The Sleepover

Teri and I get a text from Elena on Friday at 11:16 AM:
                                        Oh I forgot to ask you guys yesterday, jasmine is having a party at her house tonight at 9:30 and she wants to know if I can go?
       Elena always texts Jasmine wants to know.... it's a little sweet and funny and defensive. What follows is the standard party?
                                     Are her parents going to be there? I make a comment, I thought she tries to stay away from them(her parents)
       Then We get a message from Jasmine on Elena's phone:
                                         Hi it's jasmine, It's not a party party, I don't drink or smoke. Ew. I can't even if I wanted to -heart problem. Anywayyy, my parents won't be home. Well probs with Netflix or hangout on my deck and listen to music.
       I think it was the Ew that swayed me to let her go. Plus as Teri pointed out she can't come home pregnant. Elena texts right after her,
                                        She wanted to give the right information to you guys.
      I ask how late will she be and the reply is they want to do a sleepover. Teri says to be home early tomorrow. Elena says she'll leave early. After it is all agreed to I remember they like to wander around New City, so one last text from me,
                                         THERE WILL BE NO WANDERING TONIGHT. STAY AT JASMINE'S HOUSE!!
       Teri sends a kissy face a few minutes later and it seems to be all set. The about two hours (2:42pm) later Elena texts again.
                                         If I don't sleep over can I stay to eleven?
       Teri asks why won't she stay? Elena replies, just in case. Four hours later (6:43 pm)  a request from Elena,
                                       Jasmine wants to know if I can stay to 12?
      A quick reply of heck no from Teri. The reason is the dogs will wake everyone up. Elena knows this but was trying anyway. Teri texts,
                                       Either stay the night or come home by 11.
      Elena replies, LOL thought so.
     We do get a text at 9:49 of a picture of a hamster that I guess is Jasmine's pet. Elena wants it.
    What happened to stop Elena from staying the night? She'll never tell. Maybe a little discomfort about staying away from her home for the first time. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it? I vote for the first one. My guess is she has a place here at our house that is safe and comforting. It is the only place in her life that she has ever had. There is safety here and she know that she is loved. She'll most likely never say it but she is very attached to us and her home and her life here.
       Now the dumb part. The next morning Elena comes home with two large bruises on her upper arms, one on the left, one on the right arm. I don't remember when I first saw them, but I was too tired to more than just ask about them. Elena explains that she was playing a punching game. I talked with Teri later and told her I was disappointed in Elena playing that game. Teri asks, "When you were young didn't you play stupid games?" I had to nod my head in agreement, because it was true. So I let it go and didn't talk to her about the game. It is better than the other game the play called sweet and sour. They drive around and wave at people, if you wave back you are sweet, if not your sour. I think that is a game that will get them into trouble. Some guy get the wrong idea. 
       So Elena's first sleepover that didn't happen left a few bruises only. All in all a night few will remember and all for the  wrong reasons.














/