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
Mrs. Mandalay shakes her head. “We can’t just kick him out of school. This is America. We believe in due process,” she says. She reaches for a copy of the school rules. “Now, on page 38, you’ll see that whenever there’s an internal student dispute, students are encouraged to take the matter before the administrative board.”
Ms. Jones had mentioned something about the administrative board. The headmistress tells me it consists of teachers, administrators, and student representatives and works just like an actual court. They hear testimony from both sides.
“So it’s like a school court?” I ask.
She nods.
“And Jay will be in the room?”
“Yes,” she says. I groan at the floor. I was afraid of that. “And either side can call witnesses.”
“There are no witnesses.”
“Well, you can have character witnesses.” She slides the school rules pamphlet across her desk. “Trust me,” she says. “This is the best option.”
As I take the pamphlet from her, she reminds me that California truancy laws prevent me from staying home any longer.
“You mean I have to stay at school today?” I ask.
“I’m afraid so,” she says.
My mouth forms an O. I promised myself I would not come back to school until after Jay was kicked out. I only came back today to meet with Mrs. Mandalay.
“Claire.” Mrs. Mandalay looks me in the eye. “If you really want to do this, you’re going to have to be stronger than this. You’re going to have to face him at the meeting eventually.”
I reach for my backpack, putting the school rules pamphlet inside. Stepping out of Mrs. Mandalay’s office, I lift my eyes, squinting at the full on-ness of school. Classmates screaming. Laughing. Taking pictures of each other in the photo booth of their MacBook Airs. I stare at them, envying their normalness. This is just a regular school day for them, not a warzone they have to share with their rapist.
Florence is the first one to spot me.
“Oh, thank God, where’ve you been? My parents came for the spring concert and—” She stops talking when she sees my face. I shake my head, the words trapped in my windpipe. Florence leads me over to a quiet picnic table way out in the field.
Jay runs up to us as we’re walking.
Florence lets go of my hand when she sees him. “I’ll let you guys have a moment,” she says.
I shake my head at her, No, don’t leave me!, but the words are swallowed up by the shock of Jay standing next to me, talking to me, like nothing happened.
“Hey,” Jay says. “I just wanted to apologize for what happened.” He reaches out a hand to touch my elbow, and I jerk it away so violently, I drop my phone on the ground.
As he reaches to pick it up, I shout at him, “Leave it.”