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 can hardly sit still the rest of the day, thinking about the fact that Zach’s going to be at the fund-raiser tonight. The sports-scholarship students don’t usually have to come to these things. If he’s going, he’ll hear my speech. I walk through the halls, reciting it in my head. It’s the same one I made the other day, about tracking in schools. And it has to be perfect. I’m so immersed in my speech that when Mr. Connelly calls my name in the hallway, it takes me a second to respond.
“Dani!” Mr. Connelly calls. I turn around. Jokingly, Mr. Connelly waves his hand up and down in front of my eyes. “Earth to Dani! What’s up? You thinking about your boyfriend?” he teases.
I blush. “I don’t have a boyfriend,” I tell him.
“Really?” he asks. “Hey, I’m glad I bumped into you. I’m thinking about making you team captain for the next tournament. You think you can handle that?”
My eyes widen. That would be amazing. I’ve never been team captain before. It’s usually Heather or Audrey. I nod enthusiastically.
“Good!” Mr. Connelly grins. “I’ll see you at practice on Wednesday, Thunder Girl!”
I’m still smiling later that day when I walk into the annual-fund cocktail fund-raiser. I’m in my formal debate attire—black dress and pumps, the same ones I wear for debate. And just in case I get close to Zach, a spritz of the sample Lancôme perfume one of my mom’s clients threw away and she fished out of the trash. The auditorium is lit up and packed with parents, mostly from China. Ming is in the corner tuning her violin. As the caterer offers me a glass of water, Mrs. Mandalay waves at me. Her wild red hair bounces above her shoulders as she strolls over to me in her power suit, looking every bit like the tough-as-nails headmistress who single-handedly quadrupled our school enrollment.
“There you are, Dani!” she says. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say. I hold up my note cards. I look around for Zach but don’t see him. Mr. Connelly is in the corner, talking to a parent. He waves, and when the parent turns around to get another glass of wine, pretends to shoot himself in the head.
I stifle a laugh.
Mrs. Mandalay walks up onto the stage and calls everyone’s attention.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Mrs. Mandalay says, stepping up to the podium. “Welcome to the annual-fund cocktail fund-raiser. We thank you for spending the evening with us, and by spend I mean spend.”