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Ty Lee bounces on her toes, waving her pom pom. It flutters in the breeze, the metallic plastic sparkling in the sun.
She smiles just as brightly, cheering on a football game she could care less about.
Her eyes scan the group of students in front of her, the marching band. Anyone would think that the group of football players behind her would pique her interest, but no, she is already seeking someone out.
His name is Haru, he plays the set of drums that she doesn’t know the official name of, but he carries it easily as if it weighs nothing.
He caught her eye at the beginning of the season. He’s tall and muscley, but not musclely like a football player or a bodybuilder, but someone who lifts heavy things and isn’t afraid to be physical. His bright green eyes and white smile contrast wonderfully with his tan skin.
She's said hi to him here and there when they were near each other, but this isn’t out of character for Ty Lee, who greets anyone that comes near her. She hasn’t gone beyond that though. For some reason, flirting, which usually comes naturally for her, doesn't come with him. Any smooth words or pick up lines die in her mouth, her tongue feels heavy. Even just being near him or seeing him is enough to make her blush. It's strange, she's never felt like this before.
Even stranger is that, he's not her usual type. He's not slender with charming good looks. She thinks he's charming and good looking, but maybe not in a way that she's used to. His smile is what gets her time and time again. It's big and goofy and lopsided. He has a gap in between his front teeth. His hair is voluminous and unruly, even though he does his best to keep it contained in a bun. His black rimmed glasses make his green eyes stand out and the septum piercing in his nose is adorable. She would never guess that he was her type, but apparently he is.
Ty could tell he was a dork even though she hadn’t had a real conversation with him. He was obviously comfortable in the rigid marching band uniform, always talking and joking with someone. It was fun to watch him horse around with his fellow band members in between songs and then get scolded by a drum major.
She knows she could probably date someone more popular, from a better family, but she did that in high school. The thing about pretty boys, was that they were just that- pretty. They were so caught up in looks and social standing that they weren’t actually fun.
Haru looked like fun.
A shoulder bumps into Ty Lee’s and Hahn makes a gagging noise, “Please just fuck him already. The look on your face is nauseating.”
She elbows him back, “Oh shut up! Have you seen yourself drool after Sokka?”
Hahn shoots her a cocky grin, “Have you seen Sokka though? At least I can say I fuck him…”
Jin turns around her ponytail swishing as she does, “C’mon elevator, guys!”
One would think Hahn hadn’t heard her as he instead turns to Yue and asks, “Yuyu, how’s it going with Lu Ten?”
He did however move himself into formation.
“Can we talk about this later?” Yue asks exasperatedly as Jin moves over to spot.
Jin starts counting, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5…” The group all clap, pose and get ready.
“6,7,8” Ty Lee places her hands on Yue and Hahn’s shoulders. She feels Jin’s hands around her waist.
The counting starts again and the cheerleaders easily lift Ty Lee. She claps and waves, until she hears Jin announce, “Cradle!”
Ty Lee puts her arms to her sides as she falls. The other cheerleaders easily catch her. Ty Lee loved being a flyer and doing stunts in cheerleading. It felt so freeing to fly or tumble through the air, but it was reassuring that her friends were always there for her and make sure she didn't fall.
They disperse to their spots on the sidelines. They move into the next cheer and Ty Lee hopefully looks up in the stands full of members of the marching band.
The drum line is in the back, probably to avoid bothering the other band members.
Haru looks cute, a green headband tied to keep his unruly hair out of his face even though it’s put up in a bun. He’s smiling at something Jet has said. Lu Ten stands and the band members start getting ready. Haru slips into the straps that hold the drum set around his waist.
The horns start blaring and Ty Lee immediately recognizes Lil Nas X's Industry Baby. The horns are so loud she can’t really hear the drums as she starts the dance routine.
Her eyes always fall back to Haru as if he’s her spot during a pirouette.
Over months of observation, she’s noted the drum line itself is goofy. Haru and Jet are pounding away on rhythm, but also obnoxiously singing, “I told you long ago, on the road I got what you waitin for.”
The band sways side to side and it's impressive. Ty Lee moves easily, but she was just one petite person. It's another thing altogether to see Haru gyrate and sway with a drum kit hanging from his hips. The band moves as one, even though the drum line’s expressions and singing was probably earning them a dirty look from Lu Ten as he conducted the massive group.
The song ended and the band settled down for another break. Haru was guzzling water like he was on the football field instead of in the stands, but Ty Lee understood. She watched him get along easily with everyone and could feel the jealousy curl up inside of her.
She had no right to be jealous. It shouldn’t bother her that he was obviously joking around with Toph.
Sokka must have heard something, because he turned suddenly, his tuba almost decapitating everyone in his immediate vicinity.
This causes the drum line to laugh harder as they obviously give Sokka shit.
Ty Lee glances over at Hahn seeing him affectionately watch his boyfriend. She raises an eyebrow, “You gonna help him?”
Hahn shrugs as if there’s nothing he can do. His blue eyes cast to her mischievously. He asks, “Sokka said the band is having a chill set tonight.”
They do so every Saturday and Hahn invites her every time, but Ty Lee belongs at frat parties getting hit on by some guy with an inheritance and a sports car.
Hahn’s eyes narrow, “No bullshit excuses..”
Ty Lee huffs, “Well the Kappa Zeta formal is tonight! A few guys invited me. It would look awful if I didn’t go.”
Hahn’s bright blue eyes roll hard, “Yeah, yeah whatever.”
The game wraps up and Ty Lee doesn’t even look at the score.
-
Later that evening the sorority house is a buzz as it usually is on a Saturday night. Yue is standing at her closet in straight leg jeans and a white bra deciding on a top.
