Chapter Sixteen: The Prom Part I
Mai sighs after the morning assembly. She walks down the hallowed halls of Diamonte Academy beside Azula on their way to the sophomore lockers.
"Our school claps too often," complains Mai, tugging at her cardigan sleeves. "I know it's absurd enough to clap for every birthday, but they clap when kids lose their binders. Can I request that the Class President take a break from planning prom and ban clapping at assembly?"
"You clap with them," Azula says as they turn a corner.
"Sarcastically," Mai retorts without hesitation.
"Also, you are going to the after prom with me, are you not?" Azula inquires, knowing Mai must do whatever she says.
Mai loudly sighs. "Is that the Star Trek premier Facebook invite I got?"
"Yes. It is not mine. Eliza made it," says Azula, wrinkling her nose. She is just as dissatisfied as Mai. "I have no idea what the movie is even about."
Mai opens her locker to find her French binder. "Probably Star Trek."
"I know. I have no idea what that's about, to tell the truth. I just know that it is invite only and all the people I approve of will leave and those like Anna Brewer and Haru will be left behind wondering where everyone cool went. It will delight me." Azula takes a brief moment to visualize their miserable faces.
"We could go to a party," Mai suggests.
"You hate parties," Azula replies, opening her own, far more organized locker and withdrawing her chemistry textbook.
"I know, but I am still trying to figure out how 80's Movies lied to me on such a deep level. How are the coolest kids at my high school all going to see a Star Trek premiere after prom?" Mai sighs again, this time even louder.
"There will probably be sex and drugs there. I cannot imagine how one could enjoy that movie without those. Anyway, our high school is unusual. It attracts the devoutly religious and the devoutly dedicated to getting into Harvard. Our crème de la crème are the kind of people who go to Star Trek on prom night," purrs Azula, slamming her locker shut.
Mai sighs again, knowing Azula is right and hating it. "It's better than bowling," she decides.
"Excellent motto," Azula says as they at last reach her locker. "Do you have a prom dress?"
"Yes, despite you and Ty Lee not inviting me," casually says Mai.
"You did not want to go," Azula snaps, "which is why I allowed a probationary friend to accompany me."
"She's been your friend since we were little kids. How can you just make her probationary?" Mai asks, genuinely curious.
Azula snarls under her breath, "Because she is a miserable traitor."
"Why is it that you don't care if I abandon you at a party to ride a motorcycle with a hot guy, but if Ty Lee forgets that you hate a fruit you lose your mind?"
"Because honestly you could betray me on such a deep level that the calmest person would be disgusted, but if she doesn't hold a door open from me like we're not even friends, I do lose it. I want to burn things."
"I'm so glad I know where we stand with each other," sarcastically says Mai.
Azula waves, curling and uncurling her flawless fingers. "I'll see you at lunch."
[X]
At lunch, three teenage girls stand in front of the bulletin board with the sign up sheets for field day activities. The half day of school revolving around athletic activities and forced fun is mandatory if you want to go to prom that night. Field Day is tomorrow, and now the trio must choose their methods of painful torture.
"I can't wait! I love field day," chirps Ty Lee with a bright smile as she signs up for a relay race and water balloon fight.
"I hate it. I hate it and prom isn't worth it," complains Mai. "Prom is not worth the humiliation of running around in circles. It really isn't worth signing up for board games in the library again."
"You are going to prom," Azula regally orders, boring her eyes into Mai's soul.
"I know. My mom'll force me to go like she did last year." Pause. "Why weren't you at prom last year? I had to watch Ty Lee and her boyfriend make out all night without you there to mock and belittle them."
"I was in a play, remember?" says Azula as she signs up for the most competitive activities. "Opening night was on prom."
"Lucky girl," dryly remarks Mai as she scrawls her names on the activities no one will notice her skipping.
Azula smirks and beckons for her friends to follow her to class.
[X]
While changing for gym class, Mai asks, "Why are you putting a Survivor buff over your bra?"
"Because sports bras are boring and my father bought it for me as an apology present," Azula says, smoothing out the black band with the yellow television logo. "If I feel like I am on Survivor, I hate gym class less."
"But you don't need a million dollars," Mai says. "Why would you ever go on Survivor?"
