2020 Late February, Beijing, China
 
"Nemo?"
 
"Here"
 
"Jenifer?"
 
It's 8:30, and I'm so tired to the point I am having a battle over my own eyelids. It's as if my eyes wanted to keep the curtains down from my computer screen brightness, but I keep trying to keep them open as my head starts flopping in all directions up and down, left and right as I lose and regain consciousness. 
 
"Cindy?"
 
"Here."
 
Thank the Lord we don't need to keep our cameras on. If I was in a real classroom, I would be looking like the new girl freak, and that is not the best first impression. Then a new thought rushes through my head, 'how should I say 'Here'?'. I could be really normal and just say I'm here, but I don't want them to think I am boring. Maybe I should say something funny like 'yup that's me' or 'Hi yawl!' or sarcastically say 'present'. But I try saying it quietly to myself and it just doesn't sound right…
 
"EMMA!!! Hello?"
 
I click the unmute button like it's on fire, "Oh, a yeah sorry… Here…" I slap my head against my hands hard, wishing that somehow that would turn back time.
 
"Is everything alright?" The teacher asks in a worried voice.
 
Confused by the question I reply, "I'm sorry?"
 
"There was an incredibly loud bang or some sort of noise…"
 
"Oh yeah, that's nothing just a mosquito flying around. You know how hot it can be right?" I nervously laugh, and even start to sweat.
 
"FYI, It's February, one of the months of winter…" One of the students say.
 
Some students snicker and laugh. And I awkwardly sit there amazed that this could get any worse.
 
"Well okay now that you've met our new student. I would like to go over the rules and policies and make it very clear that you are required to do these while we have online classes, due to this unexpected crisis that I am sure all of you heard of…"

2020 Early February, Beijing, China
 
"Today's status: Wuhan confirmed 63 more deaths, bringing its total to 608; this now includes a Japanese citizen and a US citizen dying on this day. Beijing reported the first type of case involving a patient, who tested positive after three negative test results. France confirmed five cases involving British nationals, bringing the total number to 11. Japan, three more cases tested positive on Diamond Princess, bringing the total number of cases in Japan to 89… … CLICK!" I turn the Bluetooth speakers off.
 
"Why do you even listen to this… this…" I struggle to find the right word, I don't want to swear in front of my mom, so I go with, "depressing information."
 
"The podcast I was listening to ended so I wanted to see what was on the news." she shrugs. "I feel more productive when I'm listening to something while I unpack, speaking of unpacking why don't you take your box to your new room." She points over to the giant cardboard box with my name scribbled on it in all caps, 'EMMA'.
 
“You’re going to have school in a week or two, so make sure you’re ready for that. Oh, I forgot! It’s 
online!”
 
“Yeah okay, mom!” I start to gather my other things in the box.
 
“I think the WIFI is set up now as well, just check again to make sure it’s all set okay?”
 
“uh-huh, got it.” I start to pull on one of the cardboard box flaps near the top, and it rips off sending my falling to the ground on my butt. 
 
"Oh, and also remember to throw away the cardboard box later. I know your planning to use it in one of your new projects, but there could be the virus on there and before the news, they said it can live on cardboard for days and you know—”
 
“Yup, okay thanks, mom!”
 
Without another word, I drag the cardboard box that weighs more than double of myself to a room down the hall. I open the door, and just like any other new room, it's empty and bare. Four white walls that shoot up and join each other with the ceiling. A window to my right and a built-in closet to my left, the floor is lined up neatly in wooden tiles that are in light grey. A perfect blank canvas, like a piece of paper waiting to be filled with a story.
 
I first tape a picture in the middle of the wall next to where my new bed is going to be placed. Standing there, a man and a woman with a girl in the middle, behind them is an old house that had a great backyard with an apple tree the girl always climbed on since she was a little girl. The woman has short black hair that goes to her neck and is wearing a green tank top and blue denim jacket. The man has a short beard with about 2 inches of blond hair that fall in all kinds of directions and is wearing glasses and a red apron with a white lily on it. The girl has long darker blond hair with brown eyes and is wearing a blue shirt with a green leatherback sea turtle in the middle. 
 
