Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Remember, we’ve got until 6 p.m.”

Miriam rolled her eyes as the 4*Townies — composed of not only her, Mei, Priya, and Abby ... but also Tyler — entered their rented lounge at the local karaoke joint in Toronto. “Chill, Mei. We’ve got plenty of time.”

“Hey.” Mei shrugged, coming up with an excuse for her nagging. “Do you want to eat my dad’s awesome cooking cold?”

Miriam only smirked, seeing right through her explanation but finding amusement in it nonetheless. 

Priya and Abby took a seat opposite to Mei and Miriam. Tyler sheepishly sat beside Mei. The girl turned to the boy and smiled sweetly at him. Tyler took notice and grinned meekly back.

“First time doing karaoke?” Mei asked him.

“Y-yeah.” Tyler replied. “Kinda nervous.”

“Don’t worry, you’re with friends.”

Tyler beamed at the statement but then his expression quickly dropped.

“What’s wrong?” Mei asked gingerly.

“Oh, it’s just … it’s nothing.”

Mei blinked. “Alright, I won’t pry but ... just know you can always talk to us about anything, okay? You’re a 4*Townie now.”

Tyler only nodded. I can’t believe how nice she’s being to me. After everything I’ve done to her. Do I really deserve this?

“So, who’s first?” Miriam asked.

“Mei, let’s tag team ‘U Know What’s Up!’” Abby barked.

Mei chuckled. “Sure, Abs!”

The two got up and registered the iconic 4*Town song into the karaoke machine and the music kicked off. Mei grabbed the microphones and handed one to Abby. The television screen shined blue and white text appeared before them. However, they didn't need help. The girls knew this song by heart. After all, they're 4*Townies.

“You wanted it, you went for it …” Abby screeched.

Miriam, Tyler and Priya cringed a bit but it didn’t phase Mei. She already succumbed to the groove.

“And baby, you got it!” Mei playfully winked at Abby.

Abby grinned. “I wanted it, I went for it!” 

“And baby, I did it my o-o-o-o-own!” Mei clenched her fist and pointed her thumb back toward herself.

Abby followed with the same gesture. “Did it on my o-o-o-o-o-own!” 

“O-o-o-o-own, did it on my own, yeah!” The two sang in unison, during which POOF! Mei released her panda.

Abby leapt into the air and performed a swift karate kick. “You know what's up!”

Mei laughed at the action. “You know it's us, yeah!”  

Mei gyrated before POOF! She was a human again. Well, just about. The ears and tail were still intact. Mei leaned over slightly, sticking her tongue out and performing a v-sign over her bespectacled eye. Mei’s gaze was unintentionally aimed at Tyler. The boy’s expression immediately shifted from casual enjoyment to stunned awe. He feared a bit as his face burned and his heartbeat suddenly upped the ante. Crap! What is this?

Miriam and Priya jigged coolly in their seats as they watched the duo continue to shred through the lyrics of 4*Town’s hit jam, dancing all the while. Near the end, Miriam noticed Tyler’s stillness and bumped him with her elbow. Tyler jumped and immediately swayed to the music again.

“You know it's us, yeah!” Mei and Abby wrapped up their duet, both back-to-back.

Cheers and whoops erupted from Miriam and Priya as the music faded into silence and the two pop stars rested their mics on the nearby table. Tyler only clapped.

“You two wrecked house!” Miriam complimented.  

“Y-yeah!” Tyler stuttered.

Priya clapped as Abby sat beside her. “Rough start but still pretty nice.” 

“Thanks, guys!” Mei giggled as her panda tail and ears poofed away in a blink. 

Energized by the performance, Mei frolicked past Tyler and sat back down beside him. She reached for the ice water pitcher that rested on the table in front of her and poured herself a cup. A bit slack jawed, Tyler couldn’t help but study Mei from top to bottom as she drank the refreshing liquid.

Why does it feel like I’m seeing her for the first time?

“Who’s next?” Miriam asked.

“Man of the hour.” Priya suggested.

Everyone collectively looked at Tyler. It was only Mei who noticed that Tyler was already fixated on her. The boy immediately shook himself back into reality as Mei tilted her head, puzzled. 

Miriam leaned inward. “How about it, Tyler?” 

“Er …”

“Come on, show us what you got!” Abby chanted.

“Get your butt over there.” Priya followed.

“Easy, girls.” Mei said, placing her cup on the table. “Tyler doesn’t ha-”

“N-nah, it’s cool, I’ll go.” Tyler cut in, lifting himself from his seat.

“What song are you gonna sing?” Abby asked.

“You’ll see.” Tyler said as he tended to the karaoke machine. 

Tyler struggled to find the song he wanted. He wasn’t very familiar with the various buttons and dials on the machine. It was nothing like his boombox or living room stereo back home. He started sweating bullets, sensing that the girls may be growing impatient.

“Need a hand, Ty?” Mei called from behind.

“S-sure.” Wait, “TY?!” She called me “Ty …”

Mei jumped to her feet and raced over to the machine. Mei stood very close beside him, causing the blush on his face to deepen.

“Which song?”

“Er … ‘1 True Love.’” Tyler whispered.

Mei gawked at the boy, somewhat flabbergasted. It was far from what she expected but interest got the best of her.

“You got it.” Mei approved. 

She easily located the song on the machine’s listings. Once it was registered, Mei handed Tyler a microphone.

“Good luck, Ty.” She said kindly and returned to her seat before he could thank her.

S-she called me “Ty” again. What? 

Beet red, Tyler shook the thought out of his head and stood before the girls. Closing his eyes dramatically, he grasped the mic with both hands as if it was the hilt of a sword.

He looks like Mr. Gao about to perform a ritual. Mei thought to herself humorously.

A soft song — as opposed to the more upbeat jam that was just heard — began to set in. The girls immediately recognized it. 

“‘1 True Love!’” Miriam smirked. “Nice choice!”

“For true.” Priya added.

Abby whooped. “You got this, Tyler!”

Mei remained quiet. She stared at Tyler with sheer curiosity. It was a few moments before the lyrics kicked in. During this brief period, Tyler took a couple deep breaths. Then, at last, an angelic voice emerged.

“Heavy rain … from my cloudy eyes … every time you say … that isn't why I used to call you babe …”

Miriam gaped and looked over at Priya and Abby, who were equally as astonished. It was like being hit by a massive shock wave. Tyler arguably had them beat when it came to vocals. He could easily pass for boy band material.

“But you're the light of my life!” Tyler sang, raising the mic over his head.

Like her friends, Mei was paralyzed with utter disbelief by what she was witnessing. She got absolutely lost in his performance … and it was only the beginning of it.

“I drove by your house twenty-nine times today …”

Tyler finally opened his eyes and his contact instantly locked with Mei’s. She noticed this right away. Her eyes grew wider by the second, gleaming brightly. Mei dug her fingers into the seat’s cushion, inching forward in her seat. The panda was pushing ruthlessly to escape but she wasn’t going to let it and risk disrupting Tyler’s mesmerizing solo act.

“Nobody else could make me feel this way … nobody else ... nobody else …”

Tyler turned away, mimicking a look of angsty, emotional yearning. Then his body bloomed, reaching out one of his arms to grasp the air before him.

“'Cause you have opened my eyes and stolen my heart … You make me believe that love can be hard … And I can never survive a minute apart … You are my one true love …”

Tyler spent the next few minutes singing hypnotizing vocals in front of the girls, who watched breathlessly, similar to how they’d admire boys playing sports during lunch period at school. Mei placed her hand over her chest. What the heck is happening? Catching this in her peripheral vision, Miriam broke her focus on Tyler to observe Mei’s body language. She smiled wryly. Something was up.

“Nobody else …” Tyler finished.

Applause suddenly overwhelmed Tyler. Granted, it was only four girls clapping and cheering wildly but it was the most praise he’s ever gotten for something, so it felt big to him. 

“Dude, how the heck are you not in the school chorus?” Miriam stated. “That was unreal!”

“Unbelievable.” Priya said.

“No words, Tyler.” Abby was almost in tears. “Just … no words.”

Rubbing his arm coyly, Tyler sat back down beside Mei.

“T-Tyler …” Mei said softly. “That was … amazing.” There’s so much about him I don’t know. Why does he hide it?

“T-thanks, Mei.” Tyler burned yet again. He never thought he’d speak this friendly — this tenderly — to her, the girl who was once his enemy. Same coming from Mei herself, who smiled in response.

The 4*Townies continued jamming and laughing among each other long into the evening. Miriam sang “Hash Pipe” by Weezer, Priya and Abby performed a duet to “Blue (Da Be Dee)” by Eiffel 95, and to close the session all five friends blew out the roof by singing 4*Town’s magnum opus “Nobody Like U.” Before they knew it, the clerk at the karaoke joint informed the troupe that their time in the lounge was up. 

It was getting dark in Toronto. Cars whizzed by loudly as the 4*Townies walked the busy streets back to Mei’s home for some grub.

“Ugh, my stomach.” Abby groaned. “I can’t wait to sink my teeth into one of your dad’s epic pork dumplings.”

“Baozi.” Mei corrected, smirking at the girl.

“Whatever …” Abby lamented. “I just want fooooooood!"

“Soon enough, girl.” Priya assured her.

"So, Ty ..." Mei said as she and Tyler walked ahead of Miriam, Priya, and Abby.

Once the conversation became inaudible, Miriam took this opportunity to fall behind and fill her two friends in about what she noticed at the karaoke lounge. “Hey, so, I believe Mei’s crushing on Tyler big time.” 

“Oh?” Priya cocked a brow. “I thought she liked that Carter Murphy-Mayhew character from our class.”

“She was ogling him while he was singing.” Miriam explained.

“So?” Abby said. “Weren’t we all?”

“Yeah, but …” Miriam observed from afar as Mei and Tyler walked side-by-side, chatting it up. Mei let out a laugh from whatever Tyler had just said to her. The boy just shrugged and chuckled nervously in response. “... I could tell she was really fighting the panda, though.”

“Good on her for keeping it in.” Priya commented. “For now, at least.”

“Do you think Tyler feels the same?” Abby wondered.

Priya placed her hand on her chin in the thinking position. “He is acting a lot differently around Mei. Seems only yesterday the two were calling each other nasty names. What a leap.”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen him so shy and high strung.” Miriam said. “Something’s proba-”

“CRAP!” Mei exclaimed in the distance. “Come on, girls. We gotta get a move on. It’s 5:53. Dinner’s in 7 minutes and we’re 5 minutes away from the temple. Let’s goooo!”

Miriam sighed. Mei changed a lot since obtaining the panda but much of her pride in perfection still persisted. 

“Alright Mei, keep your cardigan on!”

Chapter Text

Whenever the Lees had guests over for dinner, they would have their meal in the courtyard of the family temple. Mei’s parents, Ming and Jin, had broke out the Lazy Susan and many seats for their daughter’s friends. They lit several lanterns around the temple, basking the courtyard in a warm, welcoming glow. 

“Mei-Mei and her friends are almost late.” Ming paced around the courtyard. “Where could they be?”

“I’m sure they’re close.” Jin said calmly as he placed a bamboo steamer of pork baozi on the Lazy Susan among the vast expanse of delicious food he had cooked.

Jin — the one man restaurant — went all out tonight: Fried rice, cashew chicken, sweet and sour beef, vegetable lo mein, garlic sautéed green beans, wonton soup, shrimp spring rolls, and a pot of boiling jasmine tea. The 4*Townies were in for an epic feast.

Sure enough, the teens were just arriving. Running and laughing, the troupe crossed the corner of the street and arrived at the temple. Because they needed to hurry, they made it fun by challenging each other to a race, and the slimmest, fastest girl claimed victory.

“I win!” Miriam chanted.

“You sure did, Mir.” Mei huffed, catching her breath. 

“You should try out for the track team.” Tyler said, gasping for air.

Priya was tending to Abby, who just collapsed onto the asphalt from melodramatic exhaustion. 

Mei checked her watch. “Just in time, guys.”

“Great, let's get grubbing.” Miriam rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

The 4*Townies approached the entrance of the temple, which was locked earlier by Ming. Mei knocked on the door. As she waited for her folks to open it, Mei greeted the red panda statues that stood on both sides of the door. “Hey Bart. Hey Lisa.” She gave them friendly pats to their stone legs. “Hope you two had a good day.”

“Bart and Lisa?” Tyler snorted. “Like from … The Simpsons ?”

Mei giggled. “Cute, yeah?”

Tyler stiffened. He didn’t expect such an innocent response to his offhanded comment. He almost felt bad for saying it like that. “I-I mean … totally!”

Just then, the door swung open. It was Ming.

“Mei-Mei …” She said with stern disappointment. “You’re late!”

“What?” Mei threw her arms up. “Mom, no, we-”

“I’m only joking.” A smile dawned on Ming’s face as she waved for her daughter to calm down. “You’re right on time, girls …” Ming caught Tyler in her sight, too. The boy tilted his head. “And Tyler, of course. Food’s on. Everyone, find a seat.”

Mei sighed heavily and shook her head as Ming led Miriam, Priya and Abby to the Lazy Susan. 

“You good, Mei?” Tyler asked.

“Oh yeah, Ty.” Mei replied. “Mom’s lightened up ever since what happened at the Sky Dome but sometimes she takes that as an opportunity to toy with me.”

Tyler bit his lip. He didn’t know how to respond to that. He dug through the well of sentiments in his head but it was dry. Nothing relatable to comfort her with. 

Mei’s annoyed expression quickly faded. “Anyways, I’m starving. Let’s eat!” 

Mei, without realizing it, grabbed Tyler’s hand and guided him excitedly toward the Lazy Susan. Tyler’s cheeks burned like the sun. Once they reached the mountain of food, Mei looked down and saw Tyler’s hand wrapped around hers. She gasped slightly and let go in a flash.

“Oh, uh …” Mei winced. “Sorry. Dad’s cooking always gets me pretty amped.”

“It’s cool.” Tyler smiled weakly.

Mei simpered back endearingly before taking her seat, with the boy taking his next to her. Unbeknownst to them, Miriam was smirking at the two.

“Dig in, everyone.” Ming declared.

“I hope you all enjoy it.” Jin said softly.

“Don’t worry, we will!” Abby assured before snatching a spring roll with her chopsticks and viciously devouring it like a crazed animal.

Ming cringed at the sight. “Abby, please …”

Mei couldn’t help but laugh.

As the Lazy Susan spun about, everyone collected their preferred dishes. Mei, Tyler, Miriam, and Abby piled whatever they could onto their plates while Priya carefully grabbed the vegetarian options. Ming started with a cup of tea while Jin helped himself to a bowl of wonton soup.

“Oh, this is the jam.” Miriam said as she savored the sweet and sour beef in total bliss.

“These green beans are the bomb, Mr. Lee.” Priya commented, earning a chipper glance from Mei’s father.

Mei finished her bao. “Mmmmm, you spoil me, dad.”

“Ugh, come on!”

Mei turned and saw Tyler struggling to grab his cashew chicken with his chopsticks. It just occurred to Mei that he had never used traditional Chinese eating utensils before. Miriam, Priya, and Abby were already masters thanks to her. They ate away with ease.

“Ty, watch me.”

Tyler looked over at Mei’s hand and studied her finger position. Slowly but surely he was able to mimic it.

“Your thumb and ring finger helps keep the bottom stick in place while your index, middle finger, and thumb tip does the grabbing with the other stick. See?”

Mei expertly clacked her sticks together and Tyler soon followed, albeit a tad more sluggish than her.

“Y-yeah … I think. Thanks!”

“Don’t sweat it.” Mei said before pinching a piece of beef with her sticks. “It’s got a learning curve. You’ll get through it.”

Tyler smiled at Mei, appreciating how much faith she had in him. Though not without its occasional mishaps, Tyler was able to steadily eat his dinner. It was out of this world. Each dish — even the vegetables, which he regularly preferred not to eat — was like heaven in his mouth. Absolutely euphoric. He never thought food had that effect on people. He really took it for granted until tonight.

Soon enough, after much grubbing and chatting, the Lazy Susan was completely barren. Ming had expected leftovers but there was nothing remaining, not even a single grain of rice on the table.

“That hit the spot.” Miriam relaxed. “I love my mom’s brisket and knishes but Mr. Lee’s cooking dominates.”

"You said it, Mir." Mei agreed.

Priya padded her chin with a napkin. “Delicious.” 

“I think I feel a food coma coming on.” Abby moaned with her hands clutching her gut.

“That was seriously the best meal I’ve ever had.” Tyler proclaimed. “The sweet and sour beef was my favorite.” Heck, I'd be willing to pay Mei’s dad for private orders. “Thanks so much, Mr. Lee.”

Mei beamed at Tyler.

Jin nodded at the boy. “Anytime.”

“Yes, it was very good, dear. Amazing job as always.” Ming smiled diligently at her husband. “Now, let’s work together to clean this up. Everyone, on your feet.”

Miriam, Priya, and Abby helped Ming collect dishes and carry them back to the Lee residence for washing while Tyler stacked chairs and Jin lifted the Lazy Susan back to the storage basement. Mei used a broom and dustpan to sweep up stray pieces of food that fell on the ground. Once she finished, she looked over at the garden pond and saw Tyler looking deeply into it. Mei approached him.

