The Season was over. That happened. Every year the happened on Ember Island, the Season ended and all of the happy little vacationers went home. Everyone knew that. Everyone who came and went and everyone who stayed knew that the Season would always end. Min included.

But Min wasn't one of those vacationers; she always stayed behind on the Island after the Fire Nation's wealthy youth fled their vacation homes.

She walked now, a month or so into the off season, down the moonlit northern beach. She wasn't alone here. She wasn't the only kid left on the Island. Most of them were there on that beach; a ways down, silhouettes against their bonfire's light. They kept each other company when all the others were gone.

Nita saw her first. Nita could always find her even when all of the world was dark and asleep and the sand lent itself so well to the silence of her approach. Even with all those people around her. She came bounding down the shore line with all of her light.

Min smiled to her friend, waved to the others. She waited for Nita and greeted her cheerily when she bounced to a stop in front of her. "You'd think you hadn't seen me in months." She said.
Nita giggled and moved to link her arm with Min's. "I come bearing good news. Anzo told me that he heard from Ji that Zan said there's gonna be a show tonight." She told her excitedly.
Min smirked and teased. "Oh my, straight from the ostrich-horse's mouth this time, huh?" But secretly she worried.

Worry wasn't something that was common on Ember Island. That might've been one of the reasons Min never really fell in well with the other Island kids. Worrying was Min's specialty. But she didn't have time to be thinking about that now. She was busy walking and worrying because Nita never worried. Nita trusted everyone and everything because in her eyes all the world was light and good and kind. Nita wouldn't suspect anything but fun from a show put on by her friends – those friends she had no meticulous means of choosing. She didn't even know to suspect them. Anzo and Ji and even Zan. Little Zan, so much younger than they were.

Finally meeting the warmth of the fire, Nita picked up a blanket off of one of the old pieces of drift wood someone had moved to circle the blaze. She draped it over Min's shoulders gave her a smile and then threw that same look over her shoulder to Anzo. Min didn't really like that.

Most of the Island kids from nearby were there. Anzo and his usual pow-wow of the older or more elite kids. Ji's clique snarky highborn girls. They certainly weren't ladies. Not a one made it to the Academy, did they? And there was Tailu and Omi and the younger kids that followed them around like dogs begging for scraps. And Zeki. He was there, too.

After a couple of minutes of chatting together, Nita danced away to Tailu. Min was sure she was spreading the word about the surprise show. If any of the older kids would be out of the loop other than Min, it was sure to be Tailu and Omi. They kept to themselves and the water. Their minds were too busy with the next big wave to bother with silly teenage thrills.

Min found a seat a few feet out from the pow-wow's center and watched the fire dance. She wished she had a book. The light wasn't the best for reading, even as big as the fire was, but it would be better than being alone.

Anzo's laugh claimed the air, claimed all of everyone's attention. That was just how he laughed, but sometimes Min wondered if it wasn't on purpose. He was all lit up with the semi-eerie light like the Fire Lord, himself, in all of those plays they used to go to in school. He probably thought of himself just as highly. His handsome features. His height and build. His father's status.
Everyone else was supposed to just ignore the fact that he was a bastard son and had been sent away to the Island to be forgotten.

He eyed something across the pit and Min had to look too. It was Zan. And Zeki.

Zan was really the only one who was at all close to Zeki. He was new to Ember's shores, his father was some recently retired accountant to the palace. He was small and weak and pale and generally most other things that the Island kids weren't. But Zan had been outgoing enough to enterprise a friendship with him. He hadn't been able to suck up nearly enough to get in with Anzo where he had really wanted to be and he wasn't athletically driven enough to suit Tailu and Omi.

Maybe he saw some sort of potential with Zeki then.

But now pieces were starting to fall into place for Min. Now that it was too late to stop anything, she remembered how Nita thought for sure that Zeki had a crush on Omi.

He was hesitating out where the light of the fire started to dim, but Zan was by his side, encouraging his every move. Zeki puffed himself up in a funny little show of confidence and started toward the unsuspecting girl. The hush around the pit was considerable. He tapped her shoulder and she turned with that sort of immediately disgruntled look that Omi gave everyone when she didn't want to be interrupted.

