Chapter 7: Mallrats

The outdoor swimming pool was officially open for the semester, and the sophomore boys were taking full advantage. As soon as their Friday classes ended, they changed into their swim trunks and hit the water. Zuko seemed to be the least comfortable in the water, but as soon as a game of pool basketball had broken out, he quickly became the team's MVP. He was always so annoyingly good at sports.

It wasn't long after the game had ended when they heard the girls approaching. Ty Lee's voice had a way of piercing through any noise or conversation. She was walking between Mai and Katara, with Azula walking slightly in front of them.

"Hey," Jet said, smirking mischievously at his friends, "let's splash them when they pass by."

"Yeah, that would be hilarious!" Sokka grinned.

"No way." Zuko shook his head. "Azula would kill me."

"Oh, come on. Siblings are supposed to bother each other every now and then. I would know. Mine annoys me all the time."

"You haven't seen Azula's wrath…"

"And you haven't seen Katara's – "

"Shhh, they're coming," Jet interrupted. "Get ready."

Jet and Sokka swam up to the edge and waited underwater until the girls were near and then… SPLASH! They popped out of the water, screaming, laughing, and hurling water all over them.

"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?!" Azula blared, glaring at the boys with lightning in her eyes.

The rage was short lived, however. Jet watched the anger leave her eyes as soon as she saw Sokka and realized he was giving her attention. Ty Lee looked to be the only one not bothered by it. To the contrary, she took the opportunity to make sure all eyes were on her.

"Oh no!" she said dramatically, putting her hands on her chest. "You got water all over my shirt! It's practically see-through now."

It was hard to know how Mai felt as she stood there in silence, blinking water out of her eyes while mascara ran down her cheeks. He really hoped he hadn't just blown his chances with her. Katara, on the other hand, let them know exactly how she felt.

"SOKKA, YOU COLOSSAL IDIOT! WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU – I HAVE MY PHONE ON ME – I AM SO GOING TO GET YOU BACK!"

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Sokka taunted.

"You should be!" she screamed before waterbending a giant wave and launching Sokka out of the pool onto the grass.

Mai chuckled.

"Hey, you can't do that!" a student shouted from the deep end.

"Can't do what?" Azula asked, threateningly. "I didn't see anything."

"Yeah, me neither," Mai said.

"Yeah, I didn't see any waterbending either," Ty Lee smiled.

"Shut up, Ty," Azula muttered, "No one said anything about waterbending."

"Oh, sorry!"

"Whatever," the student grumbled, getting out of the pool.

"My butt hurts!" Sokka shouted from the grass.

Katara turned to Jet and Zuko. "Okay, who's next?"

"Hey, I had nothing to do with this!" Zuko insisted, raising his arms into the air in defeat.

"It's true," Jet said. "He didn't."

"Well, I appreciate your honesty. I guess you're off the hook… for now." She gave Jet another menacing glare.

"You're right, Sokka, she is scary!" Jet yelled.

"Told ya!"

Katara smiled sweetly before waterbending herself dry, as well as the other girls.

"Hey ladies, you know what we have to do now that the pool is open right?" Ty Lee asked, grinning. "We need to go to the mall and buy new swimsuits! Who has a car?"

"Not me," Katara answered.

Mai shook her head.

"I did before my stupid father got locked up and we lost everything… hey wait…" Azula looked at Zuko. "Hey dum-dum, can't you ask Uncle if you can borrow his car?"

"Azula no, I don't want to go to the – "

"Please, Zuzu?"

"I want to go too!" Sokka chimed in, rubbing his sore butt. "The mall has an epic arcade."

Jet nodded. "I wouldn't mind getting out of here for a change…"

"Well Uncle's car only fits five people so…"

"SHOT GUN!" Azula and Sokka called simultaneously before narrowing their eyes at each other in a teasingly threatening way.

"Hey, that settles it then." Jet pushed himself out of the pool and sat on the ledge. "Azula sits on Sokka's lap in the front, and I'll squeeze in the back with Mai, Ty Lee, and Katara." The look on Azula's face was priceless.

"I – I – " she stammered.

Sokka smiled. "I'm okay with that."

"I guess we could do that," Azula finally got out.

Jet turned to Zuko. "So you'll ask your uncle?"

"Fiiine," he sighed.

"Thanks, Zuko!" Ty Lee cheered. "Shopping spree, yay!"

