Daniel was not happy. He was in detention again. For some unknown reason his form tutor had obviously taken a disliking to him and whenever he could, for whatever reason he could think of, he would give him a serious bollocking. This time he had been sat next to pupils who were talking while he diligently focused on his work. And of course, Mr Banks immediately took the opportunity to put the blame on him. Daniel was sick of this. He had no idea what he was supposed to have done wrong, but his teacher definitely had it in for him.

"Daniel!" Shouted Mr Banks. "Stop sulking and carry on writing out your lines. You won't want me to make you write out another page would you?"

"No sir" Daniel replied.

What was this guys problem? he wondered.

Daniel had just started senior school a month ago. Mr Banks had disliked him from day one. Daniel remembered this strange moment when Mr Banks first read his name when calling the register. "Daniel Oliver" he called out and as he read the Surname his face transformed into a vengeful grimace. Something was very wrong and Daniel had a mystery to solve.

What made things worse was that Mr Banks was also a P.E teacher. But , of course, when it came to Daniel, he was more like a drill sergeant. It was P.E. tomorrow morning and Daniel was dreading it.

"I've finished writing my lines, sir. Can I go?"

"You'll go when I say you can go! Just for your cheek, you can write out another page of lines. This time you will write: 'I can go home when I'm told I can go home.' Now get on with it and stay quiet!"

Daniel finally arrived home two hours late. His father was sat on a brown leather sofa watching football on Sky Sports. Without taking his eyes off the game he said "Another detention, Daniel!? What's going on with you? And don't keep making up excuses that your teacher has got it in for you. I'm sure he's more professional than that!"

"Dad, seriously, I'm telling you there's something weird going on. I haven't stepped out of line once since starting at Thomas Alleynes. I want to do well at school. You know I want to join the police when I grow up. I need to be on my best behaviour. It's important to me. There's definitely something suspicious going on with that Mr Banks!"

Mr Oliver finally tore his gaze away from the television and stared at his son. His face had gone pale.

"Did you say Mr Banks?"

"Yes dad. Are you ok? You look like you've seen a ghost! Do you know Mr Banks?"

Mr Oliver stood up and slowly moved towards his study, went inside and collapsed into his computer chair at his desk.

"Dad?"

"Not now, son!"

Daniel left his father alone and slumped onto the sofa. Something very strange was happening. Whatever problem Mr Banks had with him it was obviously to do with his father. Daniel felt both angry and deeply curious. It was completely unfair that he should be punished for something he's father must have done in the past. And what had his father done? Whatever it was he certainly didn't want to talk about it. Daniel had never seen his father look like that before. What the hell was going on?!

The studs of Daniels football boots clacked against the tarmac of the cycle track. It was the next day in P.E. and sweat soaked through his top. Daniel excelled at cross-country runs but it certainly wasn't his favourite thing to do. His friend Jack ran alongside him. He was wheezing heavily. "Use your inhaler, Jack."

Jack nodded and pulled his inhaler out from the waistband of his shorts. He put it in his mouth and took a puff, shook the inhaler and took another.

"Any better?" Daniel asked.

Jack returned the inhaler to his waistband and breathed out the words: "Not much."

"There's a short cut up here, Jack." Daniel pointed the way through a gap in a hedge. "Go on. I'll catch up with you. I want to pick up the pace anyway."

Jack smiled at his friend. "Show off! Thanks."

Daniel watched his friend for a few seconds then took off at a good clip. He over took a number of students on the circuit and increased his speed all the more. He was at full sprint when he was coming up to where he was expecting Jack to appear. Daniel reached the point of where the short cut ended and before he knew it Jack was running beside him again a big grin on his face. They raced each other to the finish line and bumped fists.

A piercing, high pitched whistle snapped them out of their elation. They turned to see Mr Banks marching towards them, face red with fury.

"Don't you two think for a second that I didn't see you take a short cut! Just for that you can run another lap! No arguments! Get going!"

"But only I took the short cut!" Jack admitted.

Daniel was taken aback by Jacks integrity and felt a rush of gratitude.

"I know what I saw! Now get going! Both of you!

Dejectedly both boys set off on another lap.

