There were no repeats of the playground incident over the next couple of months, at least not to that scale. This was mainly down to the fact that the Tye School playground provided many places to stay out of the way and hide. However, it didn't stop the low level bullying inside the school. A couple of times, Tim tried to trip Sean up in the halls when migrating between classes and then there was the threat of Eddie walking in the other direction, stopping to deliver a punch or the threat of one. What was worse as that Eddie's actions were getting noticed by some others who not only encouraged him further but thought it would be cool to join in.

If being on constant look out for bullies wasn't bad enough, the lousy New Jersey weather deprived Sean and Jeremy of their hiding places in the school playground. Lunch breaks were now confined to the gymnasium where the main activity was basketball. The IT Suite was available but the demand for it was extremely high. Therefore, there was little opportunity for Sean and Jeremy to use it. Instead, the two friends spent most of the winter lunchtimes playing Top Trumps or other card games on the bleachers.

For a few weeks, they seemed to draw no attention from anyone. Then, one day, while Sean and Jeremy were engrossed in their game, they didn't notice Eddie and his pals encircling them, ready for the kill. “Aren't you a little old to be playing that game?” Eddie asked mockingly.

“What do you expect from two sweeties?” John chortled.

Suddenly, Eddie snatched the cards out of Sean's hand. “It figures, it's Star Wars,” he said patronisingly before he threw the cards into the air.

“They're my cards!” Jeremy exclaimed in near horror.

“Well maybe if you didn't hang around with weirdoes, then this wouldn't happen,” laughed Eddie.

“Maybe they're just a couple of homos,” John added.

After it seemed that the tormentors had finished with their fun, Sean got up to retrieve the scattered cards. As he stood, he felt a sudden push from behind, the force sending him stumbling over one of the benches and almost head first into another one. “Ah, enjoy your trip?” teased Tim who had obviously pushed him. Once the tormentors finished with their fun, they left their targets t to pick up the cards. Once every card was found, Jeremy pointed out to Sean, “Your lip is bleeding.”

Two days later, after having to endure a lecture about horseplay on the bleachers from the school nurse when she addressed Sean's cut lip, his explanation of being pushed falling on her deaf ears, he was summoned to Mrs. Hinton's room. He had suspicions as to why his English teacher wanted to see him and he knew it wasn't about his English work. Ever since the shooting, Mrs. Hinton headed the school's anti-bullying programme. It was believed that ever since the shooting, she felt responsible because Mark Leversee had been her pupil and that she felt she should have done more to address the bullying he had been subjected to. For Sean, that could be the only reason why she wanted to see him.

He felt angry about it. Jeremy or someone fron the anti-bullying group must have seen one of the attacks from Eddie and his crew and reported it to the teacher. Fears of futher retaliation flooded his mind as he walked into the classroom. Following Mrs. Hinton's beckon to sit down, his fears were confirned at the site of the other pupils in the room, all known members of the anti-bullying group. Their stares made Sean feel even more uncomfortable.

“It's been brought to my attention that you are being bullied,” Mrs. Hinton began.

Sean looked at the teacher and shrugged lethargically. Even though she was a few years from retirement, she still taught with the zeal of a newly qualified teacher and she put that same zeal into her anti-bullying group. She might have been barely five feet tall but her commanding presence mde her appear gigantic. Still, Sean didn't want to admit the truth.

“No, I'm not getting bullied,” he denied. “Who told you that?”

“I did,” rang out a voice from the back of the room.

Sean turned toward the speaker who turned out to be an eighth grader named Darren Kirby. Sean's questioning look was met by Darren's determined stare. “I saw Eddie Greenblatt, John Miller and a few others bullying you and Jeremy Crabtree while you were playing cards on the bleachers the other day. You seemed to be the one they were targeting more. They threw your cards in the air and Tim Pizano tripped you when you went to pick them up. I've seen Eddie Greenblatt go to punch you in the hall and Tim Pizano trip you. So yes, I'd say you're getting bullied.”

