Chapter 73: De-escalation

August 25, 2001, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Birgit

Mom hung up the phone and turned to look at me and suddenly, I knew she wasn’t happy.

“Do you have something to tell me, young lady?” Mom asked in ‘that’ tone of voice.

“What?” I replied, trying to be careful about how I sounded.

Dad looked at me and his eyes made me feel like I was doomed. He could always see right through me. But it was Mom I had to deal with.

“That was Mrs. Matthews,” Mom said. “Would you care to explain what happened today?”

There was only one thing I could do at this point if Paul’s mom had called, and that was to answer truthfully. But I was going to make sure Mom knew WHY it had happened.

“Paul and his friends were spreading rumors about Cynthia so we put a stop to it.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask,” Dad said, shaking his head.

“I’m not!” Mom declared firmly. “Start talking, young lady!”

I took a deep breath and let it out. I was sure Dad would side with me, but I also knew that he wouldn’t stop Mom from deciding what to do about what my friends and I had done.

“You know what he said to Heather last year, and then a couple of weeks ago he told his friends Cynthia had done that for him. They started spreading rumors about her, so the girls all agreed to a way to make him stop!”

“Which was?” Mom asked.

“Cynthia invited him over and promised to do it. She had him go into the bathroom to undress by saying she was going to get into the bed. When Paul came out naked we were all there.”

I saw on Dad’s face that he was struggling to keep from laughing, but I knew if he did that, or if I smirked, it would make Mom even more upset.

“And the camera?” Mom asked.

“To make sure he never, ever did it again!” I declared.

“Camera?” Dad asked, obviously having trouble containing his laughter.

“Libby’s dad has a digital camera. She’s using Photoshop to make sure you can’t see Paul’s private parts.”

“That could get you all in VERY serious trouble,” Dad said. “Kara, before you do anything more, Birgit needs to call Libby and tell her to delete those images from the camera and the computer, and not save any copies, Photoshopped or not. Libby or her parents could be arrested if anyone finds out.”

“Do what your dad said,” Mom instructed, nodding to the phone.

I went to the phone and dialed Libby’s number, and fortunately, she answered right away.

“Hey, it’s me,” I said.

“Hi, Birgit!” Libby exclaimed. “The pictures are perfect!”

“Dad says you have to delete them from the camera and the computer. He says you and your parents could be arrested!”

“Whoa! Wait! How does he know?”

“Mrs. Matthews called and talked to Mom. They know what happened.”

“Shit! Shit! Shit!”

“Just erase the pictures, Libby. Seriously. Make sure.”

“I will. How much trouble are you in?”

“Enough.”

“Who else did they call?”

“I’m not sure. Mom is giving me a look so I have to go. Bye!”

“Bye!”

I hung up the phone.

“She said she’s going to delete them,” I said. “Who else did Mrs. Matthews call?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Mom said. “And that’s not really important right at the moment. I’d like you to go to your room and think about what you did. We’ll discuss the repercussions later.”

Arguing would only get me in more trouble, and letting Mom and Dad talk was the best way to minimize the fallout, so I just nodded, left the kitchen, and went upstairs to my room.

🎤 Steve

I struggled so hard not to laugh because Kara was so serious, but once I was sure Birgit was out of earshot, I let it out.

“VERY helpful, Snuggle Bear” Kara groused. “She saw you thought it was funny and that made her certain she’s going to come out of this OK.”

“Come on, Kara! It’s perfect! Right out of one of those dumb college or teen movies. Well, minus taking pictures which would have been far less of an issue in the 80s than it is now.”

“You think it was OK?”

“I think it was exactly what was necessary to make Paul realize the error of his ways. Having a bunch of thirteen or fourteen-year-old girls laughing at you naked is a serious deterrent to spreading rumors about those girls! Whether it was wise, well, I suppose that depends on what Mrs. Matthews had to say.”

“She told a slightly different story, but I suspect Birgit’s version is more likely the accurate one.”

“Who did Mrs. Matthews call?”

“Cynthia’s parents, then here. She knows Birgit is the ringleader.”