The rest of the story will have to wait, I take out my computer and start a new email:
 
"Dear Dad,
 
It feels different without having you here. Normally you would be the one lifting these ridiculously heavy cardboard boxes up and down the hallways. Mom is unpacking the living room boxes right now flying here was really awkward. There were many more gates and tests that they had to run. And you already know how much mom hates flying, and this just doubled the grumpy gun. Speaking of flying here we were actually considered lucky, a lot of other people coming in during February either had endless flight delays or had their overseas trip canceled. I hope you are handling everything well over there in California. They just shut the borders down yesterday. MAN DO I HATE THIS VIRUS!!! I pray every day that you will somehow miraculously get here.
 
There’s not much going on in Beijing over here everything about it feels like a ghost town. Stores are closed, local transportations aren’t functioning, people don’t even walk on the streets anymore, and if they did, they would be wearing masks. I took a picture of the empty city streets of the normally busy streets. Aunt Mei came to visit today and said the whole classic greeting thing like:
‘Oh! You’ve grown so tall! What did you eat that made you so tall? And whatever it is you should eat more of it! Look how skinny you are!’
‘So how was the trip? Are you tired? You should rest while I and your mom talk about grown-up things'
 
It was torture, but great to see Aunt Mei again. I just wish you could see her in person, then she be like:
‘Ah, Daniel! Great to see you again! You have grown a beard! It makes your face look longer, and your face was already long, to begin with! How have you been treating Rose?’
 
Then it would be entertainment! Mom would be laughing as well…
 
Be safe dad! Love you dad!
 
Best Regards,
Emma"
 
I smile as I type in his email address, it’s his flower shop company name. And it’s sent!

2015, California, America
 
It all started in 3rd grade. I was a bright, joyful, quirky little girl who always wore non-matching long socks, and pigtails on each side using my favorite red beaded hair ties. I was friends with more than half of my classmates and known to be the crafty and artistic kid that takes random scraps from other people’s things and would turn it into the strangest of things. 
 
One time I took a really short pencil from the used pencil stash, leftover paper clips from the paper that was handed out to us, a mini toothpick paper umbrella that was in one of her friend's lunches to pin down his sandwich, pencil shavings from the classroom sharpener, the wire piece that was used to tie the bread bag up, and an old round white erasure with a large hole on one side. Then I pieced it together in the art class, making a little girl with a pencil shavings skirt do the umbrella dance. I used the short pencil as the body and stick the bent paper sticks into the bottom erasure to make it standstill. Then I borrowed an empty cone from the math teachers’ geometrics shelf. I laid the pencil shavings inside the cone to look like ruffles on the outside, then mod podge the inside layer of the pencil shavings so it can stay in the cone shape. I let that dry while I take the other erasure and draw a face with black hair on the back of the head. When the skirt was done drying, I popped it right out and pulled it over the pencil head and taped it at an imaginary waistline. I took the bread wire to wrap the pencil and created arms. Then added the erasure head to the top of the pencil. And for the finishing touches, I added the paper umbrella into the hand of the girl.
 
I smiled at my work of art, I liked making these things because I liked having something that I could tell the world that this is what I made and be proud of it. After the art class, I showed my best friend, Isabella. She was one of the kids who was all kind and nice to everyone. A bunch of our class boys had a huge crush on her, but then they would be judged or teased. I mean who wouldn’t, her smile can melt all your feelings into this one pile of happiness. Her blue eyes are so captivating that it could swallow you whole and is even more beautiful in the sunlight when it turns into this sea green color that makes it look like emeralds. Her long wavy blond hair is never tangled even though it is so long, sometimes it’s so smooth it looks like it could be in a hair commercial without any added effects. She has more of a lean figure and adults said she has more adult features like higher cheekbones and or sharper jawline. I mean I’m glad I’m a girl, so I won’t be judged to hang out with Isabella because she is actually a really nice person and sometimes even a goofball if you know her well enough. She is really popular in our school, and so popular to the point that they even know who I am. And I’m just a nobody who just happens to be her best friend.
 
So, I walk through the halls and I always hear, “Hey Isabella’s friend! How was your day?” or “Oh that’s Isabella’s friend! Can you sit with us for lunch? And tell Isabella to come with you too!”. Because they know Isabella would go nowhere without me.
 
