Dana, the school bully, just won't leave Roy alone. He's hated him from the moment he first laid eyes on him and has been picking on him ever since. Although Roy is better able to stand up to Dana by using his wits and no longer gets as many beatings on the bus as he used to, Dana still remains a major bugbear in his life.

When Roy finds out from Garrett that Dana's planning to get him before school's out, he starts to take stock of his options. Roy decides that there are three ways of handling the Dana situation. First of all, he could avoid Dana all year. But that's easier said than done. In reality, it would be virtually impossible to avoid Dana, so the idea's a complete non-starter.

So what else can Roy do? Maybe he could report him to Ms. Hennepin, the vice-principal? Roy quickly realizes that this isn't a good idea, either. If he reports Dana, then the worst that'll happen is that Dana will get a stern lecture and then carry on as before.

That leaves just Roy with just one more option, and that's to tell his parents. The problem with that idea is that his parents might respond by taking him out of Trace Middle School and sending him to a private school he has no desire to attend. Going to another school would certainly sort out the Dana situation once and for all, but it would also create a whole bunch of other problems that Roy simply doesn't want to have to face.