Ari takes a piece of paper out of her shorts pocket. It’s wet from sweat and crinkled and ripped along the edges. She hands it to me.
It’s an original copy of the list, maybe even the first typed-up rough draft. I wonder if she takes this copy everywhere she goes.
I scan it until my eyes get to the important part, the reason she’s showing this to me.
11.Find a unicorn. (Duh, already completed this one the second we made the list. Kaylan. My BFFFFF. Forever.)
My eyes well up with tears. “When did you write this? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wrote it the first day we printed out the lists. It says it right there.” She laughs. “No-brainer. My feelings about literally everything are changing all the time. You’re the one thing I can be sure of. Even if our friendship changes, the way I feel about you will never, ever change.” She pulls me into a sweaty hug. “That’s unicorn material right there.”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” I ask. “I spent all this time searching. Every time I brought it up, you made it seem like you were still searching, too.”
“Just because you’re my unicorn doesn’t mean I’m yours.” She shrugs, crinkling her nose. “Plus, you like searching.”
I nod, agreeing with her.
“Some things are just so pure, and real, and good and true, there’s no way to debate them, to not see them, to even question they exist,” Ari says. “And a unicorn is a magical, once-in-an-eternity discovery, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be someone who’s always been there.”
I’m completely bawling at this point and the other runners are staring at us, confused and also mildly concerned. I have no idea where Amirah is. She probably finished an hour ago at this point.
“Plus, aren’t you glad I didn’t tell you?” Ari asks. “And this way you know it’s mutual and really, really true. I have proof on this paper. And you came to the realization on your own.”
“Definitely.” I pull her into a hug.
She stacks her fists together and puts them on the top of my head like a unicorn horn.
“Wait,” I say. “There’s one more thing we have to do . . . now that school’s over and the list is complete and it’s finally summer . . .” I look at Ari, wondering if she’ll catch on.
“What?” she asks. “Pack for comedy camp? Yes, I’ll help. And yes, you can take my polka-dot bikini with you.”
“Oh, thanks. Okay, well, all of that, yes, but something else, too.” My eyes bulge. “The pool! Today is opening day! And we’re sweaty! Let’s go!” I grab her hand and start running. “Spontaneous pool party!”
“We can’t run to the pool from here.” Ari laughs. “I know we did train for a 5K, but come on, Kaylan . . .”
I nod. “Right. Okay, let’s go ask our parents to drive us. The Camp Silver girls can come, too, and the lunch table girls. We can all jump in together!”
“Yes!” Ari reaches over and hugs me again.
It takes a few minutes to cajole everyone and get them in cars to Brookside. But once that happens and we’re on our way, the most peaceful feeling washes over me.
We finished seventh grade.
We finished our third list.
I’m going to comedy camp.
My best friend for life is sitting beside me and her brand-new puppy is licking my face.
I turn to Ari and whisper, “Thank you for being my unicorn.”
She replies with a sniffle, “Thank you for being mine.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Dave, Aleah, and Hazel—the lights of my life, my loves, my cheering squad, my everything! How can I ever fully thank you for being the awesomest?
All the Greenwalds and all the Rosenbergs—I’m stuck with you and you’re stuck with me, but it’s a good stuck. Thanks for all the love and laughs!
BWL Library & Tech team—my people at my home away from home! Thanks for all the support.
Caroline Hickey and Lisa Graff—you two are the best writing-retreat partners in the universe! We’ve known each other for thirteen years already. How crazy? Mwah!
Alyssa Eisner Henkin—thank you for your wisdom, honesty, kindness, and passion. I am beyond grateful.
Maria Barbo—a unicorn of an editor, a unicorn of a person! You are brilliant, and I thank the universe every day that I get to work with you!
Stephanie Guerdan—thank you so much for your patience and dedication. You make all my books sparkle.
To the incredible people at Katherine Tegen books: Katherine, Haley, Vaishali, Aurora, David, Amy, Liz, Emily, and Mark—you are truly the best in the business. Thank you for everything you do. I am so lucky to be part of the KT Books family.
A zillion thanks to all the readers who submitted list ideas through PopJam! They were all extraordinary!
Last but never least, to all the kids who’ve read my books and all the kids who’ve emailed me and written me letters—thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Keep reading!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo by Peter Dressel
THIRTEEN FUN FACTS ABOUT LISA GREENWALD
She wears hoodies as often as she can.
She’s the author of the Pink & Green series.
Her favorite foods are ice cream, sushi, and Peanut M&M’s.
She once won $1,000 in a radio contest.
Her favorite movie is Clueless.
She works in the library at the Birch Wathen Lenox School.
She moved from Connecticut to Long Island right before the start of sixth grade.
She earned an MFA in writing from the New School.
Her favorite place on earth is Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where she spent eight summers as a camper and a counselor.
Her favorite book is Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.
She lives in Manhattan with her BFFs: her husband and her two daughters.
She’s fascinated by anyone who can hula-hoop. She’s still working on it.
Her favorite fruit-infused waters are cucumber and lemon.
www.lisagreenwald.com
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
BOOKS BY LISA GREENWALD
11 Before 12
12 Before 13
TBH, This Is SO Awkward
TBH, This May Be TMI
TBH, Too Much Drama
TBH, IDK What’s Next
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COPYRIGHT
Katherine Tegen Books is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
FRIENDSHIP LIST #3: 13 AND COUNTING. Copyright © 2019 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
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Cover photos © 2019 by Dean Drobot/Shutterstock (top) and Rohappy/iStock (bottom)
Cover design by Aurora Parlagreco
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2018965818
Digital Edition AUGUST 2019 ISBN: 978-0-06-287526-6
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-287524-2
* * *
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FIRST EDITION
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