Chapter One
Date: October 14th, 2009
Time: 11:30
Place: Pura Residence
"Katara is that you?" the woman's old raspy voice called out from the living room.
Katara winced. She had hoped she could sneak in without her Gran Gran hearing her but it was practically impossible with the blasted front door moaning and groaning even when you shut it as gently as was humanly possible
"Yes, Gran Gran it's me." Katara tried to quickly run up the stairs hoping to bypass a long discussion with her grandmother but it was to no avail. She was cutoff right at the stairs. For an eighty year old woman she sure could move fast when she wanted.
"Katara you know how I feel about you coming home so late. It isn't safe." Her grandmother chastised with a solemn shake of her silver head.
"Gran Gran we talked about this before. On Wednesday nights I have tutoring at the library and then I study. And it's only eleven thirty, plenty of almost eighteen year olds stay out later than that for a lot worse things-"
"I don't care what other "almost eighteen year olds" are doing, Katara. You are my granddaughter and I am you and your brother's guardian while your father is deployed. How would I be able to live with myself or face your father if something happened to you? The streets are dangerous especially for beautiful young girls." She asked intensely as she grabbed her hand in a surprisingly strong grip.
Katara fought to not roll her eyes. It was the same argument used every time they had a discussion about curfew and her reasoning behind wanting her home before ten. Instead of getting an attitude about still being babied unlike her older brother Sokka, who could and would stay out with his girlfriend Suki until the wee hours of the night/morning, she decided to try another approach.
"Gran Gran I know you worry about me being out late at night alone but I'm not a little girl. I can take care of myself. You know dad made me take self-defense courses and martial arts…ever since mom..." She swallowed past the unexpected lump in her throat as she thought of her deceased mother. With a mental shake to stop any morbid or depressing thoughts from taking root she continued, "Plus the library is in a perfectly respectable part of town. It's not like I'm going to the docks to hang out."
"Yes, yes I know all that but I still don't want you out so late, honey. Maybe you could cancel those tutoring sessions?" She asked hopefully.
"No Gran Gran I can't. I get a lot of money from tutoring and it looks great on my college applications." Katara took a deep, longsuffering breath and tried to find some way for them to compromise. "How about this Gran Gran, what if I work something out with Sokka and have him pick me up once I'm done tutoring? Would that make you feel better?" Katara internally cringed to think of how much wrangling and pleading she was going to have to do to get Sokka to agree to pick her up.
"Yes, that would make me rest easier knowing you aren't taking the bus." Her grandmother smiled, squeezed her hand, and reached up to place a kiss on her cheek. Katara smiled and did not correct her in saying that she didn't ride the bus but walked most nights instead.
"Come on lets watch that new episode of the 'Bachelor' I recorded from the other night. That guy is such a hunk!" Gran Gran exclaimed with a girlish gleam in her eye. She was truly young at heart.
"Ah, I can't Gran Gran. I have a huge project due by Friday I'm working on for my AP history class and I have a test in Chemistry tomorrow." Katara explained with a sad shake of her head as she began to climb the stairs.
"Well then I will go to bed. We can watch it together another time." A smile lightly touched Katara's lips and she quickly descended the steps to give her Gran Gran a kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks for understanding Gran Gran! Love ya."
"Goodnight darling. Don't stay up too late. School is important but your health is a priority." Her grandmother said as she shuffled in her slippers to the doorway of her bedroom.
"Yes Gran Gran. I won't stay up for long. 'Night!" Katara called down half way up the stairs that creaked almost as loudly as the door.
She quickly walked to her bedroom, flung open and door and lifted the hefty messenger bag from her shoulder. The bag fell to the floor with a large thud. With a moan she rotated her neck and shoulders. "I'm going to need a chiropractor before this is said and done." She muttered to herself as she grabbed the long night shirt she always slept in while her dad was gone. It was one of her father's shirts which meant it engulfed her small frame. She inhaled deeply and sighed. Even after two and half months she could still smell the spicy scent that belonged to her dad.
With a flop she fell to her bed as exhaustion began to weigh in on her. I need to study for my chem test tomorrow. She thought even as her eyes began to slide close. Maybe I can just take a twenty minute cat nap and then study. Ha, yeah right like that would happen. With a grumble and sigh she pushed herself up onto her elbows. Katara reached to grab her phone to check the time the exact moment it started to buzz.