Azula scoffs and rolls her eyes at Mai's ignorance. "So? I like to manipulate people and conquer them in physical challenges. I was born for Survivor, Mai."
"Are you gonna wear that on prom night?" asks Ty Lee, batting her eyelashes and destroying the entire calm vibe. "You should so wear like dark blue lace under your dress. June would love it!"
Azula averts her eyes.
She does not want to think about that age-old prom night tradition.
[X]
That evening, Azula sits on her plush bed and clicks on her girlfriend's Skype contact. It rings twice before June answers, and Azula has nothing bad to say about her being late to their appointment. Maybe that means she feels far less for her than she does for Ty Lee. Love confuses Azula like nothing else does.
They talk for all of five minutes before Ozai arrives home early.
"Stop speaking that girl. You're already seeing her tomorrow night, until eleven, when you will be home," Ozai growls, glaring at the computer screen. It makes June click away but stay on the line.
"Give me a minute," says Azula to the black screen June hides behind. "The Star Trek premier starts at eleven. Everyone cool is going to it and I am the most popular girl in school. If I miss Star Trek—"
"Little princess, I raised you to be a better liar than that," Ozai says with fire in his golden eyes. "No one cool would ever see Star Trek after prom. I at least pretended to believe you about your bowling night with Mai, but I am not in the mood for this today."
Azula wishes he would not remind her. "I can show you my ticket. You sent me to exactly the right school to make sure I never find love in this world."
"You can find love in college," Ozai snaps.
"I have no intention of being disrespectful but you cannot give me dating advice. You have been divorced for eight years and date about five different women a week."
"It isn't called dating when there are five a week. And, you say that good thing like it is a bad thing. Or maybe it is a bad thing when it comes to you. I just want you to make good choices," Ozai says, refusing to be tripped up by her accusations.
"What did you do on prom night?" Azula asks, crossing her arms.
"I definitely didn't see Star Trek." Pause. "And good choices means better choices than mine."
"You are not giving Zuko this talk. This is sexist and absurd."
"Little princess, you are beautiful and men always stare at you. Zuko is… less fortunate. It amazes me that an incredible hot girl invited him to prom. He can stay out as long as he wants because he can't do any better than Mai."
"If you love Mai so much, why don't you marry her?"
"Send me pictures from the movie theatre and call me every hour on the hour."
"Alright." Azula shrugs. "And even if I have an all-American prom night, I won't get knocked up so you have nothing to worry about."
June laughs to herself.
[X]
On Field Day, Azula spitefully wears her Survivor buff on the outside of her shirt. Ty Lee pretends to be studying it instead of her best friend's chest. And pretends to be admiring her shorts when she tries to look away from that and only ends up gazing at her beautiful ivory legs.
"You're dressed so cute!" exclaims Ty Lee, hugging Azula. "I wish I had your fashion sense!"
"I am sure you do," purrs Azula as Ty Lee steps away.
"Do you wanna sneak under the bleachers? They only take attendance in the morning and afternoon," Ty Lee says with the sly smile she uses on boys.
Azula falls for it, even if she knows they will not be making out there. Even she, a glorious goddess, is not immune to Ty Lee's charms.
They walk across the campus and sneak under the bleachers. The shade feels amazing on the sweltering hot day. Ty Lee leans against a metal pole and gazes at Azula like nothing else exists in the Universe.
"Stop looking at me like that," Azula snaps.
"Looking at you how?" Ty Lee asks.
"Like you are trying to memorize me," Azula whispers.
"I'll look away, if you want," Ty Lee says, averting her eyes. She blushes but an oblivious Azula misses it. "But you're still so pretty it's just hard not to look at you."
"I know that," Azula purrs, plucking grass and pulling it apart. It stains her fingers green. "Was it hard having sex with Haru?"
"No. It was really easy," Ty Lee says, cautious with her words. She has the suspicion that Azula's rage was not about the smoothie order. "Can I ask why you wanna know?"
"Prom night. I think I'm supposed to have sex with my date." Pause. "I've never done that before. I know I said I have but I was lying. She has done it with plenty of girls."
"Then she can show you the ropes," says Ty Lee, beaming as brightly as she can to hide the tears blossoming in her eyes. It kills her to think about Azula hooking up with somebody.
"I just…" Pause. Azula thinks carefully. "I just imagined it happening with someone else."