Ty Lee reaches around her and pulls out a long sleeved white crop top. Yue beams her thanks and continues getting ready.
Ty Lee turns to her own closet. She grabs any pink dress because no one she cares about will be at this dumb formal anyway.
She slips on a light pink shift dress that has pink feathers around the top and bottom hemlines. She slips on bedazzled pink heels and grabs a matching pink sequined bag.
Yue looks up from putting an earring in and gently asks, “Are you sure you don’t wanna come?”
“Of course silly! Some of us have to go to this formal or Kappa Zeta won’t partner with us on events anymore.”
Yue turns and carefully applies eyeliner, “There’s a 100 other girls that live in this house.”
A gaggle of giggling girls pass by their door as if to confirm this fact.
Ty Lee rolls her eyes, “But everyone will know if I’m missing.”
She isn’t bragging. It's just true.
Yue’s shoulders slump and Ty Lee could tell she had given up the argument until next week.
Her friend defeatedly replies, “Well just text me and let me know how things are going.”
“Will do!” Ty Lee bounces over, pecking her friend on the cheek and then heading down stairs.
A large group of girls are walking over to the party at the same time, so Ty Lee joins them. She easily starts up conversations as she compliments Ming’s shoes or Jin’s dress.
They were waiting to cross a street when Ty Lee hears Hahn shout, “Damn girl look at that ass!”
She looks up to see her friend in the front yard of a house with a group of people playing beer pong. Haru is standing nearby, which distracts Ty Lee. Haru is in a white Megan thee Stallion T-shirt, but the short sleeves show off traditional Earth Kingdom tattoos that she hadn't seen under his marching band uniform.
Jin squeezes Ty's hand and asks, "Ready?"
"Of course!" Ty Lee chirps, swinging her friend's hand as she tries to mentally shake off her thoughts.
They get to the frat house and it’s the same as it always is, if not a little more clean with a little less of a beer/pee smell to it.
The girls disperse and it isn’t long before a guy starts chatting Ty Lee up. She’s met him a few times, but can’t place his name.
He’s objectively good looking, but Ty Lee isn’t interested. She’s outright bored as he prattles on about his family's homes and yachts.
She pulls her phone out of the bust of her dress to see snap chats from Hahn and Yue, looking like they are actually having fun.
Ty Lee has completely forgotten she is in conversation with someone until he presses his hand into her hip and grounds out, “Hey I’m talking to you.”
She doesn’t bother glancing up from her phone, her inner mean girl coming out as she sniffs, “Well I’m done talking to you.”
She turns and walks away but feels his hand wrap around her arm, trying to pull her back and on instinct she tries to yank her arm out of his grip. He’s surprised by her strength, letting go only for her hand to continue its swing, hitting him in the nose. He stumbles back and the look he gives her is murderous.
It’s that look that reminds Ty Lee who he is- Chan, the fraternity president.
She takes this as her cue to evacuate immediately, but still smiles and greets people as she teeter totters in her heels and out the door as quickly as possible.
Ty Lee makes it outside and lets out a sigh of relief.
The relief is short-lived when she hears Jin ask, “Ty, are you okay?”
Ty Lee turns to see Jin sitting on the porch. She sits next to her sorority sister and feels trapped. She had been so close to leaving, but Ty Lee instead smiles and replies, “Yep! Just needed some fresh air.”
Jin replies as if ignoring Ty Lee’s comments, “Ty, you just don’t seem… I don’t know yourself lately. Like this-” she gestures to the frat house and the drunkards goofing off as they walk by, “doesn’t make you happy.”
Ty Lee blinks for a minute, surprised that Jin has read her so well. Her sorority sister continues on, “You should do things that make you happy. Don’t feel obligated to do things you don't want to. It's okay to have a life outside of the sorority or cheer.”
Ty Lee stays quiet for a minute letting it sink in. No one is forcing her to be here, but she knows it’s what’s expected of someone like her.
Azula had expectations of Ty Lee in high school and when she didn’t meet those expectations there were consequences.
Ty Lee gulps, remembering. Azula had acted like Ty Lee picking a different college to attend was the ultimate betrayal. Maybe it had been, but Ty Lee had wanted to break free. But what was she doing with her freedom?
Jin knocks her shoulder into Ty Lee’s. It feels good to have a friend support her. Ty Lee had been nervous to join a sorority, scared that it would be like the cattiness of her real sisters. But instead Yue and Jin were nothing but kind and accepting.
Ty turns to Jin and said, “There’s this chill set I want to go to. Will you come with me?”
Her sorority sister wraps her arm in Ty Lee’s and the two walk away from the frat house. They go back the way they came and Ty Lee leans in and whispers, even though there’s only drunk people around them, “So there’s this boy-”
Jin woos excitedly and the two giggle as they walk up to the house they had passed earlier.
Toph turns from the beer pong table and greets, “Hi Ty Pie! Jin!” Without turning back around, she slaps the ball Jet had flung away from the cups. As the two start yelling about house rules, the girls continue walking into the house.
Lu Ten and Sokka are on the couch playing Mario Kart. Ty Lee feels a cold drink pressed into her hand and pulls Smellerbee into a hug.
Jin sees Yue and flits off to go talk to her. Smellerbee and Ty show each other their nails as is their customary way of greeting.
"Did you do no chip or gel?" Ty Lee asks as she studies Smellerbee's black and purple nails.
A larger, tan unmanicured hand is put next to theirs and a guy asks, “What about my nails?”
Before she can stop herself Ty Lee asks in horror, “Do you bite your nails?”
She looks up to see Smellerbee and Haru laughing loudly. He holds his hand out and she shakes it. He’s still laughing as he introduces himself, “I’m Haru.”
“Ty Lee,” She beams up at him.