Today was a good day. Today was a great fucking day. Azula couldn't believe what was actually happening. She was sitting on Sokka's lap on the way to the mall, Sokka, the boy she'd been crushing on for the better part of a year, Sokka, who had eyes like the ocean and smelled like pine… and to top it all off, his arms were draped around her waist like he was her seatbelt! For once, she was hoping for a slow and bumpy ride.

She stole a glance behind her to see how Jet was faring, and from the look of it, he was enjoying this car ride just as much as she was. He was sandwiched between Mai and Katara – the two girls were practically on his lap. The only one who seemed unhappy with this arrangement was Ty Lee, who was jammed between Mai and the window. Azula smirked and Jet gave her an all-knowing smile.

Nothing was going to ruin this day. Nothing.

As soon as they got to the mall, Ty Lee took off with the other girls, forcing them into the nearest department store, leaving the sophomores to walk alone to the arcade on the other side of the mall. Excellent. Now was Jet's chance to pry some information from his roommate.

"So… you and Azula seemed to be getting pretty cozy in the car…"

Sokka grinned slyly and shrugged. "I've had worse car rides…"

"Do we really need to talk about this?" Zuko muttered.

"Geesh, what's your problem?" Jet asked.

"I don't know, it's weird. She's my sister."

"So?"

"I get it," Sokka said. "Katara seemed a little too eager to sit next to you in the car." He shuddered.

"Really?" Jet laughed. "I didn't notice."

"Well you certainly didn't complain about having to squeeze in the back with the girls…"

"Best seat in the house," Jet boasted.

Zuko rolled his eyes.

"So…" Sokka smirked. "Which one do you like?"

"Who says I like any of them?"

"I says." Sokka gave him a smug look. "Besides me and Zuko, I've watched you bounce around from friend group to friend group without any attachments. You've never hung out with a group this long. So what's changed? What's keeping you from leaving, hm? Some sort of special attachment to someone?"

"Maybe I'm just tired of being a lone wolf."

"No, I don't think so," Sokka continued. "I think you're a smitten little kitten. You know, I'm known to be a bit of a detective…"

"Okay then, Detective Sokka… which one do I like?" he challenged.

"Well… using the power of deduction…" Sokka began stroking a long, invisible beard. "…if not Azula, then I'd say you like Ty Lee!"

Jet shrugged. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't."

"Aha!"

"I'll tell you if you're right if you tell me who you like."

Sokka smiled innocently. "Nah."

"Then it seems we've reached an impasse, my friend…"

"Good," Zuko cut in. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Hey… what's going on?" Sokka asked, concerned.

"Yeah, you're even grouchier than usual…"

Zuko sighed. "I'm just bored."

"Or…" Sokka smirked. "…you have something to hide."

"What would I have to hide?" he scoffed.

"I don't know… your own crush perhaps?"

"You know what, Sokka?" He paused. "That's exactly it. I do have a crush on someone. You're quite the detective indeed."

Jet's stomach sank. What if Zuko liked Mai too? Zuko and Mai had history – what if they liked each other?

"Wait really?!" Sokka squealed. "Who is it?! Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me – "

"Nope."

"Why not?!"

"Well you won't say who you like, and Jet won't say who he likes, so why should I have to say who I like?"

"Well – "

"This conversation is pointless. So can we just drop it?"

"Yeah, we're getting nowhere," Jet agreed, relieved. If he found out Zuko also liked Mai, then either one of them would have to back off or they'd have to compete for her. Either way, things would be bad for their friendship.

"Fine." Sokka's shoulders slumped. "Hey, would it make you feel better if I bought you some ice cream after we're done with the arcade?"

Zuko nodded. "Actually, yes it would."

"You've got it, buddy!"

Azula thought it was a stupid idea when Ty Lee suggested they try on swimsuits individually so they could all see what everybody picked out and admire each other, however, she wasn't in the mood to argue. She was still flying high from the car ride on Sokka's lap.

"Hm… what do you think?" Katara was the first out of the dressing room. "Does this look good?" She posed with her hands on her hips in a white and light blue crop top bikini with matching bikini skirt bottom.

"Oh my gosh, you look so pretty!" Ty Lee gushed. "You have to have to have to buy it. Doesn't she look pretty you guys?"

"Mmhmm," Mai said.

"Yes, very pretty," Azula agreed, somewhat unenthusiastically. In truth, Katara looked amazing. She had the perfect slender, feminine physique. Somewhat curvy but not too curvy. Sporty but not overly muscular. Not like Azula's body, which was athletic and too muscular. No one would find her sexy with her six pack…

"Thanks!" Katara smiled. "I think I'll buy it."

