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

by Karen M. McManus

“I’m the omniscient narrator,” Simon says. Bronwyn’s brows rise above her black frames. “There’s no such thing in teen movies.” “Ah, but Bronwyn.” Simon winks and chugs his water in one long gulp. “There is such a thing in life.”

There’s only one thing Simon might have written about me, but it would have been almost impossible for him to find out. Now I guess he never will.

“Everybody’s got secrets,” he says. “Right?”

I’m not sure which mistake he’s referring to: my alleged juicing, my alleged murdering, or something we haven’t talked about yet.

With Nate, I don’t wonder. He’s never pretended to be anything other than exactly who he is.

I’m panting, breathing in lungsful of puke-infested air, and I’m so fucking sick of it all, I could kill somebody.

Some people are too toxic to live. They just are.

Group murder. It’s an interesting theory. I guess I should be grateful the cops didn’t try to pin the whole thing on me.

So I do, but I wish I hadn’t. His face—that beautiful face I’ve loved since before it ever looked as good as it does now—is twisted with rage. “You ruined everything. You know that, right?”

We’re in a weird limbo now. Everything’s different but it all looks the same.

“I don’t understand you kids. So obsessed with your screens and your gossip.”

I’ll give you a hint to get you started: everyone’s lying.

Somehow, the fact that Nonny accepts my word without question makes me feel guilty.

“No, but there is something odd. About Cooper’s post. It’s date-stamped days after everyone else’s, for the night before Simon died.

She’s a pain in my ass and I can’t remember why I wanted to kiss her so badly a few minutes ago.

No matter how awful the rest of my life is, my hair still manages to look good.

Unless one of us is lying. Which is always a possibility.

A high school student’s mysterious death. Four classmates with secrets to hide. When the police keep running into dead ends, what’s next?

the Bayview Four?”

So you tell me. Who else had a motive? What story’s not being told? That’s where I’d be looking.”

The pressure’s on now, Bayview Police. Maybe you should be looking a little closer at Simon’s old entries. You might find some interesting hints about the Bayview Four.

Sexism is alive and well in true-crime coverage, because Bronwyn and I aren’t nearly as popular with the general public as Cooper and Nate.

“So you’re suggesting somebody engineered a fender bender in the parking lot so they could distract us, slip into detention, and dump peanut oil into Simon’s cup? That they couldn’t possibly have known he had if they weren’t already in the room? Then leave Simon’s cup lying around, because they’re stupid?”

The afternoon sun’s making her glow, putting glints of gold in her dark hair, and for a second I almost can’t breathe.

“It concerns me you’re avoiding a promise not to murder me.”

She rolls her eyes. “Do you say that to all the girls you bring here?”

“I promise not to murder you.”

“That’s hot.”

I’d never felt so trapped in my life. I thought I’d feel the same way in his living room today, waiting for him to tell me again I’m not good enough.

But I didn’t, and I don’t. For the first time in a long time, I feel free.

I slide my hands into his hair and kiss him back.

ahvsfsf FruutY

Not sure Sorry I lied about my mom being dead is going to cut it.

“It takes years before it blooms. And every branching stem stops growing after it blossoms, so you’ve got this complex system of dead areas and new growth.” I used to think about that, sometimes, when I wondered what parts of her might still be alive.

“You want a drug-dealing murder suspect who lied about his not-dead mother as your boyfriend?”

I like your horrible taste in movies and the way you never sugarcoat anything and the fact that you have an actual lizard.

Honestly, I don’t care what we do. I just want to stay wrapped around him for as long as possible, fighting sleep and forgetting about the rest of the world.

I just left out the part about being in love with him.

Most days, I’m not sure why she sits with us when we must be a constant reminder of Simon. Unless it’s to hear conversations like the one we just had.

Because God, it’s beautiful when that boy smiles.

You find out who your real friends are when stuff like this happens. Turns out I didn’t have any, but I’m glad Cooper does.

It’s like a bad spy movie, but there’s no way all of us could get together anywhere else without drawing too much attention.

Answer this honestly: If I’m no longer a murder suspect, will you still find me attractive?” “You’ll still be on probation for drug dealing,” I point out. “That’s pretty hot.”

when the entire Bayview High cafeteria was ready to take me down like a pack of hyenas, Nate was the only person who said anything.

“I don’t need a guy to be happy, Mom.” “Of course you do,” she snaps. “You’ve been miserable for the past month.” “Because I was being investigated for murder,” I remind her. “Not because I’m single.”

It’s very Law & Order, except none of it makes sense.

‘we’?” “Me and my buddy. We had the accident on purpose. A guy paid us a thousand bucks each to do it. Said it was a prank.

Sam blows out a sigh and leans against the headrest. He’s quiet for the longest seconds of my life until he says, “It was Simon Kelleher.”

These murder club meetings are becoming a regular thing. We need a new name, though.

You don’t think about what’s outside. Or who. Especially if she’s better off forgetting you exist.

“It’s all fucked up. Everything’s so massively fucked up.”