TBH, You Know What I Mean Read online

  Dedication

  For Rhonda,

  unofficial publicist extraordinaire

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Vishal, Prianka

  Boys Are So Clueless

  Prianka, Cecily

  Cecily, Gabrielle

  Boys Are So Clueless

  Miriam, Gabrielle

  IWD!

  OMG

  Gabrielle, Miriam

  Mara, Cecily

  IWD!

  Sage, Prianka

  Miriam, Gabrielle

  IWD! Woo!

  Gabrielle, Cecily

  Hiiiiiiii

  Mara, Cecily

  Eloise, Cecily

  Vishal, Prianka

  Gabrielle, Cecily

  Prianka, Cecily

  VC Crew!

  Whoaaaa

  Prianka, Gabrielle

  Whoaaaa

  Victoria, Cecily

  Prianka, Gabrielle

  Prianka, Sage

  Prianka, Cecily

  VC Crew!!!!

  Cecily, Ingrid

  Ingrid, Cecily

  Miss & Love U Guys

  Ivy, Gabrielle

  Prianka, Gabrielle

  Gabrielle, Ivy

  Gabrielle, Prianka

  Prianka, Cecily

  Miriam, Gabrielle

  Prianka, Gabrielle

  Friends

  Friends

  Mara, Cecily

  Prianka, Cecily

  Prianka, Vishal

  Hiiiiiii

  Hiiiiiii

  Cecily, Mara

  Prianka, Gabrielle

  Prianka, Gabrielle

  Prianka, Gabrielle

  Ivy, Gabrielle

  Glossary

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Books by Lisa Greenwald

  Back Ad

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  Vishal, Prianka

  VISHAL

  Yo

  PRIANKA

  What’s up

  VISHAL

  Did you do this women’s history month essay

  PRIANKA

  Yeah working on it now

  Writing about my aunties

  VISHAL

  Ughhhhhhh

  PRIANKA

  What?

  VISHAL

  Why do we need to do another essay

  PRIANKA

  It’s important to celebrate women, Vishal

  VISHAL

  What about celebrating men

  PRIANKA

  I cannot believe u just said that

  VISHAL

  What’s the big deal

  PRIANKA

  It’s women’s history month

  VISHAL

  I know

  What about men’s history month

  PRIANKA

  Are you serious rn ???

  VISHAL

  What

  PRIANKA

  Duh every month is men’s history month

  Don’t you see that

  VISHAL

  Ummm not really

  Sorry to offend tho

  PRIANKA

  Also, um, what’s the deal w/ #broboom

  VISHAL

  It’s just a thing people are saying IDK

  Like the guys in school teaming up

  PRIANKA

  For what tho

  VISHAL

  Just bc like in the news lately it’s all the women’s stuff going on so we wanted our own thing

  PRIANKA

  Who made that up

  VISHAL

  No clue

  PRIANKA

  But don’t u see all of life is a boys + men’s thing since basically the beginning of time?

  VISHAL

  Huh?

  PRIANKA

  Men don’t need to be celebrated or highlighted bc they always had the rights—to vote, to work outside the home, to go to school, a million things

  Women have always had to struggle

  VISHAL

  R u really mad

  PRIANKA

  It’s a little shocking u need me 2 point this out to u

  VISHAL

  Um ok

  Again sorry to offend

  PRIANKA

  K I got that

  VISHAL

  Hahahahahahahah

  Good talk

  PRIANKA

  Yeah but I gotta run

  VISHAL

  K

  PRIANKA

  Talk later bye

  Boys Are So Clueless

  PRIANKA

  Omg u guys

  Why are boys soooooo out of it

  GABRIELLE

  PRIANKA

  Vishal does not get why it’s dumb to suggest there should be a men’s history month

  GABRIELLE

  LOL

  PRIANKA

  And he was whining about the assignment

  GABRIELLE

  Was he joking

  PRIANKA

  Kinda but not totally

  Funny but not funny ya know

  CECILY

  Ya

  They need to be enlightened

  We need to help them

  VICTORIA

  Hahahaha

  PRIANKA

  Seriously

  PRIANKA

  They just don’t really have a sense of the around them

  GABRIELLE

  I guess

  IDK

  CECILY

  This doesn’t make u guys so mad

  PRIANKA

  It does

  VICTORIA

  I don’t pay attention that much TBH

  GABRIELLE

  Same

  Too much going on

  Prianka, Cecily

  PRIANKA

  Cece?