“What’s up, Ty?” She then blinked. "Or rather, 'what's down.'"

“Oh, Mei.” Tyler jumped. “I just noticed the pond, so I was curious. Never seen these fish before. White and orange.”

“They’re koi.” Mei explained. “Though they’re mostly associated with Japan, they originated in China. Pretty, huh?”

“They are.” Tyler nodded.

“Y'know, that was very sweet of you to compliment my dad’s cooking. I’m glad you liked it.”

The boy blushed. “No prob, I meant every word of it.”

Tyler’s gaze wandered from the glimmering pond to the nearby bamboo stocks then the ancient architecture of the courtyard and the temple itself. This was Mei’s home and it was an extraordinary sight.

“This whole temple is amazing, Mei. I wish I-” A memory of not too long ago suddenly hit Tyler: "Go back to your psycho mom and your creepy temple, you freak!" He winced as he came to.

“Ty?”

The boy sniffled loudly. Tears pelted the stone below.

“Whoa, Ty. What’s the matter?” Mei said with a hint of panic.

“It’s just … I was so mean ... I was insecure ... I was completely wrong about all of this … about you. I’m so sorry, Mei, for all the awful things I said and did to you, all the pain I might’ve … no, that I did cause you. I’m so ashamed of myself.”

Tyler started to cry. He turned his head away, the embarrassment burning him. He didn’t want the girl he likes to see him so broken. Mei gaped at the boy, eyes glistening and almost ready to cry herself. She carefully placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Ty, that’s all in the past. I’ve made mistakes, too. Tons of them, believe me. If you thought I was always some perfect angel, you’re wrong. My selfishness almost cost me Miriam, Priya, and Abby once. If I lost them, I’d be … nothing. Friends are so important. They make you feel like you matter. Ty, you’ve got some now. Me included. We may not have seen eye-to-eye before but you’ve changed a lot since joining the 4*Townies and … I’m proud to have you as a friend.”

Tyler looked back at Mei, locking his teary eyes with her’s.

“I’ll always be there for you.”

That’s what did it. Tyler lunged at Mei, trapping her in a hug. Though surprised at first, Mei succumbed to emotion and returned the gesture. After all, he really needed it.

“Thank you.” Tyler cooed. “I’ll always be there for you, too.”

“Hey, 4*Town forever.” Mei said warmly, tightening the embrace.

Tyler sighed happily. “4*Town forever.”

POOF! Say hello to the panda. Tyler jolted in surprise when he saw he was now hugging a large red beast. Nonetheless, he knew his crush was in there, so he buried his head into her fluffy belly, relishing each second.

Just then, Miriam, Priya, and Abby walked into the courtyard. Miriam froze instantly when she saw Tyler hugging the panda, as did Priya and Abby. They looked on, shocked yet moved by the sight. Miriam then bit her lip and pushed her two friends, signaling for them to leave the area immediately and give Mei and Tyler some privacy.

Priya elbowed Miriam as they walked away. “You called it, girl.”

Chapter Text

Mei woke up the next morning to a text from Miriam asking if she wanted to join her for a day at the mall. Priya and Abby were too busy to tag along. They had no clue what Tyler was up to, though. Mei asked Miriam about inviting the boy but she insisted it just be the two of them. Mei accepted. She showered, gobbled down her morning congee and sneaked a couple Tim Hortons Timbits before hurrying out the door and onto the street.

B there in 15, Mei texted Miriam as she climbed onto the city tram and found a seat. 

Ming and Jin had recently gifted Mei with her first cell phone — a Nokia — now that Ming has more faith in her daughter’s independence, as well as a growing trust toward her friends. Granted, Ming was reluctant at first but Jin insisted, as it would help Mei stay better connected.

Minutes passed before the tram came to a stop. Mei exited and walked a few blocks until she reached the mall. Miriam was waiting cooly by the entrance. 

“Hey Mir.” Mei said. “It’s been a while since it was just us two doing something.”

“True that.” Miriam agreed as she entered the complex with Mei. “Thanks for coming. I need to get some new wheels for my skateboard. Are you looking to pick up anything?”

“New notebook. Exams are looming so I gotta practice long division.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Miriam huffed.

The two spent the next hour-and-a-half hopping from store to store. Miriam found the wheels she needed at the skate shop while Mei scored a “buy one, get one free” deal on notepads at the book store. They topped it off at the music store, listening and dancing to samples of 4*Town songs from the demo station while admiring the glittery boy band merchandise that they didn’t have nearly enough funds for.

Once noon hit, Mei and Miriam took to the food court for lunch. Mei was still somewhat full from breakfast, so she only ordered a mango smoothie and a chocolate chip scone from the bakery corner while Miriam bought a gyro from the Greek joint. They both found a seat and dug in. 

“Hey Mei?” Miriam said after swallowing a mouthful of gyro.

“What’s up?”

“Do you like Tyler?”

Mei went stiff. Her eyes inflated. She was not prepared for such a blunt question. In fact, she was in the middle of sipping her smoothie. Miriam recoiled when Mei suddenly snorted, spewing mango smoothie out of her nose and onto the table. She coughed violently as her nostrils and throat stung. POOF! The panda materialized.

“MIR!” Mei exclaimed. “WHAT THE HECK?!”

“SORRY! SORRY!” Miriam scrambled to place several napkins down over the orange mess before her. “Be cool, Mei.”

Mei took a deep breath before POOF! Human again. “Why spring that on me?” Mei asked, sitting back down. 

“Saw some signs lately.”

Mei eyed Miriam suspiciously. “D-do you like him?”

“What?” Miriam jolted. “No, of course not. I mean, I like him as a friend but I’m definitely not … interested in him.”

Mei had an internal sigh of relief, not just because a love triangle was avoided but she could finally talk to someone about how she feels.

“Yes, Mir.” Mei admitted. “I do like Tyler. A lot, even.”

“Thought so. I saw the way you ogled him at the karaoke place. How you held his hand without realizing it at the temple.”

“Y-you saw all of that?”

Miriam giggled at her coyness. “You don’t have to be embarrassed, Mei.” Heck, I prefer Tyler over Carter Murphy-Mayhew. 

“I think he likes me back. We had … sort of a moment last night. He cried, I comforted him, then he hugged me. I told him I’ll always be there for him and he promised the same.”

Miriam had witnessed this exchange but because it was so tender and private she didn’t want to further humiliate Mei by confessing that she, Priya, and Abby saw the whole thing.

“Make a move then, girl!” Miriam grinned.

“H-how?”

“That’s up to you.” Miriam said before chomping into her gyro. “But you hotta pacsh it. Don’t thrah all yeh chards in at once. Staht with khind gestures. He’ll pick up on it and do the shame.” She swallowed. “I know it.”

Mei sighed before biting into her scone, feeling hopeless. Crud. What am I gonna do? She scanned the nearby shops and stopped when she spotted a sporting goods store. The cogs in her head unjammed and she swallowed her sweet treat triumphantly. I got it. 

DING DONG!

The following day, Mei approached the front door of Tyler’s luxurious home and pressed the doorbell. Mei had texted Tyler wondering if he was free to hang out. He was. Soon enough, it was him that answered the door.

“Sup, Mei.”

“Hey, Ty.” Mei greeted, holding both arms behind her back. “Thanks for letting me come over.”

“Sure. I had nothing happening.” Tyler said. “What are you holding?”

“Oh, it’s for you.” Mei said. The girl revealed a large ball shaped object, wrapped somewhat poorly with newspaper.

Tyler gently took the gift from her. After staring at it for a few seconds, he looked up at Mei, cocking his brow.

“It’s a belated birthday present.” Mei explained. “Well, it’s more so an I.O.U. but considering how bad the party went on my account … just open it.”

Tyler started unwrapping the gift.

“I didn’t have anything else to wrap it with.”

“It’s cool.” Tyler chuckled before tearing away the paper to find a brand new basketball. “Mei …” 

“Remember that time I took your ball and missed the hoop?”

“And then a car ran over it.” Tyler added dryly.

Mei winced. “Yeah …”

The boy laughed. “I was so mad at you for that. Looking back, though, it’s kinda funny. Come on, let’s test it out.”

Tyler snatched Mei’s hand and quickly led her to the basketball hoop by the driveway. It was Mei’s turn to blush. Now HE'S holding my hand!

In front of the hoop, Tyler bounced the ball a couple times on the ground before shooting for the net. He missed by a hair. The ball bobbed into Mei’s hands. She looked at Tyler as if she was holding a lost animal and didn’t know what to do with it.

“Go for it.” He said.

Mei smirked before bouncing the ball twice and tossing it upward. SHOOP! It slipped through the net and rebounded into Tyler’s hands.

“Nice shot!” Tyler smiled.

Mei chuckled lightly. “Didn’t think I had it in me.”

Tyler studied the ball like it was a priceless treasure. “This is perfect. This summer I plan on practicing for the fall basketball team and this is exactly what I needed. Thanks, Mei. I love it."

Mei smiled sweetly at the boy. “I thought you would.”

Both of them started blushing furiously as an awkward silence emerged. 

“So ... er, d-do you want to play some video games?” Tyler asked.

Mei blinked. She’s never played any video games. Well, besides her old digital pet, Robaire, Jr. but in the Lee household that was the only exception. Ming detested video games, believing they’d rot her daughter’s brain and lead her perfect student status astray. Mei grinned at the opportunity to finally try out an authentic video game. “Y-yes!”

“Awesome, come on in.”

Tyler led Mei inside his home and upstairs to his room. It was decked out with sports team posters and he kept it surprisingly tidy for being a teenage boy. No sign of any 4*Town merch, though. Mei assumed that was intentional in case he had any boys over. That didn’t phase her, though. She knows deep down he’s a 4*Town fan. In the corner was a TV-VCR, a Nintendo GameCube with stacks of games piled around it, and two beanbag chairs. A tad pooped from the walk to his place, Mei gratefully plopped down onto one of them.

“So comfy. I wish mom would let me have one of these.”

“She won’t even let you have a beanbag chair?” Tyler scoffed as he placed his new basketball on his bed.

“Yeah … she’s a traditionalist.” Mei rolled her eyes. “Not a fan of the stuff our generation likes but she’s getting better. The cell phone was a good step.” Mei waved her Nokia at him. “We should text each other more, Ty.”

Tyler went red as he sat down in his chair. “Definitely!”

He handed Mei a GameCube controller and turned on the system.

“What are we playing?” Mei asked.

“Ever heard of Super Smash Bros.?”

Mei shrugged a bit. “Vaguely. Sometimes I hear the kids at school talk about it.”

Tyler grinned. “Doesn't shock me. You’re in for a good time. It’s a fighting game and one of the best ever.”

It was sensory overload for Mei as the game started. Video games were such a different world to her. She had difficulty processing the menus, blaring sound effects, and intense music. It was so much she even began to sweat. However, once the character select screen appeared, she eased up upon seeing some familiar faces.

“This game has Pokémon in it?” Mei gaped excitedly at the squares showcasing Pikachu, Pichu, Jigglypuff, and Mewtwo.

“You … like Pokémon?”

“Uh, YEAH! ” Mei replied. “Who doesn’t?”

“Fair enough.” Tyler simpered.

“I have a little Pikachu plush buried under my other stuffed animals back home.” Mei said, then her expression fell. “Abby gave it to me for my birthday but my mom doesn’t know about it. Pokémon’s another thing that kind of makes her go …” Mei spun her finger beside her noggin. 

“Your secret’s safe with me.” Tyler said, earning a thankful smile back from the girl.

Without hesitation, Mei selected Pikachu as her fighter while Tyler picked Link from The Legend of Zelda. He changed the character’s tunic color from green to blue.

“How did you do that?” Mei asked.

“Press Y.”

Mei peered down at the controller and gingerly tapped the Y button with her thumb. At that moment, Pikachu started wearing a red hat. She pressed it again and then the electric mouse had a blue party hat on. A green fedora followed upon another button press.

“This. Is. So. CUTE!” Mei squeed. POOF! The panda appeared beside Tyler in an explosion of pink smoke.

The boy chortled. “Too much?” 

“Apparently.” Mei gestured to herself, laughing out loud with a slight snort. 

D-did she just ...? The boy thought, gazing at Mei with amusement.

Then a different voice was heard. “Tyler?”

The two friends froze. They looked over at the door to find Mrs. Nguyen-Baker holding a laundry basket. 

“M-mom.” Tyler said. 

She stared at Mei’s panda form in utter shock and confusion. There was a strong hint of fear, too. She lost her grip on the basket and let it drop. Towels and pairs of slacks unfolded as they dumped onto the floor. POOF! The panda was gone in a second and human Mei landed on the beanbag chair. Her attention was still locked on Tyler’s mother as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

“What is SHE doing here?!” 

Mei felt her stomach twist. The tone Tyler’s mom had was far from a pleasing one. 

“We were just playing video-” Tyler tried to explain.

“HOW COULD YOU BRING THIS ANIMAL INTO OUR HOUSE?!” She hissed. “I WANT HER OUT IMMEDIATELY!”

Chapter Text

“WHAT?!” Tyler exclaimed. His mother had ordered Mei to leave but he wasn't going to stand for it. “B-but … mom!”

“Tyler, she needs to leave RIGHT NOW!”

“How co-” Tyler tried to argue before Mei gently placed a hand on his arm.

“Ty, I think I should go.” Mei said.

Tyler gazed at Mei, dumbfounded and speechless. She put down her game controller, got to her feet and wiped down her skirt before approaching the door. “I’m sorry for disturbing you.” She said politely.

Mrs. Nyugen-Baker only backed away and glared at Mei in disgust.

“M-Mei!”

“I’ll text you later, Ty.”

“See that you don’t!” Tyler’s mom spat.

Mei looked up at the woman with a pained wince before exiting the room without another word. Tyler got up and peered out his window. He saw Mei walk onto the driveway. She stopped to remove her glasses and wipe away what Tyler assumed was tears before ambling out of sight. He could feel his own eyes welling up. Sadness emerged but it quickly brewed into rage.

“How could you?” Tyler grumbled.

“Excuse me?” His mother muttered in response.

“Why did you yell at her like that?!” Tyler shouted. “We were just hanging out!”

Mrs. Nyugen-Baker inhaled stoically, taken aback by her son’s tone. “Have you forgotten what she did?”

Tyler cringed a bit, looking down at his right arm at the various scars that dotted it and reminding himself about the larger one on his cheek. 

“No, I haven’t.” Tyler said. “But I’ve forgiven her. She’s my friend. My best one, even. Besides it was my fault for riling her-”

“Don’t blame yourself!” She snapped. “It was her fault!”

Tyler gaped in disbelief.

“And it's her fault … ALONE!”

Tyler frowned furiously before snatching his gray hoodie from the end of his bed.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Tyler’s mom scoffed.

“Out for a walk."

Tyler cut past his mother and stomped down the hallway. She begrudgingly allowed this. After such a stressful confrontation, she acknowledged that Tyler needed room to breathe. With that, however …

“Don’t even think about bringing her over or contacting her again. I don’t want you associated with that FREAK!”

Tyler stopped, clenching his teeth and fists. She just kept adding fuel to the fire and he was about to lose it. Sensing his mother was watching his body language intently, Tyler took a deep breath and marched on, exiting the house with a fierce door slam. 

Mei sulked through the streets of Toronto. Flustered, heartbroken, confused. Strolling soon turned into power walking. Power walking then became running. Then running led to POOF! The panda bolting on all fours. Tears leaked from Mei’s eyes as she sprinted, sprinkling far behind her. Passerby leapt out of her way as she barreled down the street in their direction.

“SHE IS AN ANIMAL!”

“HOW COULD YOU BRING THIS ANIMAL INTO OUR HOUSE?!”

Mei growled. Upon reaching an intersection … POOF! Pink smoke appeared and human Mei was launched high into the air, flying over the stopped cars and surprising the pedestrians that were crossing the road. POOF! Panda Mei gracefully landed on the other side and kept hauling through the city.

Arriving home, Mei became human once more with a swift POOF! She burst through the front door and hurried to her room, covering her wet face with her arm. It wasn’t enough to hide the sobs, though. Mei slammed the door shut and jumped onto her bed, crying bitterly into her mound of pillows and stuffed animals.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Mei-Mei?” Ming said from the hallway. “What’s wrong?”

Mei sniffled. “It’s n-nothing.”

“It sure doesn’t sound like nothing.” Ming argued. “We’re coming in.”

“N-no!” Mei protested but it was too late.

The door opened and Ming and Jin entered her domain, looking concerned. Mei sat up in response. Ming’s expression dropped when she noticed the tear streaks on Mei’s face. Mei quickly wiped them away but it was futile. They were easily replaced by new ones.

“Mei-Mei, please tell us what’s wrong.”

Mei sighed. She really didn’t want to get her parents involved but she was cornered. Mei moved to sit at the edge of her bed. Ming and Jin sat on opposite sides of her.

“I was at Tyler’s.” She began. “We were just spending time together ... and then his mom appeared and screamed at him for having me over. She called me an ‘animal.’ She hasn’t gotten over what happened at the birthday party. I don’t think she ever will.”

Ming frowned. “I already apologized profusely to them for that. I’m gonna give them a ca-”

“Ming.” Jin said, softly but sternly. She gawked at Jin. He gave her a look as if to say 'don’t make it worse than it already is.' Ming relented, defeated by her husband’s subtle point. “Mei, listen.” Jin began. “You can’t force people to change. It’s something that requires … time … understanding. Just be patient and things will improve.”

