"ArE You iN aDvaNCed mATh?" The question reserves no possibilities of misunderstanding on your side, and yet it seems impossible that you could have understood it correctly. For a moment of time that seems so vast compared to how small it actually was (a second or two), thoughts like "microagressions" "that idiot" "I thought Asians were supposed to be the priviledged minority" and just plain "wut." dance around your head like a taunting jester. These aren't the kind of thoughts you can bat away like a mosquito (you hate mosquitos. The bites give you a rash.). They laugh at you, just like this imbecile probably will later. You shake your head no. You are not in advanced math, you've never had that magical connection with numbers some people seem to have.
"No" you say for clarification's sake, because this idiot probably didn't see you shake your head. Already they're looking down at their phone, probably thinking they know the answer already.
"No?" they jerk their head up, really looking at you for the first time. After a moment that you purposely make as awkward as possible, you raise your eyebrows at them.
"...huh." they say, and walk away. The only thing you can hope for is that you will have marginally enlightened them. Maybe they won't ask other people in the future.
YOU ARE READING
the A.B.C.s of it all
Short Storya collection of short stories, some of them my own experiences, and some of them conglomerates of many peoples of experiences, about what it's like to be ABC (American Born Chinese) or otherwise Asian in America. (whether it is my experience or a co...
