Categories > Cartoons > Avatar: The Last Airbender > A Mispent Youth
Waiting
She couldn't help it really. It wasn't her fault that her parents had decided to move to court, even though they had lived in the countryside her whole six years of life. They hadn't listened either when she was good and promised to water the flowers and mop the floors, and clean up her room if she didn't have to leave. Her parents weren't very good listeners. And it hadn't mattered anyway that she hadn't cleaned her room because instead the servants packed it into boxes and took all her toys away.
Her parents had all sorts of silly reasons for coming. Jingly coins that already bulged in Daddy's big pockets and bigger status, whatever that was, they made Mommy so happy she danced around the boxes. Mai didn't see the point in coins, she always lost them and then Daddy got angry with her. Status sounded like a silly thing too, if you couldn't poke it and play with it why bother? Her parents said she would understand when she was older, but she couldn't wait that long they were moving right now.
So Mai cried instead. She cried in the carriage ride there that took too long and made her sleep funny. She cried when they got there, it was too big, it was too noisy, her room was too small, and the floor didn't feel right on her feet. So there she sat, on the floor, crying. Mommy and Daddy tried to tell her it was all right, but they were lying. They didn't know things would be all right. They hoped things would be all right, which wasn't the same thing. Hope wasn't real. Mai couldn't hold hope and keep it in her pocket, or clutch it next to her on a stormy night when the whole house shook.
There was a small eager little knock on the door. Mai didn't care anyway because she hated the door. She hated everything that was here in this place. She even hated the cake her Mommy had tried to give her and the toys they had started to unpack, because they weren't at home with her.
At first Mai didn't notice the girl quietly come inside. She didn't do anything, even though you could tell she wanted to, she just sat down next to Mai. She tilted her head sideways and looked at Mai oddly. Mai just cried, even though she sort of wanted to talk to this funny girl. The girl had on a pretty pink dress that was all wrinkled like she slept in it, with pretty braids that were already really long, and pretty feet since she didn't wear any shoes.
"I can stand on my head," said the girl. Mai stopped crying.
"No you can't. Nobody can stand on their head," Mai rolled her eyes the way she saw her Mommy do once. "It's aerodynamically impossible."
The girl didn't argue with her, probably because she didn't know what aerodynamically impossible meant. Mai didn't know either except it was the reason why she couldn't fly off the roof. Even though it was aerodynamically impossible the girl stood on her head anyway. She seemed really happy. Mai couldn't see her face anymore because her dress had fallen over it but her feet looked very happy. And dirty too but Mai didn't mind because this girl was nice.
"My name's Ty Lee," smiled the girl as she tumbled down. "I'm six."
"I'm Mai."
"Hi Mai!" now Ty Lee was really bouncy, glad to get all that crying out of the way. She grabbed Mai's hand, waved good-bye to Mai's mom, and raced out the hall and down the courtyard towards the biggest house Mai had ever seen. Mai's mom waved as they left. Mai thought Mommy should be more worried, but she wasn't.
"Where are we going?" shouted Mai. She like to know where she was going and what she was doing at all times so she didn't accidentally do anything wrong. It was too easy to be wrong and no one believed her when she said she wanted to be right. She didn't have the right words.
"Azula's house! It's nice there. They have pretty pictures and turtle ducks. But you have to be nice to Azula or else she says she'll throw you in the dungeon. I don't believe her though."
Mai wasn't sure she wanted to meet anyone who would throw her into a dungeon. "Do we have to?"
It didn't matter anyway because they were already inside. It was really warm and red inside, with big ceilings and fancy floors. It hurt Mai's eyes. She didn't see any turtle ducks.
"First we have to find her," Ty Lee scratched her head. "That's the hard part."
The house, Ty Lee said it was a palace, was too big. They walked and walked forever and they still didn't see anyone but a few guards here and there. Ty Lee liked to wave at them. The guards didn't like to wave back, but Ty Lee waved anyway. Sometimes she would sit down and wave with her foot, which only made the search longer.
After a million years they finally found a person. He didn't look like much fun though. His face was all bunched up like a prune. He looked at the scroll in front of him like it was the most impossible thing the world, but he was going to do it anyway.
"Hi Zuko!" chirped Ty Lee. Zuko did not look happy to see her. Mai wondered if it had anything to do with the long trail of dirt Ty Lee's feet left on the ground. "What'cha doing?"
"Learning. It's really hard. But I'm a Prince and I'm seven and it's my duty so I have to," said Zuko. He said duty like it was the best thing the whole wide world; even better then cake or marbles or even fingernail polish. It didn't sound like much fun; but maybe Zuko just didn't know what marbles and fingernail polish were.
It made sense that Zuko was a prince; they always lived in palaces in the stories her Daddy told. Mai just thought a prince would be taller. And less angry looking. Mai didn't think it was right for a prince to be angry, unless it was the good angry that helped him save the world or whatever it was princes saved. Mai sometimes got the princes and warriors mixed up. But it still wasn't right. She peered over his shoulder at the scroll.