“I’m scared they won’t, dad.” Mei choked. “I can't lose Tyler. He's a really good friend now." In fact, he’s … more than that.

Ming and Jin exchanged an uncertain glance. They leaned in to hug their daughter together. Mei clutched her parents arms warmly, savoring each second of their support.

“Come, Mei-Mei.” Ming said after letting go. “Making dinner with us should help clear your mind. We still have plenty of baozi to fill.”

Mei wiped her face and smiled weakly.

“Yeah, alright.”

Monday came around and Mei, Tyler, Miriam, Priya, and Abby all returned to school. They were just mere days away from summer vacation. The students were up to their necks studying for their exams that were slated Thursday and Friday. In the long run, it’ll be worth it. The morning announcements revealed that on Saturday night the school will be hosting an end-of-the-year dance, so the students can blow off steam and kickstart their extended break in style. It's all the teens have been talking about besides complaining about their academics.

At lunch period, the 4*Townies assembled in the schoolyard, save for its only boy member.

“Anyone seen Tyler?” Miriam asked.

“Over there.” Abby pointed to the chain link fence behind the basketball hoop. 

Tyler was huddled against the metal barrier alone, totally despondent and deliberately avoiding his friends. 

“What’s with him?” Priya asked. 

It just occurred to Mei that Miriam, Priya, and Abby are completely unaware of the drama that went down this past weekend. 

“H-hey guys, go ahead and eat lunch. I’ll go talk to him.”

Tyler sat there, alone with his thoughts until a sudden shade came over him. The boy looked up and saw Mei.

“Hey, Ty.”

“... Hey.” 

Mei tilted her head at how coldly the boy greeted her. She pressed her back against the fence and sat down next to him.

“Did you hear about the dance?”

“Yeah, it was in the announcements, how could I not?”

Mei recoiled from Tyler’s lip. “I was wonder-” 

“Mei, I can’t believe you just left me like that.” Tyler snapped.

“W-what?”

“You said you’d always be there for me.” Tyler explained. “And you … bailed, just like that.”

“Tyler, what else could I have done?” Mei raised her voice a little. “Did you just expect me to fight with your mom? That would’ve made things worse … and you know it.”

Tyler only sighed. He almost wished that's what happened. Some backup would've sufficed.

“Leaving hurt me just as much as it hurt you, y’know.” Mei continued. “It’s not fair to scold me for that.”

“Mei, my mom doesn’t want me seeing you anymore.” Tyler snapped back.

Mei motioned backward. Silence and despair overcame her. So, that’s it then. Fine. Mei frowned deeply. “I figured that.” A tear escaped her eye as she stood up. “Goodbye, Ty.” She started to walk away until Tyler spoke again.

“But I don’t care what she wants. I only care about what I want  … and that’s to be with you.”

Mei froze. H-huh? POOF! Panda Mei turned to face the boy. Her heart beat wildly. “Y-you-”

Tyler grimaced slightly upon realizing he just spoke his mind out loud. There's no going back now. “I like you, Mei.” He confessed.

Mei placed both paws on her fluffy chest, slowly forming a grin. “Really?” 

“... Yeah.” Tyler relaxed his face and he smiled at the chipper red beast before him.

Mei extended her arm, grasping Tyler's hand. She used her enormous panda strength to lift him onto his feet. “Truth is … I like you, too, Ty.”

POOF! Tyler, red as a cherry, found himself locking hands with human Mei. It was no mistake. No spur of the moment thing. It was genuine affection.

“We can make this work … right?” Tyler asked.

Mei recalled what her father had told her: "You can’t force people to change. It’s something that requires … time … understanding."

“Yes.” Mei replied. “There’s gonna be obstacles but we’ll face them together. Nothing’s gonna break this.” Mei tightened her grip on Tyler’s hand. The boy nodded confidently.

“I’m sorry I blamed you, Mei.” Tyler apologized.

“It’s okay, Ty.” 

“Well, looky here.” Said a voice close to them.

Mei and Tyler both jolted. They turned to find Miriam, Priya, and Abby smirking at the newly formed couple.

Miriam crossed her arms. “It’s about time.” 

Chapter Text

Monday evening arrived. Mei was in her room practicing the quadratic formula in her newly purchased notebook for the upcoming exam. She’d occasionally take breaks to draw cute doodles of her and Tyler in the margins, holding hands, embracing, playing video games. She frowned a little, saddened that she never got to properly play one with him. Nonetheless, she felt ecstatic. Different, even. If the Mei from a few months ago foresaw that she was dating Tyler, she probably would’ve vomited but this is the happiest she felt since the 4*Town concert (or the marginal portion she had experienced, rather). It’s not in a perfect world, though. Tyler’s mother will freak out if she discovers their relationship. Who knows how Mei’s mother would react to the news, too. Mei suspected Jin would be proud but for now it had to be kept under wraps from the adults.

BZZZ! BZZZ! Mei jumped when her Nokia started vibrating on her desk. Tyler was calling.

Mei quickly answered. “Hey you.” 

“What’s up, Mei?” 

“Studying, how about yourself?”

“Same … but I couldn’t stop thinking …”

“About what, Ty?” Me? She thought with a blush.

“I think we should hit the arcade tomorrow after school. Just us two.”

“A … date?” Mei gaped enthusiastically at the idea but then paused to look down at her schoolwork. “Exams are soon, Ty. As much as I really want to, we should be focusing on our studies.”

Tyler sighed. “I know, Mei. A break for some fun wouldn’t hurt, though, y’know?”

Mei sat still, thinking. Tyler sensed the pause from his end and bit his lip nervously.

“Please, Mei. I really want to make up for the other day. The arcade is-”

“Alright, alright.” Mei smirked. “Let’s do it. Luckily my mom’s giving me a break from temple duties for the week to prepare for exams. I’ll tell her that I’m over at Mir’s place helping her study. She’ll never know.”

“Heh, good plan.”

“TYLER! DINNER!” Tyler’s dad yelled from downstairs on his end.

“Shoot! Gotta go. I’ll text you later, Mei!”

“Sure thing, Ty. Later!”

BEEP! Mei hung up and continued working on math.

“I love you.” Tyler whispered into his phone softly. He looked at it and saw that it was back on the main screen. No active call. “Dang it …”

BRRRRRIIIIIIIIING! The afternoon bell rang, indicating that Tuesday’s school session was over. Mei and Tyler exited the building hand-in-hand. They had anticipated their date ever since a late texting session last night before bed and all the way through their bevy of classes today. The couple walked together to the Daisy Mart and boarded the nearby tram to the mall. 

“You’re gonna love this place, Mei.” Tyler said, taking a seat. “Games galore … and no moms to butt in on us.”

Mei chuckled. “I pass by it many times when I go to the mall. Can’t wait.”

Tyler simpered brightly before letting out a deep sigh and dropping his gaze to the floor.

“Hey, what’s up?” Mei asked.

“It’s just … I wish we didn’t have to hide this, y’know.”

Mei nodded sympathetically. “Me too, Ty. But we have to …”

“I don’t want to lie forever.” 

Mei blinked, pondering what he said. There was nothing to say back. She felt the same. Mei only grasped Tyler’s hand tight. Tyler locked eyes with her. Mei only smiled, her look promising the absolute best.

The couple reached the mall and hurried through the bustling lobby to the arcade, titled Pixeland. It was a dimly lit paradise of blinking colors and bizarre noises that Mei could barely comprehend. So much so that POOF! Panda party.

“Doesn’t take much, huh?” Tyler teased.

POOF! Mei returned to her human form in an instant and lightly punched Tyler’s arm with a semi-annoyed glare. “Quiet.” 

Tyler just laughed and rubbed his arm. 

“So, where do we start?” Mei asked.

“We need tokens. Follow me.” Tyler said, leading Mei to a wall-mounted token dispenser a short distance away. Tyler slipped a few dollars into the machine and in no time it coughed out a small handful of gold-colored coins. “You drop these into the games, press the start button, and viola!”

Mei scanned the entire arcade. It was overwhelming. So many games to choose from and she still hasn’t even played a single one. She didn’t know where to begin. Tyler noticed how unsettled Mei looked and gently grabbed her hand. “Let’s start with something simple.”

Tyler guided Mei to a corner that had several Skee-Ball machines lined up.

“This isn’t a video game.” Mei stated.

“I know but it’s a good way to ease you into the experience.” Tyler explained.

Tyler pushed a few tokens into one of the machine’s coin slots and tapped the glowing start button. A row of hard white balls rolled into place with audible clacks. Tyler picked one up and tossed it underhand. The ball rolled down the lane and over the little ramp, flying into the center hole, earning him 30 points.

“Easy as that.” Tyler beamed at Mei. “Give it a try.”

Tyler handed Mei one of the balls. The girl nervously approached the machine and threw it overhand. Tyler cringed as the ball landed with a metallic bang onto the lane and slowly rolled back to Mei. The boy looked around behind him to see if anyone heard the noise and thankfully no other patrons had noticed. 

“This isn’t dodgeball, Mei.” Tyler said. “You throw it underhand, so it rolls.” 

Tyler picked up the ball and demonstrated a second time. The ball swooped into the 20 point hole below the center tube.

“Got it.” Mei nodded. I teach him how to use chopsticks, he teaches me Skee-Ball. Guess we’re even. 

She grabbed the third ball and stood before the machine again. After winding back, Mei lunged forward and threw the ball properly. It sped down the lane and zipped over the ramp, flying over the tubes. Mei gaped triumphantly, thinking she scored higher than Tyler but ultimately the ball slumped into the lowest hole, only earning her 10 points.

“Crap …” Mei grumbled.

“It’s all good.” Tyler placed a hand on her shoulder. “You got the basic technique down, it’s mostly luck on where it lands. Try again.”

Mei accepted and tossed another ball. This time it landed in the 30 point tube, almost gracefully.

“Nice one!”

Mei giggled, flattered by Tyler’s complement.

The couple took turns throwing the remaining balls, earning only 10 or 20 points with each toss. When the game ended, a small ribbon of pink tickets printed out of the machine.

Mei tilted her head curiously. “Are those …?”

“Tickets.” Tyler said, ripping them out of the slot. “You trade them in for prizes.”

Mei eyed Tyler in the thinking position. “Is that so?”

Tyler tightened up. Where’s this going?

“Hear me out, Ty.” Mei began. “We should earn our own tickets individually and get each other a surprise present with them.”

Tyler thought about it for a moment and grinned. “Y-yeah, good call!”

“Now then, I challenge you to more Skee-Ball.” Mei held out her hand. “If you don’t mind.”

Tyler smirked wryly at his girlfriend and dropped some tokens onto her palm. “You’re on!”

With that, Mei and Tyler were off. They played on separate machines, dropping tokens and chucking balls in rapid succession. Tickets produced in coiling masses beside them. Luck was on the girl’s side, as Mei managed to score into the 100 point tube, seemingly effortless. POOF! POOF! POOF! 

“OH! Did you see that?!” Mei chanted, joyfully gloating with panda ears and tail. 

Tyler gawked at Mei’s score counter that bore a number crushing his. “Lucky shot!” 

“Well, red is a lucky color.” Mei pointed out with a smug shrug. 

After stuffing their tickets into respective backpacks, Tyler led Mei to the nearby game cabinets. There were too many to count: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Street Fighter. They even had The Simpsons.

“We can’t earn tickets from these but I did promise you’d play some video games. How about Street Fighter?” 

“S-sure.” Mei accepted.

Tyler dropped enough tokens in to compensate two players and slapped both start buttons. Mei found herself drawn to Chun-Li out of all the characters while Tyler selected the green electric beast himself, Blanka.

“Tyler Tip: Just mash the buttons.” The boy said before the match began.

It was an intense series of fights. Mei managed to pick up on how to play quickly, pulling off some nifty attack combos by randomly pressing the buttons and jiggling the joystick but ultimately Tyler came out superior each time.

“You really like games where you pummel one another, huh?”

“Big time.” Tyler cracked. “If only we could’ve played Smash together. That’s the king of fighting games.”

Despite one loss after another, Mei was still having a blast. She couldn’t believe what she had been missing due to Ming’s restrictions. The pixelated artistry, the punchy sound effects, the rocking music. The presentation was mesmerizing. It was no wonder to Mei why people loved video games. The girls … NEED … to come here.

After tag-teaming some Pac-Man and playing The Simpsons as far as a few credits would allow, Mei and Tyler took to the racing game cabinets. These proved to be Mei’s least favorites of the arcade’s selection. She didn’t like how stiff the wheels felt and how automated the turning was in-game. 

“This feels so … janky!” Mei complained. “If driving is like this in real life, I’m gonna pass.”

Tyler laughed. “I thought the same but dad assured me the real deal is nothing like the games.”

GURRRRGLE! Tyler’s stomach suddenly roared. 

“Someone’s peckish.” Mei teased.

“I guess so …” Tyler blushed.

Mei picked up on Tyler’ bashfulness. “I’m getting hungry, too. Come on, let’s have some pizza. My treat.”

Tyler jumped out of his seat. “Fine by me!”

As Mei and Tyler left the arcade, the girl hooked her arm around Tyler’s and leaned against him, reaching her opposite hand around to grasp the boy’s forearm. She closed her eyes and allowed Tyler to guide her to the food court. His face burned furiously from the loving gesture. Happiness just radiated off Mei, so much so that … TRIPLE POOF! The panda ears and tail emerged yet again. Tyler chuckled quietly. Relaxing himself, he leaned his head over slightly to rest against Mei’s fiery red hair. 

After a spot of pizza, the couple returned to the arcade and indulged in more games. However they limited themselves to prize redemption, the games that actually got them tickets for their efforts: Arcade Basketball, Down the Clown, Whac-A-Mole, you name it. They were so desperate for tickets that they resorted to the claw machines that had rolls of them waiting to be collected. Before the couple knew it, they were almost swimming in tickets. Mei and Tyler approached the prize corner with their individual winnings. 

“Alright, don’t look while I get your prize.” Mei told Tyler.

“Fine …” Tyler closed his eyes and turned away.

Mei dropped her mound of tickets on the counter so the 20-something clerk could run them through a machine and ring the full balance. She scanned the vast array of prizes, ranging from candy, stuffed animals to even a PlayStation 2 system, which required an ungodly number of tickets compared to the amount she managed to earn. Eventually Mei’s eyes landed on the perfect present. She had just enough tickets to get it.

“That one, please!” She pointed.

Tyler waited and waited until finally …

“Alright Ty, I’m back. You’re up.”

Tyler grinned. “Your turn to close them.”

Mei rolled her eyes before shutting them. She waited patiently for her boyfriend to return. She had tried her best not to study every single prize that was at the counter so she wouldn’t deduce what Tyler would pick.

“I’m back!”

Mei turned to him in a flash. “Me first!”

Her arms extended, revealing a flat dog plush with a black and brown color pattern, similar to a rottweiler. Tyler gently took it from Mei and studied the toy silently.

“I got one back home. His name is Wilfred.” Mei admitted. “He’s a little bigger, though. They didn’t have the same size.”

Tyler gratefully pressed the dog against his chest.

“Now you can have part of me at home … your mom won’t know a thing.”

Tyler sighed happily. “Thank you. It’s … it’s nice. Really nice!”

Mei smiled sweetly. Tyler reached into his pocket and dug out Mei’s present: A little box containing a digital pet.* Mei almost went numb after Tyler handed it to her. Robaire, Jr. was her last digital pet. She lost him when the device was converted into a talisman to contain Ming's panda spirit at the 4*Town concert. She missed him dearly.

“I know it can’t replace the last one but-”

“Tyler …”

His face dropped. “Y-you don’t like it?”

Mei gazed at Tyler, eyes welling a little. “Are you daft? I LOVE IT!”

POOF! Panda Mei appeared and hugged the boy, spinning around lithely and practically burying him in her fur. POOF! She was human again, still embracing Tyler who was catching his breath. The ears and tail remained as Mei’s emotions were still high. 

“Seriously, I love it.” Mei purred. “Thank you, Ty.”

“No prob.” Tyler beamed warmly at her.

Mei moved in and ... SMEK. She kissed his cheek.

Chapter Text

Tyler stood stiff as a board. He was so red in the face that anyone could mistake it for a bad sunburn. She … she kissed me. He thought as his heart raced.

“Ty?” Mei said.

No response. The boy was borderline catatonic. 

“Hello!” Mei waved her hand in Tyler’s face. “Earth to Ty!”

She resorted to finger snaps. It did the trick. Tyler shook his head and blinked a few times, returning from his trance.

“S-sorry.” Tyler scratched the back of his neck. “I just wasn’t expecting that.”

Mei giggled sweetly and shot him a wink. “Well, get used to it, you dork. It's the first of many.”

Tyler smirked coyly at the remark.

Locking hands, Mei and Tyler exited the arcade. The couple realized they still had some time to spare so they decided to visit a few shops together, admiring the adorable animals at the pet store, smelling an endless supply of scented candles at the … what else? The candle shop. Mei even relented to Tyler’s pleas to check out the sporting goods store. She laughed as the boy drooled over the new stock of basketball shoes.

