Author's Note: Though parts of this story will soon contain the name of an actual celebrity, the story is entirely ficitional.
In the Orange Blossom Baptist Hospital, Jon sustained bad cuts and bruises, but thankfully, nothing broken, and no lethal or life-threatening injuries. He was still shaken inside, yet refused to be broken spiritually or emotionally. He was, after all, a Captain, and couldn't afford to be.
He was visited by Sandy, and daughter Hayley, who confessed her own recently experienced unpleasantness. "Nasty notes and something of yours vandalized again?" exclaimed Jon. "That's the third time this month! Last two times, what was vandalized were your textbooks, then your purse, now this!"
"And they all say the same thing," she said fitfully. "That I'm the daughter of a pig, my dad's an oinker, all these threats of violence, blah, blah, blah... it's these anti-cop songs, and these stupid video games they're coming out with, some of the new ones, I heard, have players beating up police officers...using their own body movements. It's so scary what's happening to us! It's like a domino effect, and in my high school, if you're the daughter or son of a police officer, consider yourself strung up by your toes."
Jon turned to Sandy. "Didn't you notify the school?"
Sandy rolled her eyes. "Every time I do, it's always the same. The staff says she's too sensitive, that these thugs are just joking around, kids being kids, that she needs some sort of help, which, of course, is absolute rubbish. I know our child, Jon, just as well as you; she's not mentally or emotionally disturbed, they are. You know the public schools, honey, they're inept as far as the subject of bullying is concerned."
Jon rolled his eyes and sighed, exasperated.
"But there's a speaker coming in about a month. She's going to write a book later on about the subject of bullying and teasing, about how no human being should ever go through it and whatnot. She's on a crusade to let people know that bullying isn't 'just joking around', that schools have been inept too long, and the like."
"We've got to make arrangements," said Jon. "When Hayley gets hurt, so do I, and that's a burden I can't bear. Hayley, are there others in school being teased and abused because their parents are cops?"
"There are only two that I know of, Rick Reilly and Josh Barlow. Rick's dad and Josh's mom are LAPD. Rick had cigarette burns all over his body last time I looked at him in English class. Josh isn't in any of my classes, but he's got black eyes, bruises all over, goodness knows what else, every time I look at him. I overheard him say that being the kid of a cop is a curse."
"No child of a cop should feel that way!" exclaimed Jon. "Sandy, we've got to cook up something, some sort of plan. I want my daughter and these other kids--goodness knows how many there are--to have plenty of protection while in school."
"Dad--!" cried an embarrassed Hayley.
"No arguments out of you," Jon said firmly. "We'll cook up something, I swear it. I'll get Commissioner Getraer involved."
"Maybe LAPD can help," said Sandy. She then turned to a deeply humiliated, blushing Hayley. "At least until this anti-cop song stuff has passed," she attempted to reassure with compassion.
"But if they find out it was my mom and dad's idea, it'll be all the worse for me, and Rick and Josh...!"
"Commissioner Getraer can take credit for the idea," suggested Jon. "He'll understand that you and those two boys may take the rap, so he'll gladly take credit and dish out a little law and order in this high school of yours!"
Hayley didn't at all like the idea...she felt all the worse was going to happen not only to her, but her family.
I certainly hope that speaker comes soon, she thought. Maybe that will help. It's really the only thing that can!