“So much for that road trip, Amelia.”
At the other end of the phone, I heard a groan. “Are you serious? You really can’t come with me?”
“It’s not my fault that the recognition ceremony for the Junior Mathematics Tournament got moved up a month early.”
“You’d think these people would be better organized,” Amelia griped. There was a pause. “Are you going to be gone the whole four days?”
“Pretty much. I was looking at an itinerary and they’ve got a lot of stuff planned.”
“Sure you can’t get out of it? C’mon, you can’t honestly tell me you’d rather be at some uptight ceremony than partying it up with me. That thing’s probably going to be a drag.”
I groaned. Didn’t she know I already realized that? “Nope, there’s no chance. My parents think it’s like my Grammy or something. If I rebelled, they’d kill me and string up my corpse to receive the award or something.”
Amelia sighed in defeat. She had Chinese parents too, after all, and must have realized there was no way I was spending Thanksgiving break anywhere else but at the Junior Mathematics Conference in Indianapolis. Or my grave.
“Okay, okay. Guess I’ll be taking a one-girl vacation then,” she said dejectedly. “Since everybody is abandoning me.”
“Geez, now you’re just being dramatic,” I chided, admitting my nails, which I had painted for the first time in forever. I loved school breaks. “Why don’t you call up Louisa or something?” I tried to keep the bitterness out of my voice, but I’d never been a particularly good actress.
“Hmm. You know what? I will. And I’ll call up her boyfriend while I’m at it, too.”
The mention of the word ‘boyfriend’ caused the blissful smile on my face to evaporate. “Yeah, wouldn’t want to separate the Dream Team,” I said sourly.
“Don’t worry. I’ll supervise them if they come along to make sure they don’t do anything you wouldn’t approve of.”
“Why would I disapprove of anything those two do?” I sniffed. “It’s not my business. They can come back with babies for all I care.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do,” I insisted, gripping the phone so hard to my ear that I was surprised it didn’t snap in half. “In fact, I want their babies to have babies. They should come back with frickin’ grandkids if they like. What do I care?”
Amelia let out a long, crackly sigh. “I thought I already told you—you don’t have to put on an act in front of me.”
“I’m not acting. This is called being a good citizen.”
“You’re hopeless.”
“Maybe so, but remember that I’m the one getting national recognition this weekend.”
“Wow, smart and humble. You’re my role model.”
I was about to retort, but then my mom’s voice seeped through the floor. “Nancy, have you packed all your things yet?”
“Almost done!” I hollered back, holding my hand over the speaker. “Gotta go now,” I said to Amelia. “Your humble role model is off to the great city of Indianapolis. I’ll allow you to keep a piece of my hair as a memorial if I don’t come back.” It was a genuine concern. My parents were not exactly quality drivers.
“Nancy…you are literally going, like, two hours away.”
“Don’t be a hater.”
“Nancy, NOW!” Dad bellowed.
I winced. I could just imagine the angry look on Dad’s face downstairs. After that incident with Alexander, he’d been treating me very coldly for the past few days. I guess I knew what Kevin’s life was like now. “Coming,” I shouted. Haphazardly, I grabbed a pile of clothes, shoved them into my suitcase, and hung up the phone.
“At this rate, the tournament people will have died of old age by the time we get there,” Dad grumbled as I struggle down the stairs with my suitcase. “Your friends are the reason you’re tardy, aren’t they? I knew they were bad influences.”
“Dad, what are you even talking about?”
“I can’t believe I call myself a father and let you hang around kids like…like…like that boy!” Dad banged his fist on his suitcase.
“If you mean Alexander, can’t you just say his name?”
“No!” Dad shouted. “That’s it. Nancy, from now on, I don’t want you seeing that boy or anyone else who is friends with him.”
I stared at Dad, wondering if he was serious. He looked dead serious. I mean, when was the last time the man had even smiled? “Wait, but almost all my friends are friends with him. You can’t expect me to drop them all.”
“Oh, yes I can. Listen to me—”
Suddenly, the loud, obnoxiously shrill opening notes of a Peking Opera burst through the garage and completely sidelined Dad’s yelling.
“Zhan Ni, I think I found the MP3 player!” Mom shouted, appearing in the doorway and waving around a black object.
“Turn it off!” Dad and I both shouted.
“I can’t! I think the button is stuck!”
