Mark came back from school. He went into his room and put his bag down when he saw Benny standing there, "Hello Benny, are you all right? I had a hard day, today. We had to do a lot of work. I enjoyed it although I had to work hard. I like school. How was your day? Benny stood there with tears in his eyes.

"What is the matter can't you tell me?" asked Mark while he was changing his clothes. He turned around and then looked, when he didn't receive an answer, but Benny was gone. "Oh well, I'd better go down and have my tea," said Mark to himself.

Mum was there laying the table and pouring the boiled water into the teapot. Mark put the drinks for his sister and himself on the table, when his sister came in.

"If you Dad would be coming home now we could have our meal. I am looking forward to sit down and put my legs up, today. We were so busy in the store."

They could hear the phone ring and Anne went to answer it. She told her mother that dad would be late and he said not to wait for him but to have their meal.

During the meal their mother said, "you are quiet, Mark. Are you all right? Is something wrong?"

Yes, I am all right. Just tired. We worked so hard."

"Oh well, have an early night. Hope you are not coming down with something. Have you finished? Go upstairs and wash yourself. I'll be up there in a minute."

Next morning Mark woke up and went to the bathroom. When he came back, he saw Benny sitting there. "Hello Benny."

"Who are you talking to?" asked Anne from the half open door.

"You mind your own business," shouted Mark and slammed the door.

"Now stop it you two. First thing in the morning, Anne, if Mark wants to talk up there, he can talk. It is his room and he can do what he wants. Let him be, let him have some space. No more of this. Everybody want a certain amount of space. Have you thought about that? He might be talking to his friends on the phone. So please, Anne, no more. It is not important. Another thing I don't want to have anything like that said outside, understood. The bullies would be only too pleased to hear something like that."

Mark had a gang which gave him a hard time. When his mum said that to Anne he was grateful. He dread going to school but that morning, when he went down the road, there was no sign of them. He relaxed and started to breath easily. His leg was still hurting, where they kicked him, yesterday. They are clever, they hurt where it didn't show. He rounded the corner and almost collided with them.

"You can't look where you are going. W E L L, we have to teach you." They started to make a circle around him. One of them got hold of his arm.

"Let go off me. I got to go to school."

"He wants to go to school," they said and sneered.

"What are you hitting me for?" yelled Bill at Gary.

"I didn't hit you."

"You did, speak the truth. I think I have to teach you a lesson. We don't lie and we don't go for each other. You know that. So, why did you do that? Nobody else is around and this worm wouldn't dare."

"Gary, I swear I didn't. I would never turn on you. You know that."

While they were arguing, Mark tried to go slowly past them but Gary grabbed hold of his arm.

"You stay right here or else. We haven't finished with you yet."

Mark saw somebody coming out of the house, he took his chance and ran. He knew he will pay for it after the school.

After the school he took a round about way home and he was all right. But he knew that sooner than later they will catch up with him.

This morning Mark overslept and his mother rang the school to say he will be late.

As he hurried down the road he saw them waiting in a distance. "Oh no, that as well,' he thought. He had no choice but going down that way and hoped for the best. As he got closer he could see how they got ready.

"Hello Mark, late aren't we? Where have you been all these days? We have been waiting for you." They started to close in on him and took his arm.

"Let go of me. I am late for school."

"We know and you will be later still because we have to deal with you avoiding us."

A stone flew and hit one of them in the back.

"Hey, what was that? Where did that come from?" They looked around but couldn't see anybody."

"Right, back to you. If we let you go what will you do for us? Will you join my friends?" Another stone hit another one. They exchanged meaningful glances and two of them looked around again, while the others held Mark.

"We have asked you a question. You don't seem to listen, do you?" and a whole lot of sand flew into Gary's mouth. He spat and spat, while he gave them the sign to let Mark go.

To save their 'respect' one of the gang said, "right, that will be all for now. We will see you after the school. Then we have got time to settle you and sort you out. Tell your friends to come out of hiding and show themself if they dare. You are nothing but a lot of cowards," and he put on a big show of power and they all moved away.

Mark had an awful day, at school, because he was later than expected, after his mother called.

He went home again in a round about way. One corner before the last, Mark went round and there they were. A stone came flying and hit one of the gang.

"Still having your friends around. You are all cowards," Gary yelled. Bang, another stone, "Right, now we are getting serious. How many of them? Come on, out with it. Game is up. We have been patient with you but it's finished now. You want it that way, you get it that way." Wag, a lot of sand was in his mouth before he could close it.