“EVERYONE knows that Birgit is the ringleader! What else did she say?”

“She wants a meeting of all the parents to discuss the situation.”

“That’s better than calling the police. What do you plan to do about your daughter?”

“Oh, now she’s MY daughter?” Kara asked petulantly.

I chuckled, “I’m not the one objecting to her behavior! But you know I’ll back you one hundred percent. So?”

“It was a brilliant plan, and perfectly executed,” Kara smirked. “Until Paul’s mom saw how upset he was and basically forced him to tell her.”

“Setting aside Birgit for the moment, at this meeting, Paul’s behavior HAS to be the main topic. Yes, the girls are responsible for their actions, but this is the third time something like this has happened with that kid. You don’t see Jesse or Birgit behaving that way. I’d be curious to see if Paul has discipline problems at school.”

“I think he does,” Kara replied. “I’m not sure, but something Birgit said a few months ago kind of implied it when the girls were talking about staying away from Paul.”

“I suspect Paul and his friends are going to have real trouble finding dates for school dances,” I said with a smirk.

“Subtlety isn’t usually a personality trait of fourteen-year-old boys!”

“I knew when to shut up and let the chicks roll in,” I said smugly.

“Men!” Kara huffed.

I chuckled, “Hey, I learned that keeping my mouth shut got me laid a LOT, and the braggarts got nothing!”

“And you got WAY more than you bargained for with me!”

“Do you hear me complaining?” I asked.

“No. So, your daughter?”

“MY daughter?”

“Yes, Mr. Cuddles,” Kara replied smugly. “YOUR daughter.”

“I think explaining to her how what they did could have gone terribly wrong, and still might, if Mrs. Matthews were to decide to call the police, is sufficient. I don’t think the girls overreacted, and except for the camera, all Paul did was suffer a bit of embarrassment and humiliation which might make him reconsider his boorish behavior.”

“No punishment?”

I shrugged, “I don’t see the point. Just talk to her.”

“What if Mrs. Matthews does call the police?”

“Well, given that none of the gang is over the age of consent, and the pictures were erased, I don’t think there’s much that the police would do. DCFS might look into it, which would suck, but I think in the end, given they’re all between thirteen and sixteen, assuming Rachel was in on it, I don’t think anything would come of it.”

“Should we call Melanie?”

I shook my head, “I don’t think so. Let’s wait to see what Mrs. Matthews has to say. Do you know when she wants the meeting?”

“Tomorrow afternoon. She’s calling the other parents. I guess Cynthia named names.”

“You need to ask Birgit who was there, and then call each of the parents. The quickest way for this to go wrong is for the meeting to turn into a shouting match. The girls’ parents all need to simply admit it happened and say they’re handling it by talking to the girls and meting out an appropriate punishment, which is going to vary from family to family. And that can be kept private, too. Mrs. Matthews has no right to know how each girl is dealt with, just that the parents are taking this seriously. And there needs to be a unified front that Paul needs to stop acting like a complete idiot.”

“Takes one to know one?” Kara inquired with a smirk.

“I may be a ‘dumb boy’, but I was never a complete idiot. The joke Paul made would have worked if the only ones who heard it were our kids or cousins. He didn’t pay attention to his audience. Jesse makes those kinds of jokes, but he does it in the right circumstances - one-on-one, or with a VERY select group. Birgit is a bit less circumspect, though she’s learning.”

“Yours was cherries on sundaes?” Kara asked with a smirk.

“That was one of my main ones, but it was always in a situation where at worst I’d get told to ‘behave’.”

“And at best, you’d have MORE cherries!”

“Perhaps,” I chuckled. “Go speak with OUR daughter, find out who else is involved, and call them. They may have already poisoned the well depending on how they responded to Mrs. Matthews’ call. I’ll finish the dishes.”

“OK.”

🎤 Birgit

I was sitting in a basket chair Mom had bought me for my room. I really liked curling up in it with a book, but today I was just waiting for Mom. I hoped Dad had talked her ‘off the ledge’ as he called it and I didn’t get in TOO much trouble because Paul deserved everything he got! He and his friends were all dumb boys, and they all thought they were cooler than everyone else. They weren’t.

