Free Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser

then.”
    We parted and went off in opposite directions. What Tyler couldn’t see was that the grin was still on my face all the way down the hall, and into my next class.
    There was a message from PBleeker waiting for me at home that afternoon:
I was surprised you didn’t point out that Hitler didn’t act alone. He needed a lot of help to kill six million Jews. I wonder if Adolf Hitler ever actually killed anyone himself. The weird thing is, you can almost imagine the Nazis were like the most popular high-school clique, lording it over everyone. Then you’ve got the regular high-school kids, who would be the equivalent of the rest the German population. And then you’d have the outsiders, people like Maura, oppressed and ridiculed like the Jews were, to the point where even the regular kids are afraid to associate with them. Anyone who does is scorned as a sympathizer, just like some Germans were labeled Jewish sympathizers. If you look at it that way, Madison, you’re a Nazi. And I have to believe that’s not the way you want to be.
    Not true , I told myself. It’s just one person’s distorted view. Someone who doesn’t know what it’s like. Someone who only imagines they know . But it was also creepy, because now I knew that PBleeker was in Mr. Osmond’s class.

Str-S-d #9
    I wish Adam Pinter would die, because he embarrassed me in class today. It would set a good example. It would be justice. And Courtney Rajwar, too. Because she can’t be bothered to be nice to me, while you can see how incredibly important it is for her to be part of the in-crowd, and how hard she works at it. It’s just gross the way she sucks up to the popular kids and totally ignores people like me. Like we don’t even exist .

    10 Comments
Ru22cool? said …
Done anything to improve your looks yet, complainer?
Str-S-d said …
Go to hell, Ru22.
IaMnEmEsIs said …
Dreams do come true.
Realgurl4013 said …
You go, giiirl! You’re a jeeerk, Ru22.
Ru22cool? said …
Oh, wow, Realgurl, that really hurt! Ow, ouch, ouch! I’m in suuuch pain! Loooser.
ApRilzDay said …
What is WRONG with all of you? You’re like a bunch of five-year-olds. And listen, Str-S-d, seriously? You know about KARMA, right? Obviously, writing and wishing someone would die isn’t as bad as doing it, but it still sends NEGATIVE ENERGY into the world. And it’s also not good for YOU personally. People are attracted to POSITIVE people, and you’re not exactly being positive when you’re wishing someone would die. The same goes for the rest of you. Got that, Ru22cool?
Ru22cool? said …
Drop dead.
Realgurl4013 said …
I know negative people can be a drag. But sometimes you can’t help it. If people are really mean, you know?
ApRilzDay said …
I don’t see how being mean back will make anything better.
Str-S-d said …
It makes me feel better.

chapter 11
    Saturday 7:04 P.M .
    I SPENT HOURS on Saturday afternoon trying to pick an outfit for Safe Rides that night, wanting to look good for Tyler without being obvious about it. The same went for makeup. Just a little bit of eye shadow, mascara, a touch of blush and lip gloss. I wasn’t used to spending so much time on my appearance, and the longer I stared at my reflection in the mirror, the more nervous I felt.
    By dinnertime I’d lost my appetite, even though the hearty scent of stew had spread through the downstairs rooms. In the kitchen, Mom and Dad were sitting at the table speaking in hushed voices. As soon as they saw me, they stopped. Mom gave me a nervous “I hope you didn’t hear what we were talking about” look. Then her expression changed, becoming more open and curious when she saw that I was wearing new jeans and an oatmeal-colored cashmere turtleneck. “Don’t you have Safe Rides tonight?”
    I knew instantly what she was implying. “Is it that obvious?” I asked, dismayed by the possibility that I’d overdone the clothes and makeup.
    “Maybe only to me,” she said, “because