TBH, No One Can EVER Know Read online

  “Okay. I’m up. And you’re never going to believe this,” she says, half distracted. “I’m getting new across-the-street neighbors.”

  “Really?” I finally get out of bed and grab my purple one-piece from my dresser drawer. “Describe.”

  She pauses a second, and I’m not totally sure she heard me. “They’re moving the couch in right now,” she explains. “I can’t tell how many kids there are, but there’s one who looks like he’s our age.”

  “A boy?” I squeal.

  “Yeah, he’s playing basketball right now.” She stops talking. “Oops, he just hit one of the movers in the head with the ball.”

  “Tell me more,” I say, dabbing sunscreen dots all over my face. They say it takes at least a half hour for it to really absorb into the skin, and my fair Irish complexion needs all the protection it can get.

  I only take after my Italian ancestors in the agita department, I guess.

  “He went inside,” she explains. “I think he got in trouble. I saw a woman, probably his mom, shaking her hands at him.”

  “Oops.” I step into my bathing suit, holding the phone in the crook of my neck.

  “Oh wait, now they’re back outside. Taking a family photo in front of the house.” She pauses. “He has a little sister. I think they’re biracial. White mom. Black dad.”

  “Interesting,” I say. “Maybe his sister is Gemma’s age!”

  “Maybe . . .” I can tell she’s still staring out the window at them, only half listening to me.

  “By the way, Ryan is insisting that red X thing is true. You haven’t heard about that, right?” I ask.

  “Kaylan!” she snaps in a jokey way. “No! He’s totally messing with you. Okay, go get your pool bag ready, eat breakfast, and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  I grab my backpack and throw in my sunscreen, a change of clothes, and the summer reading book I haven’t finished yet. I’m having a hard time getting into My Brother Sam Is Dead, although from what I’ve read, it makes my life seem pretty easy.

  I hear Ari’s instructions in my head as I get ready, and I already feel calmer. Her soft voice—she’s never really flustered by anything.

  I stare at my watch again. 9:35. I wait for Ari on the front steps. I’m trying to stay as far away from my brother as possible. Ari still has two minutes, but I wish she was here already.

  I stand up and look for her, but she’s nowhere in sight. She is so going to be late. On Agita Day.

  I learned the word agita from my mom. She’s part Italian and she learned it from her grandmother, who was 100 percent Italian and apparently said it all the time. It basically means anxiety, stress, heartburn, aggravation—stuff like that.

  I don’t know what my great-grandma’s agita was about, but mine is pretty clear.

  Starting middle school.

  A few minutes later, I spot Ari at the end of the block, and I walk down the driveway to meet her. She strolls toward me, hair up in a bun, with her favorite heart sunglasses on. Her pink-and-white-striped tote hangs over her shoulder like it’s the lightest thing in the world.

  “I brought you an extra hair tie,” she says, showing me her wrist. “Since you always forget.”

  “Thanks,” I say. “Let’s go in so I can grab my stuff. I’ve had the worst morning.”

  About the Author

  Photo by Peter Dressel

  LISA GREENWALD lives in NYC w/ her husband & 2 young daughters . She s: & . Summer is her favorite season . Visit her @ www.lisagreenwald.com.

  Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.

  Books by Lisa Greenwald

  The Friendship List Series

  11 Before 12

  12 Before 13

  13 and Counting

  13 and 3/4

  The TBH Series

  TBH, This Is SO Awkward

  TBH, This May Be TMI

  TBH, Too Much Drama

  TBH, IDK What’s Next

  TBH, I Feel the Same

  TBH, You Know What I Mean

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  Copyright

  Katherine Tegen Books is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

  TBH, NO ONE CAN EVER KNOW. Copyright © 2021 by Lisa Greenwald. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

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  Cover design by Aurora Parlagreco and Molly Fehr

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  Digital Edition JANUARY 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-299182-9

  Print ISBN: 978-0-06-299181-2

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  FIRST EDITION

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