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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

Mr. Connelly crosses his arms. “I just want to make sure your head’s in the right place, that’s all,” he says. “That is, if you still care about going to Snider. . . .”

“Of course I care about Snider,” I erupt. I steady my hands on the table.

“Then why are you wasting your time playing footsy with Junior?” he mutters under his breath.

I stare at him. I can’t believe he just said that, almost like he’s jealous. It’s so patronizing. At the same time, all I can think about is the way he’s looking at me, the sag of his shoulders as he shakes his head, like he’d picked the wrong racehorse. I pick up my backpack and slide out of my seat, the emotions unraveling inside me.

“I’m sorry, I have to go,” I say.

I push open the classroom door and walk out into the hall. The chaos of seven hundred famished kids greets me, all headed to lunch. I scan the sea of heads, looking for Ming.

My phone dings in my bag.

I’m sorry, Mr. Connelly writes.

I don’t respond.

Dani, are you there? I know you read that.

Dot dot dot.

I’m really sorry. I lost my mind back there, he writes. Will you forgive me?

I stare at the words.

Dani, please. Say something, he writes.

I feel a pang in my chest.

I just want to see you succeed. I care about you. I don’t want you to throw your future away for some guy.

I swallow the knot in my throat as I text back, I’m not throwing my future away for any guy.

Three more dots.

Good, he writes.

Twenty-Five

Claire

I stare at Jay in English class, a smile playing at my lips. He sits three rows in front of me, slouching in his seat. Even the way he slouches is sexy. Stop it. I remind myself I’ll be switching out of Mr. Harvey’s class soon. Although maybe staying wouldn’t be so terrible. Stop.

Ms. Jones, our substitute, is teaching us about “the hero’s journey.” It’s this concept in creative writing, and I can’t help but compare it to my own journey to America. How I rejected the call at first, but then I crossed over into the unfamiliar. And now I’m meeting people and going through all these little trials and tribulations before finally proving myself.

“And eventually, in the hero’s journey, your protagonist will face the ultimate challenge, which will test what he or she is really made of,” Ms. Jones explains, “in order to take back control of their life.”

I repeat the line in my head and smile. I wish we could have Ms. Jones every day.

After class, I unlock my phone. There’s an email from Mrs. Mandalay.

Dear Claire,