Fostered

Chapter Eleven

 "Can you pass the milk?" Maisie asks as I top off my bowl of cereal.

 I nod and hand her the gallon of milk, leaning across the table. She takes it from my hands and unscrews the cap, carefully pouring the milk into her bowl. Esmeralda munches thoughtfully on a bagel and gazes out the kitchen window. Sarah isn't here anymore and all of the other kids are with their foster parents. The house is the quietest it has ever been. My reunion with my metaphorical "sisters" was great and all, but I can't stop thinking about Calla. I wonder what she's doing. I wonder if she misses me. I look down at my cereal and quickly finish it up, drinking the leftover milk and wiping at my mouth.

"You miss 'em, huh?" Maisie speaks up, spooning some cereal into her mouth.

I give her a bit of a snort as I get out of my seat and walk toward the sink. I rinse out my bowl and place it in the sink. Maisie is right. I do miss them. But will I ever admit to it? Probably not. The only person that I have room for in my life is me. Everyone else is fleeting. They're only around for a minute, then they're gone again.

"It's okay to admit it, you know," Esmeralda chimes in.

"Uh huh." I say dryly.

"You can pretend you don't miss them, but you've changed, Sloan. I can tell." Maisie adds.

"Whatever you say," I mutter.

 There's a knock at the door and Esmeralda cranes her head to peer into the hallway. Hallie answers the door and I can hear some words being exchanged before she calls my name. I look at Esmeralda and raise an eyebrow. She shrugs and gestures to the door. I stuff my hands in the pockets of my sweatpants and stride cautiously toward the door. Hallie opens the door a bit wider and I look over her shoulder.

 A smug Cole stands between his parents, who look completely infuriated. My eyes trail back to Cole and I take note of the damage that I caused. His nose is swollen and bruised, definitely broken from my initial punch. A short line of stitches are sewn into the left side of his face, where I threw my last hit with the keys between my fingers. A dirty fight strategy, yeah. But I knew he wasn't going to fight fair either.

 "Cole brought his parents to meet you," Hallie says, trying to hide her distress, "Isn't that nice?"

 "Why?"

 She gives me a warning look and Cole's mother speaks up, "We decided we had to meet you in order to see what action we should take legally."

 "You can come in," Hallie tells them as she opens the door all the way.

 The family enters the house and Cole's father looks around with a stank face. I chew my lip as Hallie leads them into the front room and to the couch. They all sit down and Hallie asks them if they'd like anything. Cole's father requests coffee and Hallie disappears to the kitchen. As I settle into the arm chair across from the couch, I stare down my opponent. His disfigured face is still frozen in a devious little half smile. I'd love to jump across the coffee table and smack it off.

 "So, Sloan, is it?" His mother begins.

 I nod and she continues, "I'm Ellen. This is my husband, Randall. Obviously you've already met Cole."

"Yeah," I scoff, "He's a great kid."

 There's an awkward silence and Ellen clears her throat, "Anyway, Randall and I thought it would be best if we spoke with you. We don't want to press charges if we don't deem it necessary."

 "Alright," I reply as Hallie returns from the kitchen.

 She hands a mug to Cole's father, who quietly thanks her and takes a few sips of coffee. Hallie sits down on the couch beside me and crosses her legs. I sink down a bit in my seat.

 "What exactly happened that night?" Randall asks, setting the mug on the coffee table.

 "You know," I start, catching a glimpse of the look of horror that has made its way onto Hallie's face, "I don't really get why you're asking me, honestly. Your son already told you his story, so that's what you're going to believe. It's kind of stupid to ask me for my side, when you're just going to believe your kid."

 "Sloan." Hallie hisses.

 The parents stare at me, appalled by my big mouth. I fold my arms and give them a slight shrug.

 "Well, I-"

 "I mean no offense, but your son is a piece of shit. He made his girlfriend cry at a party and he grabbed her in a way that no man should ever grab a woman. Not only that, but he put his hands on someone that I love. And that is not okay," I can feel the rage building up inside of me.

 Hallie is absolutely mortified at my words. Cole is wide-eyed like a deer in head lights. Both of his parents seem to be in some sort of shock. I try to calm down, but the words just keep pouring out of my mouth. I rise to my feet and point an accusing finger at him.

 "You never put your hands on somebody like that, you creepy little fuck! Do you understand? I've seen kids like you that think they can just do whatever they want to anyone get their fucking brains blown out on the sidewalk! You slimy motherfucker! I swear to G-"

 Hallie snatches me up as I try to approach him. She pulls my arms behind my back and tries to subdue me as I break down in a heap of tears. I fall to my knees and Hallie crouches down behind me, holding me tight and trying to comfort me. Cole and his parents sit there, dumbfounded at my outburst. Hallie calls for Maisie and Esmeralda, who escort me up to our bedroom. I get into my bed and pull the covers over my face.

 If they weren't going to press charges before, they're definitely going to now.