The couple soon stumbled upon a photo booth. Tyler was unsure about it but Mei insisted. “The girls and I do this all the time. Come on!”

Mei dragged the boy inside and they snapped four photos together. In the first shot, Mei and Tyler made silly faces; Mei crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue while Tyler pretended to pick his nose. Second shot: The couple flexed like bodybuilders. Third shot: They acted like zombies. In the fourth and final shot, Mei let out the panda ears and tail. The two huddled together, arms around their shoulders. Mei put a v-sign over her right eye and winked while Tyler grinned and gave the peace symbol. Afterward the booth printed two photo strips and Mei handed one of them to Tyler.

“Here, have some memories.”

Tyler smiled warmly at the wholesome images of them together. “That was actually a lot of fun.”

“See what you’ve been missing?” Mei gently elbowed the boy.

Tyler sighed joyfully as he continued to scan the photos. “You know what. I think it’s my turn.”

Mei eyed Tyler, bemused. “Huh?”

Tyler moved in and planted a kiss on Mei’s cheek. Her eyes widened. POOF! Pink clouds appeared and Mei suddenly went full panda, rigid like the statues at her family’s temple.

“Lisa?” Tyler cracked. “What happened to Mei?”

Mei quickly broke from her frozen state with a loud snort before laughing merrily. Tyler quickly joined with his own hearty yuks. POOF! Mei’s human form returned and she clutched the boy’s arm affectionately as they headed toward the exit.

“Good one, Ty.”

"So ... you snort when you laugh, huh?" Tyler teased, recalling their laughing fit at his house.

Mei's face sank. "NO!"

Tyler just eyed her apathetically, a brow cocked.

"S-sometimes."

The boy chuckled. "I like it. It's cute."

POOF! Mei transformed into the panda yet again. Tyler enveloped a mouthful of pink clouds and started coughing.

"You deserved that." Mei said, deadpanned. 

"F-fair!" Tyler uttered weakly between his violent hacking. 

The sun began to set, bathing Toronto in a gorgeous orange glow. Hands locked, Mei and Tyler left the mall and headed toward the tram stop until the girl paused to gaze up at the sky. Tyler felt a tug from Mei’s arm and stopped to look back.

“What’s up?”

“Hey, I …” Mei murmured. “I want to do one more thing.”

“Won’t your mom freak if you’re not back before dark?”

Mei pondered. “I’ll come up with something. Just …”

POOF! Panda Mei returned but she was on all fours.

“... Hop on!”

Tyler gawked at Mei, giving her a look as if to say 'are you sure?'

“Let’s go!” Mei urged. 

Tyler awkwardly obliged, climbing onto the panda’s back.

“Hold on tight!” Mei commanded.

The panda took off. Tyler fearfully clinged to Mei’s fur like a cat stuck in the tree. They rounded the corner of the mall to the loading dock area. It took one mighty panda leap for Mei to jump atop one of the parked trucks and a second to reach the roof of the mall. 

“Mei, w-where are we g-going!” 

“You’ll see!”

Dodging vents and hopping over crannies, Mei bounced her way up onto the mall’s central roof, the highest point of the building. Tyler struggled to stay aboard throughout the chaotic ride, practically digging his fingers into the panda’s flesh beneath the fur.

“Alright, we’re here.”

Tyler immediately slid off the panda, shaking wildly. POOF! Human Mei was back and she noticed how unnerved Tyler looked.

“You good?” 

“I think … just … give me a moment.”

Mei didn’t want to waste more time, though. She knew just what to do to reset Tyler’s brain. She gave his cheek a quick peck. Tyler instantly stopped shaking, earning a proud smirk from Mei. Tyler studied his arms and legs. Calm and collect, no shaking.

“Huh …” Tyler shrugged with a hint of surprise. 

Mei laughed. “Alright you. Take a seat.”

She sat crisscrossed against a large ventilation shaft. Tyler soon joined her, still confused about why they were on the mall’s roof.

“Mei, how come we’re up here?”

“I wanted to watch the sunset with you. Around this time of day I’ve always been too focused on temple duties or my homework to really notice how pretty it is. I just … wanted to take it in for a change. Y’know?”

Tyler nodded. “That’s fair … It is pretty.”

They had a perfect view. The sun was dipping at a slow pace, darkening the clouds purple as night emerged. Mesmerized by the colors, Tyler let his guard down and relaxed. A minute passed before the boy looked over at Mei. She was still fixated on the sunset, eyes glinting, smiling brightly. It warmed his heart to see her so content. So gleeful. Mei turned to look at Tyler and caught him ogling her. She chuckled nervously. “W-what?” 

“Sorry to stare.” Tyler said. “It’s just … I realize that when I’m around you … I feel so different. So new.”

Mei cocked her head. 

“I never saw the fun … the beauty in things, little ones, mostly … until I joined the 4*Townies … until … I actually got to know you.”

Mei gaped at the boy. No words. Tyler reached into his backpack and pulled out the dog plush she had gifted him at the arcade. To think that if she had done this a month ago, he would’ve called her a “loser” and thrown it back in her face while chortling obnoxiously.

“Mei, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Thanks for giving me a chance. Thanks for … changing me.”

“Tyler.” Mei grasped his hand. 

The boy gulped. By this point he knew that when Mei said his full first name that he was in for a serious talk.

“Give yourself some credit. You could’ve easily rebuffed us … me, especially … and continued being an insecure bully but you decided not to. There’s always choices to be made … and you made the good ones.”

Tyler sighed. “Y-yeah.”

Lost in the moment, Tyler found himself inching his face closer to Mei. The girl caught on and shyly started to lean in, too. Their lips almost met until …

“HEY!” 

Mei and Tyler jumped away from each other. They peered over to the left and saw the head of a woman security guard eyeing them sternly as she clung to a maintenance ladder.

“What are you kids doing up here?!” The woman yelled.

Panicked, Mei gasped and squeezed Tyler’s arm. She bolted with him in tow.

“GET BACK HERE!” Barked the guard.

Mei didn’t listen. It was panda time. POOF! Tyler immediately latched onto her back and she leaped gracefully from story to story until reaching the safety of the parking lot, leaving the guard on the roof awestruck. 

Mei continued sprinting through the Toronto streets in her panda form. Tyler screamed upon losing his grip on Mei’s fur. He flung backward but managed to grab the girl’s bushy tail. Mei picked up the pace, causing Tyler to flail wildly.

“M-Mei-ei-ei-ei!” He yelled.

Mei slowed to a halt upon reaching the tram stop and saw the boy clutching her tail desperately. 

“OH! Sorry about that.” 

Mei stood up, resting her tail on the concrete and allowing Tyler to clamber onto his feet. POOF! Human Mei appeared and brushed some dirt off of Tyler’s shoulders and backpack. 

“You okay?” She asked.

“Y-yeah, I should be good.” Tyler said. “That was intense.”

“For real. Guess we’re not going to the mall for a while.” Mei grimaced. 

Tyler snickered in response. Mei then checked her watch. It was 7 p.m. on the dot. She looked down the street and saw the tram heading toward them. “Just in time.”

Fifteen minutes later, the couple arrived at the Daisy Mart, where they were to go their separate ways for the night. Illuminated by the street light, the two stood there in ungainly silence, unsure of how to close the date. Crickets chirped loudly despite being in a relatively urban area. Finally, Tyler spoke up.

“Thanks for agreeing to come out tonight, Mei. I know I took some studying time away from you but-”

Mei scoffed and immediately hugged Tyler. “Shut up, you dork. I had so much fun!”

Tyler smiled and returned the hug. After pulling away, Mei reached into her backpack and took out her new digital pet, which was still in the box. 

“Thank you again ... for this.” Mei said. “It … it means a lot. I’ve been missing my old one. I’m so down for a fresh start.”

“Of course. Hope it goes well.”

Mei beamed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ty.” 

Tyler nodded. “Later, Mei.”

As Mei turned to head home, a disappointed look overcame Tyler’s face.

We almost kissed until that stupid guard showed up. I can’t just … no, the date can’t end this way. “H-hey, Mei!”

Mei paused and turned around. “Yeah?”

“I … uh …” Ugh! What am I gonna say to her? Come here and kiss me? That’d be so weird! “L-let me know what you’ve named your pet later, alright?” Idiot! Really?

“Sure thing!” Mei turned to leave again.

No! No! NO! “Mei!” 

Without a word, Mei spun around another time, shooting Tyler a slightly annoyed leer.

“I … just …” Tyler sputtered. “I … wish that …” He sighed. His head hung low, defeated. “Just … get home safe, okay?”

Mei eyed Tyler impassively. She sensed the boy’s matter. The awkwardness made it so apparent yet she didn’t blame him. She was disappointed that their first kiss was interrupted, too. In the prior silence, Mei considered giving him a final smooch before leaving but she decided to save it for a truly special moment. After all, this was only their first date. However, the disheartened look on Tyler’s face was too much for her.

Fine … She thought, rolling her eyes with a smile.

Mei boldly approached Tyler and placed her hands on his shoulders. He looked up in surprise. Before Tyler could say anything, Mei shut her eyes, leaned in, and pressed her lips against his. She held the kiss for 10 seconds, though it almost felt like forever. She tightened her grip and raised one of her legs up behind her, pushing herself deeper into the lip-lock. POOF! The tail returned. POOF! POOF! As did the ears. After letting go, Tyler stood there silently, dumbfounded and blushing harder than ever before.

“Night, Ty!” Mei said firmly before turning her back. 

Tyler watched Mei strut into the night, swinging her tail blissfully.

“G-good night …” He muttered.

Once Mei was out of sight, he jumped for joy and fist pumped triumphantly. He had never been so happy.

Not without its detours to process his first kiss, Tyler eventually made it home. His parents were in the den watching television.

“Where have you been all night?” His mom asked.

“Practicing basketball at school.” Tyler explained, gulping in dishonesty. “Then hung out at the Daisy Mart as usual.”

“Dinner’s in the microwave.” Tyler’s dad said.

Tyler tossed his backpack onto the kitchen counter and went to nuke his meatloaf. His mother noticed this and let out an irritated sigh. “Tyler, how many times have I told you!” She scolded. “Not on the countertop. You’ll scratch the linoleum!”

Tyler winced. “Sorry.” 

He was so jovial from the night’s events that he didn’t think before acting. As the food heated up, Tyler retrieved his backpack and dragged it over to the coat hanger. He never noticed that part of the zipper was left open and that his photo booth strip was loosely hanging out of it. All it took was careless mishandling of the bag for the strip to slip out and slide toward the couch.

“Oh.” Tyler’s mom exclaimed before reaching down to pick it up. “Tyler, you dropped some-”

Before he could hang up the bag, Tyler turned to see his mother staring gobsmacked at the photos containing Mei and himself. His mother slowly turned to eye him, absolutely fuming.

“The Daisy Mart, huh?”

All the feeling in Tyler’s body ceased in an instant. 

Chapter Text

Mei found herself sitting on the couch at home, sweating bullets and clutching her knees anxiously. She could hear the muffled shouting of Tyler’s mother through the telephone as Ming apologized over and over again. Jin stood beside his wife with a hand on her shoulder throughout the harsh grilling.

“I’m sorry, again.” Ming muttered. The screaming resumed and then she replied “I understand."

The line went flat and Ming placed the phone back onto the receiver. Frowning hard, she took a deep breath to ease her disappointment then shot Jin a tender look. He nodded, understanding that what came next should only need to involve the mother and daughter. Mei watched in shame as Jin gave her a despondent glance and slowly marched to the bedroom.

Ming took a seat beside Mei on the couch. Her aura was palpable. Mei could practically feel how upset she was. 

“M-mom, I-” Mei winced.

“You lied to us, Meilin.” Ming hissed. “You told us you were going to be over at Miriam’s house studying but according to Tyler’s mother you were at the mall with him all evening."

"We were just having a little fun."

"Mei-Mei, it’s a school night … and final exams are right around the corner!”

“I know but-”

Ming waved her hand up dismissively. “But NOTHING. This was very irresponsible … and you betrayed our trust!”

Mei cowered. It felt like she got punched in the gut.

“Ever since the concert, I’ve done everything I could to give you more freedom with your friends ... as you pleaded ... but you’re starting to take it for granted. You’re still young, Mei-Mei. Yes, you’re changing but boundaries remain that I have to enforce for your own good and safety.”

Ashamed, Mei only sat there with tears welling in her eyes. Ming let out a long sigh, readying herself for what she assumed would be the hardest blow.

“It’s over, Mei-Mei. Tyler’s mother doesn't want him seeing you again.”

Mei’s eyes started to leak.

“And now ... I don’t want you seeing him, too.”

Mei jumped. “W-what?”

“Tonight was enough to confirm that he’s a bad influence.”

“N-no!” Mei stood up in a flash. “He’s changed, he's so sweet and caring now. We were only-”

Ming glared at her daughter, eyes like blazing daggers. “This isn’t up for discussion. You’re grounded, Meilin. Until further notice!”

“Are you kidding me?!” Mei gaped. 

Ming ignored her. “You will come straight home after school to study.”

“J-just listen to what I have to say!” Mei shouted among her sobs.

“I'm your mother. YOU listen to ME!”

"MOM! PLEASE!"

"That's enough, Meilin!" Ming warned as her brows furrowed. She took after her panda spirit, baring her teeth in a threatening manner.

"UGH!" Mei growled and clenched her teeth furiously. “This … isn’t … FAIR-RRRAGGGH!”

KER-POOF! Ming flinched as Mei’s own panda roared to life, clouding the entire living room with pink smoke and knocking back the coffee table and neighboring recliners.

“I LOVE HIM, MOM!!!"

Ming fearfully gazed at her daughter. Fangs were bared, fur was frizzled, claws were unsheathed, and her eyes were glowing fiery red. She LOVES him? Ming thought. Oh no. Ming suddenly saw ... herself. The dark memories of her fight with her own mother — over her love for Jin — flashed before her. Wu's horrified expression suddenly matched her's. It was happening all over again. “Mei-Mei!” 

Mei wasn't there. The beast continued to growl angrily at her, inching toward Ming with violent intent.

"STAY OUT OF MY BUSINESS!!!"

“MEILIN!” Ming cringed. “DON’T!”

Hearing the commotion, Jin rushed out of the bedroom. He gasped when he saw the panda raising its enormous arm threateningly at his wife, ready to slash her.

"MEI, STOP!" Jin shouted from the kitchen.

Mei’s eyes caught Jin’s petrified presence and immediately the burning glow receded. The claws retracted and her fur relaxed. POOF! Mei was herself again, breathing intensely, as if she had sprinted several miles. She saw Ming huddled on the couch, clutching it frightfully. It's the most afraid Mei has ever seen her. Her stomach dropped when she realized she was the cause.

“M-mom?” Mei cooed.

No response. Only startled shudders. 

Mei cocked her head. “Mom?"

“Go … to your room …” Ming murmured with difficulty.

Tears raced down her cheeks. “M-mom, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for-”

“GO TO YOUR ROOM, MEILIN!” Ming shrieked. “THIS INSTANT!”

Mei's blood curdled from her mother's rage. Their quarrel at the Sky Dome aside, this was the first time her mother ever screamed at her. Loud enough for the world to hear. She shuffled toward the hallway like a terrified dog but stopped to look at her father in the kitchen. The wince on his face was deep. As Mei hurried to her room and slammed the door, Jin rushed to tend to Ming, who was crying profusely. She had hoped history wouldn't repeat itself ... but it came so close.

Meanwhile, back at Tyler’s house, things were also getting heated. The door to Tyler’s room swung open and Mrs. Nguyen-Baker pushed her son inside.

“I said I didn’t want you associated with that ANIMAL but you deliberately disobeyed me!”

Tyler threw his backpack onto his bed and angrily turned to face her. “Stop calling her an animal!”

“HEY!” She spat. “You don’t speak to me like that!”

Tyler clenched his fists. “Oh, and you can just insult the girl I love and expect to get away with it?”

“Love?” His mother scoffed before pulling out the photo booth strip from her pocket. “You’re only 13, Tyler. This petty crush will pass sooner than you think."

“It’s not like that!” Tyler retorted. "She sees the good in me ... that I never thought I had!

His mother eyed him defensively. “Tyler, I'm gonna get through to you. So help me."

Tyler gasped slightly as his mother pinched the strip with fingers from both hands.

“MOM, NO!"

RIIIIIP! The boy watched helplessly as his mother tore the strip into fourths and sprinkled it into the nearby trash bin. 

“It’s done."

Tyler sadly approached the bin and dug out all four pieces.

“Don't you even think about putting it back to-”

“Get out.” 

She crossed her arms. “I beg your pardon?”

“GET OUT OF MY ROOM!” He sobbed fiercely.

She went stiff with shock.

“I’M FINALLY HAPPY … AND … YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME!”

His mother let out a frustrated sigh. “We have given you EVERYTHING!”

“I DON’T CARE! IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT!"

“Tyler … I’m just trying to protect you. I can't believe after what she did-"

“MEI WOULD NEVER HURT ME!” He cried. “NEVER AGAIN! SHE LIKES ME FOR WHO I’VE BECOME AND I LOVE HER! AND IF YOU CAN’T SEE THAT … THEN … T-THEN … I HATE YOU!”

His mother froze.