About five minutes after I came to my room, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” I called out.

The door opened and Mom came into the room, closing the door behind her.

“I spoke with your dad, and together we agreed that Paul misbehaved, but that what you and your friends did wasn’t an appropriate response. First of all, taking the pictures was a terrible idea because of the trouble it could cause for all of you girls and certainly Libby’s parents. Second, because humiliating someone is never appropriate. Do you understand that?”

“Yes, Mom,” I said, trying my best to sound sincere.

“What you girls should have done is talk to grownups - a teacher, a parent, or someone else you trust. You know your dad and I would help you, and I’m sure MC or Ms. Czerwinski would have helped as well.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t do that.”

“Mrs. Matthews is arranging a meeting of the parents tomorrow afternoon. I want you to stay in the house until after that meeting, please, and don’t talk with your friends until after the meeting.”

“That’s it?”

“So long as you promise to talk to someone appropriate in the future. Paul might need help, and to be honest, what you did might have hurt him badly and made it less likely he’ll change his behavior.”

I frowned, “We thought he’d stop because of what we did.”

“And he might,” Mom said. “But it also might make him worse.”

“I hadn’t thought about that.”

“Obviously,” Mom replied flatly.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” I said, meaning it.

“I know. And you should probably apologize to Paul, but I want you to wait to do that until after the meeting.”

“Seriously, Mom?” I asked. “Apologize?”

“Yes. Remember what dad always says?”

“Actions have consequences.”

“Correct. And?”

“That I’m responsible for what I do no matter what anyone else does.”

“Also correct. So?”

I sighed deeply, “I’ll apologize when you think it’s time for me to do so.”

“And set a good example for your friends by doing that.”

“We don’t want to hang out with him or his friends.”

“Nobody says you have to! But that doesn’t mean you don’t treat them with basic human decency.”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Good. That’s all I have to say on the matter. Remember what I said about staying in the house and not talking to your friends. And that means in person, on the phone, via the computer, or using SMS.”

“Yes, Mom,” I replied, stifling a sigh.

“Or smoke signals,” Mom said with a smirk.

“I got it, Mom! I think Dad might be suspicious if I lit a fire in the fireplace in August!”

“Perhaps,” Mom replied with a smirk.

“Thanks, Mom,” I said.

“I need to know who was there.”

I gave her the names, then got up from my chair and went over to her. We hugged and then went downstairs.

August 26, 2001, Chicago, Illinois

🎤 Steve

“Did you hear the news?” Jessica asked me when she came down to breakfast.

“You mean about the plane crash in the Bahamas?” I asked. “Or the emergency landing in the Azores because they ran out of fuel?”

“The one in the Bahamas.”

“It was in the paper. I’m assuming you saw it on CNN?”

“Yes. The reports said the plane never gained altitude.”

“What plane?” Ashley asked, coming into the kitchen.

“One the singer Aaliyah was on,” Kara replied.

“She died?!” Ashley gasped. “No! I love her songs and her videos!”

“Yes,” I replied. “Her plane crashed while trying to take off in the Bahamas.”

Ashley rushed to Kara for a hug.

“Any details?” Suzanne asked quietly.

I shook my head, “No, but it was a twin-engine Cessna 402, and they listed the pilot and eight fatalities, so I think the plane had to be overloaded. I’m pretty sure that plane can’t carry a pilot, eight adults, and whatever baggage they might have had.”

“So pilot error?”

I shrugged, “If the plane was overloaded, that’s what I’d call it. But like all plane crashes, we wait for the NTSB or whoever it is in the Bahamas who investigates. It might well be the NTSB, but it could be they have some arrangement with the UK because of their history.”

“I saw Aaliyah on Star Search when I was eight or nine. She was on with Gladys Knight.”

“I first saw her in Romeo Must Die, which we watched back in January. And of course, I bought Ashley her albums.”

“What do you think about what happened with her and R. Kelly?”

