And so it goes.....

So at 4 pm I get a call from a mom who hems and haws and tells me Nic's language is a problem, that he was cursing at her son.

Hmm.

I told her that it was unlikely that he would do this unprovoked. Just then, Nic bursts in crying, telling me that B and another boy "a boy in a blue sweater," was picking on him.

The line went quiet, then she yelled her son's name. "I'll call you back."

So I get from Nic that he was cornered and harassed for a second day running by B and this other kid.

Mom calls me about 10 minutes later to apologize.

After hemming and hawing for an hour, I called B's mom. Told her what happened.

She called me back to tell me that B told her that Nic started it. And licked him.

I tell her I'll call her back.

What I had gotten so far was that B blocked Nic into the seat, and Nic told me 'he had an idea' to get free, and licked B, which sounds like something he'd do.

So I called B's mom and said, "Look, basically two stories against one here, I'll talk to Nic about not licking people, but please tell B to stop following Nic around."

She said she would.

Nic is bound and determined to go to the principal--and I realize he might get detention, but I kind of think it wouldn't be a bad thing.

It does bother me that B is a liar. And it bothers me that he will probably get Nic in trouble, but Nic will have to learn how to negotiate this stuff. I have to sit on my hands.

I hate it. But I have to.

The other kid's story does corroborate with Nic's hopefully that will be enough.

Yeah, dopey me. I always expect the truth to will out. Except it doesn't, always.