Turning Red

Chapter 2: A Day in the Life of Mei

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As soon as Mei got to his stop he jumped off the bus and started running.

"Crud, crud, crud!" He whispered under his breath.

"Okay. I know what it looks like."

Mei jumped and dodged over people and objects.

"I am my own person. But that doesn't mean doing whatever I want."

"Hello, Mei-Shan."

"Hey, how's it going?"

"Like most adults, I have responsibilities."

Mei crossed the street to a temple and greeted two stone pandas by the entrance.

"Hey, Bart. Hey, Lisa."

He ran inside and passed two old people playing chess.

"Hello, Mei-Shan."

"Sup'. Still down for a rematch, Mr. Gao?" He asked the old man.

"Being it Lee!" He responded as Mei left.

"What a good boy." He commented to his chess partner.

Mei put his stuff by the counter and put on a name tag.

"It's not all about me, you know?"

He ran back out into the courtyard and into another part of the temple.

"I do make my own moves, it's just that..."

He let out a deep sigh and put his hands together respectfully.

"Some of my moves, are also hers."

A woman was kneeling on a pillow in front of an alter, with a portrait of a woman with red pandas on it. She stood up and turned around noticing her son standing behind her.

"Mei-Mei, there you are." She rushed over to him.

"Hey, mom."

She cupped his cheeks in her hands. "You're ten minutes late. What happened? Are you hurt? Are you hungry?" She held up a plate of dumplings.

"Um..." Mei was cut of by his mother shoving one into his mouth.

"How was school today?" She asked.

"Killed it per usual. Check it out." He held up three papers with perfect scores on them.

"Oh. That's my little scholar." She praised. "Today, honor student, tomorrow, UN Secretary General. The ancestors would be so proud."

The two then knelt in front of the alter, and Ming lit some incense and they began praying.

"Sun Yee, revered ancestor, guardian of the Red Pandas. We humbly thank you for protecting and guiding us. Especially Mei-Mei."

Mei smiled and continued. "May we continue to serve and honor you and this community."

"Always." They finished together, and bowed to the ancestor.

And please let (Y/n) go on a date with me. Mei added as a quick afterthought.

...

Mei and Ming stepped outside and they both took a deep breath.

"You ready?" She asked.