Jessica Wakefield just can't stop her wild imagination. Her mother is very ill, and Jessica thinks it's much worse - she might even be dying! Soon, the news spreads all over Sweet Valley Middle School. Elizabeth, Jessica's twin sister, is furious, but Jessica loves being the center of all that attention.
Even the teachers feel sorry for Jessica, and they let her skip her homework and be excused from tests. And now, Jessica has the chance to get the lead in the musical - if she can manage to take advantage of everyone's sympathy just one more time.

"Hi, Lizzie," Jessica said as she hopped off her bike. "What's up?"
"Why did you tell Caroline Pierce that Mom is dying?"
Jessica's mouth fell open. "Dying! I never said that!"
"Well, what did you tell her?"
"Let's see . . . I guess I told her that Mom is sick. And that we're not sure what's wrong with her."
"Let's see . . . I guess I told her that Mom is sick. And that we're not sure what is wrong with her."
"Jessica, how could you? You know how Caroline loves to stretch the truth. Homeroom hasn't even started yet, and she's already told half the school that Mom's dying!"
Jessica gasped. She felt shocked and embarrassed. But at the same time, she couldn't help feeling just a tiny bit pleased. Over the last few days she'd been so worried about her mother she could hardly stand it. I deserve a little sympathy, she thought. We both do.

Will Dennis Cookman get away with bullying the entire sixth grade class? The bully