And This Is How It Went Down...

...Friday night, Nicole brings home her friend, April, and then proceeds to tell me that April's boyfriend, Caleb, has been hitting her. In fact, he hit her at Walgreen's and my child, delicate flower that she is, punched him in the face.

Okay... so, by this time it's after midnight. I have a loooooooooooong talk with April about how she is not to accept this kind of behavior and she is beautiful, intelligent, and valuable. Her goal in a boyfriend should be someone who supports her dreams and is her greatest cheerleader, not an abuser... blah, blah, blah.... crying ensued and all was right with the world. Both girls got a lecture on not accepting this behavior and if it ever happened again, you don't punch people in the face...or take beatings... you CALL THE COPS.

Everyone sleeps. Saturday arrives and the girls eventually wake up and hit the streets. April had to work at 3pm, so at precisely 3pm, I called April's mom to inform her of what has been happening. She was shocked and dismayed. Caleb was very deceptive... no one knew... except the girls and their friends who didn't feel compelled to tell anyone.

April's mom asked me to divert Nicole that evening so she could get to her alone. I agreed and took Nicole to dinner - just she and I. While at dinner, she says to me, "So, why are you taking me to dinner alone?" I told her I wanted to tell her alone that I had told April's mom everything... she says, "Good! I am glad you told her." Whew.

I also said April's mom was going to pick her up from work and talk to her... Nicole says, "No she isn't - Courtney is picking her up." Great. So, I had her call April's mom and tell her. Evidently, it was too late... Courtney picked her up and all the gang (including Caleb) were at a friend's house around the corner from April.

Nicole and I were driving home when Courtney called and said Caleb pushed April down in the driveway and also pushed Courtney. My child wants to call 9-1-1, but I explain to her she can't call about something she didn't see, so we drove straight to April's house, got her mom, and took her to the friend's house. Caleb had fled the scene. April had to confess all to her mother. We took April, Courtney, and Nicole back to Angel's and her mom called the police.

A case was filed. It was hard to get April to tell the cops anything - she didn't want Caleb to "get in trouble." He's a good person when he's not angry. Ugh.

He ran. Can't be found.

He texted everyone. Including my child... telling her things like, "I knew YOU would be the end of us." "This is all your fault."

God, I need a no-drama life for a while.