"I know the answers!" Mai smiled as big as she could. For a second Prince Zuko smiled too, but only for a second.
"Isn't that cheating?" asked Prince Zuko, covering his scroll. Mai nodded her head no. Cheating was when you tripped someone in a race and made them cry. Cheating was when you took two turns instead of one. Telling Zuko the answers wasn't cheating; she was helping him not hurting him. And it didn't affect her any and cheating always did. But Mai could tell Zuko wouldn't believe her and he wasn't waiting for an answer. He was a meany face. Princes shouldn't be meany faces.
"Have you seen Azula?" asked Ty Lee. Zuko ignored her. Even Mai knew it was a bad idea to ignore Ty Lee because she'd probably go off and do something wild and silly. It sort of made Mai want to ignore her, just to see what would happen.
"She's right here," called Azula. Mai turned. Azula was a little smaller then she was but a lot bigger too. She marched down the hallway, bringing a long cape behind her. Ty Lee ran over and gave her a big hug. Azula looked like she didn't like to be hugged, but she let Ty Lee hug her anyway. She looked at Mai like she was a really big bug. "I'm Princess Azula of the Fire Nation."
"This is Mai, Azula! She's smart. She knows lots a big words," explained Ty Lee as she bounced up and down over and over again. She made Mai dizzy. "She's our new best friend!"
"Nice to meet you," said Azula.
"Isn't that cousin Lu Ten's cloak? You stole it!" Zuko gave her a nasty look.
" I didn't steal it dumb dumb. I borrowed it." Azula folded her arms and leaned over Zuko's scroll. "You're still working on that? I finished a million zillion ages ago."
"Be quiet Azula, I'm not listening to you," Zuko covered his ears with his hands. "You always lie."
"No I don't," sighed Azula. But Mai could tell she was lying. She was really good at it too; Mai wondered if she did it a lot. Mai didn't like lying, she always got caught and then her parents called her a Bad Girl and made her sit in the boring old corner. But Azula would never be put in the corner, 'cause Azula would never be caught.
"I lie. Except it's the good kind where your parents make you lie still," Ty Lee laid down on the floor to explain it.
Everyone laughed, except Zuko. The three girls just giggled and giggled and giggled until Mai's stomach hurt.
Even though Mai had been alive for six whole years it felt like a first day. The first day of something new and big and shiny.
Mai didn't know what.
She would just have to wait and see.
She couldn't help it really. It wasn't her fault that her parents had decided to move to court, even though they had lived in the countryside her whole six years of life. They hadn't listened either when she was good and promised to water the flowers and mop the floors, and clean up her room if she didn't have to leave. Her parents weren't very good listeners. And it hadn't mattered anyway that she hadn't cleaned her room because instead the servants packed it into boxes and took all her toys away.
Her parents had all sorts of silly reasons for coming. Jingly coins that already bulged in Daddy's big pockets and bigger status, whatever that was, they made Mommy so happy she danced around the boxes. Mai didn't see the point in coins, she always lost them and then Daddy got angry with her. Status sounded like a silly thing too, if you couldn't poke it and play with it why bother? Her parents said she would understand when she was older, but she couldn't wait that long they were moving right now.
So Mai cried instead. She cried in the carriage ride there that took too long and made her sleep funny. She cried when they got there, it was too big, it was too noisy, her room was too small, and the floor didn't feel right on her feet. So there she sat, on the floor, crying. Mommy and Daddy tried to tell her it was all right, but they were lying. They didn't know things would be all right. They hoped things would be all right, which wasn't the same thing. Hope wasn't real. Mai couldn't hold hope and keep it in her pocket, or clutch it next to her on a stormy night when the whole house shook.
There was a small eager little knock on the door. Mai didn't care anyway because she hated the door. She hated everything that was here in this place. She even hated the cake her Mommy had tried to give her and the toys they had started to unpack, because they weren't at home with her.
At first Mai didn't notice the girl quietly come inside. She didn't do anything, even though you could tell she wanted to, she just sat down next to Mai. She tilted her head sideways and looked at Mai oddly. Mai just cried, even though she sort of wanted to talk to this funny girl. The girl had on a pretty pink dress that was all wrinkled like she slept in it, with pretty braids that were already really long, and pretty feet since she didn't wear any shoes.
"I can stand on my head," said the girl. Mai stopped crying.
"No you can't. Nobody can stand on their head," Mai rolled her eyes the way she saw her Mommy do once. "It's aerodynamically impossible."
The girl didn't argue with her, probably because she didn't know what aerodynamically impossible meant. Mai didn't know either except it was the reason why she couldn't fly off the roof. Even though it was aerodynamically impossible the girl stood on her head anyway. She seemed really happy. Mai couldn't see her face anymore because her dress had fallen over it but her feet looked very happy. And dirty too but Mai didn't mind because this girl was nice.
