The movie... well, it was silent.
THEY were silent as they watched it.
Mei had turned back into her normal self, but inside she felt like she was falling apart like petals on a flower.
She just couldn't understand why when she interacted with Tyler, she couldn't keep her panda in.
No one should be able to have that effect on her now and yet... he did.
She looked at him through the corner of her eye and saw the teen boy just staring right ahead at the screen, mesmerized now by the film that was playing.
The scene where Spiderman kissed Maryjane while he was hanging upside down, Mei could feel Tyler's hands tighten on the armrests. She wished she could hold his back, but the fear of going panda ran urgently through her head... that, and the slight fear of rejection like she had rejected his hand touch at the start of the film.
"It's good,"
She glanced at him when she heard him whisper.
"Isn't it?"
"Er, yeah," She said with a smile no one could see in the darkness that was around them, everywhere but the huge flashing screen.
He still turned his head to look at her, and he flashed a cool smile, his braces the only thing that shined from the distant light.
This made Mei chuckle and he laughed back too, confused about what for?
"What's so funny?" He asked daringly, that spark in his eyes.
She definitely didn't want to tell him in case he grew self-conscious.
"Never mind," Is all she whispered, a gleaming smile on her. He raised an eyebrow confused before turning back to watch the rest of the film.
When it was over the two came out of the theatre room with giddy faces on them, filled to the brim with energy and fun.
"That movie!" Mei said, still in awe of everything she'd just witnessed, "Should win an OSCAR!"
"You're telling me!" Tyler agreed with a laugh and suddenly swooped his arm around Mei's shoulder, pulling her close.
Mei stiffened the moment at his touch, and took a deep breath in, trying to relax without appearing too obvious.
She only turned her eyes to look at his, and she saw his confident warm smile... which encouraged her to smile back relieved.
"Hey," He said, as if realizing something then, "You're not going panda!"
"Yeah!" She said back, already noticing this, and continued as the two walked out of the building, "I guess I'm just growing comfortable around you now."
"Aw!" He said with a small tease but there was no harm in it. She smiled back and placed a kiss on his cheek.
Tyler, himself, just then, became straight like an iron board, not believing she had just kissed him.
"Tyler?" Mei asked and he relaxed again dizzily, coming back to the moment and only looked at Mei with glimmering eyes.
"You keep missing my mouth," He said, half-joking but also half telling the truth.
Mei went bright red the moment he said this and he removed his arm from around her shoulder as she began to lean forward, and he did too.
Before their lips had a chance of meeting there was a giant scream from far away.
Mei and Tyler stopped what they were doing and looked across the road, as a lady was screaming pointing at a man who was dashing away with her handbag.
"SOMEBODY! STOP HIM!"
Without even needing to think, Mei poofed into her panda self and began sprinting down the street after the man.
When the man glanced around his shoulder to see if he was being followed, he yelped at the sight of the huge red monster that was hot on his tail.
"GIVE IT BACK!" Mei roared at him and he only sped up in terror. She knew she needed extra speed so she flung herself far off the ground, landing again right before him and he smashed into her huge red belly.
He stumbled back, falling on his rear and Mei just snatched the handbag off him, grabbing his arm and pulling him up with her other paw.
She came back to the woman and the cops that had arrived on the scene, and Mei tossed the man to the police, before handing the handbag back to the quivering woman.
"It's okay..." Mei told her and poofed back into her young adolescent self. The woman fell backward as she began to faint but Mei ran behind her, stopping her from collapsing.
When all the crazy stuff was calming down, Mei glanced ahead back to the cinema and saw Tyler leaning against the wall, just waiting for things to return to normal.
She smiled awkwardly his way and came over to him, saying as if guilty of something, "Sorry..."
He blinked puzzled before standing up and looking at her, asking confused, "For what...?"
"For ruining our date."
