Page 13 of Didn't See That Coming

And Jonas…

Ugh, he caught me so off guard. How the hell did things go south so quickly? I mean, right before the class, we were flirting with each other! He told me I was pretty, and I thought hewas cute, and it was all exciting and fun, and then—whatthe hell happened? I should’ve backed off. No! I shouldn’t have backed off. At Mingyang, I wasn’t even considered one of themore outspoken pupils, because we were always encouraged to speak our minds.

Okay, so this cinches the deal. I can’t carry on at Xingfa. I’m gonna go home and tell Mami that I crashed and burned in the most horrific way possible and that she has to re-enroll me in Mingyang right away. I take a deep breath, then recall that the last thing I want to be doing is to take a deep inhale in a public restroom. Gah. Of course, as soon as I think about telling Mami to take me out of Xingfa because I made a fool of myself on not just my first day but my first class, I can already imagine her reaction.

Aduh, Kiki, I didn’t raise you to be a quitter. Or a loser. You were born to be a queen bee, my darling girl.

Then I’d be like:But Mami, these kids are so different. They’re not the kind of people I’m used to. They just want me to keep my head down and follow the rules.

Then Mami would be like:Well, there are two ways this could go. One, you could prove them wrong and show them that speaking up for your beliefs is important. Or two, they teach you some manners. Either way, it’s a win-win.

And I’d be like:For you, maybe. Grumble, grumble.

Damn it, even Imagination Kiki can’t win against Imagination Mami.

A bell rings, probably to signify the start of second period. I take another deep breath, remember belatedlyagainwhere I am, and lift my chin. I come out of the cubicle, smiling politely at a couple of girls who are washing their hands. They glance at me with some interest but don’t say anything before leaving.

That’s okay. I’m going to go out there and freaking slay. I check my reflection and nod to myself. That first class was just an anomaly. Now that I have a feel for the culture here and who to avoid (i.e., Jonas), the rest of the day will be fine. I’ll just keep my head down, stay away from Jonas, and maybe try to feel out which of the girls in my class are more approachable.

My newfound confidence is short lived. As soon as I get into class, I know I’ve made a huge error, because the classroom is deathly silent. The teacher is already there, and she stops talking mid-sentence when I step inside, which of course means that every student immediately turns to look at me. A few pairs of eyes roll. I can practically read their minds. Ugh, the new girl can’t even get it together to be on time.

The teacher, a rake-thin woman in her late thirties wearing a pencil skirt, gives me a cold glance. “Glad you could join us,” she says in a clipped voice. She glances at the clock. “Two minutes late. Go to your seat.” She turns to address the rest of the class. “Some of you had me in precalculus last year, but for those of you who don’t know, the rule is, if you’re morethan three minutes late, you can’t attend my class. You’ll have to stand outside the whole period. I won’t have anyone disrespecting my time.”

Silence. I swear my seat is leagues away from me. Eyes follow me as I scamper toward it like a hunted hamster. Then I jump when the teacher suddenly barks,“Understand?”

As one, the class choruses, “Yes, Ms.Tian.”

I finally reach my seat and scramble into it. My heart may as well be a tennis ball caught in my throat. I clench my hands on my lap and find them so clammy that my fingers keep slipping. None of the teachers at Mingyang ever shouts. Is this what Mami was referring to when she waxed on and on about Asian discipline? I’ve seen the funny TikToks and all the memes about it. Some of my cousins have been kept in check with the dreaded feather duster or sandal, but Mami and Papi were more into ordering me to the “Thinking corner” or, atworst, grounding me, so I’ve always thought the memes were exaggerated. Having a teacher shout at an entire class like this is a whole different experience.

Ms.Tian gives a short nod and turns back to the front of the classroom. She gestures to the screen, on which are the wordsCalculus with Ms. Marie Tian. “As I was saying, calculus is very different from precalculus. Compared to precalc, this class is a lot harder. You’re going to need to pay full attention. Expect ten hours’ worth of homework every week.”

No one groans at this, which kind of blows my mind. At Mingyang, we would all throw our heads back and give the most dramatic groan whenever any teacher announced homework, though of course we’d do it. We just liked our teachersto know that they were ruining our lives. But none of my Xingfa classmates even sighs or shows any signs of annoyance. In fact, most of them are writing down everything Ms.Tian is saying. Maybe I should do the same?

“There will be a test every two weeks. If you fail more than two in a row, you will be taken out of this class and put in…” Ms.Tian waves her hand flippantly at the corridor. “Wisdom, or Charity,” she says with open derision.

Maybe I’m missing something. Why is she being so horrible about those two classes?

Sensing my confusion, Jonas whispers, “Those two are the bottom-tier classes. That’s where all the dumb kids go.”

I must have looked horrified, because he smirks and adds sarcastically, “But I’m sure you belong with us smart kids.”

Seriously? The classes are tiered? I can’t believe they do that, and also, which tier is my class in and how do I find out?Also, kind of ironic that the class named Wisdom is for “the dumb kids,”my mind titters at me nervously.

“Jonas Arifin!” Ms.Tian snaps, glaring at us. “Are we going to have a problem with you talking in class?”

Jonas quickly shakes his head. “No, Teacher. Sorry, Teacher,” he says without any trace of mockery.

Wow. I’ve never seen a student so quickly cowed before. Not to say that we were ever disrespectful at Mingyang, but our teachers were the kind that would be, like, “Stop it, you animals,” in a long-suffering way instead of actually snapping at us.

“And you?” Ms.Tian turns her terrifying attention to me.

“Uh.” I have no idea what to say. “No?”

“No, what?” Her voice is now dangerously low.

“No, Teacher,” Liam whispers under his breath.

Seriously? “No, Teacher,” I say.

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