Being a 13-year-old girl is tough, okay well I wouldn't know since I'm not a 13-year-old girl but I'm sure it is. OK, I'm getting off-topic here, well life for Mei is pretty rough, going through puberty and crushes and school, and oh the fact she has that one teensy issue, ya know? The one about her turning into a red panda when she gets overexcited or emotional? Yeah, that one! Well, she's about to have the ride of her life with these emotions and things may not be pretty.
Mei was sitting in her room, getting ready for school but something had been irking her, it wasn't homework as that was all done, there were no upcoming projects in school she was caught up on everything. No, it was a feeling that felt like butterflies in the pit of her stomach...love. For the past couple of weeks, she couldn't shake this feeling, it was something about him she just admired. Something about...
Tyler.
Ever since they all became friends after the concert, she couldn't help but shake that feeling and sure she was able to control her panda in front of them there were times when it came out when she was by herself.
"What do I see in him?" Mei thought to herself.
"Mei sweetheart, breakfast is ready so come and eat I don't want you to be late!" called her mother from the kitchen.
"Coming mother!" said Mei.
Mei still feeling weird on the inside grabbed her backpack and flute case and rushed to the kitchen where her mother had prepared a smiling porridge for her and a box of Tim Horton's donuts. Mei noticed the box and grabbed a donut.
"Well mother I'm off to school!" she said in a rapid tone.
Her mother looked confused.
"Mei? Aren't you going to eat?" asked Ming confused.
"Oh...well...this will do fine, I mean I have a lot of schoolwork to catch up on-"
"Mei, is there something wrong? Are you sick? Is it that time again? What is it?" asked Ming concerned and cutting her daughter off.
"Argh, mom it's nothing like that! I...I just have a lot to catch up on, I'll see you later love you guys! Mean it...bye!" said Mei in a hurry as she ran out the door.
Mei didn't want to tell her mother about her crush on Tyler because she knew she'd freak.
On the other side of town, Tyler had finished getting ready for school and he too had that same feeling Mei had. For some odd reason she was making his heart flutter, she made his knees feel like porridge.
"She's just a dork" he mumbled to himself.
But that dork was on his mind and had his heart, he grabbed his book bag and headed downstairs to his parents at the breakfast table. His mother was drinking a cup of coffee and his dad in a suit and tie reading a newspaper.
"Morning hon," said Tyler's mom.
"Hey there, kiddo," said Tyler's dad.
"Morning," said Tyler in a sort of flat monotone voice.
He sat down at the table to a nice stack of pancakes and a big glass of orange juice courtesy of his mother. He wasn't eating much, just small nibbles of pancakes and his mother took notice.
"Something the matter?" she asked.
Tyler just sighed.
"Well, I know how I can turn that frown upside down...dad just scored two opening day tickets for the Raptors at the end of next month!" exclaimed Tyler's dad.
Tyler was still unfazed and his dad took notice.
"OK dude, what's troubling you?" asked his father concerned.
"It's nothing," said Tyler taking a sip of orange juice.
"I'm probably not even good enough for her anyway," Tyler thought to himself.
"Come on, what's on your mind? School? Peer pressure? Girl problems?" asked his father.
That last one made Tyler's eyes go wide and he spat his juice.
"WHAT?! NO! NO GIRL TROUBLES!" exclaimed Tyler.
"Survey says, number one answer" chuckled his dad.
Tyler began breathing heavily.
"Dad! I swear it's not! It's just...just" he stammered trying to think of an excuse.
"It's okay, I get it I was 13 once myself...we can talk when you're ready but now we gotta start going soon" smiled his dad.
Soon Tyler "finished" some of his breakfast and left with his father who drove him to school.
Mei arrived at school first, she walked through the doors and was immediately greeted by Abby.
"Hey, hey girlfriend!" exclaimed Abby.
Mei was happy to see her friend, could take her mind off things.
"Hey Abby!" exclaimed Mei.