Dad stuffed his ears with Styrofoam (which would have been the single funniest moment of my life if my own ears weren’t currently dying of abuse) and got to work on the old piece of junk. He tried everything—slapping it, jiggling it, pressing random buttons and even praying to God for forgiveness. Or earplugs. Nothing worked.
I was about to stick Styrofoam into my own ears when the horrid wailing suddenly shut off. I looked up. Dad had completely lost his temper and smashed the thing to pieces on the garage floor.
Mom stared at the broken contraption forlornly. “Oh, that’s too bad. I really liked that song.”
“Mom, I really worry about you sometimes.”
“Both of you be quiet,” Dad said in a low voice, his face purpling with barely controlled anger. Mom and I both knew enough not to provoke him any further.
Without another peep, I piled into the car and settled in for a long, boring ride and an even longer, more boring vacation. The car ride was so dull that I split my time between sleeping, staring listlessly out the window at huge expanses of boring farm land, and writing up a rather crappy application essay for the University of California Berkeley.
I know—I should have been trying harder. Berkeley wasn’t a school to be looked down upon. It was probably terrible of me to think this, but despite the terrific national rankings, I wasn’t actually that invested in this school. Schools that weren’t Harvard didn’t interest me. The only reason I was even applying was because I’d heard the weather was good in California. Also, California was on the other side of the country. And I needed to get clear away from these crazy people I called family.
“Is anyone hungry?” Mom asked after an hour had gone by. “I’ve got snacks. Lots and lots of delicious snacks.”
At the thought of snacks, my stomach let out a low rumble. I sure could’ve used some Lay’s or something just then.
“I’m famished,” I moaned. “Pass some food back.” When the bag landed in my hands, I ripped it open and popped the food into my mouth. Then I spit it out like it had bit me. “Ew, Mom! Gross! What is this?”
“Prune candy,” she said, as though that was a given. “Your favorite.”
My favorite what? Barf inducer?
“Nancy, don’t make a mess everywhere. You have to look presentable when we meet with the Chairman later,” Dad scolded, taking his eyes off the road for just a moment to stare me down threateningly.
Just then a huge, honking truck came swerving into our lane. “DAD! LOOK OUT!”
Our car narrowly missed being decimated by the barest of margins. As Dad let out a string of Chinese curses, I slunk into my seat and gave up on writing essays, eating, and living. Cold sweat still lined my eyebrows and the undersides of my hands.
Compared to this ‘vacation’, I almost would have preferred being in school. Almost.
*****
We arrived and checked into a hotel called the Shangri-La. My spirits had lifted a bit since the car ride, because I’d always looked forward to living in hotels as a kid. And this one didn’t disappoint.
Shangri-la wasn’t just any ordinary hotel—it was the king of hotels. It was by far the most lavish, fancy hotel I’d ever set foot it. The ceiling was so far up that I had to crane my neck and squint to see it. Men and women clad in the latest high-end fashion went strutting around as though they themselves owned the place. Even the guys working the concierge looked at customers with their noses up, as though they felt entitled and shared in the wealth, too. Our hotel room was huge, but surprisingly simple compared to the palace that had greeted us. There were two king-sized beds, a flat-screen TV, a small, clean kitchen, and a bathroom the size of a frickin’ football field.
“Happy?” Mom said upon catching the grin on my face.
“Very,” I sighed in content.
She beamed and ruffled my hair.
“Stop it, Mom. I’m enough of a mess already without your help.”
“Oh, Nancy. Look at you, my little girl, all grown up and winning math contests,” she gushed, tears in her eyes. “You have made me so proud.”
Mom’s words were music to my ears. I couldn’t stop the grin stretching across my face. Proud. I hadn’t let my family down. I’d made them proud.
Dad just grunted and didn’t say anything, probably because he was still mentally strangling Alexander and me for the other night. It was just as well, because I wasn’t real pleased with him either. Not after those several near-death incidents we’d had on the drive here. My dad might have been a law-abiding business manager on the outside, but he was a menace to society behind the wheel.
Mom must have sensed the weird mood in the air, because she put on a bright, false smile and clapped her hands together. “Let’s not get sentimental, now. Your father and I are going grocery shopping to cook up some food tonight. Want to come along?” Mom asked me.
I groaned and flopped onto one of the perfectly made beds. “Not now, sorry. I want to sleep.” And try in vain to recover from the life-threatening shock Dad’s terrible driving habits had induced.
“Okay, take a nap, then. Your father and I won’t take longer than an hour. And take a look at the itinerary while we’re gone.” With that, Mom set something down on the reading table next to me. The door opened and closed, and then there was silence.
