Crossing kingdoms las ve.., p.8
Crossing Kingdoms--Las Vegas, page 8
“You are invited to my birthday party and baptism, Dante,” Lil smiled ever so sweetly at him. “And you HAVE to come!” she added firmly.
“Lil, he doesn’t have to come. He can choose,” Kim reminded, and Lillian started to pout.
“It’s ok, li’l Lil,” Dante winked at her with his non-black eye, making her blush, “I’d be happy to come to your special days.”
She was ecstatic, and her parents were impressed too. They figured a teenage boy would have no interest in going to an eight-year-old’s birthday and baptism, and they smiled at the happiness he was bringing to another one of their daughters.
After dinner and clean up was done, Beth and her parents all drove Dante home, to his real home this time. They wanted to help him in and meet his mom. He made sure to text her a heads up that they were coming as she always wants to feel presentable. When they arrived, Ella came out of her room to greet them. She was dressed in denim shorts and a white silk blouse and seemed anxious and jittery.
Dante walked over and hugged her as she began to weep when she saw him and the wounds on his face. “Oh, my boy! My boy!” she cried as she gently touched each bruised and bandaged part of him that she could see.
Once Ella had regained composure, Dante introduced his mom to Beth and her parents. She emphatically thanked them for taking care of her boy and invited them to sit down. They visited for about twenty minutes, mainly talking about Beth so Ella could get to know her, and it seemed like the least uncomfortable topic.
Kim explained the care instructions they had received from the hospital and said that Dante was already doing much better than he had been, not mentioning the miraculous healing. Dante could share that sacred experience with his mom on his own time if he wanted.
The Blacks excused themselves to return home, and Dante and Beth had a quick hug under the awkward watchful eye of the three parents. Since Dante would not be at school the next day, Beth promised to call him when she got home after school.
After the Blacks had left, Ella tenderly guided Dante to sit on the couch with her. Looking him sharply but lovingly in the eye she immediately questioned why he had been in the fight, since he hadn’t wanted to get into details over the phone when he called her earlier that day. He was still hesitant to tell her the truth and tried to dodge the issue by saying he had been out for a run and the other guys were just looking for trouble.
She wasn’t buying his story and kept pressing him. He finally confessed that it was in defence of the obscenities said about her and Beth because of her line of work. Hearing that her job was the cause of pain for him yet again broke her heart. She knew he had been in fights before because of her job but it had never been this bad. The pain in her heart was overwhelming her and she began to emotionally withdraw as guilt flowed through her. “I’m so sorry, my boy,” she whispered and gently squeezed his hand.
Dante managed a small smile in return. He was exhausted and Ella seemed very unsettled. When Dante asked her about it, she claimed she was just not feeling well. Though sensing there was more to it than that, he didn’t push the issue. He desperately wanted to be alone.
Once they said goodnight, Dante climbed into bed and took inventory of the state of his body, noting his discomfort had greatly decreased. Sleep was rapidly drawing him in as he whispered out loud, “It worked. Thank you, God; it worked.” And then he was out.
Sleeping for most of the day on Monday, Dante woke up around 2:00 in the afternoon with immense hunger. Holding his breath in anticipation of moving, he carefully rolled out of bed and discovered he was still not experiencing any pain. Testing his limits, he stretched his arms high and wide, bent over, and took as deep of inhales as his lungs would hold. The only discomfort was when he tried to twist his torso, which pulled on his cracked ribs.
“Holy crap!” he exhaled. It was incredible to him as he clearly remembered the intensity of the pain just the day before.
Walking to the bathroom, Dante could hear his mom on the phone in her room. She was clearly upset about something, but his grogginess prevented him from hearing what she was saying. When she heard the bathroom door close, she ended the phone call and was waiting in the kitchen for her son when he came out.
“How are you, my boy?” Ella asked with forced cheerfulness.
“I’m fine. Hungry, but fine,” Dante answered. “Mom, what’s wrong?” turning the question back on her.
She was clearly surprised at his directness and tried to claim she was fine too.
“I can tell you are upset. Are you ok?” he asked again.
“Yes, son. Everything is fine. Just some business stuff. No big deal.” It was obvious she was not going to give him any real explanation. “Here, sit down, let me make you some food.”