Okay fine, I get the second one more often than I do the first but it’s still pretty cool. Another thing that I hear A LOT is:
 
“Jaden has a crush on Isabella!” They would sing, “Isaac and Isabella sitting on a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”
 
I’m not sure if Isabella liked it or not because all she would do is smile her perfect smile. And then at the end of the day come over to my house and talk about how gross they were, and then smile at them the next morning again. 
 
She was very open to me ever since 1st grade, she said that I am ‘a trustworthy and reliable friend who doesn’t judge someone by how they look’. We have it in our BFF lily + Isabella documentaries journal, she quoted it to me. And when we quote something to someone, they have to promise to keep these traits no matter what; rule #14. It’s kind of like giving your friend traits that they are going to be known for, or your own signature moves you would do if you were on the dance floor.
 
And I quoted that Isabella is, “a kind and considerate person who never leaves their friends behind, no matter what!”. 
 
But I guess things change.

2020 Early March, California, America
 
It’s a Friday the last day for school, but also the last day of torture. I do everything a normal 8th grader does, I wake up at 6:00 to go get ready and do my morning reading or any homework I forgot to do. I then eat a simple egg mochi bread from the cupboard that I already warmed up in the oven for 5 mins. I get the clothes that I set out from last night and brush my teeth and my retainers. I get my clothes on and pick a nice jacket for the day. And pick up my lunch with my backpack and head towards the door with my shoe’s half on half off. I quickly get it on as I pour the cat food in the bowl for ‘kimbap’ to eat and Put 3-5 treats in the interactive ball toy for her. By the time that happens, I’m done putting on my shoes and I head out the door and turn the sprinkles on for the grass for 15mins. On my way out I pick up the newspaper. I walk along the sidewalks of my neighborhood and can practically go about these roads with my eyes closed. I have been doing this routine from the day I was in first grade. 
 
That is until this year there are a few new additional steps to follow in my morning routine. This is where it gets not normal. First, I cross the road to the left side and give the newspaper to Uncle Wen, a good friend of my parents. Then I go back to wait, a block away on the right side in front of the school until it reaches 7:45. Because at 7:45 Alice and Samantha arrive at the gate from the left road, and because they are too busy talking to each other about how cute on of the guys on the bus was they don’t even notice that I am on the other side of the road. Then at 7:47 Aiden “accidentally” bumps into them coming from the intersection that Alice and Samantha are headed. They will then ask him where Barry is, and then Aiden will say – depending on the weather – that Barry is busy drying his shoes from the rain, cleaning his shows from the sand and dirt, or taking each step carefully down the road. Samantha will laugh and Alice will just roll her eyes and wait there until 7: 50. Then William will come through the right lane on his limousine, but since he will be sitting on the left side of the car, he won’t see me either. Samantha, Alice, and Aiden will walk over and greet William. This is also the time I cross the road to the left side again because Isabella comes at 7:54 on the right side of the road. Just like before, not one minute late or early.
 
I used to take the long route just to meet Isabella in front of her house to walk to school together. It was during third grade that I lied to her saying that my house was on the way as well, just to be nice because I always saw her come to school by herself. We would talk about all kinds of things what clubs to go to this week, what we are having for lunch, our favorite idol’s songs and concerts, questions on homework, and just normal life stuff.
 
But it’s been 2 weeks since the first time I saw her back from Florida and said hi by drawing on my face. There are some of the marks that are still there but most of it fell off after the days and days of washing my face 4 times in a row with 2 pumps of cleanser in between. I keep watching Isabella walk towards the crowd as if she was already used to walking by herself. Then they all say hi as both Isabella and Barry all make it together. And would you look at that, all of them are there it is complete all members of the WASABI bully club. They all walk into the school, with me shortly after. I take out my phone,
 
"WASABI is complete, I repeat WASABI is complete!"
 
"Where are they now?"
 
"Already on school grounds, headed towards the usual spot near the 2 oak trees. Stay clear of the area, and report to the Chicken headquarters."
 
"Seriously Lily, are we still calling it that."
 
