Hate List

The next day, Valerie decides she is finally ready to visit Nick’s grave. When she arrives, she reminisces about times with Nick before she realizes Duce is sitting on a bench behind her. At first, they blame each other; she accuses him of not recognizing the warning signs, and he accuses her of goading Nick with her hate list. Duce also accuses her of not connecting with her old friends after they also lost Nick, and of selfishly keeping his memory to herself. Duce wants to know what took her so long to find her way to Nick’s grave. She believes Nick, in her memories and in her heart, was too alive to be buried in a cemetery until now. Before Duce leaves, they sit together, sharing their mutual love for Nick.

Before Valerie visits the grave, she fails to tell anyone where she is going, so, when she returns, her mom calls Dr. Hieler and the police. Valerie’s father is also there. When she walks through the door, instead of expressing concern for her safe return, his first words are, “‘You’ve got to stop letting her make us all miserable” (354).