Chapter 2
a/n: this chapter is pretty short, I know. Honestly I'm not sure if I'm gonna continue this story but here you go anyway, I'll at least get a couple chapters in.
***
Azula:
I have never been to a college party, although I have heard many stories. I know all about the red solo cups and the spiked punch and the girls in short tops and the boys and their strange dances.
This girl, Ty Lee, however, seems incredibly knowledgeable of these social events, so I have elected to stick close to her, in hopes of learning some things.
The minute we arrive, (much later than I would've wanted, I'd prefer us punctual), I realize I have made a perfect choice because there are immediately 5-6 boys on her not too different from flies on honey. The poor girl seems overwhelmed.
"Hi Ty Lee!" A boney looking boy with a pack of cigarettes approaches her first, handing her a drink. Mai, who seems to be here solely on principle to Ty Lee, comes up to me.
"I call him Ciggy Bones. He's a regular to harass her, with Strong and Stupid," she points to a boy closely following Ciggy Bones, who's twice Ty Lee's height and a general look of stupidity in his face, "Candy Wrapper," a skinny black guy who tries to shove his headphones on her head, "Shrimp," a tall Asian boy who keeps thrusting his hips up as he tries to talk to Ty Lee, "and Maybe."
"Maybe?" I look at the boy she addressed, who is actually the most attractive one of the bunch besides his stupid, flashy hair.
"He maybe has a chance." Without saying anything else, she downs the last bit of her drink- how'd she get that already?- and stomps away.
"Which one of us do you like better?" Ciggy asks her, getting all in her face.
"I like you all!" She answers, her voice barely heard over the pumping music and talk of the crowds. "Ok?"
"But which one better," Maybe asks, leaning on her shoulder suggestively. Just as I am about to step in and deliver a few withering words, she somehow weaves her way out of them seamlessly, standing next to me before they even notice and dragging me away.
"They seem to like you," I observe dryly, and she just gives a small smile. "Boys have never liked me... like that." I could tell her that instead, men fear me, but I don't.
"Why not?" She asks, looking genuinely stunned. "Azula, you seem like the most perfect, smartest, prettiest most wonderful girl in the world!"
"Well, I know that," I answer dryly. "But guys just don't see that. You do know those boys don't actually like you? You're just a tease. You make it too easy for them." With that, her eyes start welling up with tears, and I'm filled with an unusual feeling. Guilt. "Wait, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," I apologize, grabbing her arm. She smiles brightly, and wraps me up in a giant hug.
"It's ok!" I don't flinch away- I'm still in shock from the fact I apologized. I don't think I've ever apologized for anything, to anyone, in my entire life.
"Say, I have an idea!" If I'm here, I might as well learn some things along the way. "What if you showed me how you do it?"
"Ok, sure," she chirps eagerly. "Basically, to get a boy to like you, you just have to laugh whenever he says something, even if it's not funny."
"Well, that sounds really shallow and stupid," I scoff, brushing her off, but then remember her crying and stop. "Let's try it.
"Ok, I'll be the boy!" She chirps. "Um, hey there, sweetcakes," she says, her voice going all fake deep. She leans against the beam I'm standing against, her face quit close to mine. "Looking good." Laugh. Remember what she said.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA," I laugh, my voice cracking from the strange feeling of having her so close to me. The party almost stops completely- how cliche- as everyone looks at me. This is horrible. I can only assume this has brought my social status immediately down. I turn to Ty Lee, grief on my face, only to see her laughing.
"That was great, Azula, but maybe try again." For some reason, instead of snapping at her, I smile too, even though the whole thing was her fault.
"I appreciate your insight," I tell her, and the beam she gives me is worth it.
***
Ty Lee:
Azula's a disaster at this, but it's kind of endearing. I tell her to lighten up, and even though she narrows her eyes as if she's going to snap at me, she doesn't. Instead, when Chan, the guy who runs this party, walks by, she demands him give her a tour of the house. Jeez. I guess parties and people really aren't her thing. Just as they leave, I see the boy Mai calls Candy Wrapper start to approach me, so I have no choice but to follow Azula and Chan out to the balcony. Thankfully, it's dark, and they can't see me lingering a couple feet apart. They're flirting, and it actually goes well, until... it doesn't...
"Say, together we could be the most powerful couple at this whole college! We will dominate social events!"
"Um, ok..." I hear Chan say, and I feel him move away, brushing past me and into the house. Poor Azula thinks he's still there, and I can see her vague outline lean in to nobody for... oh spirits! She thinks she's about to kiss Chan. She might be devastated if he's not there. I quickly dart in, and she kisses me instead. It's quick, and soft.
"Chan?" She mutters, and I feel bad, ignoring the blush spreading across my face.
"It's me, Azula," I admit.
"I don't understand why you would do that," she says, her voice cold and normal.
"Me neither."
I don't know very many things. I don't know who I am. I don't know what I want to be. I don't know who I like. I don't know how I feel about people. I do know, though, that if Azula is ethereal, I would be willing to worship her.
***
Azula:
I back away from Ty Lee. I back into the party, through the crowds, through the people. They part for me, scared of me. I don't want them to be scared of me. I want her to be scared of me. I want her to cower before me, be scared to touch me, be scared to cross me. She should've been scared to touch me. She shouldn't have leaned forward to kiss me.
One thing is for certain, however, as I stalk out of the party and into the hallway, stopping before I leave. I didn't learn anything about college students, except for the fact that they are confusing and cruel and easy to manipulate. I did learn something about Ty Lee. She's important to me. I apologized to her, for spirits' sake. There's nobody I care about in this entire world, and yet, she's so different from the rest that I am intrigued by her. I just don't know how that stupid girl matters to me, yet.
I'll figure it out, though.
I'm Azula, and if there's one girl who doesn't either cower before me or spit at me, I need to know why.
I can tell myself that's the reason I walk back into that party. Because one way or another, I've realized that Ty Lee might be the first person ever who is somehow important to me.