Free Misdirected by Ali Berman

can’t tell you how much I miss Mass. I miss trees. You’d never even believe some of the places where I’ve found sand.
    A bomber attacked a bus here yesterday. Twenty civilians dead. Five children. The longer I’m here, the less I understand people. I almost miss the simplicity of high school. You may get stuffed in a locker or sucker punched, but kids don’t wind up dead. Not usually.
    Anyway, just know that as hard as things are there, you’re lucky. Lucky to be safe at home. I can’t wait to get back there. To see you and Mom, Dad and Em. Hug Holly for me. There are so many strays here. They scrape by for food but lots of them look near dead. I saw one getting beaten and had to threaten the guy to let her go. She had stolen some bread from his stand. The Jean Valjean of freaking dogs. Poor goddamn thing. She looked starved. Same colors as Holly. I paid the guy for the bread and then bought her some dog food. Now she visits me every day. I sent Mom and Dad a picture. I wish they let us have dogs in the bunks. I’m thinking of opening a rescue shelter when I get back. For all the dogs like her back home. I’m sick of people, but I like these dogs more each day. Anyway, like I said, hug Holly for me.
    And don’t let the stupid stuff get you down. It’s high school. Do your own thing and learn enough to get the hell out of there. I know it doesn’t seem like it but that’s what it’s about.
    Pete
    No matter how big my problems seem, hearing from Pete always makes me feel like I’m a total self-centered turd bag. I don’t want him to spend his time worrying about me so I write him something that downplays what I’ve been feeling. I write about Tess. But then I delete it. It’s not like being in the army gives him a great dating life. And I don’t want him to feel bad that he’s in the desert without any of the things he used to like at home.
    I keep it general and write:
    Pete,
    Mom is such a big mouth. You’ve got bigger things to worry about at 4 a.m. than me. You and I have one thing in common right now though. We both miss Mass. The crap I’m getting is different than what you probably dealt with. Everyone here is REALLY religious. And they think I’m a bad person because I’m not. But you’re right. It’s just high school. And even though I have to be here the next few years, I’m going to get through it whether people like me or not. I might as well go through swinging. So thanks, bro. Your emails always put my tiny world into perspective. I mean, you’re in a goddamn war! That’s serious. I’m just wussing out over not having friends.
    Anyway, I scanned you a copy of the last Ultimate Spider-Man . Just remember, you may be an awesome hero, but you weren’t bitten by a radioactive spider, so be careful.
    Ben
    PS: I hugged Holly and gave her a treat for you.
    I send the email and then go hug Holly, who is still on my bed, and give her a treat. Then, I consider my options for the day. I could go outside and ride my bike. I could practice some new card manipulations. Or I could get ahead on my homework.
    Normally, that last option would have been a joke, but Pete’s right. If I want to get out of here, I have to make it happen. If I’m not going to have friends, the least I can do is make sure I get into a great college so I can be friends with anyone I want. I’ve always done my homework, but only enough to get decent grades. B’s. Now, I want A’s. I want to be smarter than every goddamn kid in that school.
    I take out my homework assignments. First up is Beowulf . I pull the graphic novel off my shelf and start rereading it. I’ve got a paper due in two weeks. It’s going to be the best damn paper I’ve ever written.
    At dinner Mom asks, “So how are you feeling?”
    â€œBetter. But you don’t have to email Pete every time I feel like