"Your friends are nothing but cowards, like you. Now back to business. Are you joining us? Did I hear a yes? I didn't hear... Bang another stone.

"Right, we catch you where your friends can't hide. Then we will see what you have to say," said Gary and grabbed hold of Mark's arm. He pulled it backwards and before he could pull it upwards he had another sand thrown into his face.

"Where did that come from? You are not turning against me? You are supposed to be watching where they are."

"We wouldn't turn against you. How could you say a thing like that?"

"Look had any of us got sand on their hands?"

"I wouldn't advise you. You saw what I do to cowards and I will do that to anyone who will cross me. Now what we do tomorrow. We will go down on the Green Way early, check out everything to make sure there is nobody hiding. He has to come through that way because it is the last bit of his way home. The Green Way has only houses on one side, but his friends won't hide there. The other side of the road is wide open where they can't hide. I will see you tomorrow about two o'clock there," said Gary and walked off.

When they met up again and searched the Green Way, they felt all sure of themselves and strutted and swaggered about.

"Now, we know nobody is around, right. When I deal with him, you will keep your eyes open in case one of them moving in quietly."

They saw Mark coming and him getting pale. Mark knew this time he will be in for it.

"Hello Mark, that wasn't very nice what your friend did yesterday. Oh well, you have to pay for it. Everything has to be paid for..." Bang. "I have told you to watch and tell me."

"I watched but saw nothing. The stone came from there. It was already half way when I saw it. Honest."

"All right, all right, we talk about this later," said Gary and giving Billie a menacing glance.

Gary turned to Mark again and said through his teeth, "right, tell your cowards to..." and he wiped the sand off his face. He was boiling mad but had to control himself not to loose his dignity in front of the gang. He lifted his foot to give Mark a real hard kick on his legs but slipped with his other leg and flew.

"Right, who done this to me? I thought I could trust you all," Gary said through his teeth, eyes blazing with menace and looked from one to the other. Nobody dared moving.

Billie then went up to Mark and said, "you really asking for it now, You have upset my friend and I won't forget or forgive. We will go now and because we are really upset, we will catch you when you won't have your cowards nearby. We will have you and you will pay."

"Hello Mum, " said Mark when he got home.

"How did it go at school? They rang me and asked where you were? What took you so long?

"i walked slowly."

"Walked slowly? You must have walk on the same spot."

Later on, Mum said to Anne, "I think our Mark is being bullied. Can you check it out? Without Mark noticing."

"I will see what I can do, leave it to me."

When Mark went upstairs to wash and change, Benny was there.

"Hello Benny, how are you? What a day."

"Hello Mark, I had a very good day. I had a good kick about and great fun. I just waited to see you and to say hello but I got to rush off. I will be seeing you, bye."

Mark was hoping for a good talk with Benny after all this. He never had a chance to say two words.

Next day, after school, there were four of them but no Garry. When Mark saw them he went pale. He thought, 'Oh well, it only can go one way or the other. They won't leave off me.' Mark could see a car parked further down the road. Too far to see if he knew anyone of them. He thought, ' they must be waiting for someone.' As Mark came up to the four guys, they just walked past him. What was going on?

When Mark reached home and went into his bedroom he said to Benny, "Hello, I am so glad to see you and I would like to have a good talk."

"Why, what happened?"

"There were four of them and I really thought I was in for it. As I came up, they went past me. I can tell you I was shaking but tried not to show. I knew that was to intimidate me and they will be back." Benny just listened, nodded and looked at Mark.

Three days nothing. Not a sight of them. The fourth day Gary stood in front of Mark and said, "Right, today it is it. Yes or no? You know what we talking about. I am not wasting my time anymore. If it is yes, all right, if it is no, we have to deal with you."

Mark was all jelly inside. He couldn't fight three of them. He saw a car parked further down the road with people in it.

"Right, since you don't answer, we are taking it for no."

They started to move in on him. Then one of them stumbled and crashed onto the ground. The other was hit with the end of a branch and he stumbled and fell. Mark couldn't believe his eyes. He thought that people in the car got out but no they were still there. The first one tried to get up, but a lot of sand flew into his face. The other laying there winded and his face was rubbed into the dirt. Garry just stood and looked absolutely flabbergasted. Mark took his chance and ran off.

All over sudden Mark had an idea and a feeling. When he went into his bedroom, Benny was there and laughing his head off.

"Hello Benny, thank you very much. You are a real friend."

"I can't stand bullies. I was killed by a bully and I knew they come after you. But now they had enough and they are scared. You will be all right from here on. I got to go and help that other kid now. I will be coming to see now and then. I also keep my eye on that gang."