"Just tell all the Asian kids to stay out of the front garden of the school and come in through the west gate instead. Unless if they want to get drawn on their faces first thing in the morning."
 
"Okay, okay…" 
 
This is Eunice, the other Korean in my grade I didn’t really get to know until after this whole crisis thing. It really did do us Asians a kick in the butt, but it did bring us together. I know all the Asians in our school now! It's almost like a little community. There is Kimiko, a Japanese 6th grade really fun ball of energy that can go on talking forever. Then there is Mingbo, a Chinese quiet 7th-grade boy who pretty much only says Chinese at school if you ever get him to talk. And his translator, Ziyue his twin sister who basically does all the talking for him. And that is all the members of the Chicken headquarters, otherwise known as the grade leaders, to inform any of the other Asian students to watch out for WASABI the group of bullies. Who just walk around drawing things on people's faces instead of kicking and punching them, because they don't want to have physical contact with you.
 
We have a group chat it's called 'WASABI lookout'. And in case you still haven't figured it out, WASABI is the initials of each of the bullies; William, Alice, Samantha, Aden, Barry, and Isabella. The chat is where we report where the bullies are headed and where they are to help the Asian kids not get caught by them. It's an important job, there are a lot of other kids that kind of depend on us. About 10-20% of the kids here are Asian or some country from it.
 
"Is it sent?"
 
"Yup."
 
"Okay good, we'll send another notification if they move."
 
Ding! Ding! I get an email. That's weird I never get emails; I don't even use it. I scroll to the new notification and read: 
 
'Dear Dad…'
  
"Heh, I never knew you were a dad."
 
I turn my head and see Kimiko reading my screen.
 
"Yeah me neither." I joke.
 
"Ha, hilarious." Kimiko sarcastically replies and looks up at the bullies again, "Who do you think it's from?"
 
"It says here it's from a girl named Emma, I think she just got it wrong." I close my phone and place it in my pocket and head to class, “Though I agree on her point of ‘MAN I HATE THIS VIRUS!’”
 
I head to the English Literature Classroom; this is my favorite subject but most hated class. This is the only class that has free seating, just picture this:
 
I walk into a talking classroom and then it's silent. Pay attention that none of them are seated yet, all of them still carrying their backpacks leaning on a few of the chairs and desks. I walk to the left of the class, they go right. I walk to the right of the class, they go left. Staring at me as if their lives were on the line. There are 20 seats 4 columns, 5 rows for 18 students that leaves 1 - 2 kids that will be seated next to me no matter what. But I can’t lie it’s pretty awesome getting to choose where to sit all the time, today I decided to go to the left next to the window, once they see my decision has been made that spread like wildfire, off to the very right, back and the front of the classroom. It’s like watching a survival TV show; who will be the one left to be doomed next to Lily?
 
Today it’s Patrick. A boy who wheezes while he breaths and has a hard time walking. I used to be the one who helps him upstairs and explains to the teacher that he can’t run. But now, I don’t know what to do anymore. Should I continue helping him but risk him being bullied for having contact with me? Should I ignore him for his own sake but watch him limp around the stairs? I think about it for a while but still, end up where I started. Then I try to distract myself from this mess by looking outside, and I see another Asian kid sitting out of class with ‘CARONA’ written on her cheek. I sigh as I take out my phone and see the WASABI chat:
 
Kimiko, ‘We haven’t been able to locate WASABI after your morning message…’ 
 
Eunice, ‘I haven’t seen them either, normally they are in chemistry.’
 
Ziyue, ‘No sign here.’
 
How is this getting even worse?! I look up to the blank ceiling, praying for something that could get me out of this unending feed of negative energy. Ding! Ding! I get another email and click it open… I stand straight up knocking down my chair and backpack and skidding my table forward eyes wide holding on to my phone with both hands in front of me. 
 
“Lily?” the teacher asks, “Is there a problem?”
 
“No, no not at all.” I hold my phone to the side of me near the wall, “There… I… was just stretching.”
 
The teacher looked at me in confusion.
 
“You know… my back… Never mind please continue.” I sit back down.
 
The teacher nods and continues. And I look back at my phone with the email.

2020 Early March, Beijing, China
 
“What is it again?”
 