Dante sat at the kitchen table with a glass of juice and watched his mom as she made him some scrambled eggs and toast. She quietly hummed to herself, trying to calm her own tension, and attempt to convince Dante that everything was fine. She tidied up while he ate and joined him at the table once he had finished.
“How did you sleep,” she asked out of concern and to diminish the awkward energy between them.
“Good,” he replied. “I don’t remember waking at all and feel pretty good now.”
She smiled at him, “I checked on you a few times and you were out cold. That’s good, it helps with the healing. I can see the swelling is going down in your face too. How is your pain level? Do you need any medication?”
Dante stiffened at that question. He remembered his concerns about bringing it into their home, and the promise in the blessing from Elder Hansen that he would not need it and should not bring it home. “No, I am not in any pain. And I am not taking any medication. I left it all at Beth’s house. I am not bringing that into our home.” His answer had a hint of bitterness to it, but he wanted to make it clear that there would be no access to meds for her.
Ella was taken aback by the coldness of his response. “I ... I was asking out of concern for you, Dante. That’s it.”
Trying to relax his voice, he replied, “Ok, well, I’m fine. But I want you to know that it’s not even an option for you to be tempted by. I didn’t want to do that to you. I know you have worked really hard for your sobriety.”
Her smile showed love and her eyes expressed pain. “Yes, you are right. I have worked hard for it, and I’m doing well. Thank you for thinking of me. And I am very happy to hear you are not in pain. If that changes, let me know and we can arrange to get you even just a couple of pills for relief. I will stay right out of it. Beth can bring them directly to you.”
“Ok, thanks mom.” Dante was not wanting to talk about this anymore. “Thanks for the food too. I think I’m going to watch a movie for a bit. Beth should be calling me soon when she gets home from school.”
“Ok, my boy. I have a meeting to go to before work tonight. There are some leftovers in the fridge that you can heat up for dinner. I’ll make sure there is more for you to easily eat again tomorrow. I know your hand isn’t in great shape for cooking. Just rest as much as you can.” Standing and tenderly kissing the top of his head, she left to get herself ready.
Dante stretched out on the couch mindlessly watching the movie, waiting for Beth’s call. She should be home in less than an hour and he was looking forward to hearing her voice. He drifted off to sleep about 30 minutes into the movie and woke up around 5:30pm. Worried he had missed her call while he was sleeping, he checked his phone and saw there were no notifications. Disappointed and wondering what had prevented her from calling him like they had planned, he debated whether he should call her but decided against it.
He heated up his dinner and restarted the movie he had just slept through. Distracted by Beth’s silence, he climbed into bed after the movie and sent her a quick text saying he hoped she’d had a good day and that she can call at any time that night if she wanted. He only got a brief reply from her later as he was drifting off to sleep.
CHAPTER 10
Although Dante had declined to press charges against the guys when he was still in the hospital, the officers determined the school should be apprised the situation. Due to the severity of violence that occurred, the police wanted the boys’ behavior monitored. Before school began on Monday morning, the police arrived to meet with the principal. As the meeting took place inside, around the back of the school the same three guys had found Beth and her friends and began harassing them with the same defilements they had taunted Dante with.
“We know the price is high for virgins like you,” one jeered as they had the girls cornered, “but maybe we should teach you a few things so you can be ready for what’s to come!” They were backing the girls into an alcove, and graphically describing what they could do to them. The guys disgustingly chuckled with each escalating comment, but this was not a joke.
Beth and her friends yelled at them to back off and tried to push them away, but it only fueled their assaults. Kat and Jess stood in front of Beth as most of the obscenities were directed at her. Standing so close that the girls could feel the breath of their accosters on their face, they pleaded to be left alone; the guys continued to laugh in mockery.
“We’re just having some fun, girls. Why don’t you relax?” another teased.
Stroking their faces, lifting fistfuls of hair to deeply inhale their scent, and whispering vulgarities, they continued to barrage the girls. One guy in particular really wanted to get to Beth, but Jess and Kat pushed him back refusing to let him through, protecting her despite the fear and assaults they were experiencing themselves.
“You know, it all starts by exposed shoulders,” Beth’s vile pursuer mocked the girls’ modesty as he grabbed the sleeve of Kat’s shirt and yanked it down, ripping it slightly at the neck and uncovering her soft skin. He laughed as he reached toward her and sarcastically breathed an exaggerated “ooooh” of implied scandal. Kat knocked his hand away, which smacked into his bandaged and broken nose. He let out a yelp of pain and anger, and Kat started screaming even louder.