She stared at the screen for a moment in puzzlement. Unknown number, huh I wonder who this could be… "Hello?" She asked quietly hoping Gran Gran wouldn't hear her. She had made a rule about no phone calls after eleven on school nights.
"Hey Katara, this is Jet from school. I got your phone number from the school directory." A strong confident voice resonated from the phone. Katara moved the phone away from her ear to stare at the screen that told her she was not dreaming before hastily lifting it back.
"H-Hi Jet." She squeaked out as her voice went up to an unnatural octave. Heat flooded to her face in embarrassment as she sat straight up on the bed her hand covered her mouth to stifle a moan. Jet Le and she both attended Avatar Academy and though the school had over five hundred students in the high school alone they had always been in each other's classes. Jet was the captain of the Lacrosse team and the Junior Class President…he was also the object of her secret affection and fanciful daydreams since freshman year.
"-have you been able to make any sense of it?"
With a grimace she realized she had gotten lost in her thoughts and that he was talking. "Um Jet, sorry I kind of zoned out for a second. Make sense of what?" She slapped a hand to her face as another rush of embarrassment hit her.
"Ha ha, no problem I know it's late your probably about to go to bed. I was just checking to see if you had done the assignment Professor Iroh gave us in Medieval Lit today? I've been trying to make sense of it but no dice. I know you have an A in the class so I was hoping you could help a brother out. I've been really struggling with that class." There was a smiling lilt to his upbeat and easygoing voice.
"Um-Uh, the medieval lit assignment? I actually just scanned over it but haven't started yet." She dumbly stated still in too much shock to form a coherent sentence.
"Oh okay. Well I thought I'd I would just check and see since you always seem so on top of things. I just keep looking at the directions and thinking I'm so screwed. It sucks that it's thirty percent of our grade." Another chuckle sounded and she forced her brain to work and not turn into mush at the glorious sound that was given just for her benefit.
"I'm sorry. I've been super busy and I actually just got home from tutoring since six. But hey the assignment isn't due until next Tuesday so you have time… if that makes you feel any better."
"Yeah it would except we have a Lacrosse Tournament from Saturday to Monday so I won't have time to really do it."
With a gulp she gathered her courage, "I- I could take a look at it with you tomorrow during study hall if you like? Try to give you some direction- if you like I mean."
It was silent on the other end as her heart seemed to beat out of her chest. "Ah really Katara, that would be great. Thank you so much! I really really appreciated it. Okay I'll see you tomorrow at school. Thanks again. G'night. Sweet dreams." And with that the call was disconnected.
"Sweet dreams to you to." She said dreamily into the phone even though he had already hung up.
Jet Le just called me. Jet Le initiated a conversation with me. He asked from my help! We have a study date tomorrow! Oh. My. GOSH!
She repressed the squeal of delight trying to burst forth from her throat knowing that Gran Gran was sure to be asleep by now. With a new surge of energy she stood up and ran to her closet to pick out her outfit for school the next day. She grabbed for the new sweater that Toph her school mentoree had insisted she buy when they went shopping the previous week. It was grey but with gold sequined elbow patches. She grabbed a burgundy colored infinity scarf that paired well with it and contemplated on which shoes to wear. After deliberating between her light brown short boots and her long buckled black boots she finally decided on the latter.
With a contented sigh she set her collection on top of her dresser and grabbed for her bag that encased her chemistry book. She let out a long groan after checking the time. 12:13 already? Okay 45 minutes of studying and then off to bed I go.
She settled into her round egg chair and opened her textbook. It took her a few minutes to reign in her thoughts and concentrate on the study guide for her chemistry test and not on her prospective study date with Jet. With a mental will she always prided herself for she finally zoned in on the task at hand. Daydreaming about Jet would have to wait.
Time: 12:15
Place: Lord Mansion
A loud knock sounded on the oak door. "What!?" Zuko yelled out more than slightly annoyed from his kings sized bed that didn't even take up a fifth of the large ornate room filled with all the newest technology, a game center with plasma screen TV and a miniature fridge with sitting area. All he wanted was to be left alone to his music which he silenced from his iPhone. The door flung open with a bang as it hit the wall.
