One of Us Is Lying (One of Us is Lying, #1)

by Karen M. McManus

Nativity play in fourth grade when I was a shepherd and Bronwyn was the Virgin Mary. Someone stole baby Jesus before we were supposed to go on, probably to mess with Bronwyn because she took everything way too seriously even then. Bronwyn went into the audience, borrowed a bag, wrapped a blanket around it, and carried it around as if nothing had happened. That girl doesn’t take crap from anyone, my mother had said approvingly. Okay. In the interest of full disclosure, I stole baby Jesus, and it was definitely to mess with Bronwyn. It would’ve been funnier if she’d freaked out.

“Why would they?” I ask. “You said they can sleep through anything.” Not-joke. “Come on, just for an hour till we finish the movie. You can meet my lizard.” It takes a few seconds of silence for me to realize how that might be interpreted. “That’s not a line. I have an actual lizard. A bearded dragon named Stan.” Bronwyn laughs so hard she almost chokes. “Oh my God. That would have been completely out of character and yet…for a second I really did think you meant something else.” I can’t help laughing too. “Hey, girl. You were into that smooth talk. Admit it.”