"My name's Ty Lee," smiled the girl as she tumbled down. "I'm six."
"I'm Mai."
"Hi Mai!" now Ty Lee was really bouncy, glad to get all that crying out of the way. She grabbed Mai's hand, waved good-bye to Mai's mom, and raced out the hall and down the courtyard towards the biggest house Mai had ever seen. Mai's mom waved as they left. Mai thought Mommy should be more worried, but she wasn't.
"Where are we going?" shouted Mai. She like to know where she was going and what she was doing at all times so she didn't accidentally do anything wrong. It was too easy to be wrong and no one believed her when she said she wanted to be right. She didn't have the right words.
"Azula's house! It's nice there. They have pretty pictures and turtle ducks. But you have to be nice to Azula or else she says she'll throw you in the dungeon. I don't believe her though."
Mai wasn't sure she wanted to meet anyone who would throw her into a dungeon. "Do we have to?"
It didn't matter anyway because they were already inside. It was really warm and red inside, with big ceilings and fancy floors. It hurt Mai's eyes. She didn't see any turtle ducks.
"First we have to find her," Ty Lee scratched her head. "That's the hard part."
The house, Ty Lee said it was a palace, was too big. They walked and walked forever and they still didn't see anyone but a few guards here and there. Ty Lee liked to wave at them. The guards didn't like to wave back, but Ty Lee waved anyway. Sometimes she would sit down and wave with her foot, which only made the search longer.
After a million years they finally found a person. He didn't look like much fun though. His face was all bunched up like a prune. He looked at the scroll in front of him like it was the most impossible thing the world, but he was going to do it anyway.
"Hi Zuko!" chirped Ty Lee. Zuko did not look happy to see her. Mai wondered if it had anything to do with the long trail of dirt Ty Lee's feet left on the ground. "What'cha doing?"
"Learning. It's really hard. But I'm a Prince and I'm seven and it's my duty so I have to," said Zuko. He said duty like it was the best thing the whole wide world; even better then cake or marbles or even fingernail polish. It didn't sound like much fun; but maybe Zuko just didn't know what marbles and fingernail polish were.
It made sense that Zuko was a prince; they always lived in palaces in the stories her Daddy told. Mai just thought a prince would be taller. And less angry looking. Mai didn't think it was right for a prince to be angry, unless it was the good angry that helped him save the world or whatever it was princes saved. Mai sometimes got the princes and warriors mixed up. But it still wasn't right. She peered over his shoulder at the scroll.
"I know the answers!" Mai smiled as big as she could. For a second Prince Zuko smiled too, but only for a second.
"Isn't that cheating?" asked Prince Zuko, covering his scroll. Mai nodded her head no. Cheating was when you tripped someone in a race and made them cry. Cheating was when you took two turns instead of one. Telling Zuko the answers wasn't cheating; she was helping him not hurting him. And it didn't affect her any and cheating always did. But Mai could tell Zuko wouldn't believe her and he wasn't waiting for an answer. He was a meany face. Princes shouldn't be meany faces.
"Have you seen Azula?" asked Ty Lee. Zuko ignored her. Even Mai knew it was a bad idea to ignore Ty Lee because she'd probably go off and do something wild and silly. It sort of made Mai want to ignore her, just to see what would happen.
"She's right here," called Azula. Mai turned. Azula was a little smaller then she was but a lot bigger too. She marched down the hallway, bringing a long cape behind her. Ty Lee ran over and gave her a big hug. Azula looked like she didn't like to be hugged, but she let Ty Lee hug her anyway. She looked at Mai like she was a really big bug. "I'm Princess Azula of the Fire Nation."
"This is Mai, Azula! She's smart. She knows lots a big words," explained Ty Lee as she bounced up and down over and over again. She made Mai dizzy. "She's our new best friend!"
"Nice to meet you," said Azula.
"Isn't that cousin Lu Ten's cloak? You stole it!" Zuko gave her a nasty look.
" I didn't steal it dumb dumb. I borrowed it." Azula folded her arms and leaned over Zuko's scroll. "You're still working on that? I finished a million zillion ages ago."
"Be quiet Azula, I'm not listening to you," Zuko covered his ears with his hands. "You always lie."
"No I don't," sighed Azula. But Mai could tell she was lying. She was really good at it too; Mai wondered if she did it a lot. Mai didn't like lying, she always got caught and then her parents called her a Bad Girl and made her sit in the boring old corner. But Azula would never be put in the corner, 'cause Azula would never be caught.
"I lie. Except it's the good kind where your parents make you lie still," Ty Lee laid down on the floor to explain it.
Everyone laughed, except Zuko. The three girls just giggled and giggled and giggled until Mai's stomach hurt.
Even though Mai had been alive for six whole years it felt like a first day. The first day of something new and big and shiny.
Mai didn't know what.
She would just have to wait and see.
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