"Then wait for that person. June can live with it if you don't wanna screw on prom night," says Ty Lee, waving her hand. "I mean, I couldn't say no but—"
"Have you ever said no?"
Ty Lee blushes, humiliated. "Lots of times," she squeaks.
"Yeah," Azula says, rolling her eyes. "I figured."
Ty Lee rips up a handful of grass.
[X]
That afternoon, Ty Lee tries on different hairstyles. Azula jumps over their roofs and climbs in through her bedroom window. Even in their gigantic mansion, Ty Lee's family has so many children that Ty Lee must share a room with her twin, Kiki.
Kiki waits on the bed, reading.
"Where is Ty Lee?" demands Azula.
"Getting ready for prom or whatever," says the girl with a dismissive wave of her hand. "She's in our bathroom."
Azula walks across the hall and enters one of the seven bathrooms. Ty Lee sits with printouts of hairstyle guides and every product and tool she owns. They barely fit on the marble counter.
"You said you would do my hair," Azula says, picking up the papers. "I should choose."
Ty Lee picks up the crimper and smiles. "I love doing your hair and make-up. You're just so pretty! It's fun to style pretty people!"
Azula pretends not to care and studies the printout for a fancy up-do.
Kiki knocks on the door and Ty Lee hisses.
"I need to get ready for my date tonight! We have other bathrooms!" snaps Ty Lee's twin.
Ty Lee swings open the door and menacingly holds the crimper in front of her sister.
"I'm going to crimp your face, Kiki!" screams Ty Lee, and Kiki decides to sneak off to a different restroom. "Azula needs the best bathroom!"
The Shinohai girl smirks.
She remembers why she made Ty Lee her friend in the first place.
Chapter Sixteen: The Wedding Part I
Azula walks down an aisle, past pews lined with faceless people. She keeps going as the world catches fire around her, and she runs and runs and runs. The veil pinned to her raven hair begins to grow and trip her. She falls, crashing into the floor, and she sinks down into it like a creature trapped in tar. Azula tries to scream but no sound comes out.
She feels herself suffocate before she wakes. Ty Lee lies peacefully beside her and she wonders how the woman can sleep easily the day before they fly to Las Vegas for their wedding.
Azula does not wish to return to her nightmare, but she turns over and falls back to sleep anyway. She wakes alone this time.
When she rises and stretches, she finds Ty Lee in the kitchen eating chocolates from a heart-shaped box.
"Why are you eating chocolate for breakfast? I thought you were whining yesterday about going on a diet for the wedding," Azula asks, yawning. She never feels this tired in the morning and it makes her irritable. Azula would be wearing jeans if she did not need to remain presentable.
Ty Lee explains after chewing and swallowing a cherry cordial. "It's a chocolate mono diet."
"What is a chocolate mono diet?" Azula asks, cocking an eyebrow.
Ty Lee proudly replies, "I can only eat small amounts of chocolate."
Azula feels a surge of concern. "That sounds dangerous."
"So is smoking and popping pills and probably energy drinks," Ty Lee sings, bowing her head and batting her eyelashes to hide the disrespect.
Azula opens her mouth to protest that she does not want to be a widow by her wedding night, but then she realizes that it would open a larger conversation that would involve her own self-destructive choices, and so she just counts on Ty Lee's tendency to give up on things to save her future wife's life.
"You don't need to lose weight," attempts Azula, hoping to deter Ty Lee from dying without getting told off for her own habits. "You're beautiful and I really want to look better than you on our wedding day."
"It's not even about losing the weight; it's because my sister said I couldn't. She said everybody gains weight before their weddings. I said you and me were not everybody," Ty Lee says, giving that gentle, warm, submissive smile again.
"We are not," Azula insists, suddenly quite interested.
"Right. So I'm going to lose weight before my wedding. I've been keeping my Insta updated with the progress." Ty Lee's eyes gleam with sick excitement. "She will feel like an idiot."
Azula likes that idea.
"My uncle lost a hundred pounds on a tea fast," she suggests.
"Yeah, but tea is super gross and chocolate is yummy," Ty Lee says, popping another cherry cordial into her mouth.
"Decent point," remarks Azula. "I blocked out all today for packing on the itinerary. We need everything for the week leading to our wedding and for our honeymoon too."
