How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Oh?" said the older girl. "You are always imagining things! Remember the time you told everyone there was a goldfish swimming in the bamboo trees? It was only a fallen kite. Remember the time you overheard the cook plotting to murder the washerwoman? He was only sharpening his cleaver to kill a hen." Bandit scowled as she scattered the dried lima beans. That was then. Now is now! (1.6-7)
Shirley's best friend in China is Fourth Cousin. Shirley (or Bandit, as she is known there), thinks something's up at the Wong family house. Like a good best friend, Fourth Cousin mocks her little cousin. Their relationship is easy—there's a shared history that you can't pick up overnight with new friends.
Quote #2
Shirley was certain they should not be there, but what choice did she have? These were now her friends. (3.27)
When the kids at school invite Shirley along to go to Mr. P's for lunch, she's pretty sure that they're not supposed to be going off-campus. She does it anyway (peer pressure alert), though, because she assumes these kids are her friends. They don't say much to her, but she's desperate to bond with anyone at her new school.
Quote #3
True, she was a coward. Those who broke the rules to go to Mr. P's no longer bothered with her. True, she was stupid. Too stupid to know the difference between a wink and a tic until Father explained.
But still—didn't they know how lonely she felt? (4.1-2)
After a month at school, Shirley hasn't made any friends. The kids who invited her to lunch on her first day haven't reached out to her since, but though she blames herself, it's not really her fault. It's not like she did something wrong. She's just a lonely girl and needs some companionship—fast.