All Those Words

Chapter 7

Calysta

I stand in the corner, hiding behind a wall as Deb and Victor rush down the hall toward the principal's office. My heart is in my hands and my stomach feels like it's being squeezed, making me feel sick. My head throbs so bad I can't think straight. I haven't even changed out of my messed up clothes yet but all I have is my P.E. uniform anyway.

"Oh my God! Are you okay?" Deb asks Asa as soon as she sees him even though Shaun wasn't lucky enough to throw a punch back.

Asa's eyes widen as if he hadn't expected them to be worried about him and I feel a pang of pain and guilt. It's my fault he got into trouble. He was standing up for me and now he's probably going to have it on his school record.

"What happened?" Victor sounds calm but his voice is stern. "I heard there was a fight."

"It was stupid," Asa replies. "I wasn't thinking. I started it. I'm sorry-"

"I'm so glad you weren't hurt," Deb tells him and it hurts me to see him so surprised at their concern.

It makes me wonder whether he's ever had someone who worried about him and asked him whether he was okay. From the way he's reacting, it doesn't seem like it and it makes me sad.

"Asa, you need to be careful," Victor says finally after running his hand through his hair in frustration. "If you keep this up, we won't be allowed to foster you. Social services will take you back and you'll be in the system again. Do you want that?"

"No, Sir," Asa stares at the ground and I feel my heart twist with guilt. "I'm sorry."

"You need to control your anger. You've hand one too many run-ins with the law and I don't think we can help you if it gets out of hand," Victor says and I feel tears burn my eyes.

Victor and Deb hadn't told the other kids why they had taken in Asa. But they had told me. Asa had been in one too many crappy foster families. He had been bullied and toughened up for the wrong reasons. He got into the wrong crowds and did some time for breaking and entering and defacing school property. This was his last chance to turn this along. Our family was his last chance.

"You can't go around punching kids because you're angry, okay?" Victor is now talking to him as if he's a child.

"I won't do it again. I promise." Asa murmurs.

My hands are sweaty and my nails have left crescent marks in the palms of my hands again from digging my nails into them. And suddenly I can't take it anymore. I can't keep watching Asa being lectured for punching Shaun when he did it for me.

"Dad," I step into the clearing and all three of them turn to look at me.

Asa's eyes widen and he shakes his head, silently begging me not to say anything. Deb looks surprised that I'm not in class and Victor's eyes have already settled on the stains in the front of my clothes.

"H-he punched that guy because of me," I choke out. "The guy – Shaun – he dumped my food on me and-"

"Oh my God, Callie," Victor grabs me and pulls me into a hug.

I struggle to get out of his grasp because the food on my clothes is probably getting onto his but he doesn't seem to care. He only holds onto me tighter while I try to pull away. My throat closes up as my mind flashes to my father. He used to hug me the same way, his strong hands around my back, comforting and ardent. He probably sees his brother in me when he looks at me. I know because I see my father when I look at him.

"What have they done to you?" he whispers into my hair and then pulls away. "I won't stand for this."

He turns around as if he's going to march into the principal's office and tell him off so I grab at the hem of his shirt. He stops in his tracks and turns to tell me to let go.

"Please don't," I beg him. "Mr. Hobb probably won't do anything and if he does, they'll only pick on me more."

"She's right." Asa steps in. "He won't remove it off my record because I did punch someone. Complaining will only make it worse for her. Those kids are animals."

Victor looks at Asa and me in turn and Deb is already trying to dab off excess food from my chest. He huffs and walks into his office anyway and I feel like I'm about to faint.

"I can't believe they're still bullying you," Deb tells me and leads me to a chair on the other side of the hall. "Do you want to change schools?"

"Mom." I try not to smile.

She always thought it was best for me to attend regular school because being homeschooled wouldn't give me as many opportunities. Her asking me whether I want to change schools makes me feel warm inside. It means she cares about me enough to move to another city but I can't do that to the rest of the kids. They'll all have to change schools and move to a different city and Shale only just started school. It would be hard on Lennon because not all schools had the right programs for children with learning disabilities and Trixie would throw a fit. Deb and I sit in silence and Asa paces the length of the hall. After ten minutes, Victor stalks out of the office, purposely banging the door hard which makes us all flinch.

"Come on," he tells us. "We're taking you both home early today."