Chapter 8

The line of students doing their mathematics worksheets came to a halt, as all eyes darted between my mother and me.

I stepped out from the crowd. How could my mother ever allow me to study math? How could she stand to see me win math awards?

"Miss Anderson, have you forgotten? You were the one who kicked me out of the house!"

"It's normal for mothers and daughters to have friction. Let bygones be bygones. Don't make a scene."

Deflection was my mother's go-to tactic.

With those words, bystanders would start trying to mediate, as if our rift was due to my disobedience.

No one knew how hard it had been for me just to survive all these years.

And no one knew that only at times like this would she call herself my mother.

But this time was different.

Miss Hudson, out of breath, ran from the front of the line and shielded me behind her.

"Quincy, you ungrateful wretch! I'm telling you, if you don't come back with me today, you'll never be able to take the examination!"

"I won't giv