“YouChat. It’s called YouChat, it’s basically a chatting app that is capable of letting you communicate with people. I'll type it to you in the zoom chat.” Nemo says briefly.
 
“I’m still surprised you don’t know what this is. You haven't heard of YouChat!?” Candy asks in disbelief.
 
“I know, I know it’s quite embarrassing,” I say this as I type it in the app store.
 
“Then what do you use to talk to people? Before this?” Star asks.
 
Nemo, Candy, and Star are the very first classmate friends I made ever since coming to Beijing. If Beijing life had a manual it would be them. And somehow magically we were put together as a group in a breakout room.
 
“I well… I used messages?” I shrugged as I waited for it to finish downloading.
 
“Messages? Who in the world uses messages?!” Candy laughs.
 
“Jeez stop being bitter!” Nemo snaps, and then laughs, “No pun intended.”
 
I can see all their faces through the screen of my computer laughing and talking in fluent Chinese. I knew some words and phrases and I can read most of the signs on the streets, but my pronunciation is beyond horrible. 
 
"But YouChat isn't only for communications you can make money transactions, play games, go on the web and other things," Star explains.
 
"What about food? What do you normally like to eat around here?" I ask, almost like a journalist trying to get to know the city better.
 
"I like the hot pot," Candy points out, "Star likes the MaLaXiangGuo, and Nemo would go with dim sum."
 
Then they even point me directions to where they would normally go, and which restaurant is cheaper or more high quality. They also showed me 'Shake Note' it's like a social media app that you can watch, some are really funny, others are informational. 
 
"Hey, did you see Jenifer's post on YouChat? It's really stupid." Candy screen shares her phone onto the online call, "'My mom is stuck in America from a business trip and can't come back. 😥😭' who needs to know about this?"
 
"Seriously, if it weren’t for them to actually just listen and keep themselves in quarantine do themselves a favor, and just be okay without their freedom for just a few months! These kinds of things wouldn't have to be a problem." Nemo sighs.
 
"I mean we did it and it's working," Star says.
 
"Oh, she sent something else, 'Good news guys! She is going to return on April 24!!!' Oh, great by then we will have all of China chilled and pretty much back to normal, and then Jenifer's mom is going to come and spread it to all of us through Jenifer!!!" Candy screams.
 
"Let's stay away from her as much as possible when we get back to school. Their foreign family germs are going to get to us!" Star suggests.
 
"Yes, great idea!"
 
"Yup I agree."
 
"Emma?" Candy asks.
 
I froze. Shocked, like lightning striking me. Hands held around my head, my eyes closing and opening just to check that this is real. I get out of my chair, stand up turn around and hold on to my own hair, and look at the screen. Yup, they just said that my first friends in Beijing just said the foreigners are arrogant and stupid. I'm not even a full foreigner, I still have Chinese in me, and yet I feel so offended. 
 
Without thinking I turn on the mic…
 
“Yup totally agree. Their so… Stupid…” I held on to my own mouth. What in the world am I saying!
 
“Glad we’re on the same page here.” 
 
I grabbed my own hair and smashed my face into my cushion on the bed waiting for a few counts and turning around facing the ceiling.
 
“Well class is over; I’m going to first leave…” Candy says.
 
“Yeah me too. Bye guys!”
 
“Bye!”
 
I log out of zoom and start a new email:
 
“Dear Dad,
 
I don’t know if you got my other emails, but I have to tell you something really important. Today, my first friends in Beijing just said that they hate Foreigners! Dad, what do I do? Should I stand up to them, knowing that it is possible for me to lose them? Or should I just stay friends with them? I really want to stay friends with them!
 
Please help me. I need help.
 
Emma”

“Dear Emma,
Hi, I should have told you earlier, but I think you got the wrong email. But I totally understand what you are going through I’m in America you see, and I am assuming you are American or definitely not Asian, and people around you are judging you from how you look? Because that is what’s happening here at my school, we Asians are being discriminated against the rest of the school. How many other Foreign kids are at your school? And I know I’m a complete stranger that could be lying and making things up, but I just want you to know that you aren’t alone… That’s all.
 
