Doodling. That's something every kid did in high school... doodle when absolutely floored with homework.
Mei Mei's school diary was full of doodles, even though she knew they were no masterpiece. In fact, they took up precious little space she had in her homework journal.
Doodles of guys... but nothing too raunchy in case she got caught again. No, she had learned the hard way from drawing dirty pictures. IE: Because of her mother's prying eyes.
As she finished off her last piece of Maths, she stood up stiff, hearing her mother calling for her from the living room.
"Yes, mum?" She said instantly, going into full good girl mode, and pushed off her chair, clutching the knob of her room and seeing her mother smiling awkwardly, "What is it?"
"You have a phone call," Is what she said and Mei lit up with that news, "From Tyler."
"Tyler?!" She shrieked, as that was the action her mother was expecting from her daughter at least. She handed her the phone and Mei slammed it against her ear as she whispered in fright.
"What is it, Tyler?"
His heavy nervous breathing could be heard on the other end of the call, and the adolescent boy just gulped as he said weakly.
"The girls and I are going to the mall to look at the new album of Four Town. You in?"
"Of COURSE I'm in!" Mei Mei yelled with joy, she said with the biggest smile ever pasted on her mouth, "I'll see you there."
"Cool," Is all he replied with and the line then went dead. Mei Mei was twitching with giddy joy as she picked up her wallet and stuffed it in her red handbag. As she was leaving the house, her mother called out to her lost.
"Mei? What about your homework?!"
"I'll do it when I get home," Mei only groaned and pulled open the front door, slamming it shut behind her. Her parents watched on, her mother biting her bottom lip with worry.
"She'll be fine," Her father said to her and the woman just nodded her head weakly, but still afraid, "I hope so..."
~x~
Tyler was leaning against the wall of the mall waiting, a few feet away from the sliding doors and when he saw Mei Mei head his way, he grew quickly into a small relieved smile.
"Hey," Mei said with a wave and he nodded back in return, "Where're the others?"
"I honestly don't know." He said truthfully. Suddenly his flip-top mobile began ringing and he answered it in seconds, saying to whoever it was, "Yo?"
"It's me, Miriam."
"Hey? Where are you, girls?"
"Huge traffic jam outside my house, can't make it."
"And what about Priya and Abby?"
"They're with me."
"Urgh!" Tyler groaned frustrated and annoyed, he flipped his phone back close and stuffed it in his pants, saying to Mei Mei quickly, "They can't come."
Little did the two realize this was the girls' plan after all. To get Mei and Tyler alone together... so they might get together.
"Well," Mei Mei went on quickly with a nervous smile as she pointed to herself, "At least I'm still here."
"Yeah," Tyler agreed, lighting up with that piece of knowledge, and smiled back at her softly, "At least you are."
"Now, let's get that NEW ALBUM!"
"Yeah!" Tyler cooed, and Mei grabbed his jacket arm sleeve, pulling him after her as the two entered the huge shopping mall. Tyler only laughed at this as they headed straight for the music shop and the two stared through the glass windows with wide sparkling eyes and pounding heartbeats.
"After you," Tyler said, holding his hand out to let Mei enter first.
"Aww, thanks, Ty!"
"Ty...?" He said back to himself and blushed a little from the new nickname, "I like it,"
Mei only giggled and went in first. He followed quickly behind and their eyes were blown open at all the different genres of music and bands.
They quickly found their way to the boy band section and saw, to their devastation, there was only ONE Four Town album left.
Both their jaws dropped open and the two reached out for the CD case, both their hands holding one side each.
The two slowly looked at one another, and Tyler said to her quickly.
"Here, you take it."
It pained his heart to say this. He wanted the new album more than anyone. But, he didn't want to see Mei sad.
"What? ME?" She said, amazed at his selflessness, "Why?"
"I just want you to be happy..."
There was nothing said between the two after that and he slowly released his grasp on the case, Mei Mei taking it into both her hands. She looked into Tyler's own disappointed face and suddenly lunged forward, hugging him tight as she said.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"It's okay, Mei," He said back in a shy chuckle and she released her hold on him, running right up to the counter to buy the CD. Tyler just watched her go, a small smile on his lips. He watched as the cashier put the CD in a plastic bag and handed it to Mei with the receipt.
Mei came skipping nearly, back to the dark boy and she smiled warmly as she said once more, "Really, thank you, Tyler."
"There is actually a way you can thank me." He said with a small grin and pointed over to the smoothie shop across the way. Mei gave a cheeky expression back and nodded her head, pulling his sleeve with her as they headed to get something to drink.
"Two smoothies please."
"Y'know," The worker said to them with kind eyes, "If you get the couple combo, you only have to pay for one."
"Oh, but we're not a cou-"
Tyler quickly clasped his hand over her mouth as he gave her a warning look and said back to the woman behind the stall, "Thanks, we'd love that."
Mei looked at him, utterly surprised but she soon understood his drift and nodded her head, looking back at the smoothie worker and nodded, "Yeah, thanks. We're totally in love."
The woman only crinkled her nose and eyes, charmed by their cute interactions. She made up the two smoothies within minutes and Mei just paid four dollars for the drinks.
The two laughed at this as they walked around the mall, sipping their smoothies with straws that had come with them.
"Why would you lie about us being a couple?" Mei asked, oblivious to Tyler's mindset, "Just to get a free drink."
"Exactly." He said back with a wink and she giggled.
"But you're rich?"
"My family aren't rich for no reason. 'Save every penny,' my dad says to me, ALL the time."
"Still..." Mei went on and sucked up a bunch of smoothie just then, squinting her eyes as she got terrible brain freeze. Tyler smirked at this and just sucked out his drink with a little less aggression.
When Mei opened her eyes again, she looked at him and saw a twinkle in Tyler's eyes. They were also half-lidded, warm, and inviting and she gulped nervously, her hands reaching down to the plastic bag being held to her side and she touched it barely.
"Thanks again," She said with a dry throat and held out the CD as if to put it on display, "Really... I love it."
"It's fine." He said. And it wasn't a lie. He really wanted her to be happy. She smiled warmly to him and nervously leaned forward, placing a kiss on his cheek.
Tyler literally froze stiff when she had done this, and Mei looked at his terrified face, puzzled before he broke into a nervous giddy smile and said like a robot.
"I. Need. To. Go."
He turned around in a quick spin and walked in hard steps to the exit.
"Tyler...?" Mei called out to him but he just left the building. Once he was out the door, he closed his eyes and a huge gleam swept over his mouth as he gave a fist pump in the air.
"Yes!" He cheered and turned around, seeing through the glass, Mei Mei watching him, confused. He felt his cheeks burn red and he only waved nervously at her, before marching off in embarrassment.
Mei smiled awkwardly to herself and looked down at the glossy album cover of the five members of Four Town.
When she got home that afternoon she quickly ripped the songs onto the computer and made four more albums of it for her friends. She wrote their names on each back cover, and when she wrote Tyler's name, she accidentally filled it up with love hearts – hey! She was too distracted to pay attention.
Just remembering Tyler's smile after she had placed a kiss on his cheek - she had done it in a half-friendly way but knew too well herself there was a meaning behind the embrace.
She liked him...
She wished she didn't but she did. But did he like her...? Sweat beaded on her forehead as she thought this over.
He must.
He might.
He might not...
Urgh! Life was so hard for a teenager.