“I think it’s none of my business,” I replied. “In that sense, I agree with her song Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number.”

“Dad?” Stephie called out.

“Yes?”

“What time are we leaving?”

“Right after you eat some breakfast.”

“I’ve missed Nicholas!”

“I know. But he’ll be staying in Albert’s room starting today, so you’ll get to see him every day! Now, eat, please, so we can go to O’Hare.”

We finished our breakfast and then Stephie and I headed to O’Hare so we could meet Nicholas’ flight from Sweden.

“Is Nicholas going back to Sweden for Christmas?”

“Yes. Tom and Bethany decided they were going to stay there.”

“And Nicholas will go back when school’s out?”

“Yes. And we might visit them, but we’re not sure yet.”

“How old do I have to be to get married?”

“Eighteen,” I said, not wanting to get into the whole ‘parental permission’ discussion. “But you should think about college first. And you know Nicholas wants to join the Navy.”

“I know. I talked to Aimee when she was here and the only way I could go with Nicholas is if we were married!”

“Let’s wait to see what happens, OK, Little Bunny Rabbit? You’re only eleven, so you have seven years to think about it. Are you ready for school to start in two weeks?”

“Yes! I’m going to be in sixth grade!”

“And it seems like only yesterday when you were a baby,” I replied.

A song by Aaliyah came on the radio and Stephie reached over to turn up the volume.

“Do you know how her plane crashed?” Stephie asked.

“No,” I replied. “They’ll have to do an investigation. We might know more in a few days, but usually, it takes a couple of months before they finish, sometimes longer.”

“Ashley was really sad because she really liked Aaliyah’s music.”

“She’s very sensitive. We always thought you were the most sensitive one.”

“I have four brothers,” Stephie said, rolling her eyes. “That’s enough to drain the sensitivity from anyone!”

I laughed hard, because she had a VERY good point. When we arrived at the airport, I was happy to see that Nicholas’ flight was shown as landed and fifteen minutes later, a pretty blonde SAS flight attendant came out with Nicholas in tow. Stephie squealed and ran to him to hug him, and I followed more sedately. I showed my ID to the flight attendant, who checked her paperwork.

“Thank you, Mr. Adams. You’re all set!”

“«Tack så myket för din hjälp!»” I replied. (“Thanks so much for your help!”)

She laughed and smiled, “«Var så god! Hur är det at du kan svesnka?»” (“You’re welcome! How is it that you speak Swedish?”)

“«Jag var utbyteselev för några år sen och har rest till Sverige flera gånger.»” (“I was an exchange student a few years ago, and I’ve traveled to Sweden several times.”)

“«Göteborg?»”

“«Precis!» (“Exactly”)

“Nicholas,” she said. “You’re all set. Thank you very much! You were a perfect gentleman!”

“Thanks, Christina!”

“Bye!” she said.

“Bye,” he said.

Christina walked away and Stephie, Nicholas, and I went to claim his bag. Most of his things were already in Albert’s room, so once we got him home he’d be moved in. Nicholas and Jesse had discussed where Nicholas should stay, and in the end, Nicholas had decided he didn’t want to interfere with Jesse’s love life. I wondered if it wasn’t also partly because that would put him in a room right next to Stephie, but we still had a few years before the hormones kicked in full-force.

When we arrived home, Stephie helped Nicholas take his clothes to the basement to do laundry and Kara and I left for Cynthia’s house where the meeting was being held. Libby’s parents weren’t available because they were out of town, but Kara had convinced everyone the meeting should be held, and she’d convinced the other parents to present a unified front. That turned out to be a good thing because Craig Matthews was irate and his wife, Deirdre, was beside herself emotionally.

“You can’t blame my son for what your daughters did to him!” Craig said angrily.

“And you can’t claim your son is an innocent victim when he sexually harassed our girls for over a year!” Millie Carlson, Leslie’s mom declared. “I know you know what he said to Heather because Joan told all of us at the time! YOUR son was the one asking for oral sex from twelve-year-old girls and telling his friends he had oral sex with a thirteen-year-old girl!”