“AS SOON AS I’M OLD ENOUGH, I’M LEAVING THIS PLACE TO BE WITH HER AND YOU’LL NEVER SEE ME AGAIN!”

“T-Tyler …”

“GET OUT!”

Her face sank as she quietly left the room, closing the door behind her. Tyler studied the ruins of the photo strip in his palms. It was like looking at his heart after it was ripped from his chest, torn to shreds, and handed back to him. He scattered them on the floor and rushed to his bed to cry resentful tears into his pillow. He couldn't hear that his mother was sobbing loudly as well, nestled against the door outside. 

Chapter Text

BZZT!

Tyler’s sobbing halted when he heard his cell phone vibrate nearby. He snatched the device and wiped his eyes clean to read the screen. Mei had just texted him: Can u meet at the park?

Tyler’s heart skipped a beat. At this hour? He quickly texted back: U ok?

Almost a minute passed before BZZT! A response: No. I need 2 c u.

Tyler sat still, dagger eyed. He read the message over and over. The vagueness made him feel sick. BZZT! Another text followed: Plz tell me u can.

Mei sounded desperate. Without further hesitation, the boy typed: Ya b there soon, and hit send. 

Tyler put together a sleeping decoy of himself under his comforter using random clothes, his backpack, and the basketball Mei had gifted him. He threw on his hoodie, killed the lights, and opened the window of his room. A fire escape ladder was bolted onto the exterior right near it. Tyler would often use it to sneak out on weekends for a late night slushie at the Daisy Mart. He closed the window from the outside and quietly climbed to the ground. Peering through the first floor window, he saw that his mother went downstairs to sit on the couch. She was covering her face, bobbing up and down. She’s crying but it was inaudible from Tyler’s position. His father soon came into view and consoled her. The boy frowned, deep in thought but reminded himself of Mei. He took off in a sprint down the street.

The city park was desolate. Though lights dotted it far and wide, there wasn’t a person in sight, except for one. Mei stood by the park’s central pond, gazing at the moon’s reflection on the dark, rippling water. She inched closer and saw herself staring back at her. Wincing uneasily at the distorted image, Mei hugged herself in an attempt to relax. It wasn’t helping. The trauma from what happened back home was too great. Ming’s terrified face is branded in her mind.

“Mei!”

She turned and saw Tyler jogging toward her. “Ty!”

Mei ran to him, arms extended. The two embraced silently. Feeling Tyler’s warmth, Mei cried bitter tears onto his shoulder.

“Mei, what’s going on?”

“I … I almost attacked my … mom.” She explained, fighting through the sobs.

Tyler let go instantly, slowly backing away. “W-what?”

Mei sniffled. “After your mom called, she told me she didn’t want me to see you anymore.” 

She began to tremble. Noticing this, Tyler grasped Mei’s hand and guided her to the nearby bench.

“She … s-she …”

“Breathe, Mei.” Tyler urged. “Take a seat.”

Mei exhaled as she sat down with him. “She called you a bad influence. She wouldn’t listen to my arguments … and I got MAD! Then … it almost happened again.”

Tyler's eyes averted. “What do you mean … again?”

She proceeded to tell her boyfriend what Ming had once done to her own mother, Wu. Around Mei’s age, Ming and Jin were in love but Wu disapproved of the relationship, leading to a heated confrontation in which Ming badly scarred Wu with her panda. The story left Tyler speechless.

Mei began to shiver from the night's chill. She had forgotten her cardigan back home. There was no way for her to get it. She had left it in the kitchen but she was confined to her room, so she resorted to climbing out the window in order to get to the park. Tyler pulled off his hoodie and drooped it over Mei’s back. Mei beamed gratefully and leaned in against him affectionately. 

“I’m a monster, Ty.”

“D-don’t say that.”

“But I am!” Mei argued. “I should’ve just finished that ritual. I thought I could control the panda but … if our parents aren’t gonna accept this relationship … and we keep hiding it, I feel like it’s gonna get more dangerous … for everyone. We can’t have another Pandapocalypse.”

Tyler squinted at Mei. “W-what are you saying?”

Mei sadly gazed into Tyler’s eyes. That said it all.

“N-no.” Tyler said. “No way. We made a promise.”

“Tyler …” She said his full name. Now it’s become real.

“You ensured we’d make this work.” To emphasize his point, Tyler grabbed Mei’s hand. “‘Nothing’s gonna break this.’ You said that.”

Frustrated, Mei wriggled her hand free from his. Tyler peered at her, dejected. “Open your eyes, Tyler. I was wrong.”

“But … but Mei.” He took a deep breath. “I … I love you.”

Mei brightened but the expression quickly faded. “Tyler, I … I lo-” She paused, struggling to find the right sentence. “Look, I didn’t expect it to escalate to this level. Please see where I’m coming from here. I lo-”

“Did today mean nothing?” Tyler choked, upset by Mei’s lack of reciprocation. 

“It was the most fun I’ve ever had, Tyler … but I love my family. I can’t risk harming them with the panda. Anyone for that matter. After I attacked you at your birthday party, I vowed to never hurt anyone again!”

Tyler silently processed her words then sighed. He stood up firmly. “Well, you just did.”

“Huh?” Mei about-faced.

“You’re bailing on me … AGAIN!”

“Ty-”

“No! I don’t want to hear it, Mei! You can come up with all the excuses in the world but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re breaking your promise!” 

Tyler only received a scornful scowl back from the girl. Tyler scoffed and shook his head hopelessly. “I’m out of here.”

He turned his back on her and stomped toward the park’s exit. Mei’s face scrunched with fury. POOF! The panda appeared, fur frizzled and eyes reddened.

“FINE!” She exploded, whipping Tyler’s hoodie onto the ground. “GO AHEAD AND LEAVE! KEEP IGNORING THE TRUTH BECAUSE YOU CAN’T HANDLE IT!”

The boy froze impassively at the gate.

“And I thought you changed.” She shook her big head. “YOU REALLY NEED TO GROW UP, TYLER!”

He chuckled flatly in response. “I need to grow up, huh? You’re the one quitting when it got too hard. Chew on that.”

Tyler vanished into the night, leaving the panda fuming and dispirited.

Tyler’s parents were surprised to find the front door of the house swinging open at such a late hour. His dad almost went for the baseball bat in the closet thinking a burglar had broken in. Tyler could’ve used the ladder to sneak back inside but he didn’t care anymore. He just powered through the front door and toward the stairs, hands deep in his pockets.

His mother covered her forehead, exhausted. “Tyler, you snuck out again? I know we had a moment but-”

“I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY!” He snapped. 

Tyler’s parents jumped and eyed each other, puzzled.

“It’s over. We’re not together anymore. You got what you wanted.”

No response. His parents only gawked at him as he wiped away tears.

“I’m going to bed.”

Tyler hurried to his room and furiously pushed his decoy off the bed. He slumped onto the mattress and wrapped himself in the comforter, shutting his eyes hard hoping that he’d just fall asleep instantly. He couldn’t, though. Tyler felt something nudging against his hip. Like matting away a spider web, Tyler struggled free from the comforter and searched the bed for what was causing him discomfort. Tyler’s frustration ceased upon finding that the source was his beloved dog plush gift from Mei, staring up at him with button eyes glinting from the moonlight through his window. It must’ve slipped out of his backpack.

Tyler only grumbled. “What are you looking at?” 

He swiped the dog off the bed like it was worthless snack crumbs. The plush landed by the remnants of the photo booth strip on the floor. With a loud huff, Tyler rolled back into his comforter, determined to rest … and forget the night ever happened. 

Back at the Lee residence, Mei opened the window to her room and carefully climbed through it and onto her bed. She immediately laid down. Her face was still hot from her argument with Tyler. Looking over at the nightstand, Mei’s eyes landed on her unopened digital pet, which rested beside her framed photo of Ming and herself. It was difficult for her to process the night's events. It started out so perfect — the most fun she ever had — but it ended in disaster for both Tyler and — unexpectedly — her mother. She stared intently at Tyler’s hoodie, which was tight in her grasp. She had brought it home with her, not necessarily out of affection but more so because she didn’t want to litter Toronto with lost clothing. Mei noticed the hoodie had a lone clump of red panda fur stuck to it. She pulled it off the fabric and studied the garment. Tyler’s words echoed in her head. 

“You’re the one quitting when it got too hard.”

Mei rolled over and gazed at the ceiling. No. It’s for the best, Meilin. It’s for the best. 

There was a light knock on her door. Startled, Mei leapt off the bed, slid Tyler’s hoodie underneath the frame with her foot, and sat back on the mattress, pretending she had never left. 

“C-come in.” She gulped.

The door opened. Jin poked his head inside.

“H-hey, dad.” Mei greeted him meekly.

Jin entered the room and sat beside his daughter. “I wanted to check in on you.”

“Thanks. Is mom … okay?” Mei asked.

“Stable.” Jin muttered softly. “She’s turning in for the night. I will soon as well."

Overcome with emotion, Mei's eyes welled up. She leaned in and hugged her father. “I didn’t mean to.” Mei choked. “Please understand.”

Jin consoled her. “I do, Mei.”

“I just talked to him, dad.” She then caught herself. Mei didn’t want to blow her cover of temporarily leaving the house so she resorted to one last little lie. “On the phone. We broke up.”

“Oh?”

“It’s what mom wanted. Same with Tyler's. Also I can’t risk having the panda … y’know.”

“What about Tyler?” Jin asked. “How did he take it?”

Mei cringed as she let go of the embrace. “Honestly, not well. It got pretty … dramatic. For both of us.”

“Hmmm.” Jin responded. “Reminds me of our teen years.”

Mei blinked at her father. Was there something else about their past that she didn’t know?

“It wasn’t long after Ming had hurt her own mother with her panda. She was quite distraught.”

Mei remembered seeing her longhaired, bespeckled 13-year-old mother crying in the Astral Plane. Ming was almost unrecognizable. Mei had never seen her so broken … until tonight.

“Ming went through with the ritual, sealing her panda away but she insisted we split up for her mother’s sake. I can’t say I was happy with that choice. It led to an argument. Things were said that we regretted.”

“And I thought you changed.” Mei crumbled as she recalled that earlier retort to Tyler. Crap, that was too harsh.

“It was … bad. The worst one in our history together.”

The girl’s eyes went wide. Mei couldn’t picture her quiet, soft spoken, and loving father being angry and upset. Sure, Jin would often jump in sternly when Ming would step out of line but he’d still maintain his composure. A furious Jin is just … impossible to imagine. No way.

“Ming was going with her head on this one. Which I felt wasn’t fair. So, I asked her: ‘What does your heart say?’”

Mei just gaped at him. That’s all the wisdom he could provide. He left the rest up to her. Jin lovingly cupped his daughter’s cheek, wiping away a loose tear with his thumb. He nodded at her with a smile before seeing himself out of the room. Mei sat there in silence, pondering.

Chapter Text

Not since her chaotic discovery of the panda did Mei experience such an awkward morning. It was a quiet breakfast. Mei ate her congee without uttering a single world while Ming sipped her tea in almost a trance-like state. She made zero eye contact with her daughter and husband and pretended she was the only person at the kitchen table. Jin darted his eyes from Mei and Ming, waiting for one of them to speak up but they never did. He took the opportunity to snatch a few donut holes but the sweet sensation wasn’t enough to elevate his mood and ease his worries.

As Mei prepared to leave for school, Ming stoically went to her bedroom to dress for morning temple duties. She didn’t receive a single well wish from her own mother. It was a first. Jin noticed his daughter’s disappointment and stepped in.

“Mei, would you like a ride to school?”

“Nah, I’ll just take the tram.” Mei replied. “Thanks, though.”

Jin nodded respectfully. “Very well. I hope today’s a good one.”

Mei smiled weakly. At least someone was acknowledging her departure. She hugged her father goodbye.

“I’ll talk with your mother today.” Jin said, returning the embrace. “I’ll try to get her to budge.”

“Okay, dad.”

With that, Mei was off.

It's Wednesday, which means one more day until final exams but for once in her life Mei couldn’t entirely focus on that. It still perturbed her that she almost attacked her mother as the panda and she was still recovering from her falling out with Tyler. She has so much to fix … how? Jin’s words from last night echoed in Mei’s head as she rode the tram to the Daisy Mart and walked the rest of the way to school. “What does your heart say?”

I love Tyler … but I also love my family. UGH! THIS IS SO COMPLICATED! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING ALL OVER AGAIN?!

Mei was so deep in thought that it slowed her normal pace. By the time she opened the front door of the school … BRIIIIING! The first bell rang. Class is starting in five minutes. 

“CRAP!” Mei exclaimed. 

She was never this late. There was no time to greet the 4*Townies at their lockers, so she zoomed down the opposite hall to the band room for her first class. Her flute playing ended up being quite lackluster because her mind wasn’t entirely set on it. All she could think of was how soon her mother would talk to her again and how utterly uncomfortable it’s going to be around Tyler.

After band class, Mei had study hall, which was her chance to catch up on some English homework she forgot to do the previous night for obvious reasons. Even that proved difficult for her. Normally she could burn through half a novel in a day but it took her close to 10 minutes to finish a single page because her mind was all over the place. It also didn’t help that some nearby girls were gushing about the end-of-the-year dance on Saturday. 

Shoot. I almost forgot about that. Mei grumbled in her head. Images of the heated break-up flashed before her. Perfect timing, Lee.

Lunch period came around. Mei went outside and saw Miriam, Priya, and Abby at their usual hangout spot on the bleachers. Tyler was there, too, looking totally crushed. Approaching the gang, Mei gulped as she noticed the girls were comforting him. Something was definitely up and it very likely involved her.

“H-hey gang!” Mei greeted, somewhat awkwardly.

“Oh, hey Mei.” Miriam replied flatly. 

Mei blinked at Miriam’s unwelcoming tone. Priya and Abby hardly noticed her arrival. They were busy tending to Tyler, who was staring at Mei with acid in his eyes. It was as if they became bitter rivals again. Mei bit her lip, trying to calculate a topic of discussion.

“Um … so about that dance on Saturday.” Mei grinned with only half sincerity. “What are y’all gonna wear?”

Tyler let out an irritated scoff and stood up, surprising the girls.

“Are you for real?!”

Mei flinched at the boy’s outburst.

“So nothing happened last night? That’s how we’re gonna play this?" He pinched his face irritably. "No. Just no, I can’t.”

“Ty …”

“Stop calling me that!” Tyler stomped away in a huff.

Devastated, Mei watched as the boy pried open the door to the school and slinked inside. She turned to the other 4*Townies with a light shrug.

“I …”

“Mei, just give him space.” Miriam sternly crossed her arms.

She sighed. “D-did he tell you everything?”

“Every bit.” Priya stated.

“You really hurt his feelings, dude.” Abby said.

“But-” Mei sputtered, though the girls didn’t let up.

“You two had it in the bag.” Miriam said. “Then you just threw it all under the bus … like … like you did with us.”

Mei glared at Miriam, upset by her gall of her comparison. “Did he neglect to tell you what I almost did to my own mother?”

“No, he mentioned that.” Priya pointed out in a demeanor as if to state that it didn’t matter. Mei caught onto this. 

“T-then… UGH! THEN WHY DOESN’T ANYONE SEE IT MY WAY?!” She exploded. POOF! Panda time. The beast lumbered back and forth, juggling her thoughts hysterically. “Tyler doesn’t care! You don’t care! Even dad isn’t completely on my side!”

Fed up, Miriam angrily jumped to her feet. “Mei, cut it out!”

“OR WHAT?!” The panda raged at her friend, eyeing her viciously.

Miriam gasped at the sight of the grizzly animal and tripped backward. Priya and Abby jumped in to catch their friend. Mei quickly came to her senses, inhaling deeply. POOF! Human Mei stood before the 4*Townies. Her heart sank when she saw the upset and scared looks on their faces.

“Mir, I’m sorry, I-”

“You know what, whatever’s happening with you and your mom, you better figure it out!” Miriam shouted with venom. “And leave us and Tyler out of it!”

Miriam, Priya, and Abby went on their way, fuming.

“Girls, please!”

They didn’t listen and kept moving. 

“Don’t do this. 4*Town forever!” Mei shouted desperately.

No response. The girls re-entered the school, leaving a confused and angry Mei slouched on her knees, weeping.

Mei abided by her punishment and returned home immediately after school ended. Rendered apathetic by the day’s drama, she spent the whole afternoon and evening working on math, history, and French for Thursday’s exams. Soon enough, she could hear the sounds of Jin cooking rhythmically with his wok from the kitchen. The smell of sesame beef stir fry creeped its way into Mei’s room and stung her senses, robbing the girl from her studies. 

“Dinner’s on!” Jin called.

Mei joined her parents at the table, expecting to be subjected to more silent treatment. However, before the meal started ...

“Mei-Mei.”

Ming finally spoke, causing Mei to wince. 

“Yes … mother?” 

“Jin and I spoke today and … I did a lot of thinking.” 

Mei leaned in to listen intently.

“Last night was rough for everyone and I’m equally to blame for it.” Ming said. “I completely understand your position as I too was in it before. I saw a lot of myself in you after you released the panda on me … as well as afterward with the grief that followed. When I injured my mother, I was a complete wreck. Picturing you with that burden, had you not stopped, breaks my heart."

