File under "massive miscalculation"

So I missed one very important detail about Josh and the apartment of late, which is how he's been getting in.  He lost his key at one point or another, and he's been climbing in through a window he leaves perpetually cracked in the living room.  I'd missed this, since I don't make a habit of watching him walk into the house, but I had it pointed out to me by the neighbors.

I've been working this past week, so I haven't been home during the day.  However, Wednesday when I got home there was a green card in the door from CPS informing him that they "missed" their scheduled appointment that day and to please get in touch with them Thursday or Friday.  He's been cleaning like a fiend the past few days I've been at school, but there's only so good that place is gonna get.

Thursday I ended up responding to a couple of work emails and got bogged down, so I resolved to spend the morning doing work from home that needed to be done.  As I was in the kitchen getting a second cup of coffee, I heard a crashing sound.

I looked out the window, and a car had just pulled into the driveway.  The woman from CPS I'd spoken with was getting out, along with a large, burly, bald man.  Josh's van was in the driveway - I'd missed him coming in, but he couldn't have been here that long.

I sipped at my coffee and stayed at the window.  I was ready to head out, but couldn't with the way that CPS and Josh were both parked in the driveway.  And I didn't want to miss this.

However, I didn't have to wait long.  CPS was in the apartment a grand total of three minutes before they went back out to their car, got in, and left with a great deal of haste.  Josh slammed the door, got back in his van, and blasted a rap tune as he rolled out of the driveway.

I went down to my car and headed off to school - I had Parent Information Night for Leadership Academy that evening, and I was prepped for a long night at school.

Around 7pm, I got a text from my next door neighbor's daughter showing a window from my building tipped off the track and falling inside.  "Send these to the landlord.  We called the cops, but they can't do anything."

"Holy crap!" I texted back.  After a few texts, the group of parents I had in the library moved on to a different section of the school, and I was able to call.  Turns out Josh had knocked the window off-track while climbing in frantically to beat CPS to the door so they didn't have to watch him break in.  I'm guessing the three-minute visit didn't go well, and that's why he stormed off without fixing the window.

"Can you fix it?  No one can get in touch with the landlord."

I'm at parent night for at least another hour, I told her.  I can't do anything.

"Well that sucks.  Any ideas?  That busted window is really freaking my mom out."

I told her I'd leave the landlord a message at his DJ gig that night, and I'd take a look when I got home.

I finally made it home about 9:30, and found the window was back on track and pushed into position.  That's odd, I thought.  So I texted the daughter, and told her it seemed to be fixed.

"Yeah, his mom came down after the landlord called her.  She shoved it back into place while he watched.  She just doesn't want to be charged for broken stuff."

I don't blame her, I said.  I'll keep you posted if I see anything else.

I was about to go up to my apartment, when something occurred to me.  Closed.  For the first time in recent memory...

I pushed up against the window.  Locked.  Solid.  As were all the other windows.

Well, that should quiet things down here for a bit.  A serious miscalculation that could make the drama take a turn.

Epilogue - they did stop by today, but only to get their mail.  Should certainly be interesting to see where it all goes from here.