My car has been off the road this week as it needs major repairs that will cost more than the car is worth so I will have to get a new one in the next few weeks. I usually pick DCs up from school.
The DTSs (Yr 7) secondary school is 3 miles away and the only bus to here leaves from there at 3.15pm so they need to go straight to the bus stop or have to walk. I have given them bus money but one or the other of them has either 'lost' it, did not get to the bus stop in time (dawdling around school) or they decided to spend it on crap and walk.
DTS2 was diagnosed late last year with learning difficulties and in some areas, the cognitive abilities of a 6 year old (he's 12). I really don't know how to deal with him, I admit, as he's an obnoxious little bugger but I know a lot of it is down to his brain function and he can't help it.
Today I told them both to get the bus without fail as I needed to go out and I wanted them home before I did. DTS1 texts me to tell that his brother is not at the bus stop so he's getting the bus anyway. I texted back (he does not answer phone) that he has to wait for his brother as DTS2 does not have a phone (they share one) and I don't want him walking back on his own (quite busy roads) as he has never do so before. Anyway DTS1 was already on the bus so it was done. When he got back he said he could not see DTS2 anywhere.
I waited until 4.00pm which would have given DTS2 enough time to walk back if he was walking and then started to get a bit panicky purely because of his learning diffs and the fact he had no phone. So then decided to start walking to the school expecting to meet DTS2 on the way, hopefully close to home just to settle my mind. He was not anywhere on the road, so I walked the 3 miles quite quickly panicking all the bloody way and arrived at the school (no sign of DTS2 outside) a sweaty, red faced mess smelling a tad BOey which I was 
about and because I wore my Birkenstocks I could hardly walk.
The lady in the office kindly led me around the school to try to find DTS2 and then he walked down the corridor in front of us innocently saying that he had been looking for DTS1 and was just about to start walking. This was almost 2 hours after school had finished (they are open til 5pm for afterschool activities).
I led DS out holding my hands behind my back to stop myself from strangling him and had to spend £10 on a taxi home so I could get back in time to go out again.
I am fucking furious at myself for being so panicky and think I must have looked like a right twat to the office staff. They can't get many parents of secondary school aged DC coming in looking like they've climbed Kilimanjaro panicking because their DC have gone missing. DTS2 is 5ft 9 and a size 10 shoe so no tiddler. Should I have just left it and let him make his own way home? Worried school have marked me down as a complete loony now 
.