Dana Matherson is a bully who regularly terrorizes students at Trace Middle School. As the new kid in school and one who weighs under 100 pounds, Roy finds himself on the receiving end of Dana's torments. On the bus one day, Dana puts Roy into a dangerous choke hold, and Roy can hardly breathe. To save himself, Roy punches blindly behind him and over his head and connects with Dana's nose, breaking it. Roy gets called before the vice-principal, Miss Hennepin, to account for his actions. She is able to see the bruises on Roy's neck, so she knows he tells the truth about Dana choking him. Roy is punished by being suspended from the bus for two weeks and having to write an apology letter to Dana.

Dana, however, receives no punishment from the school. Because Dana has received such a severe injury, the school fears his parents might sue the school. In order to keep Dana's parents from stirring up any trouble, the school "decided not to take disciplinary action against Dana Matherson." In the end, however, Dana is sent away to juvenile detention when he is lured into trespassing on a false tip from Roy. Although the school doesn't give Dana what he deserves, Dana eventually gets his comeuppance.