Turning Red: Changed

Chapter 12 - The Confrontation

So get your tickets now. And check it, they'll be cranking open the SkyDome and performing under a red lunar eclipse. It's gonna be galactic for sure...

Mei faced Abby fearfully. She was disbelieved. "Abby...You said the concert was on the 18th." Mei said.

Me, Mei and Priya faced her. Abby backs herself up. "It-it is! He's wrong!" She added, exclaiming. Abby shows us her 4-Town flyer. "Look! The 18th, Toronto!" She exclaimed.

Me, Mei and Priya checked out her flyer. We read May 18th. It's not taken place in Toronto? If May 25th is the Toronto's SkyDome for 4-Town, then where is 4-Town at on the May 18th? Mei and I are so bewildered. Priya found it. She was confused as well. "Uh...This says Toledo." Priya mentioned.

Abby rereads her flyer. She was triggered. "WHAT?!" Abby yelled.

If she look at the May 18th, there was a place called Toledo, OH.

Abby torn her flyer after she finds it. Abby was argumentative in Korean. "What the heck is Toledo?!" She cries out loud mystifyingly.

I have to rethink. If the 18th, Toledo, then the 25th, Toronto means...? I was solemn. "Oh no..." I said. Priya was shocked. "What?" She doesn't get it. I still can't believe it. "4-Town's the same night as the ritual?" I wondered myself. I heard Mei was freaking out. "No!" She screamed. Poof! Mei became the scared red panda. "The same night? The same night? What?" She freaked. I think Mei was terrified of what we heard. She's troubled. I have to calm her down. "Mei, chill!" I exclaimed. Priya walks near Red Panda Mei. "It's okay." She reassured. Mei gave us her angry face. "No, it isn't!" She exclaims. Me, Abby and Priya stepped backwards away from her. Red Panda Mei keeps pacing around in her panic. "I can't miss 4-Town! We worked so hard! But the ritual! I'll let everyone down!" She added. Mei was losing herself. "No, no, no!" She exclaimed. Red Panda Mei halts worrying. Someone calls on our friend. It was the birthday boy. "Hey, panda girl!" Tyler called. The four of us turned to faced him. He just shrugs. "What are you doing?" Tyler added, asking. "We want more rides." He persisted.

Oh not now. Not when she was mad about our new problem. Red Panda Mei IS mad. "Buzz off, jerk-face. I'm busy." She grumbles. Oh my gosh. Maybe I have better get her out before it gets worse.

The birthday boy was not amused. "You want your money. Then, get your butt down here now." Tyler demands. Oh you butthead. I have really got to get Mei out. She was so intense. "Forget your money! And forget you!" Mei shouts. I pushed her to leave his house. Abby and Priya helped me. I encountered her. "Mei, let's just go!" I exclaimed. She growled at him. Mei was too angry. Me, Abby and Priya continues moving her away from him.

He was confused. "What about our deal?" Tyler asks.

Mei does looked angry. "Shove your deal!" She shouted.

He gets triggered again. "Fine! Get out of here!" Tyler added, shouting. I think he should have taken back about poor Mei. "Go back to your psycho mom! And your creepy temple, you freak!" Tyler shouted.

Oh no. He should not have said that. She pursues after Tyler. Me, Abby and Priya efforts to stop her again. Then we failed. Red Panda Mei growled and pounced on the birthday boy. He was horrified. She was scaring Tyler. I was so much worried. "Mei!" I hollered at her. Then, someone arrived to the terrifying scene. It was Mrs. Lee. "Mei-Mei, stop!" She exclaims at her. Red Panda Mei encounters her mom. "What is going on here?" Mrs. Lee wonders scarcely. Red Panda Mei snaps out of her anger. She looks at the birthday boy. He was afraid. "I'm sorry." Tyler added. He was crying. "Get off of me, please." Tyler pleaded. The kids have witnessed it. They are afraid of Mei. This can't be good.

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"All right. Party's over. Everyone, go home." Mr. Nguyen-Baker told everyone. He heads in his house with Mrs. Nguyen-Baker and Tyler.

All the kids left.

Mrs. Lee was stepping forth to us. She passes by Mei.

Mrs. Lee was firm at me, Abby and Priya. "I can't believe you girls would use her like this." She accused. I was shocked. Priya and Abby are on the same reaction. I don't understand. "What?" I said. Priya was concerned. "No, we didn't." Abby shook her head. "We've never." She protested.

Mei was befuddled. "What?" She said. Mrs. Lee stops Mei. She was not finished with us. "I knew you were trouble. Putting all these thoughts into Mei-Mei's head. Parading her around. Now she's lying, sneaking out. She attacked a defenseless boy." Mrs Lee added. She was so concerned. "You think this is a joke? Do you know how dangerous this is?" Mrs. Lee asked us. She wants answers.

I stepped forth. I was sad yet trying to be brave. "We didn't mean to. We just wanted to see 4-Town." I replied.

Mrs. Lee perturbed. "4-Town!" She added, getting mad at me. "You manipulated her for a bunch of tacky delinquents?" Mrs. Lee wonders.

I have to object. I was trying to be truthful. "No! Mei wanted to-" I was cut off from Mrs. Lee.

She wasn't happy with me. "Don't you blame her!" Mrs. Lee added, exclaiming at me. She was holding Mei in her arms. "She's a good girl. How dare you take advantage of her." Mrs. Lee accuses.

This is not true! What was up with her? I faced Mei. I really need to hear from her. Mrs. Lee IS crazy. "Mei! Tell her!" I pleaded.

Mrs. Lee glances down at Mei. She looks at me. Then, Mei stares at her mom. She stared at me again. Mei was solemn. She looked away from me.

What the heck? Is Mei believing what her mom told us? I don't really know what happened here. I was stunned. Priya don't like what we saw. "What?" She inquired confusingly. Abby frowns. "Dude!" She exclaims.

Mrs. Lee was done arguing at us. She was ready to leave. "Come on, Mei-Mei." Mrs. Lee added. She offers her hand out to her. "Let's go." Mrs. Lee insisted.

Mei accepts her mom's hand.

They went in the car. Mrs. Lee drove away from us.

I walked a little. I observed them leaving. And then, I recognized the pink tamagotchi on the ground. It was Mei's. I picked it up. I glanced at the car again. It was now far away in a distance.

Abby encountered Priya. She was bewildered. "Hey, Priya." Abby added. "Who's holding the cash stash for the 4-Town concert?" She asked.

Priya sighed. She was sad. "Mei has it." Priya answered.

I have just realized about Mei. If Mrs. Lee knows that Mei was sneaking out, she must have found her things. I was much melancholy. "Then...This means we can't go to the SkyDome for 4-Town..." I uttered.