"Dad's going to kill you." His little sister said in a singsong voice as she sashayed in the room as if it was her own.
"What do you want Azula?" He asked through clenched teeth not even bothering to look up from the ceiling.
"Dad just got home and he saw your report card. My my, Zuzu! A C in practically every subject and even a F." She tsked at him while shaking her head.
"How did he get my report card Azula?!" He asked his eyes snapping to hers as he slowly closed the chemistry book.
"What? Is it my fault you left it out in the open?" She sneered at him as she twirled a lock of her hair around her long slender fingers.
"It was on my nightstand. What were you doing in my room?" He asked launching himself towards her, his anger boiling over.
"Zuko stop this instant. Azula leave us. I need to speak with Zuko alone." His father said ominously from the open doorway.
The moment he heard his father's quiet and threatening voice his back snapped straight and a cold chill ran down his spine. Zuko clasped his hands together and looked down at his feet as the tension mounted in the agonizing silence.
"Explain something to me Zuko. How can someone who has all the potential to be something great, has unlimited resources at their fingertips, has a father who is a CEO of a fortune 500 company and a sister who excels at everything she sets her mind to- tell me how does someone like that get a report card like this?" He asked tossing the offense piece of paper on the ground by his feet with a scowl.
"I have no explanation for it. School doesn't interest me." Even as he said the words he readied himself for a verbal lashing which in his opinion were worse than the physical ones he received when his father made him spar with him as punishment.
"That answer is not acceptable. The son of Ozai Lord does not get F's or D's or C's, or even B's. The son of Ozai Lord gets A's in every subject regardless if he finds interest in them or not. You will run the business one day but to do that you have to go to a prestigious business college. If you aren't able to do that I don't see the use of keeping you around." Ozai raked him with a displeased look before turning to leave the room.
Zuko fought to not say anything and in reality he was surprised his father didn't say something more soul crushing or threatening. Maybe he was having an off day?
"Raise your grades by next term or you're disowned at graduation."
Ah, there it was, the threatening.
"Leave it to you Zuko be more disappointing than even your mother."
Ah, and there was the soul crushing.
"Meet me in the basement five am in the sparring arena. See if you learned anything from last time."
And there was the physical punishment.
"Yes, sir." Zuko muttered as he gently shut the door behind his father. He rested his head on the cool wood as he fought back the resentment that flared up every time his father spoke to him which only happened when he was displeased with something he did.
How he wished it would all just end. Though he had everything any eighteen year old boy could want he just wanted to put an end to his purposeless existence. Ever since his mother disappeared five months ago at the five months ago his drive to do anything meaningful was destroyed. He was devastated by her not being in his life. What was worse was that she chose to leave. He could recall by memory the exact words in the letter that she had left on the kitchen counter. With distinct clarity he remembered the tight feeling in his chest that tightened further with every word he read that horrible June morning.
That tight feeling and slowly dissipated until he had become completely numb to everything. Zuko figured it was his way of coping but it stole the joy of everything life had to offer. He used to be a straight A student, used to be the MVP and Captain of the Soccer team, heck he had even started the martial arts club at Avatar Academy his Sophomore year. He used to be popular. Girls thought he was hot and wanted nothing more than be his next fling. But with the dawn of senior year everything was different.
Barely anyone recognized him and when they did the first thing they asked about with frowns of concern was his face. The 'accident' had happened not long after his mom had left. He and his father had gotten into an argument about how his father was the reason his mom had walked out on them all and it had escalated to a physical confrontation which had ended with him bruised and bleeding on the floor.
His face had been severely swollen and bruised and while the swelling had gone down the bruising never quite went away. It was red from his cheekbone up to his hairline on the left side of his face and his left eye was shut slightly more than the right eye just enough to make it obvious there was something wrong.
His father had offered to fix the 'accident' through plastic surgery or some other such thing but he had firmly refused. He liked the reminder his face was to him every time he looked in the mirror. A reminder that his father, underneath the Armani suit and tie and the perfectly polished dress shoes, was a monster.
At school it hadn't taken him long to destroy what real friendships he had. Now Zuko was a self-induced recluse. The guy no one wanted to be around due to his fiery temper that would flare up over the most mundane and stupid things. He had started fighting and skipping class which was a reason for his dismal grades.