Record them, Beth heard in her mind. Without questioning the thought, she pulled out her phone and discreetly recorded the harassment. As things were getting worse, a group of students came up after hearing the girls’ screams. Seeing the desperation in their faces, the group intervened by questioning the guys, letting the girls get away and find a teacher to help.
The group surrounded the three guys in the alcove and an argument broke out as the guys were trying to take off before they got in trouble. More students began to make their way toward the scene to see what was going on. Word quickly spread that the guys had been attacking Beth and her friends. These guys were well known for their troublemaking, and rumors of their fight with Dante had been rampant. And now that they were attacking girls, the gathering crowd had no intention of letting them go this time.
Running to the office, the girls saw the principal saying goodbye to the police. Being so distraught and pleading for help through their sobs, the girls couldn’t adequately explain what had happened and motioned for the adults to see for themselves. The principal and officers followed them outside to where the guys were still cornered and tried to disperse the crowd to get to the core of the problem.
“What is going on here?” the principal demanded.
Beth was in mild shock and still couldn’t find her words, but Kat was able to describe what had happened. Of course, the guys denied the extremity of what Kat was saying, claiming instead they had just been joking around and the girls were taking things too seriously.
“No!” was all Beth could say. She brought out her phone, and with a trembling hand played the video she had made of the harassment. Everyone was surprised she had that proof, especially the guilty. After reviewing the video, the police and principal escorted the boys to the office and took Beth’s phone for evidence, promising to return it once the video had been logged.
Beth and her friends went to see the school counsellor before going to class. They had the option of going home for the day, but after some good crying and hugs between them, they decided to remain at school. The parents had been called and were deeply concerned and tried to convince their girls to come home, but they felt that in order to regain their courage they needed to stay and face the day. And they would do it together.
After the principal had executed the expulsion, the boys were taken to the police station and charged with sexual assault as the girls were clear they wanted to press charges. Beth’s recording would be vital to the charges sticking in court.
At the end of the day the girls met up outside, waiting for their parents to come rather than taking the bus, and were relieved to have made it through such a difficult day.
“I can’t thank you both enough for protecting me!” Beth was overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude to her best friends. She shuddered to think what might have happened if she had been alone. “I am so sorry you had to deal with that. I will be forever grateful. I love you both so much!”
“We love you, Beth. We couldn’t let them get to you,” Kat asserted and paused considering how to say what else was on her mind. “But what about next time if you are alone? Dante doesn’t seem like the safest guy to be involved with,” she continued with caution.
Jess and Kat had been there when they found Dante beaten on the weekend, and Beth had explained it was because Dante was defending her. She had also told them they were now officially a couple, which caused a lot of concern from the friends.
“Why, Beth? He isn’t a member of the Church, and likely never will be, knowing his background,” Jess added rather judgementally. “He has been involved in so many fights over the years, and because of him we all faced danger that likely wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for him and his connection to that awful industry. Why do you want to be with him and risk so much?” Jess’s words stung, but she wasn’t totally off base.
“It’s not his fault, Jess,” Beth defended. “He hates that industry. And you don’t know him like I do – he is good. I can sense his spirit and God has confirmed to me that he is good. I don’t know if he will ever join the Church, but that doesn’t change the quality of person he is,” she was getting worked up trying to convince them. “I feel good when I’m with him; amazing actually. I know there are some risks with being with him, but at this point I’m trusting my heart which tells me that it’s worth it - he’s worth it.”
“But even if he hates the industry, you can’t deny the influence it would have had on him his whole life, giving him a completely different moral standard. What are you going to do when he starts pressuring you ...?” Jess argued.
“Stop! I know what you are thinking, and you can rest assured my parents have already had this conversation with both of us, very bluntly I might add,” Beth continued her defense. “He knows my standards and he respects me.” Her emotions were building to a boil, feeling judged by her friends. After the day they had, she did not want to have to defend herself against her friends too.
“We’re sorry, Beth,” Kat tried to defuse the situation. “We aren’t trying to hurt you. We are just worried about you, and today has magnified that worry. If you’re sure that Dante is good, and he’s good to you, then we will support you.” Kat gave Jess a clear look to back off. A moment of quiet passed before the girls came together in a group hug. Everyone’s emotions were heightened after the assault, and they needed some time to decompress at home.
