On the Back Burner (4 page)

“A little.”

“Go upstairs and do it now while you’re still awake,” her mother said. “I’m guessing you’ll conk out early tonight.”

“I’m not tired,” Peichi said. Then she yawned so wide that she realized she must be more tired than she thought. She and her mother both laughed. “I guess I
am
a little tired,” she admitted.

“Get that homework done,” her mother urged.

Peichi went upstairs to her bedroom. She loved her bedroom, with its ivory chenille rug, sheer ivory drapes, fun pink Lava Lamp, and comfy, aqua leopard-print pillows. Peichi pulled her long, shiny black hair into a ponytail so it wouldn’t fall in her face while she worked. She took her social studies book out of her school backpack.

Holding it to her chest, she bounced onto her large sleigh bed and opened the book to the assigned chapter: “British Rule in India.” The assignment was to read the chapter and answer some questions.

Peichi got out her notebook but instead of starting on the questions, she started doodling and drew the dragon dancers that always led the Chinese New Year parades to the sounds of drums. They danced in front of shops to bring the shops good luck for the new year.

Before I start answering these questions. I’ll just make a list of things I need to do to get ready for Chinese New Year,
she decided. She pictured the crowd in Chinatown as people gathered to watch dancers performing a dragon dance. People dressed in the large costume of an Asian dragon would perform inside the suit. Exotic Chinese music would blast from speakers mounted on the buildings.

Another image formed in her mind. She was with her friends at a market in Chinatown. Peichi saw herself pointing out the foods they wouldn’t be familiar with, like bok choy, litchi nuts, catfish, and dried bean curd. In the picture she was smiling, feeling proud. Her friends were impressed and excited to be there.

From somewhere, Chinese music filled the street. Peichi imagined herself listening to it, being lulled by its sweet sounds...and soon she was sound asleep.

“How was I supposed to know that we’d have a pop quiz on the British rule in India?” Peichi complained to her friends the next day at lunch. “And even if I
had
known, I didn’t
mean
to fall asleep. It just kind of
happened.
My parents should have woken me up, but they thought I was exhausted from the party and they wanted me to get my sleep for Monday.”

“Did you get
any
of the questions right?” asked Molly.

“I don’t know. I just guessed at the answers as best as I could,” Peichi said. She stared down at her lunch. Somehow, she wasn’t very hungry.

“Hey, guys, ask me what I’m planning to do next month,” Molly said, changing the subject.

“What are you going to do?” Shawn asked.

“I’m going to try out for softball,” Molly answered.

“Softball? You are?” Natasha questioned. “I didn’t know you were interested in softball! When did you decide to try out?”

“The other day when Athena suggested it,” Molly told her. In the beginning of the school year, Molly had struggled with math, so she had started getting weekly tutoring from Athena Vardalos, a seventh-grader. “Last night Athena called and asked me if we could switch the regular afternoons when we work together because softball practice is starting in a month and she’s on the team. She’s been on the team since sixth grade.”

“She talked you into trying out?” Shawn asked.

“Well, she suggested it, since she knows I like sports,” Molly answered. “It sounds fun. I’ve always liked to play, but we never had a team in elementary school.”

“Molly can really hit the ball,” Amanda said. “I just jump back when I see that ball fly at my face!”

“Softball won’t interfere with you coming to Chinese New Year, will it, Molly?” Peichi asked. “That’s next month, too.”

“I don’t think so,” Molly said. “I don’t know what the tryout or practice schedule will be yet, but don’t worry. I’ll make sure I’m around.”

“Good,” Peichi said, smiling. “There’s so much to do! I’ve already started making plans.”

“Isn’t it a little soon to start?” Amanda asked.

“No way! This is a
huge
event in my family. When all my relatives get together, there are fifty of them. Then my parents have, like, a zillion friends who come over, too. My whole house is
packed
with people on that day, wearing red for good luck. It’s like a huge party.”

“Cool!” said Amanda. She couldn’t really imagine Peichi’s large house
completely
filled with people.

“So, who wants to come over today?” Peichi asked.

“Sorry,” Shawn said, shaking her head. “I have cheerleading practice. And I have to study for the big English test tomorrow. I love
A Tree Crows in Brooklyn.
I think it’s my new favorite book.”

“I really liked it, too,” Amanda agreed. “But I still need to study my notes. Did you like it, Peichi?”

Peichi shrugged. “I haven’t really finished it yet. But the first chapter was pretty good. A little slow, maybe, but good.”

Shawn’s mouth dropped open. “You haven’t finished it? Peichi, that book is, like, four hundred pages! You’d better stay home and read tonight.”

“I took really good notes in class,” Peichi retorted. But inside, she knew Shawn was right.

That night, Peichi’s copy of
A Tree Crows in Brooklyn
lay open on the bed. She had read up to Chapter Nine. Her notes were spread out over the book. Peichi sighed and looked around her room.
I’m sick of reading,
she thought.
I’ve been reading for two hours already! I need a little break.

Slamming the book shut, Peichi went downstairs and turned on the computer. Right now it was really important to get going on plans for Chinese New Year. Everything had to be just right.
Maybe there’s something I can do to gel the rest of the Chef Girls excited about Chinese New Year,
she thought.
But what?
Peichi logged on to the Internet and typed in the address of a website that featured free e-cards.

Scanning down the list of available cards, she found a card for Chinese New Year. She clicked on it and previewed the card. A small burst of red appeared in the middle of the screen. Yellow streamers began shooting from its center. In the next few seconds, the entire screen looked alive with fireworks. Then the words
Happy New Year
began scrolling across the bottom of the screen.
Awesome,
Peichi thought, smiling.
That’s perfect!

She typed in her friends’ e-mail addresses, then hit SEND.

“Are you ready for bed?” Mr. Cheng asked from the doorway of the den. “It’s getting late.”

“I’m not ready, but I’ll do that now,” she replied as she shut down the computer. “Night, Dad.” Peichi hugged her father as she went past him on her way out. She ran back up the stairs to her room and read over her notes twice, then packed up her bag. She felt a pang of guilt for not finishing the book.
Oh well, I tried
, she thought as she tried to brush it away.
I read the notes really well. I’m sure the test will focus on the notes. Mrs. Weyn always goes over the important things in class.

The next day Peichi took her English test. She wasn’t sure of some of the answers, but she tried her best to guess at them. She was surprised at how much of the book Mrs. Weyn hadn’t talked about in class. As the girls dropped their heavy backpacks on the cafeteria table at lunch, Shawn and Amanda groaned.

“That test was tough!” Shawn said.

“No way,” Peichi said. “You probably aced it. You worry too much.”

“Easy for you to say,” Amanda commented. “You always get straight As, Peichi.”

But this time, Peichi wasn’t so sure.

O
n Tuesday night, Molly and Amanda sat at the kitchen table doing homework. The phone rang and they both jumped up to get it. As always, Amanda managed to grab it first. “Hello? Yes, this is Dish.”