How could he go on as if everything was normal like his father and Azula had when his mom had left them- abandoned them. Perhaps they didn't care about her as much as he did. Whatever the reason he resented them both.
Zuko let out a frustrated grunt as he slammed his fist against the solid wood door. Pain radiated up his arm but it hardly registered in his mind. He hated this. He hated everything about everything. It was if a constant fire raged inside his soul and he had no idea how to even begin to think of extinguishing it. If he tried he feared he would be burned beyond repair.
With heavy shoulders he went over to his desk and logged onto the school website. In search for what, he didn't know. But his father's threat soon came back to him. Ah yes got to raise those grades or be disowned by the lord and master. Ha! Like I give a damn. However, though he did not care if he was disowned by his father when he had received his report card something had stirred inside him.
His mom had always encouraged him to do his best in everything but especially in academics. Other than his uncle Iroh who actually worked at the school, his mother was probably the most intelligent person he knew. He seldom ever saw her without some book in her hand the genres ranged from physics and philosophy to Nicholas Sparks and J.K. Rowling. That was one of the things she had instilled in him- a love of reading. Anime and science fiction were his genres of choice but he followed her example and read anything that interested him. That was before she had left.
Since that dreaded day he had not read a single book. Which was quite the change since he had been known to read a book a week just for fun in addition to his already busy schedule. Ever since she had left his uncle had tried to draw him out and the father figure to him that his own father was too busy to fulfil.
Zuko had been mindlessly looking at all the pictures and updates about school events on the webpage. The mouse froze over an article praising students that had collected money to clean up the one of the 'less fortunate' parks downtown. Why it caught his attention he had no idea but he clicked on it. He skimmed over the article but paused when it ended with a photograph of the student who had headed the effort.
What happened next he could not describe even if he tried. As he looked at the picture of the girl who looked to be around his age his chest got tight and a strange feeling started in the pit of stomach. The girl had an almost flawless light brown complexion and she had beautiful blue eyes that sparkled as she smiled candidly while painting graffiti off the walls. He couldn't take his eyes off the screen even though the feeling of discomfort grew every second he kept looking at the picture.
Katara Pura, Junior at Avatar Academy, helps lead first step for downtown city renovation. It read in italics below the photograph.
His face scrunched in a frown as he tried to decipher exactly what he was feeling. Normally he didn't even take the time but tonight seemed to be a night for internal contemplation and soul searching. Suddenly, it dawned on him why he was feeling such discomfort. She had what he so wished for- purpose, drive, and meaning. It was palpable even through a candid photograph.
As he continued to read about her and everything she was involved in at the school he wondered how he had never seen her around. The article stated that she was in the honors program and was taking several AP classes. She volunteered at the soup kitchen downtown. She was even member of the mentorship program at the school. His heart seemed to stop when he read that she also tutored.
A feeling of extreme need to get to know her settled firmly in his gut. With shaking hands his typed her name into the search bar and several other articles popped up. God she's like Mother Teresa. He thought sardonically. But even as he internally mocked her something prodded him to read every single article about her.
Before he knew it, it was one thirty his eyes were beginning to burn from staring at the screen and he had successful achieved a new level of stalker. What is wrong with me? What is it about this girl that is causing me to act this way? I must be losing my blasted mind. He thought cruelly as he slammed his laptop shut with a bang.
He continued his internal upbraiding while he went into his bathroom and brushed his teeth with vehemence. He frowned at his image in the mirror even as he contemplated what course of action to take. He could contact her through email and ask about tutoring but then his pride reared up.
He didn't need her help to raise his grades. He could do that on his own if he really wanted to. He was an intelligent guy. But then if he didn't ask for her help through tutoring there was no reason for him to talk to her.
With a slam of his hand against the granite countertop he resolutely put an end to all his thoughts. What the hell is wrong with you? Huh? You don't need to meet her. You're are fine without her. I don't need anyone. I'm fine by myself. I'm fine.
With that final thought he shut off the lights in the bathroom and in his bedroom before crawling into bed. He didn't need her. He didn't need anyone. All he needed was to rely on himself. That way he could never be let down again.
END CHAPTER ONE
