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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

I’m so sorry to be writing you this email. At five o’clock yesterday, I was dismissed from the school. The official reason was that my services were no longer needed as Mrs. Wallace’s suspension has been lifted. The unofficial reason, I suspect, may have to do with my trying to get on the ad board.

Please do not feel at all responsible—I am only telling you this because I feel it is important that young people know the real facts of a situation, not the sugarcoated version. If I had to do it all over again, I would do the same thing because I consider it my utmost duty as a teacher to protect my students. After all, if we cannot offer even this basic level of care in our schools, what right do we have to call ourselves educators?

Good luck tomorrow. I know you’re scared but trust you are doing the right thing and every rational, impartial adult who hears your story will believe you. I certainly do. Do you still remember the thing I taught you about the hero’s journey? Well, this is it. You are the hero, and tomorrow you will find the strength to take back control of your journey. I have faith in you. It has been an honor teaching you.

All my love,

Sharisa Jones

I read and reread the email from Ms. Jones. How could they do this to her? She was the best teacher I had! My in-box notifies me with another email from Dani and I tap Junk Mail before I even read it. I quickly reply back, thanking Ms. Jones for all her help and apologizing for what happened. The bell rings. As I pick up my backpack and walk out of the stall, I try not to think about what this means for tomorrow.

The night before the ad board meeting, I wake up in a cold sweat. I don’t know how to explain it, this inexplicable fear I have. It grows inside me, breeding worries and anxieties I can neither articulate nor control whenever I think about what Jay will say tomorrow. Will he deny anything ever happened? Or fill the room with lies, saying that I consented to it, that I asked for it, even enjoyed it?

And if he does, will I sit passively, eyes glazed over while he spews these lies? Or will I lunge forward and put my enraged hands around his throat?

I call Zach in the middle of the night. He stays on the phone with me while I try to calm down.

“It’s going to be okay,” he says. “Have faith . . . it’s like your English teacher said. Any rational adult will see you’re telling the truth.”