  CECILY

  Ya

  PRIANKA

  I feel like u r the only one who gets what I was saying about boys

  CECILY

  Oh haha IDK

  PRIANKA

  No I mean it

  CECILY

  I know what u r saying

  We are the deep thinkers in the group

  CECILY

  Don’t tell the others tho

  Actually we are side chatting now

  We should stop

  PRIANKA

  True ok

  Bye

  CECILY

  Mwah

  Love you, Pri

  Prianka’s Poetry Journal

  Sometimes I wish

  I went to an all-girls school

  It would be so civilized

  No roughhousing in the hallway

  No dumb comments

  Well maybe some

  But not as many

  Boys are great

  But they can also be so dumb

  When do they grow up

  I wish I knew

  Cecily, Gabrielle

  GABRIELLE

  Cece?

  CECILY

  Hi

  GABRIELLE

  Are u around this week after school

  HW is sooooo hard & I thought maybe u could help me

  CECILY

  I think I’m around yeah

  Just text me the morning u want to meet, k?

  GABRIELLE

  K

  GABRIELLE

  Thank u SOO much

  CECILY

  Mwah

  From: Jeremy Cavanaugh

  To: Anthony Mawslin

  Subject: RE: DUDE!

  Ugghhhhhhh meant to forward to u . . .

  From: Anthony Mawslin

  To: Jeremy Cavanaugh

  Subject: DUDE

/>   Why did you just reply all to that email????

  From: Jeremy Cavanaugh

  To: Honors History Section 2

  Subject: RE: Women’s History Month assignment

  Ugggghhhhhhh. #broboom

  __________________________

  From: Rose Summer

  To: Honors History Section 2

  Subject: Women’s History Month assignment

  Hello, students:

  I wanted to email in case you forget to check your Student Portal Notes. Please be prepared to share your Women’s History Month assignment with the class. I want to work on our public speaking. I’ll bring in treats for us all to share.

  Happy writing!

  Ms. Summer

  It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it. —Eleanor Roosevelt

  Dear Ms. Summer:

  We’re not allowed to use laptops in study hall today due to some kids violating the computer policy, so I’m leaving you a note. What Jeremy Cavanaugh wrote was not acceptable. This “bro boom” thing is out of hand. Boys are saying it all the time now. I can’t sit by and let things like this go unnoticed. These little things add up to be big things. I hope we can discuss this further.

  Thank you,

  Cecily Anderson

  Boys Are So Clueless

  CECILY

  Hi

  Anyone still up

  I have to tell u about the email Jeremy accidentally sent to our whole history class

  I can’t sleep

  He is so rude

  GABRIELLE

  Crying over hw

  What’s up

  CECILY

  Just soooooo mad @ Jeremy

  GABRIELLE

  Cavanaugh or Sulren?

  CECILY

  Cav

  He wrote ughhhhhh about us all sharing our women’s history month assignments and used that dumb broboom hashtag

  He sent it to the whole class and Ms. Summer was on the email

  PRIANKA

  Vishal says that all the time

  CECILY

  OMG that is nuts

  VICTORIA

  Really really nuts

  GABRIELLE

  Now that I think about it the boys in my gym class are always yelling out broboom like doofuses

  VICTORIA

  Yeah I hear boys say it all the time in the hall

  What does it even mean

  PRIANKA

  Something about boys standing out since there’s so much about women in the news lately

  Boys teaming up or something

  CECILY

  Ewwwww

  GABRIELLE

  For real

  That is not cool

  CECILY

  Ugh I am so mad

  I wrote to Ms. Summer about Jeremy’s email

  CECILY

  She saw it but I had to say something anyway

  Us girls have to stand up for ourselves

  We need to take a stand

  And not allow this to go on

  GABRIELLE

  Def

  Go, Cece

  K back 2 work for me

  CECILY

  Dear Victoria,

  We found this at that cute artsy store downtown and knew you’d love it! How are you?

  We miss you in Philly!!! Come visit soon, pleaaasseeeee.

  xoxoxox Kim & Nic

  PS Pick out a postcard and send one back to us, okay?

  Will be fun! We can be POSTCARD PALS! LOL. :)

  PPS POSTCARD PALS FOR LIFE

  TO: Victoria Melford

  1318 Bristol Court

  Yorkville, NY 11001

  Miriam, Gabrielle

  MIRIAM

  R u coming over after school

  GABRIELLE

  Yeah

  MIRIAM

  Cool so excited

  GABRIELLE

  Same

  Need to do hw tho

  Drowning

  MIRIAM

  OMG why

  GABRIELLE

  It is sooo hard for me

  GABRIELLE

  Not for u?

