(Random, but I'm dedicating this extra long chapter to my close Wattpad bestie Spaghetti_no_sauce because it's her birthday...UwU Happy birthday Chlo, this one's full of fluff and just for you!)
"Ty, I don't know what to do!" Mai hissed nervously. She scooped a spoonful of brown sugar oatmeal into her mouth and glanced at her phone for the time. "Good, it's only 9:19. We still have lots of time for breakfast before our first class of the day." Ty Lee snorted. "You're so high strung today, Mai. It's not normal, even for you." The energetic brunette babbled bluntly. "I can't help it. I'm awkward with guys, remember?" Her best friend muttered insistently. "I know, I know. But what's bothering you?" Ty Lee raised a brow and casually munched on a blueberry muffin. "I texted that guy that I thought he was-" She giggled openly at her bestie's self-acclaimed crisis, "I forgot that this is your first boyfriend we're talking about." Mai rolled her eyes and ate another spoonful of oatmeal. "He's not my boyfriend." She sputtered. "You're right, actually. Not yet anyway," Ty Lee teased with a playful grin. "So what happened?" Mai blushed & gazed down at her oatmeal.
"Fine, fine. I'll tell you." She smiled shyly and lowered down her voice, "I told him 'ur cute' as a text message and sent him a heart emoticon." Ty Lee squealed with pride. "Sorry about the squealing, but I'm just so excited for you! This is the first time Mai Kim has actually flirted with someone! I can't forget such a momentous occasion." The long-haired brunette exclaimed and quickly wove her hair into a French braid. Her friend shrugged and nodded in agreement. "I didn't expect your plan to work but it did. Now I'm falling for him and I still feel a pinch of shock that I flirted with this guy I've never actually met before." Mai admitted. "At least he looks like someone our age and not a pedophile." Ty Lee blurted optimistically. "You've got a point, Ty." The ravenette murmured. "Either way, this calls for an afternoon visit to the Jasmine Dragon. We have to celebrate my friend mating!" Ty Lee declared, "But after classes, of course." Mai grinned at the idea. After all, she was a sucker for a cup of tea.
"I'm sorry, what?!" Azula Phang sat in between her two closest friends with her tray of breakfast. "Where's Chan, Azula?" Ty Lee glanced around the mess hall, spotting her friend's boyfriend sitting at another table. "He broke up with me." Azula confessed in a much quieter voice, "Chan said that I was 'too scary' and 'weird to be with anymore'. Since he moved out of my dorm, I'll have a new roommate in two days. The housing administrator specifically requested for my roommate to be female on top of that and-" Mai gently rested her hand on top of Azula's, letting her friend's posture relax. "That sucks, but we're here if you need anything." She replied comfortingly. "Thanks." Azula smiled slightly. "Chan was a douche to let you go, but now I shall make it my mission to-ooh! What about him?" Ty Lee slanted her head at a water tribe transfer student with his mocha-colored hair pulled into a man bun.
"Sorry but he looks too young for my taste." Azula muttered and carved out a smaller piece of her omelette. "Aw man! He has a girlfriend! I was gonna call him cute before she came into the picture." The brunette whined with a pout. Mai sighed playfully and took a sip of her matcha green tea from her red and black Thermos. "It isn't like Ty Lee was going to go on a date with him anyway." She remarked lightheartedly and scanned through her text messages. "Now I remember what I wanted to tell you, Zules. Mai made a new friend while we packed for dorm move-in day at my sleepover on Saturday! My plan actually worked, and I didn't just hook her up with anyone on accident, oh no! This guy is sexy." Ty Lee rambled teasingly, earning a furious glare from a cranky, flustered Mai.
"I'll refuse to talk about it no matter what. Unless you join me and Ty at our first study session at the Jasmine Dragon." Mai insisted. Ty Lee grinned brightly while Azula scoffed. "I'll pass on that," She declined nonchalantly, "I probably have to make space for my new roommate after today's classes. Not to mention get the sheets cleaned." Mai and Ty Lee stifled obnoxious cackles at the thought of Azula having sex with Chan. "Gotta run you two. We can hang out at my dorm room and watch a movie if my new roommate doesn't bother the plan." The two winked at Azula when she finished her food and left the table. "What do you think that was about, Ty Lee?" Mai watched their friend promptly put her tray on top of the nearest trash can. A few strands of Azula's flawless black hair fraying from her up-do as she brought her utensils and plate to the counter designated for dirty dishes.
"Maybe she's more of a coffee person. The only thing I don't like about being Azula's friend is how she never really tells you if something is bothering her." Ty Lee answered hesitantly, "You can't help if you don't know what's going on. And it's almost as if-" Mai interrupted since she thought she knew what her bestie was going to say. "She's trying to cope with all of her issues alone?"