Sean looked at Mrs. Hinton who looked back at him with a caring smile. “Okay, maybe those boys are bullying me a little bit but I don't see what you can do about it. I've heard the stories of how bullies or their friends infiltrate this group and report it back to their friends and then they make the victim's life even more hell. I don't want that to happen to me.”

Retaining her smile, Mrs. Hinton returned, “That might have been the case a few years back but this doesn't happen anymore. We make sure that children are genuninely being bullied before they come here. All five of these students here all have been victims of bullying and there are several more who are not here right now. The aim of this group is to support each other. We stick together at school because there is strength in mumbers and if you stick with us, you'll be safe.”

“That might be okay in school but what about after school?” Sean inquired.

If anyone bullies you outside of school, then you can always involve the police,” came the teacher's stern reply.

Seeing he wasn't going to sway Mrs. Hinton nor her group, Sean reluctantly agreed to join them. Every day at lunch and before school, he and Jeremy hung around with the anti-bullying group and he had to admit, that he did feel safer. Even comments from Eddie, John and Tim about being part of the 'Pussy Patrol' didn't seem to phase him and at least the physical stuff had stopped.

A few days later, while at home, near dinner time, there came a knock at Sean's front door. Having not been home long from his job at the boat yard, where he worked on boat engines, Sean's father, Edwin Vandeventer, answered the door to two uniformed police officers and one non-uniformed one. The sight of the officers momentarily took him aback.

Acting as spokesman, the detective began, “Mr. Vandeventer, I'm Detective Dean and these are officers Gregory and Lodge. We have a warrant to search your home.”

“Searching for what?” Mr. Vandeventer demanded to know, taken further aback.

“Firearms,” Detective Dean answered cooly and professionally.

“What guns? We don't have any guns in this house.”

The detective responded trying to be more reassuring, “We know you don't officially own any guns. The reason we have to search your home is because we've had a report that your son, Sean, is getting bullied in school and ever since that shooting at Tye School ten years ago, whenever we receive a report of bullying, we must go and search the home for guns.”

“That's ridiculous!” the father exclaimed. “I have no knowledge my son is getting bullied and it still doesn't mean we have guns in our home.”

Still trying to be soothing, the detctive reponded, “I know it sounds ridiculous but it's protocol thanks to that shooting.”

Without any further resistance, Mr. Vandeventer let the officers in to search the house. The search was quick but thorough and to no one's surprise, yielded no evidence of guns. All the while, Mr. Vandeventer did his best to fight off the anger building up inside him.

“Sorry to have troubled you,” Detective Dean apologised. By the way, does anyone you know, friend or relative have any guns?”

Mr. Vandeventer immediately shook his head.

“Again, sorry to trouble you and he and the two officers left.

Minutes after the police had left, Sean came home. Opening the door and seeing his father's overbearing presence as he stood by the front door unnerved him and he suspected that the was in trouble for something. “We just had the police here searching for guns in our house!” father bellowed. “They told me that you are being picked on in school!”

Before Sean could affrim or deny anything, his father grabbed him by the lapels of his coat and fiercely shook him. Edwin then gave his son a mighty shove backwards. Sean hit the back door with a mighy thud, knocking the wind out of him. As Sean slumped to the floor, Edwin went over and picked him up by his coat again. Giving his son a hard slap across the face, he spat,” What did I tell you? I said if I ever hear you're being picked on, I'm going to pick on you. I'm not having a son who won't stand up for himself. And now because you let kids pick on you, we've had the police here searching our house for guns!”

“Edwin stop!” his mother demanded from behind her husband. He turned around and saw his wife standing behind him, with hands on her hips and that familiar scowl on her face. Tara Vandeventer might have only been five foot two inches tall but at that moment, she appeared like a giant. However, that wasn't enough to deter the enraged father. “I'll decide what's best for our son!” he screamed. “I told you I'm not having a wimp for a son!”

Tara remained unmoved. Seeing this, Edwin turned his attention back to his son who was still on his knees, and barked, “Remember what I said, you stand up for yourself because I can hit you harder than what any of those kids picking on you can.”