“Mom, I-”

Ming waved her hand up, demanding silence. “While I stand by my displeasure over yesterday’s irresponsibility … it was wrong of me to pin it so much on Tyler. I was just ... flustered. Nevertheless, you two are good friends now and it's not my place to take that away. I've noticed how less apprehensive Tyler's been since he joined your little clique."

"As have I." Jin softly agreed.

"You've had quite an influence on him, Mei-Mei, and you had every right to be upset with my criticisms. So, we’re going to make things right. For all of us.”

Jin chimed in. “For you and Tyler.”

“H-how?” Mei tilted her head.

Ming cleared her throat. “Tomorrow we’re going to close the temple in the afternoon to give the Nguyen-Bakers a private tour. I called them today and … despite some lengthy coercing, they agreed. Well, specifically the father did but we’re hoping this helps Tyler’s mother open her eyes a bit."

"We can't guarantee perfect results but it's worth a shot." Jin added. "As I've said, you can’t force people to change."

"Right you are, hon." Ming nodded.

Mei pondered. The only reason Tyler’s mom disapproved of the relationship was because of her alone, especially for what she did to her son on his big day a month ago. This could be the perfect chance for Mrs. Nguyen-Baker to understand her more … as well as get Tyler to forgive her. She had made a grave mistake calling off the relationship so prematurely and now she was determined to reverse it. “Yes, let’s do this.” Mei said firmly.

Ming smiled sweetly. Mei hopped out of her chair and lovingly seized her mother.

“Thanks for doing this.” Mei said, starting to choke up. “Even after everything yesterday. I’m sorry, mom.”

“Oh … Mei-Mei.” Ming cooed as she hugged her back. “You don’t have to apologize … I’m your mother.”

Mei beamed at the familiar words. Wu had said the same to Ming. She felt at peace again. Hopeful, too. Sure, it’s only been a day but heavy circumstances tend to make time go by slower. It felt like months since she was last happy.

After another delicious meal concocted by Jin, Mei pranced back to her room. POOF! POOF! POOF! Her panda tail and ears let loose. In her excitement, Mei instinctively swiped her cell phone and began frantically typing a text to Tyler. However, she stopped herself before hitting “send.” Mei’s face dropped and the panda features immediately withdrew with a simultaneous POOF! She realized now wasn’t a good time. She should wait for the perfect moment … in person.

Chapter Text

Mei breathed a sigh of relief as she exited the French classroom, confident she aced the exam. That does it for math, history and foreign language. Three out of six finals were completed. She couldn’t lay low yet, however. Not only did she have a plethora of  studying left to do, but Mei was needed at the family temple pronto. It was time to commence Operation: Impress Tyler’s Parents And Earn Him Back.

Mei hurried home and knocked on the temple door, which bore a sign reading the following passage in both English and Chinese characters:

Closed for a private afternoon tour. 
We apologize for any inconvenience. 

The door swung open, revealing Ming.

“Mei-Mei!” She greeted. “How were exams?”

“Pretty sure I killed them.” Mei gloated, entering the courtyard with a smug grin. 

“That’s my girl!”

Normally Ming would’ve called Mei her “little scholar” and fantasized about her obtaining a prestigious career but ever since their “growing pains” she held back pelting her daughter with these strict expectations. Nevertheless, good marks were still important. Shortly after Pandapocalypse 2002, Ming had pulled Mei aside to talk about her declining performance in school, having discovered worksheets under her bed that were dotted with C minuses and critical comments by her teachers. Mei promised she would recover and so far the promise has shown.

Mei hung up her backpack behind the cash register of the temple gift shop and retrieved her asst. temple keeper badge from the drawer, pinning it on her cardigan with ease. She joined her mother and Jin in Sun Yee Hall, where Ming offered Mei some custard buns for an after-school snack. After gladly ingesting the sweet treats, the family burned incense and prayed to their beloved predecessor. 

“Sun Yee, revered ancestor, guardian of the red pandas.” Ming began.

“We humbly thank you for protecting and guiding us.” Jin continued the prayer. 

“May we continue to serve and honor you and this community.” Mei added.

Then in unison. “Always.”

The Lees bowed earnestly before the shrine and mural dedicated to Sun Yee. They could only imagine that their ancestor was looking down at them, smiling with great pride.

Meanwhile, the Nyugen-Bakers had just street parked right across from the temple.

“There it is.” Mr. Nyugen-Baker said. 

“I’m still not sure about this.” Mrs. Nyugen-Baker muttered, feeling out of her element in Toronto's Chinatown district.

“Hon …” The father placed his hand over his wife’s. “For him.” He gestured to Tyler, who hunched sourly in the backseat.

Tyler sighed. “Let’s just get this over with.” 

The parents exchanged an unsure look before exiting the vehicle and crossing the street. Tyler ambled slowly behind them, hands buried in his basketball shorts. After his father knocked on the temple door, Tyler’s eyes wandered from the sidewalk, to the two adjacent red panda statues. He suddenly heard voices in his head; a familiar past exchange. 

“Hey Bart, Hey Lisa. Hope you two had a good day.” 

“Bart and Lisa? Like from … The Simpsons?”

“Cute, yeah?”

Tyler growled as he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the memory.

The door opened. Mei and Ming emerged.

“The Nyugen-Bakers!” Ming greeted happily. “Welcome to our temple!”

POOF! The panda appeared in place of Mei. 

“Thank you so much for coming!”

Mei’s gaze narrowed down at Tyler, who was deliberately avoiding eye contact. Her expression fell a bit but she took a deep breath and she recovered her welcoming grin for the parent’s sake. 

“Please, come on in.” Ming guided the family into the courtyard. “And nice to have you back, Tyler.” 

Tyler jumped a bit when Ming acknowledged him and forced a weak smile in response. Mrs. Nyugen-Baker looked down at her son with a stern look that read “How many times have you been here?” but she knew now wasn’t the time to make a scene. 

“Hon, look at this place.” Mr. Nyugen-Baker said.

The parents paused to really sink in the beauty of the Lee family temple. The architecture, the colors, the atmosphere. Tyler studied how frozen in awe his folks were. He saw himself from not too long ago. Heard himself, as well.

“This whole temple is amazing, Mei. I was completely wrong about all of this.”

Tyler didn’t fight the memories this time. He blinked and looked downward, pondering. 

“This was here all this time?” Mrs. Nyugen-Baker said breathlessly, placing her hand over her chest. “It’s … it’s …”

“It’s like we stepped into another country.” The father added.

“Please, follow us into the Ancestral Temple.” Ming said.

Jin, donning the cardboard red panda costume, kindly gestured to the Nyugen-Bakers to follow Ming into the building on their left. Tyler’s parents obliged. POOF! Mei turned back to normal and approached Tyler, who remained motionless.

“You coming?” Mei asked.

Tyler reluctantly locked eyes with her.

“Y-yeah, sure.”

Mei smiled sweetly before guiding the boy into the Ancestral Temple.

“Our family runs one of the oldest temples in the city.” Ming told Tyler’s parents as she showed off the numerous headstone tablets containing the names of their predecessors, as well as the black-and-white photos on the wall of select notables. 

“And the most unique.” Mei chimed in, surprising the Nyugen-Bakers. “Instead of honoring a god. We honor our ancestors.”

Ming smiled before stepping in. “If you follow us, we will introduce you to our most revered ancestor.”

The Lees led the Nyugen-Bakers to Sun Yee Hall. The dim aura and pleasing scent of the incense enraptured Tyler’s parents when they entered. As they looked on at the artistry with stunned expressions, Ming continued to explain their family history.

“This is Sun Yee. She was a scholar, a poet …”

“And defender of animals!” Mei jumped in. “Especially the red panda!” 

POOF! POOF! POOF! The panda ears and tail emerged, causing Tyler’s parents to break from their wonderstruck trance and gawk at Mei. She knew better than to go full panda in Sun Yee Hall or else she might’ve pinned the Nyugen-Bakers to the wall with her flabby gut.

Ming chuckled at Mei’s spunk. “Of all the animals in the forest, Sun Yee loved red pandas the most. Mainly for its fiery coat…”

Mei raised her arms and bared her teeth like a ferocious beast.

“And it’s cute and mischievous nature.”

Mei then went on her tippy toes, placing her hands on her face innocently while widening her eyes to an enormous, pleading size. 

Tyler's parents tittered at the performance while the boy went slack jawed. The memories were relentless. Mei going half-panda during karaoke, when she nuzzled against him lovingly at the mall, when they took pictures together in the photo booth, when … she kissed him on the lips. It wasn’t worth fighting them anymore. His feelings for Mei were still burning strong, despite everything that happened between them.

“The red panda has blessed our family with good fortune and prosperity.” Ming continued. 

“And it can bless yours, too!”

Mei had momentarily left her spot to pull out a finely chiseled and beautifully painted stone statue of a red panda — reminiscent of Bart and Lisa — from behind Sun Yee’s shrine. 

“T-this … is for us?” Mrs. Nyugen-Baker questioned. 

“Mmm hm!” Mei urged.

“Please accept this gift on behalf of the entire Lee family.” Ming said. “As a token of apology and good relations going forward.”

Mr. Nyugen-Baker gently took the statue from Mei, cradling it like a child while his wife felt its smoothness with her palm and admired the colors.

“It’s gorgeous.” Mrs. Nyugen-Baker cooed. “It would look perfect in the garden.”

“Thank you so much.” Mr. Nyugen-Baker stated.

“Yes, t-thank you.” His wife followed, albeit with difficulty.

The Lees came together and grinned pleasantly at their visitors. Mei and Ming exchanged a proud look. 

“I have a question.” Tyler’s dad spoke up again. 

Ming perked up. “Please!”

“How did this panda transformation thing come about? How come members of your family have this power?”

“I’d be glad to tell that story.” Ming nodded.

She lifted Sun Yee’s mural and retrieved the ancient scroll from the secret compartment behind it.

“Sun Yee had a mystical connection to red pandas. She loved the animal so much that she had asked the gods to turn her into one.”

Mei looked around the hall and noticed Tyler wasn’t in sight. She slinked out the building and peered around the courtyard, eventually finding Tyler over by the koi pond, hunched down and watching the fish swim about. It was a familiar sight.

“Tyler, hey.” Mei said.

“Hey.” 

Mei kneeled down to the same level as the boy.

“Can’t get enough of the koi, huh?”

Tyler chuckled. “Mei?”

“What’s up?”

“Thanks for doing this.”

Mei cocked her head. “Of course, Tyler.”

“I wasn’t sure at first but I think we really have a chance now. I appreciate it.”

“I just … wanted to make things right. We all did. I made a such a stupid mistake the other night.” She then sniffled. “I said things I regretted and I never considered how you felt. You were right. I needed to grow up. Please forgive me. I’m so sorry, Tyler.”

Seeing Mei’s sorrow, Tyler gave in. He stood up and reached out his hand. The girl looked up and saw him smiling cooly down at her. Mei sheepishly took his hand and he swiftly pulled her up onto her feet. 

“Call me Ty.”

POOF! POOF! POOF! The ears and tails returned, prompting a blushing Mei to leap in for a kiss — their second one — which Tyler joyfully returned. They broke it fast, though, as they didn’t want their parents to catch them. They probably would die of embarrassment immediately. Sure enough, the adults were exiting Sun Yee Hall. Tyler’s parents appeared to be enlightened by the tale of how the Lee’s greatest ancestor received the panda spirit. POOF! Mei's ears and tail disappeared in the nick of time.

“Ah, there you two are!” Ming said. “You snuck away from us.”

“Y-yeah, we just needed a moment.” Mei nudged Tyler.

Mrs. Nyugen-Baker stepped in. “Tyler? Mei?”

Mei looked up at Tyler’s mother curiously while her son eyed her more impassively. He may have forgiven Mei but he has yet to reach common ground with his mother.

“I apologize … for everything.” She began. “I was being stubborn. Bitter, too. It was wrong of me to judge you so harshly, Mei, and now I feel I understand you a more ... your family, too. You aren’t an animal. You’re sweet, polite, and you certainly know how to make my little boy happy.” More than me, in fact. She thought. 

Mei looked at Tyler, who was cringing so hard that he might implode out of existence. 

“I should’ve seen that earlier instead of letting past mistakes blind me.”

Mei beamed at her. “Thank you, Mrs. Nyugen-Baker … for giving me a chance.”

Tyler had nothing to say, however. Mei and Tyler's mother both frowned as they noticed the boy’s quiet hesitation.

The Nyugen-Bakers spent the next hour admiring the temple and chatting with the Lees. They even generously donated some money to the Sky Dome fund. Ming had decided to open the temple to the public for a short period, during which Tyler’s folks met some of the Chinatown locals, including the Lee's neighbor, the experienced shaman Mr. Gao. They exchanged food recipes, gardening tips, and discussed various other topics that made the Nyugen-Bakers realize they had more in common with the people of this district than they initially thought. Soon, though, night fell upon Toronto and it was time for the Nyugen-Bakers to return home.

“You kids still have studying to do.” Ming pointed out.

“We know …” Mei and Tyler groaned in unison. 

“Thanks again, Lees!” Mr. Nyugen-Baker waved while still carrying the red panda statue.

“No, thank you so much for visiting.” Ming replied modestly. “Please join us for a meal some time in the future.”

“Oh yes, PLEASE!” Tyler gasped, pulling at his hair and practically drooling. “Mr. Lee’s sweet and sour beef is to die for!”

The group laughed merrily, though Tyler’s mother only simpered awkwardly, taken aback by her son’s sudden enthusiasm. 

“Hmmm, we might just take you up on that.” Mrs. Nyugen-Baker said. “Good night!”

“Oh, wait!” Mei exclaimed. “Ty, follow me real quick.”

Tyler gaped at his folks. His father urged him to go with Mei. 

“I’ll catch up!”

“It won’t be long!” Mei added.

Mei guided Tyler behind Sun Yee Hall and through the back gate that led to the Lee residence.

“What are we doing?” Tyler asked.

“Wait here.” Mei said by the door.

She entered the house and in no time she returned with a neatly folded gray hoodie.

Tyler stared at the garment in surprise. “You kept it.”

“Oh, Ty.” Mei rolled her eyes as she handed him the hoodie. “It was a heated moment but I wouldn’t just abandon it.”

Tyler chuckled. “Thanks, Mei.”

Mei beamed in response before twiddling her thumbs nervously. “So … I wanted to ask you something, too.”

“Shoot.” Tyler said as he put on the hoodie to combat the night's chill.

She inhaled. “The dance on Saturday. Do … you want to go?”

Tyler blinked. “With you? Y-yes, definitely!”

Mei crossed her arms and smirked. “Huh, I took you for someone who's too cool for school dances. I never saw you at the last few we had.”

“Well, you’re looking at a new me.” Tyler shrugged, almost in a flaunty manner. 

Mei laughed. “Fair enough. Hey, Ty … one more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“Talk to your mother.”

Puzzled, Ty recoiled a little.

“You’d be surprised how much it improves things. Heck, look at what happened tonight with both of our families.”

Tyler stood there, uncertainty washing over him. Mei leaned in and planted an encouraging kiss on his cheek. 

“You got this.”

Chapter Text

Tyler sat at his desk in his room, studying for Friday’s science exam. He took a deep breath before reading aloud the index card he had in his hand.

“The process by which plants use sunlight to synthesize food from carbon dioxide and water.”

He thought to himself, tapping his foot anxiously.

“P-photo … synthesis?”

He flipped the card, revealing the answer. It was indeed photosynthesis.

“YES!” He pumped his fist.

A few days prior at school, Tyler had lamented about his studying troubles to Mei, who suggested the index card method. She provided him with a couple stacks because she was practically drowning in them. Despite his initial worries, the boy was finding this system very effective.

Leaning against the pencil holder on Tyler’s desk was the dog plush Mei had given him at the arcade. With the relationship mended, Tyler dusted off the toy and gave him a safe home at his workstation. He had never been able to focus this well on his studies until this very night. It was as if Mei was cheering him on in spirit through the plush, wishing him luck on his efforts.

“You know, I think I’ll call you Lucky.” He mused.

Suddenly, a noise rapped from across the room. KNOCK! KNOCK! It came from the door.

“Come in.”

His mother entered the room.

The boy’s face fell. “Oh … hey.” 

“Tyler, do you have a moment?”

He shrugged. “Well … I’m kinda studying.”

“I know, it won’t take too long.”

Tyler huffed, turning back toward his desk and crossing his arms. “Talk to your mother.” Mei’s voice echoed in his head. “You got this.”  With a deep sigh, he relented. “Alright, what is it?”

Tyler’s mother approached him and reached out her hand. He saw that a familiar, flat object was in her grasp. Tyler gingerly accepted it and upon further examination saw it was the photo booth strip. The four ripped fragments were stitched back together with tape. Nonplussed, he gazed up at his mother, awaiting an explanation.

“I meant everything I said at the Lee’s temple, Tyler. I was wrong … about everything. I see now how much Mei means to you. How much you and her have grown since the incident at the party. It’s more than can be said about me.”

Tyler lowered his defense as he noticed his mother was battling the urge to cry.

“I thought I was protecting you by warding Mei away but I did far more harm than good. It’s difficult for adults to admit it sometimes but we still make mistakes and … I hope you can forgive me because … you’re my whole world, Tyler.”

