Chapters (77)
- Cover
- Dedication
- 1
- 2
- A Series of Screw-ups: The Chisaki Joan Katsuyama Story, Part I
- 3
- The History of My Beef with Brynn Foer-Preston
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- The History of the Katsuyama Family, Part I
- 8
- 9
- A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part I
- 10
- 11
- 12
- A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part II
- 13
- The History of the Katsuyama Family, Part II
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- The Complicated History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Imaginary Relationship with Her Nonexistent Dad
- 20
- 21
- 22
- A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part III
- 23
- 24
- 25
- A Brief, Backward History of the McAllister Family, as Paraphrased from the San Jose Mercury News
- 26
- 27
- 28
- A Quick and Eerily Relevant History of Asians in America
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- A Brief History of Chisaki Joan Katsuyama’s Romantic Learning Opportunities, Part IV
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- A Series of Screw-ups: The Chisaki Joan Katsuyama Story, Part II (Or Maybe It’s a Prequel)
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- The History of the Katsuyama Family, Part III
- 54
- A Note from the Author
- Index of Flowers and their Meanings
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Praise for This Time Will Be Different
- Books by Misa Sugiura
- Back Ad
- About the Publisher
“I think she looks amazing no matter what she wears,” I say, emboldened by Brynn’s rudeness.
Brynn’s eyes open wide, as if she’s just figured out what she said. Right. “Ohhh, shit! I mean—”
“It’s fine,” Emily mumbles.
“Oh God, I’m such an idiot.” Brynn winces and squeezes her eyes shut. “I should’ve stopped while I was ahead, huh?” Then she opens her eyes and says, “I’m sorry, I totally fucked up. CJ’s right. You do look amazing, no matter what you wear. It’s just that you look especially great in that shirt.” And smiles her patented dazzling smile.
I can feel Emily’s defenses crumbling. Heck, mine are crumbling. Only Brynn could make a backhanded compliment like that, laugh it off, and still come out ahead. She should teach classes.
A grown-up materializes out of nowhere and says, “Excuse me, ladies, I need to borrow Brynn for a moment.”
“Right, right!” She nods at him, then turns back to us. “Hey, I’m so glad you guys came! I’ll talk to you later, ’kay?”
She waves, and we watch her as she strides off, nodding vigorously at whatever the chaperone is saying. She’s full of vigor.
I say, “Holy shit, Em.”
“Yeah.”
I add a drop of bitch to my voice and mimic Brynn: “‘That’s not your usual look, is it?’”
Emily shrugs and looks at Brynn, who’s still nodding vigorously. “I don’t think she meant it that way.”
“Emily.”
“She apologized, didn’t she? And said that thing about . . .”
“You looking amazing?”
Em nods.
“I don’t know. She seems pretty much like the same old Brynn for President to me.”
“Yeah, maybe.” She plays absently with a lock of hair, her gaze still focused on Brynn across the room. “But, CJ . . .”
“Em. What’s going on?”
Em groans and covers her face. “I don’t know. I thought I was over her.”
“Please don’t tell me she’s the reason we’re here.”
“No. Maybe. I don’t know,” says Em through her hands. “I was just . . . I can’t help it if I feel that way about her.” She drops her hands and faces me. “Is it really that big of a deal? Why do you care so much?”
“Because I’m your friend, and because she’s toxic.” I don’t know why she can’t see that. “And because there are so many girls here who’d be better for you than her,” I add, to try to get her to smile.
“I’m not here just to find a girlfriend,” she says irritably.
“No. You’re right. You’re here to meet new people. So let’s not talk about Brynn. Let’s find someone new and interesting.”