ADIOS, MUCHACHOS

When I got home, I wadded up my dobok and threw it on the closet floor. Then I sat down on my bed. A sob bubbled up, but I swallowed it back.

Master Kim hated me.

Stupid Madison Green was in the class. Madison! The girl who put dumb swirls instead of dots over her “i’s”.

My dobok was still itchy.

I couldn’t do any of the kicks the right way.

I was torturing myself for nothing. Tony was off, all happy in the cake class without me. He hadn’t called or e-mailed or anything since we’d run into each other at the community center. That’d been over two whole weeks ago.

I don’t care what Tony does. I don’t care what Mom and Dad think!

And that’s when I made the decision.

I quit.