Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone by Tae Keller

Author:Tae Keller [Keller, Tae]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2022-04-26T00:00:00+00:00

The end of everything started with a buzz.

A couple days after the kung fu face-off, I was sitting with Tess at our lunch table, waiting for Reagan because the math honors class always ran late.

Tess was telling me about some personality quiz she found online, some kind of number or category or type that perfectly fit her, and she was trying to convince me to take it. To be honest, I hated those personality tests. I always felt like I was getting the questions wrong, which freaked me out, because they’re supposed to be easy. I’m supposed to know myself.

But I was nodding along, pretending to consider it, and that’s when we heard it. The double buzz-buzz of our group chat, both our phones going off at once.

Tess grabbed hers first, whipping it out of her pocket before I could even react. She laughed loudly, clapping her hand over her mouth.

I fumbled for mine, and when I finally pulled the chat open, I felt something shift inside me, a tiny rip.

Reagan had sent a picture of Jennifer in math class, sitting a few desks away. Her sweatshirt billowed unflatteringly around her stomach. She was rubbing her eye. Her hair was a mess.

Reagan’s message followed: WHAT A WRECK.

Tess shook her head. “Honestly, we know she’s a lost cause, but she should at least try to look good? Like, make an effort?”

I felt bad looking, but it took me a few seconds to pull my eyes from the screen. Feelings tumbled in my stomach—fear and guilt and something unnameable, too. Tess didn’t notice my silence, and I slipped my phone into my pocket, hoping to never mention it again.

But when Reagan arrived a few minutes later, sliding her lunch tray beside mine, she nudged me and said, “Why didn’t you respond?”

Her tone was light, and I knew she expected me to join in the fun. Part of me wanted to. I felt myself tilt in her direction, but I tried to resist.

“Sorry, I didn’t see your message,” I lied.

Tess leaned forward. “Um, yeah you did? We literally just looked at it, like, two minutes ago?”

Reagan stared at me, and I realized that without meaning to, I’d taken a side. In just one slice of a second, I’d chosen Jennifer over Reagan, and Reagan wouldn’t forgive that. Because best friends were supposed to support each other. They weren’t supposed to judge or make each other feel like bad people.

“Sorry,” I said, not quite meeting Reagan’s eyes. “It was funny.”

“What’s funny is that Jennifer, like, worships herself?” Tess said. “Like she’s so cocky, which is hilarious, because she has no reason to be.”

I hesitated. “I don’t know if she’s cocky.”

I expected annoyance from Reagan, but instead, I got sympathy. “Mal, don’t be naive. Did you see the way she looked at us that first day? The way she looked at you? She felt bad for you, because she thinks she’s better.”

I chewed my cheek. That felt kind of true. And ever since that day

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