"Good cause it would be a crime if you didn't." Ty Lee looked at Mai. "Hey, why don't you go next? I can't wait to see that vintage goth bikini on you."

"Okay." Mai got changed in the fitting room and stepped out in a black and dark red bandeau bikini top and high waisted bikini bottom.

"Wow Mai, that looks great!" Katara said.

Azula nodded. "It really does – "

"Holy cow!" Ty Lee cut in. "You could seriously be a model!"

"Oh, come on." Mai shook her head.

"No really, I mean it! You're so tall and thin, your skin is flawless, you could wear anything and you'd be a total knockout."

Azula sighed. She had always considered Mai to be attractive, but not in a knockout kind of way. Mai always blended in while Azula liked to stand out. But Mai really did look beautiful in that swimsuit, and Azula was once again reminded about her height, or lack thereof, as Ty Lee gushed over her.

"Thanks, I… I don't know what to say."

"Just say you'll buy it – I will seriously force you to."

"Okay," Mai chuckled. "I will."

"Okay okay, me next." Ty Lee quickly got changed. "Does it look okay?" She flicked her braided ponytail back behind her shoulder. "I'm not gonna stick out in it, am I?"

Azula rolled her eyes. Of course she was going to stick out! How could she not? She was all boobs and butt in that tiny little pink and white swimsuit. Her chest was nearly spilling out of the triangle bikini top, and the string bikini bottom left little to the imagination.

"Whoa, bombshell alert!" Katara called out.

"Uh… it's nice," Mai said quietly. "Like really, really nice."

For fuck's sake, was Mai blushing?! Azula's jaw clenched. She hated feeling so insecure. Why couldn't she genuinely feel happy for other women? Why did she always have to be little miss perfect, the center of attention? Of course, she couldn't let anyone know she was feeling like this. She had to give her some sort of compliment. "You look cute."

"I know, right?" Ty Lee checked herself out in the full-length mirror. "I'm like super, super, super duper cute in this swimsuit! It's scary. Even in something as plain as this!"

"The boys are gonna go crazy seeing you in that," Katara added.

"I know." Ty Lee started giggling. "You know what's really funny about that?"

"What?" Mai asked.

A coy smile spread across Ty Lee's cheeks. "I'm gay!"

"WHAT?!" Azula shouted. Was she serious?

"I love girls!"

"Oh wow, Ty, I didn't know!" Katara smiled.

Mai stood in silence with her mouth slightly agape.

"I haven't really told anyone."

"Why not?" Azula questioned.

"Oh because people know me on social media and a lot of my followers are men. They're a lot nicer to me when they think they have a chance, you know? Wouldn't want to risk losing that attention – "

"That is so selfish!" Azula blurted. "How could you take pleasure from leading people on like that?"

"It's good for self-promotion… and besides, it's no one's business – "

"You're manipulating people! Even your own friends!"

"I'm just having fun. Nothing wrong with a little harmless flirting…"

"You know who else liked to manipulate people? My father – "

"Azula, please calm down – " Katara stepped in.

"Are you seriously comparing me to your dad?! Wow, you really must be jealous of me. What's wrong? Afraid I'm going to steal your crush or something?"

"Ty, that's really not necessary – " Katara said calmly.

"You bitch, you have no idea what I'm capable of! Would be a real shame if all your loser followers found out about your little secret…"

"That's ENOUGH!" Katara shouted. "You're both out of line. Azula, you will not out Ty Lee to her followers. She's right – her sexuality is no one's business. And Ty, you need to stop provoking Azula like that. We're supposed to be friends here. We should be lifting each other up, not tearing each other down."

Azula was glad Katara called them out. She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. She hated sounding like her old self.

"You're right," Ty Lee said apologetically. "I'm sorry, Azula. I was being a jerk."

"Whatever," Azula muttered.

"Hey," Katara placated, "Azula, why don't you go try on your swimsuit?"

"I don't… need to buy a swimsuit."

"Aww, but we're all dying to see it."

"It's true," Mai said.

"Yeah, come on Azula!" Ty Lee encouraged.

"Fiiine." Azula slipped into the red halter bikini top and low-rise bikini bottoms she had picked out and stepped out to look in the mirror. Sure, maybe she wasn't classically sexy, maybe she was just a little too muscular, but she had worked really hard for her toned body, and she looked damn good in that bikini. And for once, she didn't care what anyone else had to say.