Kim arrived a few minutes later to pick up Beth. Once home, Beth and her parents sat down to discuss what had happened. They had only been told a brief version of the incident over the phone in the morning and had been assured of the girls’ safety.
It was hard for Beth to retell the details. Kim and Eric were deeply distraught, understandably, and they knew they had to have another very serious discussion about the impact of Beth and Dante seeing each other. With the violence to Dante on Saturday, and the attack on the girls today, her parents were concerned this would be an ongoing problem.
Beth felt desperately torn. She couldn’t imagine not seeing Dante anymore, but it was terrifying what had happened to her. What would have happened if those other students hadn’t walked by? The thought made her go cold and shudder.
Beth and her parents agreed Dante needed their support and friendship. And after the miracles that happened to him that weekend, they knew God was working in his life, bringing him to a knowledge of God’s goodness. They couldn’t turn their backs on him.
“Mom and Dad, he’s really important to me. And do you remember his blessing? It said God knows his desire to protect the honor of His daughters and that it will happen again. God knows this about Dante and is grateful for him. He is a good guy, and I want to be with him,” she declared with conviction, hoping to convince her parents.
Eric and Kim exchanged a look between them, and taking a deep breath Eric said, “We have always taught you about your agency to choose, and so you are free to choose what you want to do about Dante.”
She knew; the choice was clear. “I choose Dante.”
They discussed ways to try to keep her safe and what dangers to watch for. She would stay far away from those three guys, if she ever saw them again.
By the time they finished dinner and had their Monday Family Home Evening, Beth was exhausted. She was supposed to have called Dante after school but with the chaos of the day and the talk with her parents, she had not had the chance.
She saw he had texted her a couple of times and felt bad she hadn’t responded sooner. Her exhaustion prevented her from telling him what had happened, so when he’d asked about her day she just responded: It’s been rough. I’ll tell you about it another time. I’m OK. Exhausted and need sleep. Talk tomorrow. Goodnight. She ended it with a kiss emoji before turning off her phone and drifting into a restless sleep.
CHAPTER 11
The next morning Dante woke to a text from one of his few friends: Dude, those guys that jumped you were arrested for sexual assault and threatening some girls at school. They’ve been expelled too.
“Lil, he doesn’t have to come. He can choose,” Kim reminded, and Lillian started to pout.
“It’s ok, li’l Lil,” Dante winked at her with his non-black eye, making her blush, “I’d be happy to come to your special days.”
She was ecstatic, and her parents were impressed too. They figured a teenage boy would have no interest in going to an eight-year-old’s birthday and baptism, and they smiled at the happiness he was bringing to another one of their daughters.
After dinner and clean up was done, Beth and her parents all drove Dante home, to his real home this time. They wanted to help him in and meet his mom. He made sure to text her a heads up that they were coming as she always wants to feel presentable. When they arrived, Ella came out of her room to greet them. She was dressed in denim shorts and a white silk blouse and seemed anxious and jittery.
Dante walked over and hugged her as she began to weep when she saw him and the wounds on his face. “Oh, my boy! My boy!” she cried as she gently touched each bruised and bandaged part of him that she could see.
Once Ella had regained composure, Dante introduced his mom to Beth and her parents. She emphatically thanked them for taking care of her boy and invited them to sit down. They visited for about twenty minutes, mainly talking about Beth so Ella could get to know her, and it seemed like the least uncomfortable topic.
Kim explained the care instructions they had received from the hospital and said that Dante was already doing much better than he had been, not mentioning the miraculous healing. Dante could share that sacred experience with his mom on his own time if he wanted.
The Blacks excused themselves to return home, and Dante and Beth had a quick hug under the awkward watchful eye of the three parents. Since Dante would not be at school the next day, Beth promised to call him when she got home after school.
After the Blacks had left, Ella tenderly guided Dante to sit on the couch with her. Looking him sharply but lovingly in the eye she immediately questioned why he had been in the fight, since he hadn’t wanted to get into details over the phone when he called her earlier that day. He was still hesitant to tell her the truth and tried to dodge the issue by saying he had been out for a run and the other guys were just looking for trouble.
