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
“I didn’t know how you guys would react,” she says, tearing up. “You don’t know what the last sixteen years have been like for me.” She dabs her eyes. “And I finally felt . . . like I belonged. Like I was part of this club. And I didn’t want to lose that.”
“You’re not going to lose that,” I promise her, reaching over and hugging her tight.
Florence grips my arm with her hand. “I just didn’t want it to get out . . . didn’t want to give my parents another reason to hide me, you know?”
“Oh, Florence,” I say. As we hold each other, I tell Florence about my dad’s own infidelity.
Florence hands me a tissue. “Who’s your dad?” she asks, joking. “Maybe we’re sisters.”
I laugh through my tears.
“We can check when he comes in two weeks.”
“Your dad’s coming?”
Florence nods. She says both her parents will be here for the spring concert. Her mom twisted her dad’s arm, saying there’s no chance he’ll bump into any of his colleagues here.
“I’m kind of nervous. It’s their first time appearing at a school function together . . . ,” she confesses.
I hug her and promise her everything will be fine. We stay in the staircase trading stories, long after the bell has rung and the hallways have emptied.
After school, I Uber over to Jay’s. His door is unlocked and I let myself in. I find him in the downstairs study, watching random YouTube videos on cage fighting.
“Hey,” I say.
He clicks Pause on his computer. “Oh, hey,” he says. “Sorry I couldn’t make it to your mom’s thing.”
He says it like it’s an informal get-together at his dentist’s office rather than a sit-down dinner with my mom.
“Where were you?” I ask, trying to keep my cool, even as the thunder goes off inside me. “I tried calling and texting you.”
“Yeah, I know,” he says, distractedly, turning back to YouTube. “I was at a friend’s.”
He knew? And he didn’t pick up? I don’t know whether to be impressed with his honesty or offended that he doesn’t at least lie and say his phone was dead.
“What friend?” I ask, getting out my phone and going to Insta. “A boy or a girl?”
Jay clicks off YouTube. “What does it matter?” He shrugs. “We’re just friends.”
So a girl then. “What’s her name?” I ask, scrolling through his many followers.
Jay swirls in his chair and frowns at me. “Stop,” he says to me. “Don’t get all psycho on me.”
My mouth hangs open. I can’t believe he just said that. I turn to leave.
Jay calls after me. “Wait, Claire, stop—!” he says, but it’s too late. I’m already out the door.