  MIRIAM

  Not really

  GABRIELLE

  Hmmm ok

  Maybe u can help me

  MIRIAM

  Sure

  ICB Sami is @ private school

  GABRIELLE

  Me neither

  MIRIAM

  I wonder if it’s easier or harder than our school

  She is in serious trouble, though

  MIRIAM

  No phone for a year

  And she’s in therapy to figure stuff out

  Her parents felt like she needed a smaller school environment

  Kind of amazing she got in tho since she was expelled from here

  GABRIELLE

  Yeah that’s true

  Hmmm maybe smaller environ will help her IDK

  Hope she sorts out her issues & doesn’t feel the need to rank the kids @ her new school

  R u upset she’s not here anymore

  MIRIAM

  A little

  MIRIAM

  Eloise is crushed

  She wants 2 go with her

  GABRIELLE

  Will she

  MIRIAM

  IDK pos

  Eloise gets whatever she wants pretty much

  TBH I feel like so many people here r like that

  YKWIM?

  GABRIELLE

  Yeah I def do

  I gtg now

  So sorry

  GABRIELLE

  Almost got caught messaging in study hall againnnnnn

  MIRIAM

  LOL bye

  From: Cecily Anderson

  To: Mr. Akiyama

  Subject: International Women’s Day

  Dear Mr. Akiyama:

  I know this is very short notice because International Women’s Day is only a few days away. It’s actually on a Sunday so that makes this even trickier, but I think we need to have an event for it at school. I’m sort of surprised we haven’t had one before.

  Can we make this happen on Friday? We can highlight amazing women in history and in our community: everyone from the teachers to the cafeteria staff to the people in the main office. We need to highlight all women and celebrate them and get everyone involved! This is very important in light of some recent events. Ask Ms. Summer if you’re curious. She is doing a special thing for Women’s History Month in class, but I think we can actually make it a whole-day, school-wide event.

  I’m happy to come speak to you in person as well.

  Please say yes.

  Thank you,

  Cecily Anderson

  I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.

  —Louisa May Alcott

  IWD!

  CECILY

  Guysssss

  1st of all I decided I’m not using emojis anymore

  I know it’s awk but I am just over them

  And I don’t have the time bc I have so much hw

  GABRIELLE

  OMG I KNOW SO MUCH HW

  CECILY

  Anyway

  I was gonna wait 2 tell u until Mr. A approved this but I am so excited that I can’t wait

  PRIANKA

  ??

  NO CLUE WIGO

  Also

  CECILY

  Lol ok

  I want to have an event on Friday for International Women’s Day celebrating all women

  GABRIELLE

  Ohhhhh so that’s what IWD stands for LOL

  CECILY

  Ya

  CECILY

  After all the stupid broboom stuff it became clear we need an event more than ever that will celebrate women & show how awesome we are

  I was so angry but then I got fired up & really wanted to do something meaningful

  Make a difference ya know

  My mom & sis agreed 2 bake for it

  Bake sale
and all $$ goes to the women’s shelter in town

  Maybe ur parents want 2 help, too

  GABRIELLE

  This is happening fri

  I had no idea

  I feel so overwhelmed & out of it all the time

  GABRIELLE

  Why can’t I ever keep up

  CECILY

  No no

  It hasn’t been announced yet

  I just realized IWD is Sunday so I wrote to Mr. A

  PRIANKA

  Ohhhh

  GABRIELLE

  But Mr. A didn’t write back yet?

  CECILY

  No

  But fingers crossed

  GABRIELLE

  Yes

  GABRIELLE

  Should we recruit more bakers

  CECILY

  Not yet

  VICTORIA

  This is such a good idea

  Omg I love it

  Girl power 4 life

  CECILY

  Love the enthusiasm, Vic

  VICTORIA

  U knowwww itttttt

  Also since u cut emojis I need to make up for itttttt

  VICTORIA

  CECILY

  Haha

  K I’ll keep u guys in the loop

  Dear Journal,

  I feel so in between with everything. I think that’s what happens in March. I’m at this in-between time of the year where not much is happening but everything is happening all at once. I guess that’s how life always is maybe. I don’t know. I confuse myself. I feel in between friends, too, though. Miriam and I are so close now and I’m close to the Hannahs, too, but not as much. And of course obviously Cece, Pri & Vic. And I think I am making it work but sometimes it still feels awkward. Maybe life was simpler with one group? Who knows. And then I have my friends from camp, too. And I am so excited to go back this summer. I feel like Miriam kind of wants to come but won’t say it. So we’ll see what happens with that.

  I am also sooooo stressed with schoolwork. I hate it. Why do I even have to be in school? It’s just soooo hard for me. It seems easier for everyone else and I don’t get it.

  OK, gotta go to bed.

  Love, Gabs

  OMG

  VICTORIA

  U guysssss

  U r not going 2 believe what I heard

  Apparently Hannah F’s bat mitzvah invites are going out soon & they’re a model of her bedroom

  CECILY

  What????

  VICTORIA

  Like 3D model

  Each person gets one

  GABRIELLE

  For real

  GABRIELLE

  This is true

  Her dad is driving around in their convertible to hand them out to everyone in town

  The rest are being mailed

  She told us @ Miriam’s sleepover last week

  VICTORIA

  OMG