Tyler felt like he swallowed his own tongue. He didn’t know how to respond to such a tender statement.

“You’re my precious little boy. You’re growing up so fast … a-and I can’t bear the thought of you leaving and never looking back all because of something I did. Please-”

Tyler didn’t let her finish. In a flash, he jumped out of his chair and hugged his mother tight. She didn’t hesitate to return the gesture.

“Mom … I don’t hate you.” Tyler choked. “I’m sorry I said those terrible things.”

“Don’t be, sweetie. It’s my fault, and my fault … alone.”

The floodgates opened and the two sobbed bittersweet tears as they tightened their embrace. 

“I love you, mom.” Tyler muttered.

She sniffled. “I love you, too.”

Friday arrived. Following the science exam, Mei stood in the hallway toward the lunch yard with Tyler by her side. She placed her hands over her chest nervously.

“Ready?” Tyler asked.

“I don’t know. I really scared them, Ty.” Mei said. “I messed up hard.”

“Mei, if they forgave you for throwing them under the bus then this has got to be a cakewalk.”

The girl only sighed. Tyler pondered for a bit then moved in to peck her cheek with his lips, receiving a surprised look from her.

“You got this.” He winked.

Mei snickered then punched Tyler’s arm lightly. “Copycat.”

“Learned from the best.” He argued.

The two entered the lunch yard and closed in on Miriam, Priya, and Abby, who were eating lunch and gossiping at their usual spot on the bleachers. They all bore mixed expressions upon seeing the couple’s arrival.

“Hey gang!” Tyler greeted. 

Abby blinked. “Whoa, are you two …?”

“Y-yeah, we worked it out.” Tyler explained. “Mei has something to say to you three.”

Mei grimaced as she observed the impassive stares of her friends.

“Girls, I’m sorry I blew up on you. I was just … so worked up from fighting with mom and Ty. I was desperate for back-up … so convinced that I was in the right but I took it too far. It was uncalled for and I promise it’ll never happen again.”

Miriam, Priya, and Abby exchanged blank looks. Mei winced at the silence. 

“4*Town forever?” She cooed. 

Miriam smirked. “Oh, what the heck. 4*Town forever!”

The 4*Townies gathered for a friendly embrace.

“Good to have you back, girl.” Priya said.

“Yeah, we can’t stay mad at you.” Abby chimed.

Mei couldn’t help but shed a few tears of joy, wiping them away with a big grin on her face as her friends unclenched from the group hug. 

“Thanks, guys. You’re the best.”

“We love you, Mei.” Miriam said. “Remember: Panda or no panda.”

Mei giggled gratefully. “I know, Mir.”

Abby stepped in. “Hey, how did you and Tyler hook back up?”

“Yeah, I’m curious.” Priya added.

The couple glanced at each other sweetly. 

“You better take a seat.” Mei said. “It’s a long story.” 

A long one it was. By the time Thursday night’s recount was finished, the 4*Townies saw themselves summoned back inside the school for their next exam.

“So, your folks are really considering inviting Tyler’s parents over for dinner some night?” Miriam asked.

“Yep.” Mei nodded.

“Lucky …” Abby moaned. “I’d do unforgivable things to bite into one of your dad’s shrimp spring rolls.”

“Green bean heaven.” Priya fantasized in her deadpan manner.

“STOP!” Miriam hissed. “We just ate and now you’re making me hungry again!”

Tyler nudged Mei. “Hey, be prepared to teach my parents how to use chopsticks.”

Mei eyed Tyler with one of her brows cocked. “I trust you can prepare them for that, Ty.”

The boy gulped.

BRIIING! A few hours later an influx of teenagers exploded out of the school following the last bell of the year. Mei and the gang hurried out of the building, soaking in their long-awaited freedom. Exams were over at last and the feeling was oh so sweet. To kick off their summer break, the 4*Townies decided to head over to Tyler’s house for some video games, snacks, and relaxation.

“Mei, you still got to try out Smash.” He reminded her on the walk there.

Tyler’s mother, who was tending to the front yard garden, greeted the gang upon their arrival.

“Welcome. Finally free, huh?”

“Oh yeah!” Tyler chanted. “We’re just going upstairs to play some video games, if that’s okay.”

Mrs. Nguyen-Baker blinked. “But it’s so nice out. I suppose you’ve earned it after all those exams, though. So, have fun!”

Tyler smiled gratefully at her, relieved she had become more accepting. “Thanks, mom.”

“It’s nice to see you, Mrs. Nguyen-Baker.” Mei greeted politely.

“Likewise, Mei.” She beamed back at the girl.

Once inside, Tyler fixed up an enormous bowl of popcorn and brought a six-pack of cola up to his room. The 4*Townies gathered around the TV-VCR and Nintendo GameCube to boot up Super Smash Bros. 

“I'm Link!” Miriam exclaimed.

“Aww, man.” Tyler whined. “But he’s my guy.”

Miriam laughed. “You can play as him, too, dude.”

“I’ll be the fox.” Priya said. “He’s not a werewolf but better than nothing, I guess.”

“Pikachu for me.” Mei chimed. “And I’ll give him a little party hat.”

Abby frowned because she didn’t grab one of the four controllers in time.

“Whoever gets their butt kicked first forfeits their controller to me.” She growled.

The five friends spent the next hour brawling, chomping on popcorn, and downing soda, basking their hard-earned laziness. Mei caught on quickly how the game worked and became a formidable opponent. At one point the group engaged in a hearty laugh when Abby commented on how much Link looked like Jesse from 4*Town. Abby also proved to be a rather obnoxious fighter, claiming every item that appeared and more times than not tossing them off the battlefield, much to Tyler and Miriam’s annoyance. She also tried to nail the others exclusively with Mr. Game & Watch's Judge attack, hoping she'd score devastating 9s. She sneered at how much it peeved her friends. Miriam and Priya faced off in a Fox vs. Falco no-item 1-vs-1 match, which ended with an intense sudden death round. Miriam came out on top but it was a close one. One fight pitted Mei against Tyler by the end. After much dodging, Pikachu struck Link with a perfectly timed Thunder attack, rocketing the Hylian warrior offscreen with a blinding explosion.

“YES!” Mei cheered. “WOOOOOO!!!”

TRIPLE POOF! The panda ears and tail emerged.

Tyler gaped. “Dang, that was a good shot!”

“I can see why everyone at school gushes about this game.” Mei said. “It’s crazy fun. Pumps you up!”

The boy chuckled at Mei’s zest. “I’m glad you were finally able to play it.”

She glanced at Tyler, coyly brushing away some loose red bangs that blocked her face. “Y-yeah. Me too.”

The two then found themselves closing their eyes and slowly leaning inward until SMEK. They shared a quick kiss. 

Miriam, Priya, and Abby all dropped their jaws in unison. They darted their eyes back and forth at each other, absolutely gobsmacked. Meilin Lee and Tyler Nguyen-Baker, once enemies, locking lips?! Did they really just see that?!

“Hubba, hubba!” Abby teased, earning surprised gazes from the couple.

“Well, that was the last thing I expected to see.” Priya commented.

Miriam simpered wryly at them. “You know, if you two want to be alone all you have to do is ask.” 

“Girls, stop!” Mei laughed. “Unless you want pink clouds in your face!”

“Just got caught in the moment, sorry.” Tyler muttered.

“Don’t be!” Miriam said. “You two are the cutest!”

Both Mei and Tyler blushed furiously. That’s all it took. POOF! The whole panda instantly materialized in Mei’s place.

“Oh, now you’ve done it!”

Mei playfully seized a cackling Miriam while Abby, Priya, and Tyler leapt onto her, clinging to her red fur like smaller pandas. Mei hobbled around Tyler’s room, wrestling with her pals merrily until the weight became too much and she plopped over on her back with all four resting on her fluffy belly. The pile of friends erupted in joyous laughter. POOF! Mei became human again and was suddenly buried underneath her friends.

“Off! G-get off!” Mei gagged. “C-can’t breathe!”

Miriam, Abby, Priya, and Tyler quickly clambered off the girl, who sat up and gasped for air.

BEEP! BEEP!

“Oh!” Mei exclaimed.

She reached into her skirt pocket to dig out her digital pet. Last night she finally broke the box and activated it.

“Hungry, are you?” Mei pressed the little buttons on the device. “Not to worry, Chance. I got your back.”

Tyler slid over beside Mei and watched the tiny digitized slime creature bounce happily on screen as it received nourishment. “You finally named him.”

“Yep. I decided to call him Chance.”

Tyler cocked his head. “How come?”

Mei rolled her eyes. “Because, you dork … you gave me another.”

Chapter Text

Saturday night came in no time. Tyler stared at himself in the mirror, grimacing at his reflection: lavender dress shirt, plum-colored bowtie, tan slacks, brown dress shoes. He didn’t look like himself at all and it brought his mood down. Meanwhile, on the contrary, his mother sat on his bed nearby, eyeing her son enthusiastically.

Tyler sneered. “Ugh, I look like a-”

“Angel?” 

He cocked his head toward her. “I was gonna say ‘total geek.’” 

“Oh shush.” Mrs. Nguyen-Baker said.

Tyler cringed as he stretched out the shirt and peered downward to study the bland article of clothing. He resembled his dad going to work. The bowtie almost made him look like a clown, too.

“Could I just wear my tank?” Tyler whimpered. 

“No, Tyler.” His mother said, standing up and joining him in the mirror. “You have to look your best. Hmmm, in fact…”

Tyler jolted a little as his mother peeled his trusty headband off his head. He felt naked. It was as if she had pulled off one of his limbs. The headband was a part of Tyler. He never left the house without it.

“WHOA, WHAT ARE YOU-”

“You’re not going to gym class. It’s a school dance.” She then examined the garment with minor disgust. “Also it could use a wash.”

“Mom!” Tyler turned to her in a begging stance. “I need it!"

She sternly placed her hands on her hips. “No, you don't. Tyler, Mei and the rest of your friends are gonna dress nice, too. You’ll stick out like a sore thumb if you go looking like a sweaty jock.”

Tyler only sighed stubbornly.

Her tone eased. “Trust me, Mei will want to see you at your most handsome.”

A blush creeped onto Tyler’s face as he looked away embarrassed.

“And you want to see her at her prettiest, right?”

His cheeks burned more as images of Mei in various dresses crowded his mind, prompting him to hunch. Tyler’s body language was enough for his mother. She knew she got to him.

“You’ll get this headband back tomorrow … after I do the laundry."

Meanwhile at the Lee residence, Mei and her mother found themselves in yet another disagreement. Differing generations collided as the living room suddenly became an echo chamber. Jin sat timidly on the couch watching the mother and daughter go at it like fierce animals. He was afraid if he spoke up they’d both blow up on him. 

“Mei-Mei, you’ve always worn this during formal occasions!” Ming argued, flaunting a traditional red Chinese dress with a white and gold floral pattern. “Since when did you find it … unsuitable?”

“Since I became 13, mom!” Mei fired back. “I’ll be a laughing stock!”

Ming gasped loudly, confused and offended.

Mei panicked at her mother’s horrified reaction. “No offense, mom, it’s very pretty but I don’t think it’s ... right for a dance.”

“I wore these at our dances and nobody commented.” Ming retorted. “Right, Jin?”

She snapped her head toward her husband who was practically sweating, not wanting to take sides. Jin muttered a brief “Uh …” before being interrupted by Mei.

“I want to wear what other teenagers are wearing!”

Ming’s eyes averted. “Don’t you even think about wearing those scantily crop tops!”

“Not those!” Mei facepalmed with a frustrated growl. “A cute dress!”

Ming gazed at her daughter in disbelief. "I think it's a little late to go dress shopping, Mei-Mei."

“Way ahead of you. After we had hung out at Tyler’s yesterday the girls and I went to the mall. They helped pick out a nice one for me.” Mei said. “Please, mom. I just want to be … me . It’s nothing … provocative, as you say sometimes, I swear."

Ming sadly observed the Chinese dress. If she were herself from a few months back she would’ve grilled Mei hard for making decisions behind her back but she was her own person now. Ming’s pride was getting the best of her again. She always loved seeing her daughter in traditional garb and just wanted one last glimpse of her in it before she grew up. However, Mei is grown up now and it was high time she fully accepted it. The Sky Dome was still repairing damages from the "growing pains." The last thing the Junior High School needs is its own panda-driven destruction over a petty clash. 

“Alright, fine.” Ming relented. “You’re free to wear what you like, Mei-Mei.”

Mei grinned, hopping gleefully. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” She then bolted to her room before Ming could say 'you're welcome.'

“Make it quick!” Ming shouted. “Tyler will be here any minute!”

SLAM! No response. The door to Mei’s room closed shut and the lock clicked.

Ming sat beside Jin on the couch with an exhausted huff and began rubbing her temples. “This is getting harder and harder, Jin. She’s growing up too fast. I'm barely keeping up.”

Jin nodded. “Raising a teenager is … tricky but the more we let her figure things out on her own, the happier she’ll be.”

“I know.” Ming smiled weakly before suddenly becoming tense. “With that said, if I ever see her wearing anything skimpy, I’ll-”

DING! DONG!

“That’s probably Tyler.” Jin stated.

Ming firmly answered the door and found the boy, stiff and awkward in his formal wear, waving at her timidly.

“Good evening, Tyler.”

“Hey, Mrs. Lee.” Tyler replied. “Am I too early?”

“Not at all, Mei is changing as we speak.” Ming welcomed the boy inside. “Please make yourself at home.”

Tyler took a seat on one of the recliners. “Hi, Mr. Lee.”

Jin nodded at him kindly. “Tyler.”

Ming approached Mei’s door and rapped on it twice. “Mei-Mei, you’re brave knight has arrived.”

“Moooooooom ...” Mei groaned from inside.

Ming tittered at her annoyed response. “Are you almost ready?”

“Just about!”

“Don’t keep him waiting.” Ming said before returning to the living room and sitting back down next to Jin. “Looking forward to the dance, Tyler?” She asked.

“I am.” Tyler said with a slight wince. “My first one, actually. I … never cared to go to them before but Mei has helped me change my ways a lot lately. I can’t thank her enough.”

Ming and Jin beamed at each other, proud to have raised such an amiable soul.

“Just treat her to a good time, alright?” Ming said. “That should do it.”

Tyler blinked, slowly cracking a smile. “I will.”

The three then heard a door close from down the hall. Tyler gaped widely as Mei bashfully stepped into view in her cream-colored low heel dress shoes. She was wearing a pink polyester v-neck dress with a large bow that wrapped around the torso and knotted off her back, similar to a kimono. She almost looked like a fairy. Violet eyeshadow defined her bespectacled eyes and her red hair flowed loosely; free of clips and pins. That’s how Tyler liked it. Mei's ears also bore her usual star sticker imitation earrings. Instead of the typical yellow, they were white as diamonds. Tyler couldn't keep his eyes off her. The whole world around him seemed to vanish and all he could see was Mei's enrapturing figure shining in an empty expanse. 

“Mei!” Jin stood up in awe.

As did Ming. “Mei-Mei. You look … I …” She scoffed in surprise. “I don’t … I just don’t have the words!”

Mei twinkled at her mother’s speechlessness before looking over at her starstruck boyfriend. “Hey Ty.” She greeted softly.

“H-hey.” Tyler stuttered breathlessly. “You look …” He dug through the hollow mine in his head for the right word. “A-awesome.” Ugh ... you dummy.

The manly comment made Mei giggle. She expected 'pretty' or 'beautiful' but anything was a plus to her. “Thanks, you look awesome yourself.” He's such a dork.

Red on the face, Tyler cleared his throat then jumped from his seat and reached out his hand. “R-ready to go?” 

“Sure am.” Mei gladly clenched it.

“WAIT!” Ming hissed. “We need to do pictures!”

Mei rolled her eyes. “Mom, Tyler’s dad is waiting outside."

Tyler nodded in agreement. He was antsy to leave, too.

“It’ll be just a few minutes.” Ming insisted as she fished out the flash camera from a nearby cupboard.

Mei sighed impatiently. “Fine.” 

Naturally, it took more than a “just a few minutes.” Ming had Mei and Tyler strike a variety of poses (including the conventional James Bond gun hold) and sit together on the couch. Ming had Tyler take photos of her, Mei, and Jin as a unit, standing and sitting. Single photos were shot as well in case Tyler’s parents wanted some photos of their son. Ming kept snapping the camera like an unhinged modeling photographer until it made a loud click, indicating that she exhausted the film roll.

“Shoot.” Ming frowned at the device. “I had some more ideas for poses.”

“Oh well, what a shame. Let’s go, Ty.” Mei said sarcastically through her fake grin and seizing Tyler’s arm, desperate to flee.

“Mei-Mei, one more thing!"

She wanted to scream. “What … is … it?”

Ming placed the camera on the coffee table, approached her daughter, and hugged her tenderly. Surprised, Mei awkwardly reciprocated the embrace. Ming pulled away slightly to scan her daughter from top to bottom. Her eyes welled from emotion.

“You’re right. This dress is better.” Ming admitted.

Mei’s frustration receded and she forced a loving smirk.

“My little Mei-Mei. All grown up.” She caressed her cheek. “Y-you’re so beautiful.”

“Oh, mom.” Mei closed her eyes and relaxed in her gentle grasp. POOF! POOF! POOF! The panda ears and tail came to life. 

