BooksBarbecue
Back Parachutes
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

“What are you doing?” I ask, my eyes darting as he starts undoing his belt. The air sizzles with the coming violence. Oh my God. What’s he doing?

“Stop!” I yell. My eyes fill with terror. I try to wriggle free, but he’s too strong. He holds me in place, hands pinning my wrists to the bed. I scream, kicking at the sheets. My scream does little to deter Jay.

“Tell me, did he make you come?” he asks. “Your little white boy?”

I feel my heart leave my body. His fingers find my panties, and he yanks them down.

“Stop, Jay, please stop,” I beg.

But he doesn’t stop. He doesn’t stop.

Afterward, Jay makes me take a shower. I am filled with the most excruciating shame as I stand under the rain showerhead, the water trickling down my arm to the diamonds glistening on my wrist. I wish I could slide down the drain like the water. I wish I could leave this house without facing him. I stay in the shower long after the water’s gone cold, terrified to come out.

Eventually, when I do emerge, Jay’s sitting in the living room waiting for me.

“I’m so sorry,” he says, looking up at me. He stands up and walks over as if to give me a hug. I turn away from him, physically repulsed. My heart thuds in my chest. Jay takes the hint and backs off. “Do you need a ride home?”

I shake my head.

We both fall quiet. What do you say to someone after he’s raped you?

I reach for my phone and order an Uber. The driver calls me a minute later, and I tell him where I am. That I’m able to stay so calm in the minutes and hours after both shocks me and gives me hope. Maybe it’s not so bad. Maybe I’ll get over it.

Later, in the back of the Uber, the tears come.

Sixty-Four

Dani

Claire mopes in her room all weekend. Doesn’t come out. My hands shake as I dial Zach’s number. I tell myself I’m doing the right thing. He deserves to know about Claire and Jay. I’m doing this for transparency and for truth. Deep down inside, I know the real reason.

“Meet me at the library,” I say to Zach when he answers. “There’s something I have to tell you about Claire.”

Zach clenches his fists in his car. We’re in the parking lot of the public library. I can see the whites of his knuckles in the sun.

“How many times?” he asks.

I avoid his gaze. All I can think about is how much it hurt to see him with Claire in the pool.

“How many times did she go over there and sleep with him?” he demands. His blond hair falls over his watery eyes. Is he . . . crying?