this is what makes us girls
Much to Mai’s satisfaction, the following weeks go by without any sort of pestering from Zuko. He continues to attend classes daily, although they sit in silence for the duration of them all. She would catch his stolen stares now and then but refuses to acknowledge him, even if just to let him know how much he irritated her. Suki and Ty Lee continue to sit with her during lunch. Although to her chagrin, Zuko has abandoned his lunchtime rendezvous with Sokka and Jet and instead started to take his place among the girls some days, often engaging in Suki and Ty Lee’s conversations. Occasionally Azula joins the group, and today was one of those occasions.
Mai notices how she never touches her food, more than once wanting to ask, but she always thinks the better of it.
“Is that true, Mai?” Suki’s voice brings her out of her thoughts.
“What is?” she asks, uncomfortable with how the group turns their attention to her. Especially Zuko, who is staring unabashedly.
“Ty Lee says you have a part-time job at your aunt’s flower shop.” Suki smiles. “That sounds nice.”
“I just help out sometimes. It’s not an official thing.”
“How romantic,” Azula says mockingly. “Can you imagine? Sweet florist Mai in a quaint little flower shop… oh my, Zuzu, are you blushing? Is my dear little brother finally growing up?” She smiles in triumph as two pairs of eyes glared at her. “Gosh, you two are so easy to mess with.”
“I’m older than you!”
In an effort to stop another argument ensuing, Suki brings up the preparations for the upcoming sports festival.
From then on, Mai makes it a point to always keep herself busy with her studies to stay out of their conversations for the rest of all their lunch sessions.
One particular day after classes had ended, Mai makes her way to the lockers from the restroom, coming upon Ty Lee as she changes out of her school shoes.
“Hi, Mai!”
“Hey.”
“You know, Zuko’s offer still stands,” she says. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but he asked me to mention it. Sure you don’t wanna take him up on that? He seems like he genuinely likes you.”
Mai sighs wearily.
“Aw, give him a chance,” Ty Lee says with a pout. “I think you two would make such a cute couple!”
“Please,” Mai says tartly, setting her bag down to retrieve her shoes. “I know for a fact that this is all a game to him and his stupid friends. I’m not letting myself become some thing he can occupy himself with then throw away once the thrill dies.”
“Huh.” Ty Lee utters. “Do you like him?”
“That would be ridiculous.” Mai straightens up, finding Azula standing by the doors with a wicked smile on her red lips, like a cat discovering a bowl of cream. Her hair was out of its usual bun, falling around her shoulders in black layers, looking frizzier than normal.
“Wow, Mai. I think that was the most I’ve ever heard you speak at one time.”
“Ha-ha,” she replies dryly. “What happened, you lose your hair tie or something?”
“Funny,” Azula says sarcastically. “Ty Lee and I are going shopping in the city. Why don’t you join us?”
“I have cram school,” Mai declines.
“That’s too bad. I think I’m starting to, dare I say, enjoy your company.” Azula sighs dramatically. “Well, we’re off. Come on, Ty, the car is waiting.”
With a roll of her eyes, Mai waves the two goodbye as they set off. She changes into her shoes and picks up her bag, heading out past the gates and onto the street, en route to the train station. Upon arriving, she spots an unusual sight.
She watches Zuko insert a card into a cigarette vending machine, finding her feet leading her towards him.
“How’d you get that?” she also finds herself asking, despite her best efforts.
He starts, looking around in a panic before his eyes land on her. “Oh, it’s you.” He retrieves the pack that falls from the machine. “Fake ID.”
“And how did you get that?”
“Why, you need one?” he teases, chuckling lightly at the resulting affronted expression on her face. “How nice that you’re finally showing some interest in me.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Mai scoffs. “That’s not the case. What are you doing here, anyway?”
“See?”
“Shut up! Fine, I don’t care,” she huffs, turning away to stand near the platform, partly to gain some distance from him and partly to hide the rush of blood heating up her cheeks.
“My car’s at the shop,” Zuko says as he trails behind her, pocketing the small box. “Service and all that stuff.”
“Why not go with your sister? Looks like she has a chauffeur always driving her around.”
“We don’t live together,” he replies bluntly. “She lives with Father, and I live with my uncle.”
Mai succeeds in holding her tongue this time, sensing that once she asks that question, more would only follow. She glances his way, observing once again that he was staring.
“What?”
He shakes his head, a small smile on his face. “You know, if you just ask, I’d tell you everything about me. Here—”
“Not interested,” she cuts him off, chin held high standoffishly. Watching her train approach, she makes a move to step towards the edge of the platform when a hand suddenly encloses her wrist. “What are you doing?”
“The sports festival is coming up,” Zuko says, eyes searching hers.
“What?” Mai tugs against his iron grip unsuccessfully. The train is steadily getting closer. “Zuko, I can’t be late, don’t mess around!”
“Let’s play a game,” he continues. “Whoever gets the most points at the events gets whatever they want. You win, I’ll leave you alone. I win, you go out with me.”
“Don’t be absurd!”