Tyler looked on, beaming warmly at the mother and daughter’s genuine affection. As did Jin, who placed his hand on Tyler’s shoulder and the two exchanged approving nods. 

Ming sniffled as she finally backed away from Mei. Pridefulness and regret overwhelmed her but a deep breath set her straight. “Alright, I’ll let you two go now.”

“Have fun.” Jin said. 

“We will, guys.” Mei said, taking Tyler’s hand again. “Love you.”

“G-good nigh-” Tyler barely uttered as Mei dragged the boy out the front door with an excitable SLAM! 

With Mei out of sight, Ming finally let it all out. Wistful tears escaped from her eyes as she sobbed lightly. She had just endured one of the toughest challenges of being a mother: seeing her precious daughter off with a boy. It was something she dreaded for years and she didn’t expect it to happen so soon. Ming didn’t want to let her go. She had hoped Mei would always be by her side but she needed to stay true to her promise if she wanted to maintain a healthy relationship with her. As Jin comforted her, Ming’s rueful weeping soon changed to bittersweet bliss. The crying turned into chuckling. She had faith that Mei was in good hands with Tyler, and that their bond as mother and daughter will never cease ... even when they're apart.

“The farther you go, the prouder I’ll be.”

Chapter Text

Music boomed from the gymnasium of Lester B. Pearson Middle School as masses of teenagers poured into the building, ready to kick off the summer in style at the end-of-the-year dance. Students admired the colorful light shows on the walls and ceiling, helped themselves to snacks and punch at the concession table, and grooved to the loud pop tunes that were being DJ’d by none other than … Carter Murphy-Mayhew? 

“Huh.” Miriam — sporting a mint-colored plaid dress and a green short coat yet — stared on dumbfounded. “Never took him for a disc jockey.”

“Ditto.” Priya — in her yellow 1-shoulder dress — agreed, cocking her brow.

“What does Pokémon have to do this?” Abby — in her purple jumper dress — wondered in jest, earning an eye roll back from Priya.

“There they are!” Miriam said, pointing toward the entrance as Mei and Tyler emerged from the bustling crowd, locking hands. They scanned the gym for the 4*Townies. Miriam waved them down and Mei was the first to notice, eagerly dragging Tyler with her as she hustled toward them. 

“Besties assemble!” Mei cheered.

The group happily performed an airborne butt bump then exchanged a five-person finger wiggle. 

“Looking good, Mei!” Abby commented.

“I knew that dress was perfect.” Priya agreed.

Mei spun around to give everyone a full view. “Heh, thanks!”

Miriam smirked at Tyler in his purple formalwear. “And check out the stud.”

Tyler stiffened as all four girls immediately focused on him.

Priya gaped. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Tyler without his basketball tank.” 

“No headband, too.” Abby pointed out. “What’s up with that?”

“Surprised me as well.” Mei added. “Ty, actually has a forehead!”

All the 4*Townies, except a blushing Tyler, burst out laughing. 

“Mom made me take it off. I see you still have your beanie.” Tyler looked at Miriam and sighed. “That’s fair …”

Miriam shrugged. “I snuck it in. My parents disapproved but I have my ways.”

“I think you look great, Ty.” Mei hooked her arm around his and leaned her head on his shoulder. “We’re only playing, y’know.”

“I know.” Tyler smiled warmly.

“Hey, Priya.” Said a rather dreary voice nearby.

The 4*Townies turned to find the stout goth girl with light pink hair staring at the group apathetically. 

“Monica.” Priya said, taken aback to see her crush in a black dress, let alone at the dance at all.

Monica? Holy crud, that’s her name?! Mei thought to herself before darting her eyes at Miriam and Abby, who looked equally as flabbergasted.

“Care to dance … and perhaps talk about the upcoming Nightfall book?” She wondered with barely any emotion. “Unless …” She cocked her head toward Mei and the rest. 

“U-uh…” Priya stuttered with a blush appearing on her dark face, very uncharacteristic of her. “S-sure. Y-you guys, mind?”

Mei, Miriam, and Abby all sneered at each other. They liked where this was going and they didn’t want to blow it for Priya.

“Not at all, Pri.” Mei gestured for her to go. “You two have fun.”

Priya smiled cooly at her best friends before walking off to the dance floor side-by-side with Monica.

“Monica. Wow.” Mei blinked.

Miriam grimaced. “Yeah, I can’t believe we never bothered to know her name ... and we see her like everyday."

“I always took her for a ‘Sabrina’ or something.” Abby said. “You know, because she looks like a witch.”

At that very moment, a familiar song blasted throughout the gym. 

You know what's up!

You know it's us, yeah!

Mei grinned and looked at Tyler, who was trembling.

“Come on, Ty.” Mei urged. “Let’s dance.”

“I … er-”

“LET’S GO!” Mei tugged at him to follow but he resisted. 

I didn’t think they’d actually play 4*Town music here.

“Ty, what’s the matter?” Mei tilted her head.

Tyler bit his bottom lip. She then heard Ming’s recent words reverberate in his mind. “Just treat her to a good time, alright?”

“N-nothing.” Tyler snapped. “It’s … nothing.”

Mei narrowed her eyes at him. She knew something was up but not sure exactly what. She decided to drop it for now, though.

“Okay then …” She guided Tyler to the dance floor, which was currently all girls jiving out to “U Know What’s Up.”

Mei started dancing and Tyler tried his best to follow along, albeit lazily. None of his moves remotely matched the beat of the song but meanwhile Mei was energetically gyrating to it on point. Miriam and Abby joined the two, dancing in sync with Mei. As Tyler sweated bullets trying to keep up, he nervously looked around the gym and saw that his worst fear became a reality. Male students on the sideline were eyeing him, chuckling, and whispering to each other. He felt a lump in his throat emerge, which prompted him to stop. Mei noticed and stopped dancing herself.

“Ty, what’s going on?”

“I … I …” He muttered with difficulty. “I have to use the restroom!”

Before Mei could respond, Tyler scampered off the dance floor and pushed his way through the nearby double doors and into the school corridor.

“What’s up with him?” Miriam asked.

“I don’t know, Mir.” Mei replied just as she witnessed a snickering trio of boys follow Tyler through the same doors. “But that doesn’t look good.”

Mei dashed after them. 

In the boy’s restroom, Tyler washed his face at the sink and studied himself in the mirror. 

I was afraid this might happen. Now all the boys know I like 4*Town … but ... whatever. I’m sure it’s fine. They’ll forget about it over the summer, right? I hope so. Tyler inhaled deeply and exhaled, semi-restoring his confidence. Leaving Mei like that wasn’t cool. I better get back to her. I just hope she’s not mad. 

As Tyler headed toward the exit, the door swung open before he reached for the handle. In came three boys: a plump, dark-skinned one with curly hair, and two caucasians; one with blonde hair and the other had black locks. Tyler recognized them as students who regularly practiced basketball in the lunch yard. Miriam and Abby would ogle them all period. The three boys eyed Tyler like lions hunting a gazelle.

“So, you like 4*Town, eh?” The curly haired boy said, closing in on Tyler.

“W-well, I-” 

“You know that prissy boy band’s for girls, right?” The blonde boy interrupted.

Tyler remembered seeing plenty of boys cheering joyously in the crowd at the 4*Town concert. “N-not really.”

Curly cocked a brow. “If I’m not mistaken, you want to join the basketball team next semester, hmm?”

“I’ve been practicing on my own time, yeah, but liking 4*Town shouldn’t-”

“Uh, well, it does.” The black haired boy interjected.

“Yeah, only men can join the team.” Blondie stated.

“And as far as we’re concerned, you fanning over that fruity music and being friends with those weirdo girls.” Curly said. “You don’t have what it takes.”

Tyler’s face scrunched wrathfully and he clenched his fists. Denying him entry to the team over his private interests was one thing but insulting his friends was crossing the line by miles. “You leave my friends out of this!” He hissed. 

“Ooooooooooooooo!” The trio mocked in unison.

Curly approached Tyler. “Oh yeah? What’s a sissy like you gonna do about it?”

The boy aggressively shoved Tyler against the wall. His head banged against the air dryer and he slumped over weakly.

“What a wimp.” Blondie laughed. “I guess 4*Town does that to you.”

“How about we clear his head?” Curly grinned evilly. “Ready the toilet.”

Tyler gasped. WHAT?! 

The black haired boy opened the handicap toilet stall, which gave the trio more than enough room to perform a devastating swirly. Curly and Blondie both picked up Tyler by his arms. He tried to fight it but it was no use. Their strength and grip vastly outmatched his. 

“Please … no, NO!”

“Bottom’s up, loser.” Curly snickered as he and Blondie lifted him up legs first. Tyler gazed down in horror as the black haired boy started flushing the toilet and the other two descended Tyler’s face toward it. He shut his eyes tight, resigning to his foul fate.

“HEY!”

The bullies paused and turned their heads. They saw a large, mangy-looking red panda, breathing furiously and staring them down with a ruby red leer. Mei arrived in the nick of time. Tyler gaped in relief. 

“Put him down … NOW!” 

The black haired boy cowered. “It’s … it’s the panda girl!”

That didn’t phase Curly. “You're in the wrong restroom, freak!”

“Oh no, I believe I’m in the right one.” Mei replied. “I SAID PUT HIM DOWN!”

Blondie scoffed. “Or what!”

“Are you actually considering taking on a giant red panda spirit that my ancestors used during wartime?” Mei chortled.

“G-guys …” The black haired boy winced.

“You can’t touch us.” Curly argued. “Why are you defending this pansy anyway?”

“Because …” Mei unsheathed her claws. “I love him!”

Tyler beamed brightly at the panda. Growling ferociously, Mei inched closer toward the boys.

“Last warning. Put him down or all three of you are having a drink!” 

That was enough coercing for the black haired boy. He bolted out of the stall like there was no tomorrow. Blondie looked at Curly and decided to bail, too. He let go of Tyler and followed his friend’s suit, whimpering pathetically.

This just left Curly, who dropped Tyler and turned to face the beast before him. Curly formed a fist and threw it at the panda. It was no use. The punch bounced off the animal's flabby stomach, whipping Curly's arm backward and causing him to lose his balance and plop onto the floor. Mei seized him by the shirt with her mighty panda paw and raised him to her level.

"Stop. STOP!" He cried, flailing about. "I'm sorry. P-please don't hurt me. I'll do anything!"

Mei examined the terrified boy in her grasp. She frowned at the pitiful state of emotion he brought onto himself through his cruel actions. It reminded her of when she attacked Tyler at his party and reduced her former enemy to a tearful wreck. She felt bad then — regretted it 100% — but this time her actions were justified. These bullies were out of line and they needed a scare or else she would never see the end of it. Mei clenched her grip tighter on Curly and inhaled stoically.

“Don’t EVER … come near him and us 4*Townies again!” She growled, nose to nose. “You got that?”

Shuddering fearfully, Curly nodded. Satisfied with his response, Mei tossed him on his big butt.

“Now get lost!” Mei roared, pointing toward the exit. She watched defiantly as Curly scrambled out of the stall in a panic. POOF! The panda vanished. Mei hurried over to her boyfriend, who was sitting against the wall, rubbing the spot on his head he had banged earlier. She kneeled down in front of him. “Ty, are you hurt?”

“Nicked my head a little, but I’ll live.” Tyler said. "Thanks for saving me."

The girl exhaled and cracked a smile. "Sure thing."

“I’m sorry, Mei. This time … I messed up. I bailed on you.”

Mei's face dropped. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Shut up, you dork!”

Tyler looked at her, puzzled. Mei clutched the boy’s cheeks with both hands and pulled him in until their lips met. The pain in Tyler’s head immediately ceased. Lost in the sudden passionate kiss, Tyler slowly reached his hands up to touch Mei’s, savoring each second. After letting go, Mei attacked him with a hug, practically throwing all her weight onto him and knocking his wind out.

“You scared the panda out of me. I’m so glad you’re okay!”

With his best effort, Tyler wrapped one of his arms around her back. “Did you mean it?”

“Huh?”

“You … love me?”

Mei scoffed joyfully. “Of course, Ty. I love you ... I really do.”

Tyler simpered. “I just wanted to hear it again. I love you, too, Mei.”

They shared another kiss. It didn’t last long, though, as the couple realized they were right beside a toilet … in a disgusting school restroom. 

“Mmmm, not exactly the most romantic spot.” Tyler said.

“And sanitary.” Mei cringed. “Come on, Ty. The night’s still young. Let’s go dance.”

Mei and Tyler returned to the gym, where they were greeted by Miriam, Abby, Priya, and Monica. Miriam gasped a little upon seeing Tyler’s slightly ragged state. 

“Oh my gosh, what happened?”

Mei glared at the trio of bullies from afar, who eyed her timidly from the bleachers. “We had a run in with some jerkfaces … but we’re good now.”

“Mei saved my skin.” Tyler nudged his girlfriend. “And then she told me she loved me.”

Mei playfully returned the nudge. “Speaking of ‘love,’ what do we have here?” She saw that Priya was hand-in-hand with Monica.

“Our souls have intertwined.” Monica spoke flatly.

Mei, Miriam, Abby, and Tyler exchanged awkward glances. 

Priya caught her friend's confusion. “We’re dating now.”

The girls squealed loudly and engaged in a group hug. Monica’s droopy eyes suddenly bulged. She didn't know what to think. As did Tyler, who was forced into the embrace by Mei. 

"4*Townies in love! YEAH!" Abby chanted.

Carter Murphy-Mayhew decided it was time to give the upbeat music a rest and change the mood with something slow.

Oooooooooh …

Yeeeeeaaaah …

Yeeeeeaaaah  …

“1 True Love.” Tyler uttered just as Mei hooked her arm around Tyler’s. 

“It’s your song, Ty.” She winked at him.

His face warmed up. “Actually, it’s ours.” Tyler tilted his head toward the dance floor.

Mei smiled sweetly and nodded. The two found their place amongst the other pairings who were swaying gently to the low-key 4*Town song. Mei wrapped her arms around Tyler’s neck. Unsure of what to do, the boy mimicked her. 

“No, Ty.” Mei shook her head. “They go here.” Mei seized Tyler’s arms and slid them down to her waist, making the fire on his cheeks burn stronger. It felt so inappropriate touching her curves but upon looking at the surrounding dancers, Tyler noticed all the other boys were doing the same.

“O-oh.” 

Mei tittered at the boy's coyness before looping her arms around his neck again.

“And then what?” Tyler cocked a brow.

“We just … dance.” Mei explained. "Feel the rhythm. Move to it."

Mei began swaying smoothly and Tyler followed along but more stiffly.

Heavy rain from my cloudy eyes …

Every time you say …

That isn't why I used to call you, babe …

But you're the light of my life …

It was getting progressively more difficult to dance because Tyler was practically a statue. Any moment now they were gonna trip.

“Tyler.”

The boy jolted. Full name meant Mei was being serious. He gulped. “Y-yeah?”

“Just relax, dude. Breathe … zen ...” 

Tyler followed her instructions. In and out, he breathed. Relief struck as he felt his body loosen.

“Work with me, Ty. Step as I step.” Mei said. “Get those basketball legs working.”

'Cause you have opened my eyes and stolen my heart …

You make me believe that love can be hard. …

“I think I can do this.” Tyler grimaced.

Soon enough, Mei and Tyler were in sync and swaying gracefully together to the slow-paced song. It was like second nature.

“About time.” Mei blurted.

And I can never survive a minute apart …

“What a week, huh?” Tyler said.

Mei nodded. “For real. So much has happened ... so much has ... changed.”

“Yeah.” Tyler agreed. “This is the happiest I’ve felt in my whole life. I’d been searching for this feeling for so long and …" Tyler looked into Mei’s golden brown eyes. "It was in the very last place I expected." He then gulped, readying himself for words he never expected to say. Words he wanted to say earlier. Words to the girl he once hated but now loves. "You look ... beautiful, Mei."

There was a twinkle in Mei's irises. She giggled gingerly, touched by his sentiments, and a tiny snort escaped out of her.

"I mentioned I find that cute, right?" Tyler teased. "The snorting."

Mei rolled her eyes as her cheeks burned. "Shut up and kiss me, you dork." She said softly.

Miriam, Priya, and Abby looked on proudly as Mei and Tyler moved in for a tender, loving kiss, tightening their embrace. POOF! POOF! POOF! Ears and tail emerged yet again. Mei was so used to it that she hardly reacted. However, the same can't be said for the surrounding dancers.

You are my one true love, my one true love …

My heaven above, my one true love …

After pulling away, the two fondly pressed their foreheads together and shut their eyes, dancing into the night. 

A summer of love followed. Mei spent every waking moment with Tyler under the sun — when there wasn’t temple duty, of course. Pool parties, ice cream at the park, basketball practice, karaoke and arcade dates. Even the promised family dinners between the Lees and the Nguyen-Bakers took place every couple of weeks. Tyler’s parents were in awe over Jin’s masterful cooking (with Tyler gloating “I told you so.”) and they even introduced their hosts to some traditional Vietnamese recipes of their own. Mei and Tyler's relationship had obstacles. Mistakes were made. However, through sheer love, understanding, and endurance, a new era had dawned. Two families — once embittered by the actions of their children — brought together by the very same.

Nothing was going to break this.

THE END