"I guess, but that isn't exactly what I meant. I was thinking more about how Azula hides things from us. Like, even though you and I are her closest friends, she wants to keep us from discovering things that we should know about her. It bothers me that Azula keeps her problems a secret." Ty Lee ranted before sprinkling pepper over her scrambled eggs and digging into them. "It isn't that I don't care, but what Azula does with her personal life is her business. As her friends, you & I should do our best to respect that." Mai advised. "Why do you always have to-hey! Our schedules for the semester came in! Fingers crossed we have at least one class together." The bubbly brunette put down her fork and knife and paused from eating. She opened the email on her phone while her friend followed suit.
"Looks like we aren't taking any courses together." Ty Lee compared her schedule with Mai's and frowned. "We still have breakfast, a break period, lunch, and plenty of time after classes every day to spend time together. Plus, we're roommates and have each other's numbers so Ember can't keep us separated for long." The black-haired college sophomore murmured reassuringly. "Yeah!" "That's the spirit, Ty." Mai's lips curved into a small but encouraging smile. "I wish you smiled like that more often," Mai blushed at the friendly compliment. "I think your internet boyfriend would absolutely adore your-BRRRRIIINNG!" The warning bell signalling that breakfast was almost over interrupted Ty Lee's comment. "I have to bring my bowl and water glass to the dirty dishes counter." Ty Lee made her best puppy dog eyes. "Fine, I'll take your plate and glass there too. And I thought I told you this already. Lee, we aren't dating." Mai argued, softening her voice about her new crush. "Not yet. I gotta get to Econ 101, so see you at lunch! I'm auditioning to be part of the gymnastics team at break." Ty Lee giggled before skipping off to her first class, book bag over one of her shoulders.
After taking a swig of her tea, Mai accidentally bumped into someone else. Before she could get the dirty dishes to the counter, the person who bumped into her cussed too. "Shit." "Fuck." She cursed at the same time. Her eyes focused on the fragments of ceramic that were her bowl of oatmeal. Mai groaned at being unable to keep Ty Lee's empty glass from falling to the floor.
The stranger turned around to face Mai and frowned apologetically. The oddly specific scar on his left eye (if I'm wrong about that, just let me know and I'll fix it.) and his ruffled black hair rang a bell after their eyes met. "I know you!" They shouted in sync, laughing right after. "I'm so sorry about the mess. I came late to bring my plate back too, and-" Mai grinned slightly at how much he reminded her of herself. She gently patted one of his shoulders and bent over to sweep the mess into her hand. "It's fine," He started absentmindedly staring at his thumbs. "I don't need protecting, especially from glass and bowl shards. I'm Mai." She introduced herself while accidentally cutting a wound into her palm. "Fuck." Mai hissed in pain. "Hi, Zuko here." He waved sheepishly. "You're so awkward." She smirked. "I'm gonna go ask for a broom."
If there's anything else, I can do-" Zuko apologized again and put a bandaid on her hand. "Zuko, I already told you it's fine. The kitchen staff got over it and didn't charge either of us for the broken stuff so don't worry about it." Mai reiterated. The two spontaneously blushed at each other before looking away. "Shit," Zuko huffed nervously, "The second bell's about to ring. We should really get going." The seemed to be the only two students in the mess hall. Mai couldn't decide if that was more embarrassing or romantic. "That's rough. I gotta go but I'll text you later. Maybe you can make it up to me Saturday night, at 8? Take me anywhere, but no frat parties." She flirted before they separately headed to their first classes.
I implied that he should take me out Saturday night! On a date! What was I thinking! Mai anxiously thought to herself, What the hell do I do now?!
Bonus!
After the last class period...
Azula had to get her room ready for her new roommate, and they didn't exactly start on the right foot when she came. "You're really starting to get on my nerves, new roommate," She jeered, "be grateful I didn't file a complaint against you." Her new roommate, Katara Ramirez, scoffed at the comment. While dragging her suitcase under the surprisingly clean bed left for her, the water tribe transfer still groaned under her breath. "What was that, good-for-nothing?" Azula seethed. Katara sighed.
"At least here and back home, I have an actual title. I'm on a water polo scholarship, so I am good for quite a few things. Water polo included. I don't think you can be the 'princess' of a business you didn't create, yeah?" Her roast made Azula's cheeks tomato red from anger. Katara was fully aware of Osai, CEO of Fire Nation Enterprises, being Azula's dad. She wouldn't give her any place to answer. She kept unpacking and did her best not to make a mess during her rant. "I'm not here to cause trouble, so I'll leave you alone if you leave me alone. Then we can peacefully live together."
Azula watched a sense of pride replace her anger when they shook hands and made a truce to not cross each other.