I’d nearly fallen asleep when my phone vibrated near my head and nearly caused me to wet myself.
“Whooza?” I said sleepily. I fumbled for my phone and brought the lit-up screen next to my face. There was a new Facebook message from Amelia.
For a moment, I just sat there and stared at her name. I hoped Dad hadn’t meant it when he said he wasn’t going to allow me to hang out with anyone who was associated with Alexander anymore. Were my days with Amelia as my friend limited?
Amelia: So…what’s the weather like in crazy Indianapolis? :)
Nancy: Oh, you know, not like back home at ALL. Today there’s cotton candy clouds that are raining unicorn spit. Tomorrow they predict French fry sleet.
Amelia: U know, I used to blame ur snarkiness on PMS, but now I see that it’s just part of ur personality.
Nancy: Why thank you.
Amelia: Srsly, how’s it going over there? Having fun yet?
Nancy: Oh, lots. I’m doing lots of crazy stuff like sleeping and reading itineraries. This ceremony business is not for the faint-heated.
Amelia: haha, ok, u win. Ur the queen of sarcasm.
Nancy: As long as there are no more frickin' three hour away ceremonies, you can make me queen of whatever you like.
Amelia: So speaking of the ceremony…where r u staying exactly?
Nancy: Indianapolis…pretty sure we’ve already had this conversation.
Amelia: No, I mean which hotel?
Nancy: Some place called the Shangri-la. Why?
Amelia: …(typing)…
Amelia: No reason. Just curious.
Amelia: But wow. I bet u stick out like a sore thumb cuz this hotel’s all fancy and high class.
Nancy: Oh my god, you have no idea. It’s brilliant. I feel like the Princess of Sore Thumbs.
Amelia:I think I might have an idea of what that feels like…:P
Nancy:?
Amelia: Nothing. Hey, I gtg so have fun ok? Enjoy urself and try not to miss me too much.
Nancy: I’m trying, but I’ve already cried myself to sleep five times not being able to see your face.
Amelia: That's my girl. But no worries. I have a feeling we’ll be reunited before we even know it :) Cya!
Amelia is now offline. You can talk to her later or send her a private message.
I set my phone aside and rubbed my eyes. Still feeling groggy, I blocked out the sunlight with my blanket and nestled into the warm bed of amazingness. But I couldn’t fall asleep. I just couldn’t. So in the end, I gave in and skimmed over the itinerary Mom had left.
THURSDAY, NOV. 22:
7:00 P.M.: Thanksgiving dinner with Chairman Daniels at Cherry Blossom Restaurant
FRIDAY, NOV 23:
11:00 A.M.: City tour. Lunch included
2:00 P.M.: Mathematics Through the Ages Museum tour
6:00 P.M.: Dinner at Royal Oaks Fine Dining restaurant
SATURDAY, NOV. 24:
3:00 P.M.: Awards and Recognition ceremony. Dinner included.
It looked like I was in for a long Thanksgiving break. I was looking forward to the museum tour, at least. Math could always brighten up even the crappiest of days.
I set aside the itinerary and lay down in bed again. It took me a while—at least half an hour—before my body was able to shut itself down. I was once again nodding off to sleep.
Then the phone rang.
“This isn’t funny!” I shouted up at the ceiling, angry at whatever celestial being obviously thought it was funny to pick on me. With a nearly inhumane effort, I dragged myself over to the other end of the bed and picked up the phone. “Hello?”
“Is this Miss Nancy Pang?” a masculine voiced asked.
“Um…yes?” I was suddenly alert. People never said your full name like that unless you were in the 1700s or something really bad had happened.
Holy crap, had Dad really gotten himself into an accident this time?
“We’ve just detained three possibly mad and dangerous teenagers in the hotel lobby. They were caught trying to climb the building, if you can believe that, and they said they were just trying to reach you.”
“Uh…what?”
The concierge worker repeated his words. “Can you confirm that this is true?”
“I’m sorry,” I said in bafflement. “I don’t remember telling anyone to scale buildings for me today.”
“Ah. In that case, we will deal with these troublemakers accordingly. Sorry for the bother—”
I clutched the phone to my ear when something suddenly dawned on me. “You said there are three?”
“There are, miss.”
“What are their names?”
“Why, I believe…Louisa, Amelia, and Alexander.”
Somehow, I wasn’t even surprised.