Little, Brown and Company

New York Boston

BY #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
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September 17th
Forgive me, Journal, for I have sinned. It has been less than a
day since my last entry so thats obviously not it. Its something
else. And its worse than not journaling.
27

As you know, I had an Algebra quiz today. You also know I
studied during lunch so I was prepared. What you dont know
is that the Before picture sat beside me in Algebra and com-
pletely disrupted my chi.
Youre too funny, she said.
I am?
27
Way worse.
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I love how you signed up for every spot on the Phoenix
Five. Hilarious.
Why?
Why? Those blank spaces were rhetorical.
Foe no you diznt! This was her trying to rile me up before
the quiz. It was a total power move. But shell have to ght
smarter than that if she wants to beat me to the Academic
Excellence award, the Honors Society, and the Principals
Award. As for the Phoenix Five, she can have one spot if she
really wants. Ill take four.
I really like those bracelets youre selling.
SWAPs.
Sorry.
Im sure youll be very happy with yours, I snipped.
Mine? I didnt get one.
You will.
Huh?
Your boyfriend bought two.
Boyfriend? She looked confused and then kind of laughed.
You mean Blake?
I stared at her again.
Hes not my boyfriend. He sweve been best friends for
years.
I think he likes you.
There is nothing between us. Trust me.
Really?
Cross my heart. She made an X over her ill- tting shirt.
Never has been. Never will be.
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134
Does he have a girlfriend?
Nope.
Oh, I said, like I didnt really care. But on the inside my
cells were popping like kernels in a microwave. Blake was sin-
gle. He didnt like Lily!
28

I wanted more intel but Mr. Baskin started handing out the
quiz. We had twenty minutes to answer ten questions.
I tried to focus but Blakes dark eyes waxed in my mind and
eclipsed my math knowledge.
29

Still, I nished rst. Eighteen minutes and twenty-three
seconds. Instead of taking our quizzes home and grading them
like a responsible teacher, Mr. Baskin had us switch papers
with the person sitting next to us. Lily got mine and I got hers.
He called out the correct answers while we, the students,
graded them. It was a total sweatshop move.
Lily got ten out of ten.
I got eight.
30

When you make a choice, you change the future.
Deepak Chopra
28
Not that I care. I have to focus on my work. Its just nice to know he
doesnt like her.
29
Love the image of Blakes eyes as the moon eclipsing my rational
thoughts. So poetic.
30
I accidentally took Lilys paper so I could pass it off as my own. I
needed a Benihana night. Dont judge.
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This book is a work of ction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the
product of the authors imagination or are used ctitiously. Any resemblance to actual
events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright 2013 by Lisi Harrison
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning,
uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of
the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the authors intellectual property.
If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes),
prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at
permissions@hbgusa.com . Thank you for your support of the authors rights.
Poppy
Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Visit our website at lb-teens.com
Poppy is an imprint of Little, Brown and Company.
The Poppy name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content)
that are not owned by the publisher.
First Paperback Edition: May 2014
First published in hardcover in October 2013 by Little, Brown and Company
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Harrison, Lisi.
Pretenders / by Lisi Harrison. First edition.
pages cm.
Summary: Five high school freshmenthe Phoenix Fivereveal their
friendships, crushes, school and family dramas, and big secrets, as told in their
unique voices through journal entries Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-316-22244-0 (hc)ISBN 978-0-316-22232-7 (pb)
[1. High schoolsFiction. 2. SchoolsFiction. 3. DiariesFiction.
4. FriendshipFiction. 5. Dating (Social customs)Fiction. 6. Family life
New JerseyFiction. 7. New JerseyFiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.H2527Pqm 2013 [Fic]dc23 2012048434
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
RRD-C
Printed in the United States of America
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