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
“My pleasure,” he says, reaching over and gripping my hand in his, a firm, unwavering hold that conveys the full extent of his confidence in me, and I’m both thrilled and enraptured. “Do you feel better now?”
I nod.
“Good,” he says. “We’ll show ’em at the next tournament. The other kids can get all the private coaches they want, but it won’t make any difference. You wanna know why?” He leans in.
“Because you’re better,” he says with a wink.
Later that day, Zach and I sit in his old Honda Civic in the school parking lot. He’s offered to give me a ride home. As I buckle up, I smile inside, thinking about Mr. Connelly’s words. I can’t believe I hit the coach jackpot.
Zach looks similarly stoked as he turns to me and tells me about his bio test, the one I helped him study for. “I can’t believe Mr. Schwartz gave me an A!” he says, starting the car. “Even Mr. Schwartz couldn’t believe it!”
I laugh, feet bumping up against a bag of repair tools.
“Sorry,” he says. He scrunches up the bag of tools and tosses them in the back.
“Were you fixing the car?” I ask.
He looks at the tools and doesn’t say anything for a long time, like he’s trying to decide whether to tell me something. “I was fixing our trailer,” he says finally. “My mom and I, we live over at Sun Grove Mobile Park.”
“Oh.” Surprise slips off my tongue. He catches it and looks away.
“We used to live in a house over by Ralphs,” he explains. “But then the property prices started going up and the taxes . . .”
He doesn’t have to explain to me about property taxes. “My mom and I recently started renting one of our rooms out,” I tell him quietly. “We need the money. My dad left when I was a baby.”
What happened? I just wanted to dip my toes in the water. I ended up fully submerged.
“So did my dad. I don’t even think my mom knows who he is,” he says. “She’s not exactly a model mom.”
“Mine either.” I don’t know why I say this. It’s not a fair statement. My mom tries. She wasn’t dealt the best card in life, but she tries.
He turns to me, amused.
“Really?” he asks as he turns on the radio. “Then how’d you end up so smart?”
I shake my head shyly, secretly thrilled.
“I’m just a normal girl,” I say.
He laughs. The sound of his laughter is so addicting, and I try to memorize it. “You are most definitely not just a normal girl,” he says.
Five minutes later, we arrive at my house.