Room to Dream

Mia gets another fan letter, but this time it isn’t so nice. A girl from China scolds her for liking Da-Shawn, especially after she was already kissed by Jason. The fan writes that she’s “afraid [Mia’s] becoming too qing fu” (228), and her mother thinks Mia is a bad influence. Mia shows her dad the letter, and he reluctantly translates the Chinese term to “boy crazy” (229). He tells her that a lot of people think that there are different dating rules for girls than for boys.

In English class, Ms. Swann announces that the faculty has approved the school paper. She says that the “first issue is coming out after the Spring Dance—you’re all going to be able to contribute!” (231). Mia is ecstatic that she and Da-Shawn will have another chance to have their writing published.

On Mia’s desk is a letter from Jason. He thanks her for her letter and lists three options for their friendship moving forward: “Don’t talk to you until you get over it. Like someone else. Wait fifty years until someone invents a time machine, then go back in time, and undo what happened” (231).