The train comes to a stop. The doors open and people trickle out onto the platform, the new passengers starting to board after their exit.
“So?” Zuko prompts, his face a calm mask.
“Fine!” she snaps.
He tilts his head dubiously. “You swear?”
“Yes, I swear!”
He lets her go with a broad smile on his face. Mai rushes into the car and barely makes it before the doors slide shut. She turns to flash him a disgruntled look through the glass as the train gains speed, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at him. He waves cheerfully.
The following school day, Zuko sits in content silence throughout classes while Mai simmers. It’s only during lunchtime that he initiates a talk with her.
“We have a deal, right?” he asks, barely holding back his smile. “You won’t back out?”
“I promised, didn’t I?” Mai replies coolly. In her head, though, she’s picturing herself slapping him across the face with the force of a hundred horses stampeding. The thought makes the corners of her lips turn up amusedly.
He grins, none the wiser. “How noble of you.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“I see you two are on speaking terms again,” Ty Lee beams, startling the pair out of their bubble.
“For now,” Mai says impassively. Still wearing a satisfied smile, Zuko leaves to join his friends.
“Where’s Suki? She isn’t joining us?” Ty Lee asks, eyes scanning the classroom. “Ahh, I need to go to the bathroom…”
“She’s pretty busy helping out with preparation for the sports festival,” Mai says.
“I see! Oh. Ooh, I’ll be right back—” Ty Lee sets her lunch down on the desk and excuses herself to go to the bathroom.
“That girl has the bladder of a baby squirrel,” Mai mutters.
She looks back at Azula, who is currently eyeing her, poker-faced. Despite the thick layer of makeup, Mai notices her cheeks looking noticeably more gaunt, her hair still loose on her shoulders and lacking its usual shine. A bracelet hung loosely on her delicate wrist—so thin that Mai thinks she could snap it clean in half with enough pressure.
“I have a question I’ve been dying to ask since I met you.” Azula declares, her bony elbow resting on the table, chin in the palm of her hand. “Why do you wear such long skirts? I mean, seriously—below the knee? Is your father, like, super conservative?”
“I like them,” comes her simple answer. “Do I get to ask you a question now, too?”
Azula’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “Depends on what it is.”
“Okay, why don’t you ever touch your lunches?” Mai asks uneasily. “I see how you basically let Ty Lee eat the whole thing.”
“I’m in an agreement to eat one bowl of rice a day,” Azula says after a pregnant pause. “That’s all I’m saying.”
“Agreement?”
“Yes, Mai.” Azula rolls her eyes. “And I said that’s all I’m saying. I swear, some days you’re either deaf or mute. Pick a struggle, will you?”
Strange, Mai muses, ignoring her sour comment. What kind of rich Daddy’s girl is made to swear to only eat one bowl of rice a day?
Then it hits her. It was Azula’s terms—not something enforced on her.
“I can tell you’re lying, by the way,” Azula says, an eyebrow quirked challengingly. “You still owe me an answer.”
To Mai’s relief, their third member chooses that moment to reappear.
“I’m back,” Ty Lee announces brightly, taking a seat.
“Raincheck?” Mai asks with a terse smile directed at Azula.
Ty Lee looks between the two innocently. “Whatcha guys talking about?”
“Nothing,” Azula says with an air of nonchalance. “Just trying to find out what’s under Mai’s skirt.”
“Shut up, Azula.”
“How scandalous!”
Mai couldn’t help but be pleased when the next day, Azula shows up to lunch with her rice-only bento, keeping eye contact with her as she picked up her chopsticks.
It wasn’t long a before the month passes by, with Sports Day creeping up on her, but Mai was ready.
Dressed in a comfortable shirt and her most lightweight track pants, she feels optimistic; she had to admit she’s a little enlivened by the prospect of besting Zuko and finally getting him to leave her alone.
With him nowhere to be found at the start of the events, she easily wins the respective 100, 200, and 400-meter dashes, to the crowd and the commentator’s amazement. She forms a group with Ty Lee, Suki, and a few of the latter’s friends. They win the relay race; Suki’s team defending their champion title for three years in a row. Mai pays no mind to the prizes, motivated by the points she was accumulating.
But when Ty Lee notices her fading stamina, she firmly insisted on Mai taking a break during the Cavalry Battle, much to her displeasure—Zuko had chosen that time to show up with Sokka and win the event. He wins the 1500-meter run, too. Considering the substantial amount of points for both sports, he was no doubt catching up to her.
Then it was time for the final and biggest event of the festival: an obstacle course around the school. A sizeable crowd gathers, hers and Zuko’s names being thrown about as they speculated about the possibility of some kind of rivalry between the two. Still feeling worn out from the previous events, Mai dreads the likelihood of him winning their little secret match.
A bigger concern introduces itself to her, though, when the commentator announces that the winner of the obstacle course will be presented with “a special prize”, which was the right to receive a kiss from a poll-nominated girl—one whom the boys most desired to get kissed by. To no one’s surprise, it was Ty Lee.
“Mai!” she wails, clinging to the older girl’s waist. “This is too much!”
