. Sweat begins to form on my forehead and coats my palms as I struggle to control myself.

I feel Calla's hand on my arm and her quiet voice saying, "Hey, Sloan... Are you okay?"

Soon, everyone is staring at me and I'm fighting back tears. I turn and dash for the house. I can hardly see as I speed to my bedroom and slam the door. I lock it and collapse in my bed. I yank the picture of Ethan off of my nightstand and hold it to my chest. I curl up into a ball and bawl like an infant. My entire body shakes and shivers as I gasp for air and choke on my tears. After what feels like an eternity, I hear cars leaving and then I hear a knock on my door. Calla comes walking in through our shared bathroom door, which I forgot to lock. I sit up and stare at her. She sits down beside me and looks completely clueless, like she has no idea what to do.

I can't really blame her.

"Is... Everything... Are you okay?" Calla murmurs.

"Yeah, I'm alright." I say sternly, placing the picture frame back on my nightstand.

Calla looks at the photo and smiles sadly. She looks back at me and places her hand on top of mine. I almost cringe and pull away from her, but I manage to remain calm and I just take in a shaky breath through my nose. And after waiting a few more minutes, I'm able to rest my head on her shoulder.

"I'm always here for you. Always. Okay?" She reminds me.

"Thank you," I say.

I hear a noise and I see TJ standing in the bathroom doorway. He awkwardly puts his hands in his pockets and leans slightly against the door frame. I'm instantly overwhelmed with anger and annoyance.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay." TJ tells us.

"What, were you eavesdropping or something? Didn't anyone ever teach you some fucking manners?" I snarl, rising to my feet.

TJ bites his tongue and takes a few steps back. Calla stands up behind me and grabs one of my arms. I harshly shake off her grip and glare at TJ.

"Get the fuck away from me, you fucking tool. You've done enough. Get in your Mercedes-Benz and drive away and don't ever come back." I'm shouting now and my words are still a bit slurred.

Calla tries to intervene but TJ rushes out of the bedroom and downstairs. She goes after him and I listen to her calling her name as she follows him outside. I open my bedroom window and hear them talking in hushed voices in the driveway. Eventually, I hear TJ's car start and he drives off. Calla comes back into the house and I just stare at the ceiling as I lie in bed. I can hear her cleaning up the mess downstairs as my eyelids begin to feel heavy.

I drift off for a while, but I'm awoken to the sound of my bedroom door opening. I open my eyes and prop myself up on my elbows, squinting toward the door. I see Calla standing there with a concerned look on her face. She walks toward my bed and sits down extremely close to me. Calla places her hand on my thigh, locking her glossy eyes on mine.

"I'm always here for anything you need." She says in a sultry tone.

I nod and she places her hand on my chest, moving the other onto my cheek. She looks me up and down before pushing me onto my back and positioning herself to straddle me. Neither of us say a word as she pulls her shirt over her head and runs her hands through her hair. She smiles at me and leans down, giving me a long, hard kiss. When she pulls away, we both take in a shallow breath before our lips meet again. She pulls on my short hair and lets her hands explore beneath my t-shirt. I have no objections. Calla then gets up and removes the rest of her clothes, standing before me completely naked. I can hardly believe any of this is happening as she crawls toward me from the edge of the bed. It's almost like this is all just a dream...

I sit up in bed and try to catch my breath. The room is pitch black and my body is covered in sweat. I look at the digital clock on my dresser that reads '3:49 AM'. I get out of bed and walk to the bathroom to splash some water on my face. Calla's door is open and the small glow from her night light shows two figures sleeping in her bed. I creep a little closer and instantly realize that the other figure is TJ. I grit my teeth and shake my head as I finish cooling off and return to my bedroom. I get back into bed and roll over aggressively. I yank the blankets up to my chin and think about how stupid TJ is. Everything about him just overwhelms me with anger. I let myself get as angry as possible before falling asleep and I have a wonderful dream in which TJ gets trampled by a stampeding herd of deer.

Needless to say, I definitely woke up with a smile on my face... Until the hangover set in.