It was so boring.

Did I know my life was going to come to this? No. 

Put yourself in my position. What would you do right now? Talk to Mai? No. Chat with Azula? Not if I wanted to die. Ty Lee? Sure, she was great—but a bit too happy.

"Guess what?" Ty Lee barged into my room.

Chicken butt?"

"What's a chicken?" she stopped short.

"Um, something I read in a book," I shrugged.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Greek mythology?" I suggested, chuckling nervously.

"Uh?"

"Okay, what?" I sighed.

"We're going on vaca-shun!"

🔥🔥🔥

"I'm not a child!" Zuko mumbled. "I can't be forced to go on vacation."

"Relax. It'll be fun," I said to him, catching myself quickly and turning away. His face literally lit up. Mai punched him in the stomach.

"She's right," the two old woman, Lo and Li said in unison. They were waiting for us at the dock as we stepped off the boat. "Enjoy it while it lasts."

🔥🔥🔥

The room was fabulous.

But of course, the first thing miss gloomy butt said was, "It looks like the beach threw up over the bed."

"Nuh uh." I scowled. "That pink shelled bedsheet is cute, miss gloomy butt."

Ty Lee snorted and then cackled. "Miss gloomy butt."

Mai just ignored us, walking away with Zuko close behind. "Ugh." I groaned. "Look at him. He's literally like her little pet." 

"Again," Zuko spoke, "I don't like being treated like a child and forced into this vacation!"

"Well deal with it because you are a child." I snapped at him.

"Stop snapping," Mai said flatly.

"Make me, Mia." I pursed my lips. "That's right. You are now Mia, name stealer. M-I-A Missing In Action. You will be soon."

"Shut up," Azula walked past me.

"No, you shut up," Zuko said.

"Oh God, Zuko." Azula put her hand to her forehead, "betraying Mia like that."

"Her name is not Mia!" Zuko announced.

"Oh get a life—" I sputtered.

"No you—"

"Guys—" Ty Lee tried.

"Everyone!" Lo and Li said in unison, "Give the beach a chance! It has the power to smoothen even the roughest of edges." Lo patted a smooth rock.

"No one can smoothen scarred people. Oh." I looked at Zuko. "That's not what I meant—"

"Can we please not start this again!" Lo sighed.

"Well now I know how your voice sounds by itself!" I said brightly. "Let's enjoy the beach."

"Wait. Who are these two pretty ladies?" Ty Lee pointed at a frame. There were two pretty girls who looked way alike on it. 

"Lo and Li!" the two old women said, copying the pose. Mai covered Zuko's eyes.

"Child," I coughed.

🔥🔥🔥

The first thing Azula did when she walked onto the beach was step all over a child's sandcastle.

"Azula!" I scolded. "What are you doing?"

"Try it," she laughed coldly. "It feels powerful."

"Uh, no it doesn't. What pleasure do you get out of smashing a child's sandcastle?"

"Try it. No one knows you here and no one can try to hurt you." Azula shrugged.

"No I'm not evil," I said.

"Go and try it and then we can jump to conclusions."

"Fine." I walked over to a kid's sandcastle and kicked it over without hesitation. The kid looked up at me and ran away. I looked at Azula.

"What do you feel?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"Nothing is what you're supposed to feel." Azula smirked.

"And that's really bad, coming from someone like you."

"No it isn't, darling." She just laughed and walked away.

As soon as Ty Lee walked onto the beach, every one of the male kind surrounded her giving her protection from the sun and attention.

"Ew," Azula and I gagged in unison.

Zuko and Mai looked bored to death.

Why the heck did he choose her? I mean, she looked liked she'd never smiled in her life. Like her face muscles would shatter and turn to dust if she tried.

He gave her a seashell. 

"What is it?" she asked.

"A seashell."

"And why would I want it?"

"I thought girls liked seashells. It's . . . a pretty thing."

I snorted. And was Mai? Was she? I crushed a shell in my palm. She definitely was pretty.

And then he bought her ice cream and as he handed it to her it fell right on her lap.

Nice going pretty boy.

The volleyball game was a disaster. Azula ended up burning the the net and squishing the air out of the ball.

"Azula—" I tried, but she finished her speech about earth domination and beating pesky little people who didn't matter, and then Mai, Ty Lee and I were invited to a party.

"What about him?" Mai pointed at Zuko. "And her?" at Azula.

"Uh . . . I guess they could come too." the boy named Chan said.

I smiled sweetly. "We'll be there."

After they left, Azula said, "Remember, they can't find out we're royalty. I want to be treated normal for once."

"Hey, trust me, it ain't fun," I joked, but no one laughed.

We walked into the party. I felt so awkward, but then I realized, Hey! they don't know me! So I just decided to be myself.

'Yo how's it goin'?" I laughed nervously, punching a guy on his arm.

"Great, how're you?"

"Awesome."

"Want some punch?" 

"Sure why not." I shrugged.

Now what happened the last time a guy asked if I wanted some punch?

