A New Sweathog (A Welcome Back, Kotter Fanfic)

Cards

I got home from the restaurant, Mama was waiting along with Father.

"Mei Ling, you home late, you have no idea what time it is?"

"Just almost half an hour."

"You late! It means studying more tonight, possibly til passed midnight!"

"I'm not staying up passed midnight to stare at a math book."

Mama was mad.

"You disobey me Mei huh!? I gave birth to you, I pull you out of womb within forty hour! Why do this to me!?"

"I mean no disrespect Mama, Father, it's just too much for me, all this studying, I'm a child, I should have a childhood too."

"When I was growing up, I lived in the countryside and had to get up at 3 am and walk fifty mile to school, being a pediatrician runs in family, it's family business," Father said.

"A restaurant is family business, a farm is family business, it's not like we own a large clinic in our basement."

"You think you funny?"

"No."

"Nín rènwéi zìjǐ shì yīgè yǒuqù de nǚhái, yīnwèi nín shàng de shì qīngsōng de kè?"

Translation: You think you're a funny girl, because you're in an easy class?

"Bù, xiānshēng."

Translation: No sir.

"Ránhòu qù nǐ de fángjiān, jīn wǎn bù chī wǎncān!"

Translation: Then go to your room, no dinner tonight!

I went to my room.

The next morning, I walked to my locker.

"Boom Boom, can I have some of your lunch, you always have finger foods, I'm so hungry?"

"You didn't eat breakfast?"

"Or dinner last night."

"How come?"

"I stood up to my parents but they pulled the i-gave-birth-to-you card on me and sent me to bed without dinner."

"What about that pizza yesterday after school?"

"I only had one piece."

He got out his lunchbox and got out his Ziploc bag of cheese its.

"Get you a handful."

"Thank you so much, you great man."

Then, Derek walked to us as soon as he put the bag back in the box.

"Well well well, if it isn't Muhammad Freddie and Ching Chung."

"What about you gweilo, huh, you eat cheeseburgers and hotdogs, get greased in fat calories, watch Nascar." I said.

"What, you gonna go Bruce Lee on me, defend negro jock here?"

"Yeah, leave us alone," Boom Boom said.

"I'll deal with you later, Mr. Kotter's coming."

Derek left. Mr. Kotter walked by to unlock the door to the classroom. Vinnie walked to us.

"Hey Mei, how'd it go?"

"Bad, they gave me no dinner nor breakfast."

"Aw bummer, don't worry we'll go over rule two of rebellion later ok."

"Ok."

"So, Vertoli talked to me about you, he said he didn't want you in his restaurant anymore."

"Why?"

"I asked him...it's because you're Chinese, I'm sorry, it's what he said to me."

I sighed as he hugged me.