There aren't enough superlatives to describe my agent, Holly Root, and my editor, Donna Bray, so I'll just say: Wow. It is a true honor to work with you. And I am grateful to everyone at Waxman Leavell Literary, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Balzer + Bray for bringing this book to life.

To my mom: It's not an exaggeration when I say you're the best mom in the history of anything, ever, and I love you more than even makes sense.

And to Andy and Calvin, what can I say? You've made my dreams come true.

Author's Note.

This book is entirely a work of fiction, but it was inspired, unfortunately, by true stories-and one in particular.

In January 2010, a young student at South Hadley High School tragically took her own life. I went to college in South Hadley, and a dear friend of mine works at the high school, so the event was particularly upsetting-though of course even more so for the families in that small community, who quickly saw their lives turned upside down by a precedent-setting lawsuit against six other students at South Hadley High, accused of bullying and harassing the girl who killed herself.

I couldn't stop thinking about the girls on both sides of this story. And I couldn't stop thinking that, no matter what the accused bullies had done, surely they couldn't have intended for anyone to lose her life-surely no one is that vicious. But we do all have our moments, and our limits. We've each felt deeply hurt by the actions of others; we've said things we regret.

It made me incredibly sad-and still does-that the kids in these stories are kids. As a teenager you're so close to being an adult, and in many ways you have all the responsibilities of one. But you also-or you're supposed to-have your whole life ahead of you too. It's the time we try new things and make mistakes. It's the time we get deeply hurt, say hurtful things, and learn to apologize. It's the incredibly crucial time when we learn that other people are also hurting, are also victims. We learn that life is complicated, and our version of the story isn't the only version.

I wish we had better tools to deal with bullying. I certainly don't know what the answer is, and I know the problem grows more complicated as our methods of communication grow vaster and more unwieldy. But it seems to me that there's always more to the story-at least two sides, if not four or seven or one hundred. And I believe that everyone deserves to be heard.

Other resources.

Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories.

edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones.

Seventy YA authors share honest and personal accounts of their own experiences with bullying-their role as the silent witness, victim, and culprit.

Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy by Emily Bazelon A comprehensive, thought-provoking exploration into the many facets of bullying in schools, through the stories of three young people.

"I Choose" Anti-Bullying Campaign.

http://whatdoyouchoose.org.

Powered by yoursphere.com, "I Choose" is a social media campaign that encourages young adults to recognize that bullying is a choice. The site shares stories and videos from real-life teens about their personal experiences with bullies.

Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere (STRYVE) http://vetoviolence.cdc.gov/stryve/ STRYVE, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiative, aims to prevent youth violence between the ages of ten and twenty-four. STRYVE Online is a resource for families, communities, and individuals that provides videos, experts, and other forms of guidance to help promote youth violence prevention techniques.

PACER Center's Teens Against Bullying.

www.pacerteensagainstbullying.org.

A program coordinated by the National Bullying Prevention Center created to help teens learn about bullying, how to respond to it, and how to stop it.

DoSomething.org A nonprofit organization that centers on young people, ages thirteen to twenty-five, who are determined to make social change happen. The bullying and violence campaign provides resources and encourages awareness about cyberbullying, child abuse, verbal harassment, among many other causes.

Wouldhavesaid.com A website that gives people a chance to express something important to family and friends who have passed away or with whom they have lost contact.

Bully A 2011 film directed by Lee Hirsch that follows the lives of five students troubled by bullying. The film promotes the anti-bullying movement, inspired by the director's own experiences.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

The Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides twenty-four-hour, toll-free, confidential crisis counseling and mental health referrals. 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

About the Author.

Photo by Abby McAden.

AMANDA MACIEL is a senior editor at Scholastic. She lives with her husband, young son, and their cat, Ruby, in Brooklyn, New York. Tease is her first novel.

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