"This here's the story bout Billy Joe and Bobby Sue..."

What a Saturday we had! Looking back now, it's a little funny. In fact, if it would have happened to someone else, it would have been funny by Sunday.
Braden was not having a good day. It was JJ's birthday, and in spite of my efforts to pay a lot of attention to Braden, he didn't take too well to having someone else in his own house have the limelight. He didn't do anything major, just lots of annoying shit all day long.
He and JJ got into an arguement about where their bike ride should end - which is no big deal, right? But, Braden has to fight dirty in every arguement and he called JJ the N word, and in the midst of their arguement said that he wished he'd never come into our lives. So, obviously, Braden got grounded.
That afternoon, Keith and JJ were going to go to Walmart so JJ could spend some birthday money, and I wouldn't let Braden go because of his behavior earlier. This didn't sit well with Braden, so he pitched a royal fit. Tried to block Keith from leaving the driveway, threatening to run away, standing in the front yard screaming his head off like a three year old. I told him that if he didn't come in the house, I was going to call the police because running away is illegal. But, what I didn't realize is that Braden had the phone outside with him. So, to be a wiseguy, he decides to call them himself. He dialed 911, but then quickly hung up when he thought better of it. TOO LATE!
Of course the police call back, and I explain that it was just my son being a wise guy. They insist on sending a patrolman over to check. REWIND to about an hour before all this when Braden had a bloody nose (he gets them occasionally), but didn't come in the house, so there were blood drops all over my sidewalk and porch, and all over the front of Braden's shirt.
I quickly made him jump in the shower and am about to wash the blood off the sidewalk when the cop car pulls in. By this time, Braden's hysterical that they're going to take him away. I explain to the officer what he did, but he wants to talk to Braden. I go up to the shower and coax Braden to come down and talk to the cop...but, of course I have to talk extra sweetly to Braden because I have a cop in my living room. While Braden's coming down the stairs, a second cop car pulls into the driveway. Oh, and it's in the middle of a beautiful Saturday afternoon, so all the neighbors are outside - kids playing, men lawn-mowing, etc.
They give Braden and lecture on what 911 really is for, ask him if he feels safe, tell him that he can't get that angry every time he gets grounded, because at 13, he has a lot of groundings coming up. Braden kept staring at me the whole time he's talking to them, like he's checking with me for his answers. It was awful.
The cops left, walking right over the bloody sidewalks, and for the rest of the day I kept waiting for Child Protective Services to come back and arrest me.
I think I can honestly say that it was one of the worst days of my life. If the cops hadn't believed him, I could have lost my job, we could have lost JJ, and lord only knows what could have happened to Braden.