"Did you hear? I overheard some of the teachers talking and we might be getting a new kid in our class! Maybe we can that new kid our friend!" exclaimed Abby.
"Sounds like a plan, maybe they can be a Townie!" chuckled Mei.
"What if they already are?!" squealed Abby.
"That would be awesome!" exclaimed Mei.
As Mei exclaimed, she felt ears pop up...she took a deep sigh and closed her eyes and they went away.
"Sorry, got a little too excited" chuckled Mei.
Mei had grown accepting and was able to control her ability, yes but she still didn't like doing it in public too much except at the temple.
As Mei and Abby were walking to class they bumped into Priya who was reading another one of her favorite vampire novels and Miriam who was having a donut standing next to her.
"Hey girls!" exclaimed Mei.
"Hey girlfriend," said Priya in a monotone voice.
"Sup Mei?" asked Miriam.
"Sup Miri?" replied Mei giving her a high five.
"Did you guys catch 4*Town's interview on TV last night? As if they couldn't get any dreamier!" sighed Miriam.
"Totally" added Priya in a monotone voice.
As the girls were talking, Tyler walked into the building and Mei looked up from the conversation and noticed him. She immediately went red in the face and felt something in the pit of her stomach.
"Ummm...I need to run to the restroom real quick!" exclaimed Mei.
"Um...okay" replied Abby.
Mei quickly dashed off to the bathroom and the group noticed Tyler walking toward them.
"Tyler! Wassup Townie?!" exclaimed Abby.
"Shhhhh...not so loud" growled Tyler.
"Oh don't be ashamed, embrace it!" exclaimed Abby.
Tyler just rolled his eyes.
Inside the bathroom, Mei was sitting in a stall breathing heavily...
"Relax Mei, it's only Tyler! Don't focus on his luscious hair, or his gorgeous eyes...or his cologne!" she said to herself with her heart beating rapidly.
*POOF*
She panda'd.
"Crap," she thought to herself.
The worst part was the stall was fairly small so she was squished in between two walls, she closed her eyes and began to slowly breathe thinking about her friends.
*POOF*
Mei was back to her normal self, she stepped out of the bathroom and noticed the girls and Tyler talking, when Tyler looked up it seemed as if the world moved in slow motion. He saw her face, she shook her head to fix her hair and it just flowed in the wind. Tyler's heart was beating like a gerbil's.
"Ummmm...Ummm...I'll be right back I gotta pee!" exclaimed Tyler running frantically into the boy's room.
Miriam and Abby looked at him with a look of shock and confusion while Priya read her book and when Mei walked up to them, they put two and two together, the two girls' eyes were lit up.
"OOOOOOOOOOOooooooooh! Meilin and Tyler sitting in a tree!" sang Miriam and Abby!
"K-i-s-s-i-n-g" added Priya in a monotone voice still reading.
Mei shook her head in shock, her eyes went wide.
"WHAT?! NO! SHUT UP!" exclaimed Mei.
"Oh girl, it's obvious as the NOSE ON YOUR FACE!" exclaimed Abby grabbing Mei's shirt collar.
"I just had to use the bathroom! I swear it!" exclaimed Mei.
"Oh sure and I'm the Empress of Toronto" laughed Abby.
"Yeah and I'm heir to the Tim Horton's throne" laughed Miriam.
"It's not like that, I swear!" exclaimed Mei.
"Whatever you say girl" chuckled Miriam.
In the boy's room, Tyler was sitting in a stall on the toilet, much like Mei he too was breathing heavily.
"Calm yourself, man, it's just that red-headed dork...with those beautiful eyes, gorgeous smile...she smelled nice," he thought to himself.
Tyler managed to calm himself and walk out of the bathroom after a few minutes, he heard the bell ring and he headed to his first-period homeroom luckily for him, Mei was in a different homeroom class with the others so he had a moment's peace to clear his mind. They all headed to homeroom to await how the day was going to go.
