Johnny Blithe sucked in his bottom lip. He was fighting the tears, but they were winning. He kept his fists clenched and his knees locked. The harder he fought, though, the more he failed.

Steven, the neighborhood bully, grinned his evil grin as he pressed his heel harder into Johnny's foot. His evil grin penetrated Johnny's core and with final resolve Johnny brought his arm back and swung. Steven's nose exploded in a haze of red and Johnny felt instant relief as the weight of Steven's heel left his foot. Steven fell backward and landed on Mr's Hadley's lawn. Luckily she wasn't home and wouldn't call Johnny's mother to report the incident. Steven cried and Johnny stared in disbelief as the boy who he thought was impenetrable continued sobbing. He was certain that Steven cried more from shock than pain, but he wasn't staying around long enough to ask.

Johnny ran. His house was behind Mrs. Hadleys so all he had to do was pass the metal gate to her backyard and crawl over the five-foot fence that linked the two properties. He hoped that the back door was still unlocked as he bounded up the short stairway. To his relief, it was, but standing on the other side of the door was his father.

There was an awkward silence as Johnny's father realized that Johnny was trying hard not to cry in front of him. While trying not to embarass Johnny, his father quietly placed his hand on Johhny's little shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. That was all Johnny needed. He jumped into his father's arms and wailed until he couldn't anymore. Life finally started making sense.