The Boy And The Red Panda (Turning Red)

Breakthrough

After using my asthma inhaler, I saw Mei at the table with Uncle Jin and Aunt Ming. "What's going on?" I asked. "Mei Mei believes she's made a breakthrough with her panda." Aunt Ming replied. "I guess that's cool." I commented, joining my family at the kitchen table. "Ready." Mei said. Uncle Jin held up some pictures of different tragedies in order to see if she was truly ready. "Deforestation." Aunt Ming said. "Sad orangutan. Your second place spelling bee trophy." Though I could tell she was struggling, Mei took a deep breath and stayed calm. "What a shame." Mei sighed. I was honestly as shocked as my aunt and uncle were. I remember Mom and Dad taking me to Toronto. Mei wouldn't shut up about it for five days. "Stop it, Meilin, you're scaring me." I begged. Uncle Jin gets out of his chair for a minute. He came back carrying a cardboard box. Inside the box, Mei unveiled five baby kittens. Too stinking adorable! If I had the red panda powers, that would have triggered a transformation for me. Mei barely contained her panda. "So cute." Mei muttered. "No. So fuzzy. Must resist." As the little babies were climbing out of their box and onto Mei, she took another breath. "How adorable." Mei exhaled. "Mei!" Uncle Jin gasped. "How is this possible?" I wondered, grabbing one of the kitties to snuggle with. "How could you resist these fur babies?!" "What happened to your panda?" Aunt Ming asked. "It's easy. When I start to get emotional, all I do is imagine the people I love most in the whole world. Which is you guys." "I find that hard to believe." I mumbled. "Oh, Mei Mei." Aunt Ming hugs her daughter. "So, now that that's settled, I just have one teeny tiny favor to ask." Mei began.

"No! Absolutely not!" Aunt Ming replied after Mei gave a quick presentation on why she should go see 4-Town. "What?!" Mei gasped. "But this is once in a lifetime." "Mei Mei, it's one thing to stay calm at home or school, but a concert? You'll get whipped up into a frenzy and panda all over the place." Aunt Ming explained. "I won't! I won't! I promise!" Mei begged. "You saw me keep it in." "Ming, maybe we should trust her." Uncle Jin said, flipping through the pamphlet that she provided. "It's them I don't trust!" Aunt Ming retorted. "Look at those glittery delinquents with their... gyrations." "If Mei gets to go to a concert, can I go to a Toronto Maple Leafs game?" I wondered. "No, Edwin. Why on earth do you want to go so badly, Mei Mei?" Aunt Ming asked. "Like I said, I just want to broaden my musical horizons." Mei lied. "This isn't music. This is filth." Aunt Ming sighed. "And it's not worth jeopardizing your life over. Right, Jin? Edwin?" "Uh..." We both began. "See, your father and cousin agree. No concert. And that's final." Mei took a deep breath, trying hard to hide her anger. "Okay, well, thanks for listening. Goodnight." Mei said behind her fake smile. She grabbed some of her things, and for the first time in her life, Mei rolled her eyes at her mother. "I should probably hit the hay as well." I said, heading to my room. "Goodnight."

The next day, Mei and I were playing dodgeball during PE class. Mei told her friends about the failed presentation she gave us. "That presentation was bomb-dot-com." Mei grunted. "I cited all my sources. I had sparklers, and she still said no!" "Aunt Ming doesn't even care what I think." I added. "My parents said I could go when I'm 30." Priya groaned. "Mine called it stripper music." Abby complains. "What's wrong with that?" "Mine said yes, but I have to buy the ticket. Who the heck's got that kind of cash?" Miriam asked. "I know my mom's worried, but sometimes she's just so..." Mei explains. "Wacko?" Miriam interrupted. "Overprotective?" I wondered as Miriam and I pointed at Aunt Ming in her car. As she quickly drove away, a bunch of the boys in our class were laughing at Mei. "Haha! Little momma's girl." Tyler teased. "No wonder Mei's such a loser." "Cut the crap, Tyler!" I snapped. "You don't want to mess with my cousin." Mei was enraged as she chucked a dodgeball with the strength of her panda in Tyler's direction, accidentally shattering a classroom window. "Illegal throw!" Mr K blew his whistle. "You're out, Lee." Mei and her friends left the court to clear her head.