Dennis Cookman is the biggest bully at Sweet Valley Middle School. Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, along with the whole sixth grade, are trying to figure out what to do about him. When Dennis smashes Jimmy Underwood's bicycle, some of the kids feel he's gone too far.
Just because Dennis is bigger and older doesn't give him the right to pick on the sixth graders. Something has to be done to stop this bully once and for all! That's when Ken Matthews comes up with the perfect dare that will expose Dennis Cookman as the coward he really is.

"You little twerp!" Dennis screamed at Jimmy Underwood. "I'd like to bash you once and for all and put you out of your misery."
Tears ran down Jimmy's face. "They made me tell! I didn't want to!"
Dennis threw him down with disgust. "You all make me sick. I'm going to pay you back for telling on me. All of you!" And with that he stormed off.
"Oh, my gosh!" Elizabeth said as she and Amy scrambled to help the boys. "That was horrible."
Jimmy crouched by the side of the pavement, crying. "He's going to kill me. I know he is," he kept saying.
"Look, Jimmy, we're all in this together," Ken said.
Elizabeth felt absolutely awful about insisting on telling Mr. Bowman. They would have to think of something themselves next time. Something that would make Dennis leave them alone once and for all . . .

Will Jessica and Lila find a way to meet Kent Kellerman? Playing Hookey