She wasn’t buying his story and kept pressing him. He finally confessed that it was in defence of the obscenities said about her and Beth because of her line of work. Hearing that her job was the cause of pain for him yet again broke her heart. She knew he had been in fights before because of her job but it had never been this bad. The pain in her heart was overwhelming her and she began to emotionally withdraw as guilt flowed through her. “I’m so sorry, my boy,” she whispered and gently squeezed his hand.
Dante managed a small smile in return. He was exhausted and Ella seemed very unsettled. When Dante asked her about it, she claimed she was just not feeling well. Though sensing there was more to it than that, he didn’t push the issue. He desperately wanted to be alone.
Once they said goodnight, Dante climbed into bed and took inventory of the state of his body, noting his discomfort had greatly decreased. Sleep was rapidly drawing him in as he whispered out loud, “It worked. Thank you, God; it worked.” And then he was out.
Sleeping for most of the day on Monday, Dante woke up around 2:00 in the afternoon with immense hunger. Holding his breath in anticipation of moving, he carefully rolled out of bed and discovered he was still not experiencing any pain. Testing his limits, he stretched his arms high and wide, bent over, and took as deep of inhales as his lungs would hold. The only discomfort was when he tried to twist his torso, which pulled on his cracked ribs.
“Holy crap!” he exhaled. It was incredible to him as he clearly remembered the intensity of the pain just the day before.
Walking to the bathroom, Dante could hear his mom on the phone in her room. She was clearly upset about something, but his grogginess prevented him from hearing what she was saying. When she heard the bathroom door close, she ended the phone call and was waiting in the kitchen for her son when he came out.
“How are you, my boy?” Ella asked with forced cheerfulness.
“I’m fine. Hungry, but fine,” Dante answered. “Mom, what’s wrong?” turning the question back on her.
She was clearly surprised at his directness and tried to claim she was fine too.
“I can tell you are upset. Are you ok?” he asked again.
“Yes, son. Everything is fine. Just some business stuff. No big deal.” It was obvious she was not going to give him any real explanation. “Here, sit down, let me make you some food.”
Dante sat at the kitchen table with a glass of juice and watched his mom as she made him some scrambled eggs and toast. She quietly hummed to herself, trying to calm her own tension, and attempt to convince Dante that everything was fine. She tidied up while he ate and joined him at the table once he had finished.
“How did you sleep,” she asked out of concern and to diminish the awkward energy between them.
“Good,” he replied. “I don’t remember waking at all and feel pretty good now.”
She smiled at him, “I checked on you a few times and you were out cold. That’s good, it helps with the healing. I can see the swelling is going down in your face too. How is your pain level? Do you need any medication?”
Dante stiffened at that question. He remembered his concerns about bringing it into their home, and the promise in the blessing from Elder Hansen that he would not need it and should not bring it home. “No, I am not in any pain. And I am not taking any medication. I left it all at Beth’s house. I am not bringing that into our home.” His answer had a hint of bitterness to it, but he wanted to make it clear that there would be no access to meds for her.
Ella was taken aback by the coldness of his response. “I ... I was asking out of concern for you, Dante. That’s it.”
Trying to relax his voice, he replied, “Ok, well, I’m fine. But I want you to know that it’s not even an option for you to be tempted by. I didn’t want to do that to you. I know you have worked really hard for your sobriety.”
Her smile showed love and her eyes expressed pain. “Yes, you are right. I have worked hard for it, and I’m doing well. Thank you for thinking of me. And I am very happy to hear you are not in pain. If that changes, let me know and we can arrange to get you even just a couple of pills for relief. I will stay right out of it. Beth can bring them directly to you.”
“Ok, thanks mom.” Dante was not wanting to talk about this anymore. “Thanks for the food too. I think I’m going to watch a movie for a bit. Beth should be calling me soon when she gets home from school.”
“Ok, my boy. I have a meeting to go to before work tonight. There are some leftovers in the fridge that you can heat up for dinner. I’ll make sure there is more for you to easily eat again tomorrow. I know your hand isn’t in great shape for cooking. Just rest as much as you can.” Standing and tenderly kissing the top of his head, she left to get herself ready.
Dante stretched out on the couch mindlessly watching the movie, waiting for Beth’s call. She should be home in less than an hour and he was looking forward to hearing her voice. He drifted off to sleep about 30 minutes into the movie and woke up around 5:30pm. Worried he had missed her call while he was sleeping, he checked his phone and saw there were no notifications. Disappointed and wondering what had prevented her from calling him like they had planned, he debated whether he should call her but decided against it.
