You Knew Me When by Emily Liebert Read Free Book Online Page A

turned it over and the other side said, “VERY IMPORTANT—READ IMMEDIATELY.” So I did.
    Dear New Girl,
    Welcome home! My name is Laney, and I live on the other side of the really big house (in the white house that looks like yours). We need to meet immediately!! Don’t unpack! It can wait! Come over as soon as you get this!!!!!!!!! It’s very, very, very important.
    Sincerely,
Your New Best Friend
    I stared wide-eyed at the note. I’ve never had a best friend. I’ve never had anyone think it was very, very, very important to meet me. Not even one
very
. Could it be a joke? Could news of the girl with the dead, beautiful mom from Bennington already have gotten to Manchester? I showed the note to my dad.
    â€œWow! Go on over.” I’m pretty sure he was as surprised as I was. All parents like to think their kids have loads of friends, but when no one ever comes to the house and no one ever invites your kid for sleepovers, it’s hard to ignore.
    â€œReally?” I looked around the first floor at all of the unpacked boxes, bags, and furniture wrapped in blanket-type thingies. “I’ll just help you here and go meet Laney tomorrow.” Part of me wanted to rush over. Another part of me wanted to wait. What if she realized I’m not her new best friend? It’s one of the problems with being an overthinker, as my mom used to call me.
You take everything too seriously,
she’d say. A lot.
    â€œAre you kidding? Get out of here! I’ve got this under control.”
    â€œOkay. I’ll just say hello and be home really soon.” He gave me a thumbs-up, and my mind started sprinting immediately. Should I change my clothing? What would a best friend of Laney’s wear? Probably not knee-length brown shorts, which made my legs look like pork sausages, or a dark green collared Izod shirt, which made me look like a boy. But all of my stuff was packed and, honestly, most of it wasn’t much better. I didn’t bother asking my dad. I knew what he’d say.
If Laney doesn’t like you for who you are, she’s no friend of yours.
    On the other hand, my mom would have said,
Beggars can’t be choosers
.
    â€¢Â Â Â â€¢Â Â Â â€¢
    Standing at Laney’s front door, I wished I’d changed my ugly outfit. She’d probably take one look at me and realize her mistake. My stomach was all flip-floppy and, as I rang the doorbell, I decided I should have waited until tomorrow. Maybe she wouldn’t be home. Or maybe she wouldn’t hear the bell, and I could just slip back to my house and help my dad unpack. Not my first choice of things to do, but at the moment it sounded pretty good. I turned around and started walking away.
    â€œHello?” a woman’s voice called out just as I’d reached the bottom of the steps. “Are you the new girl from three-oh-five?” She stood in the doorway, wearing a light yellow sundress with a blue-and-white checked apron tied around her very thin waist. Her long, curly blond hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail. She wasn’t beautiful like my mom, but she was pretty in a natural kind of way.
    â€œOh, hi. Yes.” I made my way back onto the porch. “I didn’t mean to bother you. It’s just that I, um, I got this. I think it’s from your daughter, Laney.” I handed her the letter.
    â€œI see.” She read it and shook her head, laughing, which made her whole face light up. “That would definitely be my Laney. I told her not to bother you.”
    â€œIt’s no bother, really. I’ll just come back at a better time.”
    â€œNonsense!” She smiled brightly. “I’m Carol Drake. Laney’s mom. It’s such a pleasure to have you as our new neighbor. Laney is simply over the moon to have a friend her age living so close. Please come in. . . .” She paused.
    â€œKitty. Kitty Hill.” I followed her inside.