at what point should i have done this the first time? so during fermination(?) i take the lid off the bucket and take a second reading?
not knowing what the first reading was is there any way to tell by taking a reading now if i killed the yeast?
First off, never be embarrassed about asking a question on this site. Sure you will run into the occasional jerk, but the Mods are very quick to shut those idiots down... This site is for all brewers, new and old. So ask away. However, that being said, lots of questions can answered very quickly by checking out the sticky threads. I personally don't mind responding to the same question over and over again, but you will run into the occasional smart alec "just read the sticky or wiki" reply.
Ok, second. Considering you have a pre-packaged kit, you are almost assuredly going to have the OG stated on the package unless: A) you completely missed the water volume, B) you didn't add all of the ingredients, or C) you had an all grain kit and had poor efficiency.
Third, you can tell if you have fermentation by: A) not always reliable, but airlock activity is a sign. b) a hydrometer reading approximately one week after should show a significantly lower gravity than the advertised OG. C) a krausen still present is dead give away.
Fourth, you probably only killed your yeast if you pitched way too warm... IOW if you pitched when the wort was hot to the touch(not just warm), you likely assassinated the little critters.
Finally, you will know if you have an infecton (just look at examples on the "Post your infection" thread). As far as killing your friends, like the other poster said, unless you're adding poison to your wort, there is nothing that can survive in beer that can hurt a person (obviously assuming you had some fermentation).
cheers