Ty Lee claps her hands. "Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise." Azula crushes their lips together.
Ty Lee smiles into the kiss.
[X]
As Azula packs beside Ty Lee, she describes her nightmare in great detail.
"Only something as ridiculous as a wedding would bring those nightmares back," snaps Azula, picking up one of Bunny's shirts and tucking it into the pink Hello Kitty suitcase next to her own.
"I completely understand. I had the worst nightmare last night," Ty Lee complains. "I completely understand."
"What was it about?" inquires Azula.
Ty Lee sets her hand over her heart when she dramatically says, "Someone rearranged my purse."
"And?" Azula asks.
"That's it!" Ty Lee exclaims. "Someone rearranged my purse. I woke up as scared as a three-year-old who thinks she has a monster under her bed!"
Sarcastically, Azula breathes, "The horror," as she decides to rearrange Ty Lee's purse at the first opportunity.
[X]
Hours later, Mai meets Azula and Ty Lee at their hotel room. They have the Presidential Suite of the Brimstone. It boasts beautiful bedrooms and its own pool on the balcony. Mai remembers the place from her own wedding.
"The itinerary you texted me told me to be here an hour ago but I didn't feel like it," Mai says, then sees Ty Lee passed out on the sofa. "Did you kill her already? I gave it at least a year before you snapped."
Azula groans. "She's just crashing."
"On what?" Mai inquires.
Azula, humiliated, just whispers, "Chocolate. She is on a chocolate mono diet to spite her sister."
"My neighbor went on one of those," replies Mai, thinking of the loon next door.
Startled, Azula asks, "You talk to your neighbors?"
"They talk to me, whether I like it or not. I don't even pretend to care about them."
"Unsurprising," says Azula. "You were not very revolted over Ty Lee's apparent death."
"I just don't have a lot of feelings," says Mai. "Does Ty Lee have someone in her wedding party to take care of her?"
"Angel is her maid of honor. She's her friend who works at a diner but used to work at a strip club. I think her real name is Angela."
"Not one of her sisters? Wasn't Kiki the original Maid of Honor?"
"Yeah. Kiki was pretty upset about that. But my brother isn't my best man."
"Nope. I am, and I am way better at it than Zuko ever would be."
Ty Lee sleepily asks, "Is Mai here?"
"Where's Bunny?" inquires Mai.
"My mother took her."
"And you allowed that?"
"If they abscond, I will call the police. For now, I need to get away from my child and deal with this wedding. Do you want to go play roulette with me?"
"You gamble?"
"Only when I am part of the house, and, as we all know, the house always wins."
Ty Lee declares, still groggy, "I wanna go!"
"Sure, whatever," says Mai.
Azula helps her fiancée up.
[X]
Ty Lee locates chocolate while Azula and Mai stride silently through the casino. They land on a blackjack table—despite Azula's insistence on roulette—and Mai sits down. Azula stands, glaring.
"Get up," she orders, squeezing Mai's shoulder.
"I like this… whatever you call it. Dealer or something," Mai says, gesturing at the attractive young woman in a uniform.
Azula cannot help but stare. "You know the servant in the first place?"
"Not sure if servant is the right word either, but she was a witness at my wedding," says Mai, sitting down at the table. "Her and a concierge and a drug dealer. Azula is getting married."
"Yep," says the young woman. "Everybody is talking about it. The guests range from difficult to really difficult. Some trailer trash girl named Kiki threw over a table and we called security but she was related to one of the brides so we couldn't do anything about it."
"I hate them all," Azula mutters. "All of them. Her whole family."
"But being married to a Shinohai is harder than marrying into any other family. You people are insane, famous and judgmental," Mai comments as Azula pulls out a cigarette and lights it. Her grandfather has the good taste to defy popular laws and allow smoking inside of his resort. It is fire themed, after all.
Azula replies, "You don't have a family, Mai. My father does not have to deal with in-laws. And, on top of that, you are much more of a Shinohai than an Ukano and you know it. We basically raised you."
"True." Pause. "Speaking of true or false; tell me if this story really happened."
"Alright."
"Your great-grandfather opened this casino, right? Some mafia guys go right in and decide to be—I don't know mafia guys—and your great-grandfather, instead of caving in, has the three dudes thrown off the top of the hotel. And when the kingpin tried to do something, he had that guy killed in his bed while his wife was still asleep."