45 minutes into what should have been an hours lunch break, Daniel and Jack sat down in the dining hall, exhausted and famished. They rapidly gulped down their sandwiches desperate to fill their empty bellies despite the fact they knew they'd regret it later. They could add indigestion to their list of grievances: exhaustion, hunger, aching muscles and painful blisters on the soles of their feet. It was obvious Mr Banks wanted Daniel to suffer. But now he was punishing Jack as well. Ok admittedly Jack had done wrong. And Daniel had helped him to do so. But could they really be blamed in the circumstances? Jacks asthma was bad. If he'd pushed himself too hard he could have been in serious trouble. On the other hand he could just have run at a slower pace and let Daniel run ahead of him. Daniel wanted to do well at P.E. so he could be fit enough for the Police Force when he'd finished school. But Jack had convinced Daniel to let him run with him because as Jack put it: "It's no fun running on your own."

Well it was definitely no fun running an extra lap. And they'd given Mr Banks another excuse to make Daniel pay for whatever his father had done. Daniel burned with resentment. What was happening was the very definition of injustice. And justice was the very thing Daniel hoped to grow up to fight for. He couldn't allow Mr Banks to push him into doing something that would jeopardise his future.

"Hey Daniel. Why is Mr Banks always giving you a hard time? You're the best behaved kid in the class. I'm surprised you're not the teachers pet!"

Daniel rolled his eyes at Jack. They were gathering their lunch boxes and getting ready to rush to their next class.

"Seriously though. What is up with that?"

They headed out the dining hall, into the cloakroom where they packed their lunch boxes into their bags, put on their coats, slung their bags over their shoulders, went outside and resisting the temptation to run, walked as fast as possible to their next lesson. Thankfully it wasn't a class with Mr Banks so they could enjoy a reprieve. They sat down together. Jack leaned towards Daniel and whispered in his ear.

"Do you know what Daniel? Maybe we should give Mr Banks a hard time ourselves."

"No!" Daniel said firmly.

"Come on, Daniel. You've done nothing to deserve the way he's been treating you. I'm not the only one who's noticed. My friends have seen it too. And they don't like it! Just say the word and we've got your back."

"No!"

"Why the hell not?"

Daniel looked Jack dead in the eyes.

"Because I don't want the trouble. I need to keep my nose clean. When I leave school I want to join the Police. I want to do something worthwhile with my life. So please! No trouble."

Jack sat back, seeing his friend in a different light.

"A policeman? That's cool! I wish I knew what I wanted do after school. It's hard to know. Ok Daniel. We won't do anything. But if he goes too far, I can't just do nothing. You're my friend."

"Thanks Jack. I'm your friend too. Look I know you mean well but you have to let me deal with this on my own, ok?"

"Ok, Daniel. But we'll be watching. At the very least we can be your witnesses."

"Witnesses! I like that idea. Maybe we could build a case against him!"

"That sounds fun! I feel like I'm in an episode of The Bill."

Daniel and Jack chuckled together.

The teacher glared at them.

"Quiet you too. Focus on your work."

They did just that.

After school Daniel and Jack met up with their friends. They usually walked with each other but this time they had something serious to talk about.

"So what pranks are we going to pull on Mr Banks then?" asked Pete.

"None!" Daniel replied.

"None? I thought we were getting him back for you."

"Not like that. I don't want any of us to get in trouble. I have a plan. It might not be as exciting as pranks but it will definitely be more effective."

"Not as exciting as pranks. That sucks!" Petes friends murmured their agreement.

"Look, you guys might not get this but I know what I want to do with my life. I have an ambition!..."

"He wants to be a Cop!" Jack blurted out.

Their freinds stood there in stunned silence. Daniel felt anxious. He didn't know how they would react. He dreaded being ridiculed by mocking laughter. He held his breath.

Finally Pete and his two friends responded simultaneously:

"Cool!" They drew out the word for longer than necessary.

Daniel breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you gonna be like Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon?" Pete asked.

"Who?" Everyone asked as one.

"Oh! My dad let's me watch old action movies with him. He's got loads of 'em. They're great! We watch loads of Cop movies. Tango and Cash, Beverley Hills Cop, 48 Hours. They're my favourites! My mum will go spare if she finds out though. Apparently their not suitable for me."

After a moment Daniel said: "Ok. This is what I'd like you to do for me. I need you to watch everything Mr Banks does. When he treats me unfairly I want you to write it down in detail. They will be my witness statements against him. Can I count on you?"

"I hate writing!"

"Haven't we got enough homework to do?"

"Sounds boring to me."

"Come on guys!" Jack interjected. "Daniel needs us! And we get to be witnesses to a crime! I mean how can punishing someone when he's done nothing wrong not be a crime?"

"That's a crime, alright, " Pete said.

"Right! And we get to build a case against Mr Banks. We get to help put him away!"