He heated up his dinner and restarted the movie he had just slept through. Distracted by Beth’s silence, he climbed into bed after the movie and sent her a quick text saying he hoped she’d had a good day and that she can call at any time that night if she wanted. He only got a brief reply from her later as he was drifting off to sleep.
CHAPTER 10
Although Dante had declined to press charges against the guys when he was still in the hospital, the officers determined the school should be apprised the situation. Due to the severity of violence that occurred, the police wanted the boys’ behavior monitored. Before school began on Monday morning, the police arrived to meet with the principal. As the meeting took place inside, around the back of the school the same three guys had found Beth and her friends and began harassing them with the same defilements they had taunted Dante with.
“We know the price is high for virgins like you,” one jeered as they had the girls cornered, “but maybe we should teach you a few things so you can be ready for what’s to come!” They were backing the girls into an alcove, and graphically describing what they could do to them. The guys disgustingly chuckled with each escalating comment, but this was not a joke.
Beth and her friends yelled at them to back off and tried to push them away, but it only fueled their assaults. Kat and Jess stood in front of Beth as most of the obscenities were directed at her. Standing so close that the girls could feel the breath of their accosters on their face, they pleaded to be left alone; the guys continued to laugh in mockery.
“We’re just having some fun, girls. Why don’t you relax?” another teased.
Stroking their faces, lifting fistfuls of hair to deeply inhale their scent, and whispering vulgarities, they continued to barrage the girls. One guy in particular really wanted to get to Beth, but Jess and Kat pushed him back refusing to let him through, protecting her despite the fear and assaults they were experiencing themselves.
“You know, it all starts by exposed shoulders,” Beth’s vile pursuer mocked the girls’ modesty as he grabbed the sleeve of Kat’s shirt and yanked it down, ripping it slightly at the neck and uncovering her soft skin. He laughed as he reached toward her and sarcastically breathed an exaggerated “ooooh” of implied scandal. Kat knocked his hand away, which smacked into his bandaged and broken nose. He let out a yelp of pain and anger, and Kat started screaming even louder.
Record them, Beth heard in her mind. Without questioning the thought, she pulled out her phone and discreetly recorded the harassment. As things were getting worse, a group of students came up after hearing the girls’ screams. Seeing the desperation in their faces, the group intervened by questioning the guys, letting the girls get away and find a teacher to help.
The group surrounded the three guys in the alcove and an argument broke out as the guys were trying to take off before they got in trouble. More students began to make their way toward the scene to see what was going on. Word quickly spread that the guys had been attacking Beth and her friends. These guys were well known for their troublemaking, and rumors of their fight with Dante had been rampant. And now that they were attacking girls, the gathering crowd had no intention of letting them go this time.
Running to the office, the girls saw the principal saying goodbye to the police. Being so distraught and pleading for help through their sobs, the girls couldn’t adequately explain what had happened and motioned for the adults to see for themselves. The principal and officers followed them outside to where the guys were still cornered and tried to disperse the crowd to get to the core of the problem.
“What is going on here?” the principal demanded.
Beth was in mild shock and still couldn’t find her words, but Kat was able to describe what had happened. Of course, the guys denied the extremity of what Kat was saying, claiming instead they had just been joking around and the girls were taking things too seriously.
“No!” was all Beth could say. She brought out her phone, and with a trembling hand played the video she had made of the harassment. Everyone was surprised she had that proof, especially the guilty. After reviewing the video, the police and principal escorted the boys to the office and took Beth’s phone for evidence, promising to return it once the video had been logged.
Beth and her friends went to see the school counsellor before going to class. They had the option of going home for the day, but after some good crying and hugs between them, they decided to remain at school. The parents had been called and were deeply concerned and tried to convince their girls to come home, but they felt that in order to regain their courage they needed to stay and face the day. And they would do it together.
After the principal had executed the expulsion, the boys were taken to the police station and charged with sexual assault as the girls were clear they wanted to press charges. Beth’s recording would be vital to the charges sticking in court.
At the end of the day the girls met up outside, waiting for their parents to come rather than taking the bus, and were relieved to have made it through such a difficult day.