Min expected some desperate and pitiful display, she thought Zeki would just start pouring his heart out right there, but he didn't. He stood with his mouth open just a bit and his eyes wide like a deer's. For just a second Min hoped he would back out and maybe even go home. He didn't, though. Of course, he didn't. if anything, Zeki had that going for him; he was likely the most persuasive person on the Island. So Zeki leaned in quick, grabbed Omi's shoulders and kissed her.

In two seconds flat she got behind him and shoved his face into the sand. The pow-wow all cheered. People always clap at the end of a good show. Min didn't think she could do anything to help. It was already over and done with…she clapped so it wouldn't happen to her.

Omi jumped up and started yelling; not at Zeki with his face still glued to the ground and his body crumpled up like the saddest little bug, she yelled right at Anzo. The fire pit and the rings of the pow-wow between them; that was probably all that kept her from lunging at him. Anzo looked angry at first, until one of Ji's girls made one of their mocking quips and then he laughed his booming laugh. Omi spun with her hands flying up and marched away. Se marched by Zan and just as she was about to pass him, shot a quick shock of flame his way. The boy jumped and everyone laughed.

A minute later Zeki got to his feet and ran the other way. Then Nita came and grabbed Min by the wrist to pull her along after him. He still had sand stuck to him and it must've been in his eyes because he was lying, tripped in the dirt when they found him. Nita took the blanket min had carried along with her and knelt beside him.

"I'm sorry, Zeki." She said in a hushed, soothing voice. She tried to wipe some of the sand away, but he swatted at her hand.
"Just go. Both of you." He barked.
Nita smiled and tried to wipe at his face again. He swatted her away. "I think you were really brave to do that back there. I couldn't. I mean, I've never really liked anyone that way, but I couldn't imagine doing something like that in front of so many people. Min can't and she does like someone!" She chimed
He looked up then but it was dark and Min couldn't see if he looked at her or Nita. Nita took the chance to wipe at his cheek. "Who do I like?" Min demanded in genuine confusion.
Nita laughed. "Anzo, of course."
Zeki looked down again then.

"I don't. He's crude." Min yipped defensively. She was tired of the dark. She waved a little fire up and held it out so everyone was lit up. Nita had most of the sand of Zeki's face now. He still had a few tears streaking there way down his cheeks. He looked so angry.
Nita hummed in her most soothing voice, "Don't let them get to you. Their trying to break you and make you something you're not. You're a good boy, Zeki. Don't bother with people like Anzo and Ji anymore okay?"
He made a sound that was almost a laugh and growled. "You guys do."

Min thought silently that he certainly had a point there; as sharp and harsh as it was.
But Nita had a response for that, too. "Yeah." She said. "We do. We aren't as good as you. We grew up here with them. We had to adapt to deal with them. Their tricks already worked on us and I don't want to see that happen to you."
He was watching her so intently now that Min wondered if he wouldn't try to kiss her the way he did Omi. But he wouldn't, didn't, he just nodded and said, "Zan, too."Min laughed. Nita and Zeki stared up at her with different expressions and she realized she'd have to say something. "We could've warned you there. Zan just wants to be Anzo."

A couple minutes of silence and Nita was all done cleaning the muck away from Zeki's face. He was pretty without it, almost like a girl. She offered to walk him home, but he refused. He told her he had snuck out and didn't need girls escorting him, anyways. She laughed and told him she'd just walk with Min then.

Min started back on her own, feeling a bit like a third wheel.

Nita said a final goodnight and started after her, but Zeki stopped her. He hadn't moved from where she left him and he stood stock still. His eyes were so round and ominous in the muted moonlight. "You…" he said just barely loud enough that she could hear if she listened hard. "Y-you should leave."

And then he left. He ran away down the dark shore. Nita smiled after him, tossed a look back to the blaze that marked her friends' cruelty and agreed. She didn't go back. She caught up with min and went home, thinking it would be good to get away from the pressure of all those expecting eyes for a while.