"They're not going to put him in prison, Jack. But I love your enthusiasm!"

"Either way we get to bring him to justice. Just like in The Bill!"

"The Bill? Don't you guys watch anything modern?" Their freind Martin piped up.

"Hey! Just 'cos something's old doesn't mean it's not good!" Pete said.

"Can we please stay on topic, guys!" Daniel said. "Will you help me?"

"Well it's not as exciting as Lethal Weapon."

"PETE! Stay on topic!"

"Ok, ok. I'm in."

Daniel looked at the others. They looked at each other then looked back at Daniel.

"We're in!"

The next week in P.E. Pete and his friends Martin and John were on the look out for any unfair treatment towards Daniel by Mr Banks. They had new notebooks in their school bags just waiting to become witness statements. Their hearts were pumping blood through their veins triggered by an unexpected adrenaline rush. They hadn't even started exercising yet so it wasn't that. It was the anticipation of catching Mr Banks in the act of persecuting their friend. They almost wanted it to happen even though Daniel would suffer. They didn't want him to of course. But they couldn't prove Mr Banks guilt if he didn't do anything. Pete considered just how much courage Daniel actually had. Other pupils would skive off P.E. rather than risk being put through grueling punishments that some might see as being an extreme fitness regime of an over-zealous teacher and others would see as abuse. But Daniel was prepared to bear whatever Mr Banks would put him through in order to bring him to justice. If Daniel could get through this and not allow himself to be broken by his tormentor and stay true to his conviction to stay on the straight and narrow and become the person he wanted to be, he would truly be a hero in Pete's eyes. He was definitely rooting for his inspiring friend.

Pete's witness statement:

Dear Headmaster,

I felt it was important to let you know that my fellow student Daniel Oliver has been treated unfairly by the teacher Mr Banks. I watched as Mr Banks pointed towards Daniel during a bleep test in P.E. He said to him "I saw what you did, Daniel! You disgust me!"

Daniel replied by saying "I haven't done anything."

And he hadn't. Believe me I know because I was watching. I had dropped out of the bleep test early on purpose as Daniel had asked me to keep watch as he expected something like this to happen. You see this has been going on for a while. Mr Banks has a problem with Daniel but we don't know why. Anyway Mr Banks said: "Yes you did! I have eyes. I see everything!"

"What am I supposed to have done then," Daniel had said.

"You know what you did. Now get down on the floor and do 100 sit ups."

Mr Banks gave no reason for this punishment because there was no reason. "You know what you did" was the phrase he used so he could punish him whenever he felt like it.

It was awful watching Daniel suffer through those 100 sit ups. I could see the agony etched on his face with each one and by the end he was drenched in sweat.

Please, Headmaster. I hope you can see just how wrong this is and that you will do what is in your power to bring Mr Banks to justice.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Mills

Peter was sat in the Form class room during his lunch break as he finished writing his statement. A shadow appeared over the piece of paper. Peter looked up. To his horror he saw that it was Mr Banks standing over him.

"What the hell are you writing? Give that to me!" he demanded.

"No sir. This isn't for you," Pete only just managed the courage to say it.

"Don't you dare defy me! I said give it to me!!"

His heart hammering inside his chest, Pete stood up and faced Mr Banks. They were about the same height which boosted Petes confidence just a little.

"No sir!"

The other kids in the classroom were paying attention now. One of their own was standing up to a teacher. The tension in the room was palpable.

"I won't ask you again young man."

The tension was too much for Peter. He could no longer play the waiting game. He couldn't wait to hand in a witness statement. Things needed to be addressed here and now.

"You can't keep treating Daniel the way you have been. He's done nothing wrong and you punish him anyway."

Peter looked around at his classmates.

"Surely you've all seen it too? You can see how wrong it is? Please if you've seen what's been happening you must speak up."

"Shut your mouth young man, so help me or I won't be held responsible."

"Was that a threat, sir?"

One of the other kids stood up. "I've noticed what's been happening. I've got Daniel's back."

"All of you stay out of this!"

Mr Banks grabbed Peter by the arm and started dragging him towards his office. "You're coming with me you little bastard!"

All the kids began shouting in protest. Pete pulled him self out of his teachers grip. Mr Banks swung hard at Peter smacking his cheek with all his strength. There was a thwack that echoed through the class room followed by the gasp of a dozen students.
Peters face stung and he knew that the blow would leave it's mark. He was in shock and tears blurred his vision. But he also knew that the witness statements were suddenly obsolete.

TO BE CONTINUED.....


© Andrew J Sinclair