Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

Author:Jean Kwok
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Literary, Asian American Novel And Short Story, New York (State), Chinese, Chinese American teenagers, New York, Women immigrants, Fiction - General, General, Coming of Age, Chinese - New York (State) - New York, Mothers and daughters, Fiction
ISBN: 9781594487569
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Published: 2010-09-15T10:54:26.066000+00:00


When eighth grade began, the school told me I didn’t need an English tutor anymore. I would miss having someone like Kerry to advise me, but I took it for what it was: a compliment. My English had improved. In other ways, though, I still lived in a different world. Most of the kids in my homeroom were the same as from the previous year, but I didn’t really know them. As they participated in whole new activities and developed social lives after school, I could only observe. They were in plays, did lacrosse, basketball, tennis; there were football games and a whole group solely devoted to cheering. I overheard them enough to know that they also started going out places in groups at night. But what struck me most was how relaxed and happy the other kids all seemed together. I often saw Tammy laughing along with her friends, although she continued to be nice to me as well. Curt and Sheryl, the two coolest kids in the grade, flirted with each other like crazy, for the rest of us to see.

The other girls (with the exception of Annette, who thought Sheryl was shallow) regarded Sheryl with admiration and envy. When she pushed the limits of the dress code and came in with her skirt rolled up to mid-thigh, many of the other girls did the same within a week, flashing their pale legs. And as for Curt, he just seemed to glow with promise. It wasn’t that he was so handsome, but the way he wore the knowledge that he was someone special.

In a way, I gave myself the excuse of not even trying to get close to the others because I knew I couldn’t be a part of their lives. I still had my responsibilities at the factory, but even without that, Ma wouldn’t have allowed me to go out anyway. That wasn’t what nice Chinese girls from her background did.

At the beginning of one lunch period, I happened to be walking down the hallway a bit behind Greg and a group of his friends, including Tammy.

“You going to Rocky Horror tonight?” Greg asked Tammy.

“Sure,” she said. “You guys could meet at my place beforehand, if you want.” To my surprise, she turned and smiled at me over her shoulder. “Do you want to come too, Kimberly?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I said, stalling for time. I knew I couldn’t go, but I wanted to pretend it was a possibility. “What time you are meeting?”

She glanced at Greg, who looked as shocked by her inclusion of me as I felt. “Around eleven, I guess?”

I blinked. Didn’t we have school at eleven o’clock in the morning? Luckily, I didn’t say anything to reveal my ignorance, because then Tammy continued, “It’ll take us less than half an hour to get to the city, so we’ll have plenty of time to make it to the Village by midnight.”

“No, let’s meet earlier. I can get some bears,” Greg said.

While they discussed the logistics of their evening, my mind whirled.



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