"I wasn't popular before I got locked up in Straight Inc., the notorious "tough love" program for troubled teens. But when you're psychologically beaten for sixteen months, you start to absorb the lessons. The lessons in Straight were: You are evil. Your peers are evil. Everything is evil except Straight, Inc. Before long, you're a true believer. And when you're finally released, sent back into the world, you crave safety. Crave being back in the warehouse. And if you can't be there, you'd rather be dead. This is the story of my return to my high school. This is the true story of how I didn't die."--Provided by publisher.

Companion to: The dead inside.