Best Regards,
Lily”
 
“Dear Lily,
Wow, I had no idea… I’m like having a freak out session right now, but no. They don’t even know I’m a foreigner, in my class at least there is one other foreigner. By the way, is it possible to know a brief of who I’m talking to? I don’t know but, it would be nice. But if you’re not comfortable with it, it’s totally fine! I just feel like since you kind of know about my situation already, maybe I could too?
 
Best Regards,
Emma”
 
“Dear Emma,
Yeah sure! But just for safety reasons, I’ll only say that I am in 8th grader, Korean likes to make crafts. I hope that’s okay. But I’m actually curious about how you are hiding your ethnicity, are you like wearing wigs? Makeup? I don’t know.
 
(And also, can we just drop the ‘Best Regards’ thing? Assuming I’m also talking to a student here)
 
Lily”
 
“Dear Lily,
Yeah, I’m fine with that. But to explain the hiding part we actually have online classes and zoom meetings, so I just don’t turn on my camera in the meetings and just agree that all foreigners suck.
 
Emma”
 
“Dear Emma,
What?! And you’re okay with that?
 
Lily”
 
“Dear Lily,
Of course, I’m not! But I don’t have much of a choice right now, they are my only friends and I just got here, and I really don’t want to be that new girl that everyone hates. I’m not even sure if it’s the right choice sometimes…
 
Emma”
 
“Dear Emma,
Yeah, I get it, but just know that you’re going to have to tell them one day whether you like it or not… And that’s going to be painful. After they learned that you lied to them, they might be mad at you because of that.
 
Lily”
 
“Dear Lily,
I know, but I’ll figure out something and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be any time soon. We are literally stuck in our houses 24/7 and only go out to pick up delivery and buy groceries. And when you go out and sneeze, everyone looks at you as if you were the virus itself. But life here just keeps rolling.
 
Emma”
 
“Dear Emma,
Wow, harsh. I lost a best friend because of this whole virus thing. Today at English class everyone was sitting a desk apart from me, not the greatest thing in the world. Do you know what I mean?
 
Lily”
 
“Dear Lily,
I just want to tell you that I am so amazed at how you are putting up with all of that hate, I’m here hiding and you're trying to face it. Because it can be hard, I was bullied at my old school in New York for being short. It wasn’t severe, but I always lost confidence. So, when I’m here in China I get to show them a new person and not get judged. But I don’t know how much more I can take of this, lying. But they were just talking about how much of a loser a foreign classmate was, and the crazy thing is I agreed with them!
 
Emma”
 
“Dear Emma,
Yeah, you said earlier, I was so shocked I jumped out of my seat because I saw someone in a similar situation with me.
 
Lily”
 
“Dear Lily,
Yeah, it feels good not to be alone in these hard times.
 
Emma”

2020 March, California, America
 
I’ve been talking to Emma for the past few weeks and I don’t think I would call her a stranger anymore; she has a lot in common with me. I think I’ll tell Kimiko and Eunice about it.
 
It’s Tuesday, my birthday. I wake up feeling like any other day, I walk out to the living room and see a slice of cheesecake with blueberries on top. There is a card on the side, ‘we love you, happy birthday!’. I smile as I read the card and look back at the cake, this was my favorite. ‘Thank you, mom and dad!’ I write at the back of the card. I bite down on the cold cheesecake flavor pouring in my mouth as I get dressed and walk out the door through my usual routine. Waiting on the left walking to the right sitting waiting. William goes through with his fancy limousine. And then I see Isabella, walking but today she was late by 5 mins. She was looking in all directions almost like she’s looking for something, then her gaze lands on me our eyes meet and then I look away. 
 
“Lily?”
 
She walks over and my heart pounding with fear and confusion. Why does she want to talk to me? Why is she going across the street? Should I run? Where? In school? Is she trying to pick on me first thing in the morning? What do I do? My feet are planted where they are and my whole body froze. I bolted towards school as she meets the concrete sidewalk then I felt a tug on my left arm.
 
“Wait (huff) wait (puff) lily…” 
 
“What do you want?” I say with an annoyed voice, but I was shaking and trembling.
 
