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Back This Time Will Be Different Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. A Series of Screw-ups: The Chisaki Joan Katsuyama Story, Part I
  6. 3
  7. The History of My Beef with Brynn Foer-Preston
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. The History of the Katsuyama Family, Part I
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part I
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part II
  20. 13
  21. The History of the Katsuyama Family, Part II
  22. 14
  23. 15
  24. 16
  25. 17
  26. 18
  27. 19
  28. The Complicated History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Imaginary Relationship with Her Nonexistent Dad
  29. 20
  30. 21
  31. 22
  32. A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part III
  33. 23
  34. 24
  35. 25
  36. A Brief, Backward History of the McAllister Family, as Paraphrased from the San Jose Mercury News
  37. 26
  38. 27
  39. 28
  40. A Quick and Eerily Relevant History of Asians in America
  41. 29
  42. 30
  43. 31
  44. 32
  45. 33
  46. 34
  47. 35
  48. 36
  49. A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part IV
  50. 37
  51. 38
  52. 39
  53. 40
  54. 41
  55. 42
  56. 43
  57. 44
  58. A Series of Screw-ups: The Chisaki Joan Katsuyama Story, Part II (Or Maybe It’s a Prequel)
  59. 45
  60. 46
  61. 47
  62. 48
  63. 49
  64. 50
  65. 51
  66. 52
  67. 53
  68. The History of the Katsuyama Family, Part III
  69. 54
  70. A Note from the Author
  71. Index of Flowers and their Meanings
  72. Acknowledgments
  73. About the Author
  74. Praise for This Time Will Be Different
  75. Books by Misa Sugiura
  76. Back Ad
  77. About the Publisher

When I’ve counted the votes and recycled the scraps of paper we voted on, Brynn comes back in, her features arranged in a benign, neutral sort of smile. Nikki jiggles her knee. Mizhir spins his pen and Lilianna picks at the edges of a sticker on her laptop. Tulasi plays with the strings on her hoodie, which used to say McAllister Girls Soccer and now says McAllister Girls Soccer. Owen watches me, and Emily never takes her eyes off Brynn. It’s really, really awkward.

I face her and say it. “It was really close, Brynn. I’m sorry, but you have to go.”

Brynn’s eyes fill with tears—a sight I never thought I’d see. But I can’t allow myself to feel bad about it. She did this to herself.

36

YOU’D THINK THAT WITH BRYNN OFF THE committee, everything would be easier. But Brynn was supposed to share tips from her mom today about how to perfectly target our presentation for the school board meeting next Thursday. And it felt weird to call her and ask her to share her notes after she left. So we waded around in our ignorance for thirty minutes, bickering over slides versus posters, facts versus testimonials, and whether we should make a last-minute video, all the while secretly wondering who voted to keep Brynn on and who voted to kick her out.

I’m in no mood to go to Heart’s Desire after the meeting, where I’m sure Owen will skulk around the store and disapprove of me all evening, so I beg off work and drive home. Mom’s Tesla is parked in the driveway, which is strange. It’s not even five o’clock yet.

When I poke my head into her office to say hi, she shuts her laptop and turns around. She does not look happy to see me.

“I got an email from Mr. Harrison,” she announces.

Oh no. This has to be about what just went down at the STORM meeting.

“I thought I asked you to stay out of this mess. I know you’re planning something for the school board meeting next week, and I want you to stop.” And there it is.

But I’m ready for it. “Mom, McAllister was a racist. He stole that land from Motohara. He stole our store. How could I stay out of it?”

Mom leans back in her chair and closes her eyes. “I’m not asking why you got involved, kiddo. I’m asking you—again—to back off. I know you feel strongly about Robert Senior, but the rest of the family and all their good work don’t deserve to suffer because you’re mad about my selling Heart’s Desire.”