Turning Red: Changed

Chapter 4 - We Gotta Talk/In Math Class

It was another day in Pearson Middle School. I waited near the bulletin board in the hallway. I paced around a little bit. Then, I recognized Abby and Priya coming to me. They seemed delighted to see me.

I waved at them. I was so glad to see them. "Hey, Priya. Hey, Abby." I greeted. They have been waving back at me. Priya nodded her head at me. "Sup?" She wonders. Abby became puzzled. "Still worried about Mei, girl?" She asked. I sighed. I effort to reply for them. I was calmed yet anxious. I glanced at Priya. "You knew about the Daisy Mart last night?" I inquired. Priya nodded her head at me thrice. "Yes." She added. Priya became serious. "The words are being spread in school by Tyler. He won't stop talking about it." She confirmed. Oh no. I was not happy for this. Dumb Tyler. He's so immature right now. I faced Abby. "Hey, girl?" I wondered. Abby glimpsed at me. She appears confused. "Yeah, Mir?" Abby wondered. I considered her rant in her odd language. "What were you venting at kids yesterday that isn't English saying?" I asked. Abby seems to get my question. She appeared confident. "It's Korean. It runs in my family." Abby replied. KOREAN. Okay. I'm not going to get what she's saying in her anger. I just shrugged and nodded my head a few times. I have to say something important to them. I was resolute. "Yesterday, Mei didn't like Devon." I added. I became solemn. "And now, she draws her crazy fantasies about him?" I inquired. Abby nodded her head a couple times in certainty. She frowns. "I don't know." Abby added. "My dad mentions to me about Mei's mom from the China Temple. He was there before he visited the Daisy Mart on that night." She mentioned. I exhaled. This is serious. Priya tapped my left shoulder. I glanced at her.

"Mei's coming in our way." Priya warned. I noticed her too. I was surprised. I looked at them in their eyes. "Okay, pretend we're checking announcements for our day here. We can't let her know we're onto her." I whispered to them. Abby and Priya agrees with me. The three of us examines at the bulletin board. Abby prodded my right waist twice. She seems intense. "She's coming close, Miriam." Abby whispers to me. Oh I hoped our friend's all right. We all positioned ourselves to meet her. We gave her bright smiles. I waved. "Hey, Mei!" I exclaimed in a friendly matter. She appears to be off anyhow.

"Hey...Girlfriends...What...is...up..." Mei said. She acts so unusual today. And when does Mei starts wearing a red pom beanie hat? The three of us went following her. She wasn't herself today. I have to wonder. "Girl." I added. "What's with the toque?" I asked Mei. She uplifts her arms to hold her hat. Mei is really not herself. "Uh...Bad...hair...day..." she replies. Abby made a small smell noise at Mei. She seems disgusted over her underarms. "Did you workout this morning?" Abby wonders. Priya pulls out a deodorant for Mei. "I got you, girl." She said. Mei took it from Priya. I was so concerned for her. She was afraid of something. "Mei, we gotta talk." I told her. She uses Priya's deodorant on her both underarms. "Okay..." Mei utters. I faced her. "Tyler's been telling everyone about the Daisy Mart." I mentioned. Is she putting Priya's deodorant all over her face? Oh poor Mei. She looks afraid.

"What?" Mei said shockingly. Abby was unamused. "He said your mom went nuts." She stated. Priya comments on Tyler's remark. "And that you're kind of a perv." She mentions. Seriously Abby and Priya. I realized Mei almost got mad. "I am not a..." she halts herself for a moment. Then, Mei tries to remain calm again. She is so not like her at all. "Tyler is an insecure jerkwad. Words were exchanged. Slightly uncomfortable secrets were revealed." Mei added. She gives Priya's deodorant back to the owner. Priya puts it away. There was a boy passing us by unknowingly. "End of stooooorrrrry." Mei said. She became astonished at him. Me, Abby and Priya glimpsed at what Mei witnessed. He was flapping his black bobbed hair. His locks went on his face. I stared at Mei. It looks like she has a crush on him. I waved my hand hastily at her face. "Uh, Mei?" I added, wondering. She snapped out of her daydream. It's what I thought Mei was having. I raised my eyebrow at her. "Why are you staring at Carter Murphy-Mayhew?" I asked. She became awkward. Her smile did not help. "I wasn't." Mei replied. She surveys around the hallway. I wanted to help Mei. She was not really, really herself. Mei realized something shocking on the wall. She was unhappy with the drawing. "No!" Mei screamed. She pursued to the picture. I witnessed what it is. It looks like Mei and a boy riding on a unicorn. The unicorn was jumping over a night sky. O-M-G. It was Devon. She has a crush on him. However her secret got exposed. I felt bad for Mei. It's all Mei and Devon. Mei and Devon in art writing. She ripped the poster off of the wall. Mei crinkles it roughly. She was gasping. I knew who the culprit is. I was astonished for that. I was so stern of that jerk. "Tyler's been putting things up!" I added, exclaiming. Man, I was so mad at him. I detected Tyler being immature again near the class door. "Agh! Knock it off, butthead!" I yelled at him. Oh come on! He didn't stop laughing so hard. Abby doesn't find this hilarious. "Not funny, Tyler!" She yells at him. "Devon! My precious manly man!" He teased. Ugh! Is Tyler seriously hugging and kissing himself? Ugh, he's such a real dumb-clown. Priya posed herself a fighting monster pose. "I banish you." She said to him. "Literally go away!" I ranted at him. Abby argued at Tyler in Korean language.