“I can’t thank you both enough for protecting me!” Beth was overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude to her best friends. She shuddered to think what might have happened if she had been alone. “I am so sorry you had to deal with that. I will be forever grateful. I love you both so much!”
“We love you, Beth. We couldn’t let them get to you,” Kat asserted and paused considering how to say what else was on her mind. “But what about next time if you are alone? Dante doesn’t seem like the safest guy to be involved with,” she continued with caution.
Jess and Kat had been there when they found Dante beaten on the weekend, and Beth had explained it was because Dante was defending her. She had also told them they were now officially a couple, which caused a lot of concern from the friends.
“Why, Beth? He isn’t a member of the Church, and likely never will be, knowing his background,” Jess added rather judgementally. “He has been involved in so many fights over the years, and because of him we all faced danger that likely wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for him and his connection to that awful industry. Why do you want to be with him and risk so much?” Jess’s words stung, but she wasn’t totally off base.
“It’s not his fault, Jess,” Beth defended. “He hates that industry. And you don’t know him like I do – he is good. I can sense his spirit and God has confirmed to me that he is good. I don’t know if he will ever join the Church, but that doesn’t change the quality of person he is,” she was getting worked up trying to convince them. “I feel good when I’m with him; amazing actually. I know there are some risks with being with him, but at this point I’m trusting my heart which tells me that it’s worth it - he’s worth it.”
“But even if he hates the industry, you can’t deny the influence it would have had on him his whole life, giving him a completely different moral standard. What are you going to do when he starts pressuring you ...?” Jess argued.
“Stop! I know what you are thinking, and you can rest assured my parents have already had this conversation with both of us, very bluntly I might add,” Beth continued her defense. “He knows my standards and he respects me.” Her emotions were building to a boil, feeling judged by her friends. After the day they had, she did not want to have to defend herself against her friends too.
“We’re sorry, Beth,” Kat tried to defuse the situation. “We aren’t trying to hurt you. We are just worried about you, and today has magnified that worry. If you’re sure that Dante is good, and he’s good to you, then we will support you.” Kat gave Jess a clear look to back off. A moment of quiet passed before the girls came together in a group hug. Everyone’s emotions were heightened after the assault, and they needed some time to decompress at home.
Kim arrived a few minutes later to pick up Beth. Once home, Beth and her parents sat down to discuss what had happened. They had only been told a brief version of the incident over the phone in the morning and had been assured of the girls’ safety.
It was hard for Beth to retell the details. Kim and Eric were deeply distraught, understandably, and they knew they had to have another very serious discussion about the impact of Beth and Dante seeing each other. With the violence to Dante on Saturday, and the attack on the girls today, her parents were concerned this would be an ongoing problem.
Beth felt desperately torn. She couldn’t imagine not seeing Dante anymore, but it was terrifying what had happened to her. What would have happened if those other students hadn’t walked by? The thought made her go cold and shudder.
Beth and her parents agreed Dante needed their support and friendship. And after the miracles that happened to him that weekend, they knew God was working in his life, bringing him to a knowledge of God’s goodness. They couldn’t turn their backs on him.
“Mom and Dad, he’s really important to me. And do you remember his blessing? It said God knows his desire to protect the honor of His daughters and that it will happen again. God knows this about Dante and is grateful for him. He is a good guy, and I want to be with him,” she declared with conviction, hoping to convince her parents.
Eric and Kim exchanged a look between them, and taking a deep breath Eric said, “We have always taught you about your agency to choose, and so you are free to choose what you want to do about Dante.”
She knew; the choice was clear. “I choose Dante.”
They discussed ways to try to keep her safe and what dangers to watch for. She would stay far away from those three guys, if she ever saw them again.
By the time they finished dinner and had their Monday Family Home Evening, Beth was exhausted. She was supposed to have called Dante after school but with the chaos of the day and the talk with her parents, she had not had the chance.
She saw he had texted her a couple of times and felt bad she hadn’t responded sooner. Her exhaustion prevented her from telling him what had happened, so when he’d asked about her day she just responded: It’s been rough. I’ll tell you about it another time. I’m OK. Exhausted and need sleep. Talk tomorrow. Goodnight. She ended it with a kiss emoji before turning off her phone and drifting into a restless sleep.
CHAPTER 11
The next morning Dante woke to a text from one of his few friends: Dude, those guys that jumped you were arrested for sexual assault and threatening some girls at school. They’ve been expelled too.