"Mei," He continued and held her hands in his. He looked her straight in the face and said with complete truth, "You just helped that lady and put away a thief... you're," He didn't want to admit it but he had to, "You're like Spiderman... and I'm your Maryjane."
She blushed wildly through her cheeks and he pulled her into him just then, kissing her briefly on the lips, and Mei only sighed into the embrace.
It all stopped quickly though as a horn could be heard beeping and she turned around, seeing her dad's car had pulled in just a few feet away from them.
The two broke lip lock and Mei's hands fumbled shyly as she let go of his, "I have to get going, Maryjane..."
He crooked a coy grin when she said this and responded simply with a wink, "Go save the day, Spiderman."
The two only giggled at their silly teasing words and Tyler kissed Mei's cheek before there was another beep and she rolled her eyes annoyed. She waved goodbye with a shy smile and Tyler gave her a simple salute.
As she got in the car, she saw her father was there, listening to the radio.
"Dad... you came too early."
"Oh, sorry..."
"Why were you BEEPING ME?"
"Your mother wanted you home on the dot... I didn't want to make her mad."
Mei took a deep annoyed breath in, before exhaling slowly and only leant back on her seat as she sighed, "I understand."
"You two looked like you had a good time?"
"Dad..." Mei said as if she didn't want to be discussing this beside him. Her cheeks ballooned red again and he only gave a small chuckle.
"Alright... I'll just assume."
She wanted to bury her beetroot face in a pillow so no one could see her flaming red cheeks. However, she just turned the radio to another station and could hear 4 Town blast out, mainly because she turned up the volume all the way when she heard their voices in the song.
~x~
Tyler had got home later that night, having walked it in the dark from the theatre to his house.
This wasn't very new for him. Even though he was an only child, his parents seemed to forget about him half the time.
It wasn't new, as reinstated. He sometimes thought his parents had never wanted to have a kid, he was just the by-product of a rowdy night that they had, left to raise and live with.
As he sat in the living room on the couch, a Gameboy in his hand, he heard his mother's steps come in but he didn't look up to greet her.
"How was the date?"
"Fine," He said with no emotion and pushed the buttons on his device to kill the enemies and catch pokemon.
"Did you two... do anything?"
He didn't know what she meant by this, and he buried his face more into the game as he uttered in a shy yelp.
"Nope!"
"Oh that's good!" His mother said relieved, "I'd hate for you to keep dating that 'girl'."
He froze up when she said this. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"What? Why?"
His mother only lowered her shoulders and peered down at him.
"Because... she's not normal."
Are any of us really 'normal'? Tyler thought inside and looked at his mother annoyed at her remark.
"She's... well, she's dangerous."
He gulped when she added this piece of personal commentary.
"Remember when she attacked you?"
He sunk further back into the couch and his mother only shook her head to herself as she wandered off, "I'm glad you made the right decision."
But he had made the right decision... it just wasn't his mother's decision.
He pulled out his flip-up mobile and texted Mei a few short words.
Do U want 2 meet up again?
He didn't respect his parents... because they clearly didn't respect him. He stared at his phone screen till after five minutes a message came back.
Sure? Where?
"Anywhere but here," He muttered to himself and looked at the message before closing his phone up.
He'd see her at school on Monday... he would.
But a part of him wanted to see her now. A part of him wanted to escape the none existence he already felt in his house.
He reluctantly opened his phone up again and texted.
The mall...?
U read my mind! Mei responded back quickly and the two arranged the time.
Granted everything would be shut on Sunday but that just gave a greater excuse for the two to be alone in each other's presence.
Tyler put away his Gameboy and phone and went up to his room. He peered through his window to the world of the city before his eyes, and he searched for the temple... seeing it in the far distance with its red-slated roof.
"I wish I was with you right now..." He whispered and sighed heavily as he leaned his arms on the window sill.
"I think... you're becoming my best friend."
He breathed out heavily as he smirked to himself.
"And I don't just think this..."
He smiled as he whispered in the wind.
"I know."
