Chapters (93)
- Cover
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Author’s Note
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Books by Kelly Yang
- Back Ad
- About the Publisher
Our classmates sitting next to us give us odd looks. As Mayor Stein calls out all the seniors who have earned headmistress commendation this year, my eyes glide across the room to my debate teammates, tensing in their seats in eager anticipation of their names being called next.
“Moving on to the juniors,” Mayor Stein says. “For the juniors this year we have . . . Ming Liu.”
Ming stands as Mr. Rufus claps for her from the front. I smile and squeeze her hand as she walks by and goes up to the stage to collect her award.
Mayor Stein reads out three more names: Emma Lau, Sophie Zhao, Tiffany Davis from geography, whose room I cleaned with Ming not that long ago. I didn’t expect her to get it, and, judging from the look on her face, neither did she. Mayor Stein names five boys from our year group before pausing to take a drink from his water bottle.
I feel a squeeze in my chest as I wait for the last name to be called out.
“And last but not least, Heather McLean.”
Nervously, I walk up to Mrs. Mandalay afterward and tap on her shoulder. I wasn’t going to talk to her about it but I worry if I don’t, I’ll always wonder. She’s chatting with Mayor Stein, telling him about her latest fund-raising efforts.
“Mrs. Mandalay, may I speak to you for a sec?” I ask.
Mayor Stein busies himself with his phone while Mrs. Mandalay turns to me. “What is it, Dani?” she asks.
“I just . . . I’d like to know why . . .” I’m so embarrassed, I don’t even know how to ask.
“Why you didn’t make headmistress commendation this year?” she finishes for me. “Well, it’s like Mayor Stein said. We’re looking for students who embody the values of the school.”
“I—”
“Who love and honor our school,” she continues, cutting me off. “And are real ambassadors for the school.”
I swallow. I take it that writing online about your teacher hitting on you doesn’t count as ambassadorship. Mrs. Mandalay turns back to Mayor Stein.
Zach walks over to me and puts a hand on my shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “But, hey, if it makes you feel better, I never get headmistress commendation!”
No, that does not make me feel better. I pull away from him and walk out of the auditorium. I’m so upset afterward that I skip debate training, even though I know they’re having it today in the auditorium.
Instead, I head to work, taking out my frustrations with Lysol. It’s a little after six when I’m done cleaning. Famished, I stop by Dave’s Food Hall, the local grocery store, to pick up a salad.