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Back Two Truths and a Lie Save as PDF
Chapters (100)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Prologue
  4. June
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 6.
  11. 7.
  12. 8.
  13. 9.
  14. 10.
  15. 11.
  16. 12.
  17. 13.
  18. 14.
  19. 15.
  20. 16.
  21. 17.
  22. 18.
  23. 19.
  24. 20.
  25. 21.
  26. 22.
  27. 23.
  28. 24.
  29. 25.
  30. 26.
  31. 27.
  32. July
  33. 28.
  34. 29.
  35. 30.
  36. 31.
  37. 32.
  38. 33.
  39. 34.
  40. 35.
  41. 36.
  42. 37.
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  44. 39.
  45. 40.
  46. 41.
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  48. 43.
  49. 44.
  50. 45.
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  52. 47.
  53. 48.
  54. August
  55. 49.
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  61. 55.
  62. 56.
  63. 57.
  64. 58.
  65. 59.
  66. 60.
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  70. 64.
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  78. 72.
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  86. 80.
  87. 81.
  88. 82.
  89. 83.
  90. 84.
  91. 85.
  92. 86.
  93. 87.
  94. 88.
  95. 89.
  96. 90.
  97. Acknowledgments
  98. About the Author
  99. Also by Meg Mitchell Moore
  100. About the Publisher

Katie took this in. “Okay,” she said finally. “Okay then.” She sighed again, and this time the sigh carried the weight of the world. “But I still want to go to the fireworks. Please, Mom. Please. I didn’t get invited to Casey’s sleepover and not the Boda Borg party either and I did get invited to this, I don’t want to miss it.” Her lower lip began to tremble.

“What do you mean? What sleepover?”

“Last week.”

“How’d you know about it, then?”

“I saw a picture.” Then in a whisper, “They tagged me.”

“But you weren’t there. Why’d they tag you?”

Katie shrugged, and then Sherri got it.

“Oh, honey,” she said. She opened her arms and Katie went into them. “That was a crappy thing for them to do. I’m sorry.” Sherri breathed in the scent of Katie’s just-washed hair.

“I know we have to be careful, Mom. I get it. But does that mean we can never be normal again? Can we never just, like, go places without worrying?” Her voice broke. “Can I never go to the fireworks?”

Sherri sighed. It sort of did mean Katie should never go to the fireworks. “What about if I go with you? I won’t go with you with you, I’ll just stay nearby. You won’t even know I’m there. I promise.”

“No,” said Katie. “No. Definitely not. The whole point is to go with the girls.” She pushed herself away from Sherri, out of the kitchen, and then Sherri heard her feet go up the stairs.

As soon as Katie was out of earshot, Sherri called Rebecca. Rebecca said all the right things. She said that she was of two minds about it herself; she said that it did get crowded down there, and that the fireworks drew people from all over. And then she said the best thing of all. “I’ll talk to Alexa. And if she’s free, I’ll have her meet up with them and keep an eye on them. Would that help?”

59.

Alexa

Alexa was perusing the Yankee Homecoming sidewalk sales when she got a text from her mother about keeping an eye on Morgan and a bunch of her friends during the fireworks that night. Old Alexa would have politely declined this offer, but this Alexa, the Alexa who was trying on her Nice Big Sister shoes to see if they still fit after a long time in the closet, texted back No problem.

Then came another text: Katie’s Mom is worried.

The bad men, thought Alexa. Her heart thumped.

I’m on it, she replied.

It was easy enough to locate Morgan and Company, because there were about a zillion of them clumped up by the playground, doing that awkward in-between thing tweens do. Oh, eleven.