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
“Oh, hey, I’m gonna be home late tonight,” I call out to Dani. “My friend Florence is having a party.”
“Did you say Florence?” Dani asks.
I nod, looking over at Jess. Does Dani . . . know Florence? Jess shakes her head at me. Hell no, we’re not inviting her.
Dani walks back into her room as my phone dings. It’s my dad texting me.
Hi, sunflower, heard your good news about your English class. Can’t wait to celebrate with you in person next week. I have a business meeting in LA.
I look up from the text and announce to Nancy and Jess, “My dad’s coming next week!”
Nancy squeals while Jess continues touching up her makeup. I can’t tell if she’s jealous or she gives zero shits about dads.
“C’mon, let’s go,” Jess says. “Florence is waiting for us.”
“Is your boyfriend coming?” I ask her.
“We broke up,” she says.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I say.
“Don’t be. I found out that the fucker was still charging my parents for personal training sessions. Can you believe that?” She throws her head back and laughs. “Have to hand it to him, pretty slick. He got like five thousand dollars for screwing me.”
Nancy’s jaw drops. “He should give it back!”
“Not worth it.” Jess shakes her head. “I’m over it.”
As Jess orders an Uber for us and starts heading out, I look down at my phone, fighting the urge to reread my dad’s text. Is he really coming next week? The thought is both thrilling and stressful—I so desperately want him to show up, to celebrate my English test with me. I want him to see my new life here and be proud of me—I’m doing it, on my own, just like he wanted! But what if he cancels at the last minute? Nine out of ten times that’s exactly what he does.
In the car, I look over at Jess, swaying to the music. She looks amazing, rocking her Helmut Lang open-back mini, her eyelids sparkling in the powdery light. She does not look like she just got out of a relationship. I wish I could be like her, like I don’t have time to be sad.
“I just broke up with my boyfriend too,” I tell her.
Jess gazes at me. “What happened?” she asks.
I shrug. “I wanted to slow down . . .”
“And he didn’t want to?” Jess asks. The driver glances in the rearview mirror at us as he turns onto Florence’s street. “Fuck him!”
“Fuck him,” Nancy seconds.
“FUCK BOYS!” The three of us scream as the car pulls into Florence’s driveway. Florence runs out to greet us. She giggles when she hears us saying we’re done with boys.
“Agreed! From now on, I’m going full-on les,” Florence jokes.
Jess hugs Florence and replies, “Um, no, that’s not the answer.”