BooksBarbecue
Back Parachutes Save as PDF
Chapters (93)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. One
  4. Two
  5. Three
  6. Four
  7. Five
  8. Six
  9. Seven
  10. Eight
  11. Nine
  12. Ten
  13. Eleven
  14. Twelve
  15. Thirteen
  16. Fourteen
  17. Fifteen
  18. Sixteen
  19. Seventeen
  20. Eighteen
  21. Nineteen
  22. Twenty
  23. Twenty-One
  24. Twenty-Two
  25. Twenty-Three
  26. Twenty-Four
  27. Twenty-Five
  28. Twenty-Six
  29. Twenty-Seven
  30. Twenty-Eight
  31. Twenty-Nine
  32. Thirty
  33. Thirty-One
  34. Thirty-Two
  35. Thirty-Three
  36. Thirty-Four
  37. Thirty-Five
  38. Thirty-Six
  39. Thirty-Seven
  40. Thirty-Eight
  41. Thirty-Nine
  42. Forty
  43. Forty-One
  44. Forty-Two
  45. Forty-Three
  46. Forty-Four
  47. Forty-Five
  48. Forty-Six
  49. Forty-Seven
  50. Forty-Eight
  51. Forty-Nine
  52. Fifty
  53. Fifty-One
  54. Fifty-Two
  55. Fifty-Three
  56. Fifty-Four
  57. Fifty-Five
  58. Fifty-Six
  59. Fifty-Seven
  60. Fifty-Eight
  61. Fifty-Nine
  62. Sixty
  63. Sixty-One
  64. Sixty-Two
  65. Sixty-Three
  66. Sixty-Four
  67. Sixty-Five
  68. Sixty-Six
  69. Sixty-Seven
  70. Sixty-Eight
  71. Sixty-Nine
  72. Seventy
  73. Seventy-One
  74. Seventy-Two
  75. Seventy-Three
  76. Seventy-Four
  77. Seventy-Five
  78. Seventy-Six
  79. Seventy-Seven
  80. Seventy-Eight
  81. Seventy-Nine
  82. Eighty
  83. Eighty-One
  84. Eighty-Two
  85. Eighty-Three
  86. Eighty-Four
  87. Eighty-Five
  88. Author’s Note
  89. Acknowledgments
  90. About the Author
  91. Books by Kelly Yang
  92. Back Ad
  93. About the Publisher

The smell of chlorine stings my eyes, filling me with regret. Regret at having gone to the pool after school, thinking I was going to watch Zach practice and then tell him I like him, only to see him with Claire. The look on her face as she opened her legs, the sounds they made.

I stood in the back of the pool, silently watching them. The light from the window shone on Zach’s blond hair, creating an aura around him, as he pushed inside her. And I just stood there, my feet soaking wet, arms lifeless by my side. I should have screamed. I wanted to scream. I even opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I was too bewildered.

Afterward, I sat in the corner of the locker room, too shocked to leave, too chicken to stay. Claire came in and she didn’t even notice me—that’s how wrapped up in her own world she was. I watched her as she showered. Her perfect body. Hands running up and down her back as she lathered herself with soap.

Later, she stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection, her rosy cheeks flushed pink. She was probably thinking about Zach, playing back details that I can never recall.

And I’m filled with the most untamable envy.

Sixty-One

Claire

Just one dinner. I still can’t believe I agreed to go with him. We arrive at Jay’s house. My chest rises and falls in my white chiffon dress as I think about what just happened with Zach. Jay tells the professional catering crew that has taken over his kitchen that we’re here.

Jay’s dad walks down the stairs. He’s tall like his son, looks about forty-five, impeccably dressed in a blue suit and silk tie. He glances at me and manages a thin, tight smile before his face defaults back into a frown. We sit down in the formal dining room, which Jay and I never use. We usually eat on the terrace or around the kitchen island. Jay sits next to me and puts his hand on my lap.

“So Jay says you went with him to see Fashion Island?” his dad asks. “What’d you think of it?”

“I like it,” I tell him. “It’s beautiful and right on the water.”

He shakes his head to his son and points to me with his fork.

“Women. All emotion and no logic,” he says to Jay as he cuts his filet mignon.

I feel the heat rush to my cheek.

“You know what ‘right on the water’ says to me? It says distraction. Who wants to go shopping when the beach is right there?”

“Actually, Claire has a good eye for real estate. She’s the one who spotted the house I told you to buy in Balboa. It’s a good investment property,” Jay says, beaming at me.