“Hold on,” Suki addresses the commentator. “She didn’t agree to this. This wasn’t brought up in any of the meetings! You need to retract—”
“Give it up, ladies!” a group of boys heckle the trio, making googly eyes and kissy faces at Ty Lee. “One of us is definitely getting that kiss!”
“Don’t worry, we won’t let that happen,” Suki reassures the girl with a smile. “Right, Mai?”
Mai nods firmly, holding Ty Lee by the shoulders at arm’s length. “If any guy tries to come at you… I’ll deal with him.”
A handful of the boys shrink back at the threat, withdrawing from the race.
“Azula, are you in?” Suki asks the younger girl standing by the commentator’s tent, sipping from a bottle of water. “With all of us competing, there’s less of a chance these pigs will get to torment Ty Lee.”
“Eh, why not,” Azula shrugs. “I can easily obliterate these idiots. You, too, for that matter.”
“Um…” Suki’s determined smile wavers. “Yeah, okay, that’s the spirit!”
Ty Lee is swept into a makeshift throne (a decorated arm chair from the teachers’ lounge) as everyone gets in position at the track field for the race.
The starting pistol is fired, and the three take the lead, coming up to the first obstacle: a vertical wall. Suki shares her trick for expertly climbing the slope, and upon successfully clearing the wall, they reach the tightrope course. Azula takes the first move, deftly swinging from the rope as if it were mere monkey bars at a kindergarten playground.
“Come on,” she urges the two as she reaches the halfway point. “It’ll hold.”
They follow, mimicking her technique, and the commentator notes the dwindling number of competitors. One of the desperate boys behind them from the earlier group latches onto Suki’s ankle, dragging her down with him as he fell.
“Out!”
He trembles at his feet, regretting his decision when Suki’s fiery gaze finds him.
“You filthy cheat!”
Azula and Mai drop down from the tightrope.
“You okay?” Mai asks, noticing the slightest sway in Azula’s steps as they dashed towards the final obstacle.
“Worry about yourself,” she pants, managing a grin.
“It looks like everyone is reaching the pool trap! Anyone who falls into the water is out!” the commentator announces. When they reach the pool, Mai turns back to see Azula bent over, hands on her knees. One of the guys rushes her from behind, tackling her into the pool. “We just lost another contender! The race is getting tighter and tighter!”
“Mai!” Azula snaps breathlessly as soon as she resurfaces, swimming out to the edge of the pool to hoist herself out.
Right. This is easy. Mai shakes her head to focus, quickly leaping onto the first board floating on the water, and the next, and the next—
Suddenly she’s jostled from the side, one of the competitors laughing gleefully as he skips ahead.
No!
As she braces herself for impact, a hand catches her by the waist and steadies her. She looks up in surprise. “Zuko?”
“Careful,” he calls smugly as he leaves her in his wake, “it’s slippery.”
Regaining her balance, she furiously barrels past the obstacle, determined to catch up on the boys’ trail.
“Almost to the finish line! Our competitors are clearing the tennis court, coming up to the final lap across the track field! It looks like it’s neck and neck between the guys, and—whoa! This is a surprise!”
Mai drowns out the commentator’s voice, focusing on using the tennis balls in her hands as projectiles. She targets the other challenger, effectively slowing him down and allowing Zuko to reluctantly gain an advantage. Running out of ammunition, she locks eyes with him. “Just go!”
Cheers erupt across the field as Zuko overtakes his competition with a sudden leap, breaking through the finish line.
Jogging past the distraught boy, she crosses the line second.
Mai’s shoulders sag in relief as she watches the group; Ty Lee happily drying a sniffling, towel-wrapped Azula’s hair while Suki holds a change of clothes for her.
“Mai!” Ty Lee cries out in joy when they spot her walking towards them. “You guys are my saviors!”
“Good job, us!” Suki cheers, pulling the girls into the group hug. “Mai, Azula, you were really impressive back there!”
Mai chuckles. “You too, but you already knew that.”
“Damn right!” Suki laughs. “But I never knew you were that fit!”
“Neither did I, to be honest.”
“We make a pretty good team, huh?” Zuko smirks, offering her his bottle of water. Mai obliges him, mumbling her thanks. He casts a teasing look at her. “Looks like I won, though.”
“Ugh, okay, I’m done with this. Let me go,” Azula groans, wriggling out of the circle and stalking off to change into dry clothes.
“Zuko! Congratulations!”
He’s awarded the slip of paper officially citing his “right” to a kiss from the nominated girl. Ty Lee watches him in nervous anticipation.
“Uh…” he scratches his head.
“What’s the matter?” the commentator asks.
Zuko turns his gaze to Mai. “Can I get a kiss from her instead?”
Her eyes widen in shock while her friends break into a fit of laughter, Suki from the hilarity of his request and Ty Lee from relief. “No!”
“Then I have no use for it,” he says, handing it to her with a wink before leisurely walking away.
A photographer from the yearbook committee snaps a commemorative shot of Ty Lee with her arms wrapped around a flushed Mai, kissing her cheek, Suki caught mid-laugh beside them in the frame.