"Uh no," I said quickly, changing my mind. "I'm good."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Um, see ya around then?"

I sighed. "Sure, why not." I turned to see Azula chatting with that guy, Chan.

"Uh, you're suit is sharp." 

Chan turned around. "Thanks." He smiled.

"Sharp enough to puncture the hull of a Fire Nation empire-class battleship, leaving thousands to drown at sea." she blabbered.

Oh, no. I slapped my hand onto my forehead. Why, Azula?

Then again, I hadn't done better.

And Chan walked away from her, as predicted.

And then there was Mai sitting in a corner, talking to a gothish boy who was laughing and grinning. My eyes found Zuko who's own golden eyes were narrowed at the boy. I scowled and looked at Ty Lee who was surrounded.

As usual.

And then I went and sat by myself. Alone. In a corner. 

No matter where I went, I was alone.

Ty Lee literally escaped all the crowd by making them unconcious. She ran to Azula who rolled her eyes at her, saying, "None of them really care about you. You're just a little joke."

Ty Lee stared at her, and then tears started slipping down her cheeks.

For the first time, Azula looked apologetic, reaching out to hold her wrists. "Okay, okay, stop crying, Ty Lee. To be honest, I was just a little . . . jealous."

Ty Lee stopped crying and looked up at her.

I grabbed some popcorn.

"You? You're jealous of me? But you're so pretty! And you're a princess. And you have everything. Why would you be jealous?"

"Well that's true." Azula laughed and I tuned out. Of course she was going to be a stuck up brat.

But then I saw her walk outside on the balcony with Chan.

But she always did get what she wanted.

Everything fell apart though when Zuko got really jealous and and pushed that boy talking to Mai, who crashed against a pot.

Crap. I got to my feet, the popcorn hitting the ground and spilling everywhere. Azula came back looking angry, Chan suddenly keeping distance from her. Everyone stopped to watch.

"Hey!" Chan yelled. "Who broke the pot?"

The boy stood up, pointing at Zuko.

 Mai stood up, pushing Zuko. "What is wrong with you? He was just talking to me."

"You like him, don't you?"

She just stared at his face.

"You're just a big blah, you know that?" Zuko shouted. "You have no feeling whatsoever. You don't say or do anything!"

"That's it, Zuko," Mai turned from him. "We're over." there was a surprising amount of hurt on her face.

And then Zuko was thrown out of the house.

I felt terrible for him. I didn't know why, but deep down inside I felt really bad.

We went through everything together in a very short while. He'd seen me laugh, cry, angry, happy, upset, stubborn, in my ugliest moments . . . it was just Zuko.

He chose this, and so did I.

So I went after him.

"Zuko!" I yelled. "Zuko, wait."

He was too fast. He walked into this hut and I stopped outside of it, taking a deep breath. What was I going to say to him? I'd been so mean. But then maybe . . . he'd give me something I hadn't given him. A second chance.

"Zuko." I reapeated, walking into the hut to see him bent over something. "What is it, Zuzu?"

"Don't call me that."

"It's cute."

"I don't care."

"Why are you so grumpy?" I said, walking over to him and looking over his shoulder. It was a picture of Zuko as a little baby, the same one that was hanging in his Fire Nation ship room. "Hey." I poked him. "Did I ever tell you you were a really cute baby?"

He tossed the picture aside and picked up another one, and this one was of him, his father, Azula, and his mother. And they seemed happy. Very happy.

"We used to come here all the time," Zuko said without looking at me.

"It must've been a long time ago."

"It was." He stared at it, and suddenly he broke the frame, pulling out the picture. And I didn't stop him. One by one, he burnt all the pictures of him and his family.

"You done?" I touched his arm. He turned around, and I was surprised to see tears welling up in his eyes.

"I hate everything."

"I know."

"No, you don't." He pulled his arm from my grasp.

"You're right." I sighed. "I don't. I'm sorry. I don't know what it feels like to be pushed away by your father. I don't know how it feels like to be away from home for three years. I don't know how it feels like to be you, Zuko. But maybe I can help."

"What happened, Mei?"

"Look at me, Zuko." 

He turned towards me. "Who do you see when you say that name?"

"When I first met you, it was always the other Mai. You reminded me of her all the time, Ayame. But after I got to know you, every time I said her name, I saw you."

"Then I'll answer your question. I don't know what happened. I wanted to find the Avatar and know why I was like this. Why I could bend two polar opposites, water and fire. I left my grandma telling her I would come back safely with a good reason. And look where that got me? I don't know what I am. I know my mother betrayed my father and possibly got married again. But she left me, Zuko." I could feel my eyes burning. "And I don't know what I'm doing here. I don't know what I'm going to say to your father when he asks me which side I'll choose. But Zuko," I smiled through my watery eyes, putting a hand on his shoulder, "I've learned to go with it. Don't worry about your future or go back to the past. Just live in the present."

He just looked at me and smiled.

"Thanks for giving me another chance," he said.

I hugged him. "No, thanks for giving me one."