"That does sound like something he would do. My family is not easily intimidated," says Azula. "We did start as career criminals before we made a business empire."
"Still are," Mai says. "I've met five arms dealers in the past five years."
"And the people who visited me in New York to scare my fiancée. But, if anyone asks, the arms dealers sell antiques for collectors and the people who broke into my apartment were just friends of the family."
"They didn't break in. Your father has a key to the place."
Azula's eyes widen. "I never gave him one."
Mai suppresses a laugh when she replies, "He had one made. He has one to your brother's house too but I doubt it gets used."
Ty Lee appears out of nowhere and grabs Azula by the arms. She sets her chin on top of Azula's head and breathes in her beautiful perfumey shampoo.
"There are people in the bar. Friends! It's so exciting." Ty Lee helps Azula to her feet and guides her to the stairs. Mai sighs and follows them.
At the Upper Bar, Azula glances around at mostly Ty Lee's family and her friends from various times in her life. The CEO sees one person from her life.
"Who invited the girlfriend I left for you?" Azula hisses.
"I did," Ty Lee says with a smile. "You had a really short list of people to sit on your side. That's why I put up one of those cute signs about us all becoming one family so, you know, everybody could sit wherever. Your only friend is in the wedding party. June is kinda the second closest person to you other than me or Mai."
"Any other surprises?" hisses Azula with a glare. "Did you invite my friends from crazy camp?"
"No. Did you have any?" Ty Lee asks.
"I hate you."
"Go say hi to June. I think she's having a drinking contest."
Azula sighs, rolls her eyes, and strides across the Brimstone's Upper Bar. She looks at June, sitting alone, then sees that she did have an opponent. The guy lies motionless underneath his seat.
"You literally drank someone under a table," Azula says, smirking. "I see you didn't lose your high school glory like some washed up football player."
"And you still make everybody shut up when you walk in a room for one reason or another. So, should I pay you a percentage of the illegal side-bets I had running or…?"
"I don't run this place yet," Azula says. Ty Lee glowers, suddenly seething with jealousy. "You should probably pay for your own drinks, though."
"Oh, the guy under the table is. Part of the deal," says June, standing up.
"I never imagined I would see you again," Azula comments, clasping her hands behind her back and straightening her posture.
"I figured we might meet up," June says, and, when she sees Azula's surprise, she explains, "I work for your grandpa."
"You need to be more specific," asks Azula.
"Well, as a person who is very good at finding other people for money and who doesn't care much about what happens to those people, I think I should keep things vague." June glances over at Mai and Ty Lee. "I don't want to be weird or anything, but your stepmom is hot. Is she in love with your dad or is there some… room there?"
"I think she is only into men. And probably too apathetic to put effort into an affair."
"Did I say anything about an affair?" June winks. Azula sighs and looks at Ty Lee again.
"I should go check on her," Azula says, cocking an eyebrow and spinning around.
"Why would you let her get away with stealing money from you?" squeals Ty Lee. "You'd never do that for me."
"We are at our insanely pricey destination wedding. I let you get away with stealing my money. Do not worry."
A voice that still scares Azula states, "Who is stealing our money?"
Ty Lee replies to Ozai, "Azula's ex-girlfriend."
"June," Azula adds, pointing.
"I'm getting a drink," Ty Lee says with a sigh. "Screw my diet." She grabs Mai by the arm and drags her across the Upper Bar alongside her.
The minute she walks away, Ozai steps closer to his daughter.
"June is way hotter than Ty Lee. Are you sure you don't want to switch them out again while you still have the chance?"
"I love Ty Lee and only Ty Lee. June was just my first girlfriend. And I love Bunny too."
"Where is Bunny?"
"Not legally allowed to be in a casino." Pause. "I gave her to mother."
"Wow. You must be desperate to get rid of that child you love so much."
"You adore Bunny."
"She's fine, but concerns me, because I never want to have another child and Mai actually likes her."
"Why do you never want another child?"
"Because I am old and did my time with you and Zuko."
"Good point."
Azula shrugs.
A/N: If you're at all interested in how Zutara and Maizai got together, I posted two oneshot prequels today. If you like the Shinohai Family, check it out. :D
Thank you for reading this far and I hope you're enjoying the show.