“I just want to talk to you –” 
 
“About what? You going to Florida and then coming back drawing on my face, with a sharpie marker that I had to wash off for weeks? Is that what you want to talk about?”
 
“I know you're mad, but –” 
 
“Mad? I’m outraged! What happened huh? Just because of my looks where I’m from. What happened to never leave your friends behind?”
 
By now everyone on the streets is looking at us, staring. I’m making myself look like a big idiot, I walk away towards school not looking ate anything but the floor, Isabella didn’t chase me either. I walk past the bullies.
 
“Geez talk about a drama queen.”
 
“Don’t get her angry again she might actually hit you this time.”
 
“That won’t be good, you’ll get contaminated.”
 
They laugh and joke their stupid nonsense. Eunice calls me.
 
“No not today—” 
 
“Where are they?”
 
“I said not today!” I end the call and storm to math class. I sit in my usual spot the last row in the very right corner I sit there pouting trying to forget about what happened. What does she have to talk about with me? I sit there thinking that if she was there to apologize? What if she realized what an idiot she’s been? But then again, what if she is just luring me into another one of their traps? I sit there not knowing what to do, baffled of the situation. 
 
“Lily Lee!”
 
“Y… yes?” I stammered, looking up.
 
The teacher sighs, some students snicker and grin.
 
“See me after class.”
 
Oohs travels up and down the classroom. Great, what does he have to say to me? The bell rings and I try walking out the classroom with the other kids, but no one dare got near me. The teacher holds a hand through the door, and I turn around and sit at a desk. 
 
The teacher looks at me and bends down, “Hey, are you okay?”
 
I looked up surprised, I was not expecting this.
 
“I know the whole virus thing is going on in China and they all think it's your fault and that you’re going to be the reason for them getting infected. And all those other dumb reasons, but I want you to know that you’re not alone.”
 
“Yeah, I know that.” I briefly say, “I got other Asian friends here too.”
 
“And it’s not just Asians lily, foreigners are being judged in Asia right now as well…” 
 
“Yeah, I know someone there.”
 
“You do? That’s cool I have a daughter there right now as well, my wife and she just moved there and I was about the leave as well. But then this all happened…”
 
Wait, what? This is such a coincidence! I guess a lot of families are like this too.
 
“She’s about your age actually, I have a feeling you guys would have gotten along pretty well.”
 
Then I thought for a moment, “What is her name?”
 
“Her name is Emma…”

“Wow who would have known… That’s weird because I only remember him being a flower shop owner…
 
Emma”
 
“Dear Emma,
I thought you would have known but it turns out your dad is my substitute math teacher. Are there any other connections that I’m not aware of yet?
 
Lily”
 
“Dear Lily,
Not that I know of… But how are things over there? I just had a Chinese assessment; I can promise you that I flunked it.
 
Emma”
 
“Dear Emma,
Lol. I’m sure you did fine, but it’s not looking great here. Before I was talking to your dad my old best friend tried to talk to me, but what she did to me in the past was unforgivable. So, I’m stuck in between not knowing what to do. What do you think? What would you do in this kind of situation?
 
Lily”
 
“Dear Lily,
This would be in the hands of you to decide because I could see how this could go in both directions.
 
Emma”
 
“Dear Emma,
Come on your not even going to help me? 
 
Lily”
 
“Dear Lily,
Fine then help me out, should I face my friends and let them hate me or should I be different?
 
Emma”
 
“Dear Emma,
Okay, I get your point. I guess we are both done for no matter what we do.
 
Lily”
 
“Dear Lily,
You must have something that you are leaning towards doing, which one is it?
 
Emma”
 
“Dear Emma,
If I’m being honest here, I would want to make up with my old friend. 
 
Lily”
 
“Dear Lily,
What do you think about this, I tell my friends the truth and you go makeup with your friend and will get together to talk about how it went?
 
Emma”
 
“Dear Emma,
No! I’m not going to go up to her right after I just turned her down. I’m just going to wait it out, you can go ahead and tell friends.
 
Lily”
 
“Dear Lily,
I’m not doing this alone. Shame is a group activity.
 
Emma”
 
I regretted my choice so much that day, what happens from that day on is now the future. And the future does not look promising.