He squeezed his eyes shut. In attempt to block out the murmurs surrounding him, he focused his concentration on the ticking of the clock above him. He only had 38 more seconds.

'Slow, deep breaths…You can do this...' he chanted to himself.

When he decided it was time to face reality again, the clock struck 5 o'clock.

Zuko didn't hesitate to toss off his apron and leave his post at the counter. He dashed to the back storeroom to snag his hoodie and signal his uncle that his shift was over. Before his Uncle could even respond, Zuko had already escaped through the back door.

He decided against taking the bus home and assumed it would be best to let off steam by walking home. It was still fall and he might as well enjoy the weather before it got too cold. He popped in his earphones while shuffling through his music player looking for the perfect song to relish his anger in, all while making sure his feet would crunch on every fallen leaf in his path.

He should have asked for the week off from work. He even tried playing sick this morning but nothing gets past his uncle. Plus Zuko was a bad liar, and an even worse actor.

Zuko didn't technically hate his job. Yes, the place would get disgustingly packed, but what else did anyone expect from a caffeine junkie's paradise? His uncle's passion had always been tea, but he had been strategic when he opened his shop and serve coffee as well. His uncle basically monopolized the tea and coffee business and even offered smoothies for those who couldn't handle a caffeine addiction. The place was always busy, but that meant the tips were always plentiful. Zuko couldn't quite complain.

So what was it that left Zuko so irritated he was ready to tear off his hair? Sadie Hawkins was this Friday. Basically, it was some stupid tradition where girls asked guys to a school dance and Zuko found the whole ordeal idiotic. It wasn't as if girls weren't already asking guys to prom and homecoming, so why have another dance centered on the stupid ritual? And where was his school getting the money to host all these dances anyway?

Since the flyers had been spread around the school walls, girls had been flooding his uncle's teashop. There were the girls who came in packs; they'd giggle and gawk at him while trying to make small talk (even though there was a line of customers behind them!) Then there where the other girls who'd come in by themselves and sit alone (some of them wouldn't even order anything!) They'd either try to seduce him with flirty notions or nervously twitch and shake at the mere sight at him. It was all mortifying, really. With every girl who asked him to the dance he'd just reply with a "No, thank you." Which sounded more and more awkward every time he muttered it. He seriously had no intention of going in the first place. Zuko would rather gnaw his arm off then spend his Friday night exchanging uncomfortable glances with some overly bubbly girl.

Zuko couldn't even comprehend what the appeal would be for having him as a date. He wasn't the smartest kid. His grades were average, maybe a 'B+' if he was naturally good at the subject, but he didn't bother applying himself either. Zuko tried being a jock. His dad would rant about his glory days as a tennis player and always pushed his kids to playing sports. Of course, Zuko's little sister was brilliant at every thing she played. Zuko on the other hand, well...sports really wasn't his life's calling. Not only was he a klutz, he also didn't play well with others. He might have instigated a huge fistfight within the football team during tryouts. That wasn't really his favorite memory to look back on, so we'll stop there. Overall he didn't have any special talents or interesting hobbies, just mostly kept to himself. Zuko was well aware he wasn't anything special.

He breathed the chill autumn air and let it settle in his lungs; his was mood was improving and he could see his house in view now. It was then he heard a crinkle and a snap in his left ear. His left earbud just broke. Seriously, when was the universe going to give him a break?

He made it to the front steps and let himself into the house. He raced up the stairs and flopped himself on his bed while allowing a muffled groan escape his mouth. It was then he noticed the fresh basket of clean laundry sitting in his room, courtesy of his uncle. With the way he abruptly flew out of the shop, then to come home and discover that his uncle did his chores for him, Zuko definitely deserved the biggest jerk award. Maybe he did take after his dad after all.

He never got along with his old man, and every time the shouting matches became unbearable Zuko would run off to his Uncle Iroh's. The first time he only stayed the night, eventually his visits would happen more frequently and Zuko's stays were longer. It came to a point where Zuko just ended making the move more permanent. His dad never came around to drag his butt home, and Iroh always made him feel more than welcomed. And this whole week Zuko had been more aggravated than usual and directed his anger towards his uncle, the only person who actually treated him like family.

Sure, Zuko left behind a pretty big room, but when he showed up at his uncle's with nothing but a couple of duffle bags, Iroh instantly knew. His uncle prepared a room for his nephew and told him they could paint it any colour he wanted. (red, of course.) And yeah, Zuko was bummed that he had to leave behind his kickass car his dad got him for his birthday, but his uncle fixed up his old Vespa and told Zuko he could "hang on to it." (Zuko felt the moped was a bit dorky, until uncle had him watch a few films with Gregory Peck driving one. Then the moped didn't look quite as lame.) Iroh had Zuko start working at his shop, if he wanted a car he could save for it. Uncle always had his nephew's best interest at heart, and how did Zuko repay him? This whole week Zuko had been more aggravated than usual and directed his anger towards his uncle, and all Iroh did was turn the other cheek.

'Great Zuko, you really do fail at everything…'

He sat up on his bed and began to rethink things. He pulled down his hood and ran his hand through his hair. He once kept it at a short crew-cut for the sake of his dad's approval, since he left home it had gotten longer as his hair now brushes past his eyes.

Zuko flopped back onto his bed, when had life trapped this like this? Here is his chance to start over and he was blowing it. He was digging his own grave; he began to conclude he was just a cycle of self-destruction. Then he heard it-

-CLACK-

"What the hell?!" He immediately jumped out of his bed when he heard something being thrown at his window. It again resumed-

-CLACK- -CLACK-

At this point he was furious. He opened his window expecting to throw the biggest slew of curses.

"What the f-"

He never got to finish his sentence.

There, sitting in the tree right across his window was a girl. Not just any girl, he's seen her before. When he saw her for the first time she was passing him by at school, he remembered the way her lips moved and her eyes closed. He caught her beginning a sentence, and he felt something in her voice, he was drawn to it.

She wasn't in any of his classes, he rarely saw her so she probably wasn't even in his grade. Yet the next time he saw her, her eyes met his. He'd never seen eyes so endlessly blue.

Zuko never had the guts to say anything to her. How does one even start a conversation with a complete stranger? He just walked a little slower every time they crossed paths in the hallway, on the off chance it ever did happen.

But now here she is, throwing rocks at his window.

"Hey!" She said to him as she brushed her hair behind her ear.

'Are you serious? You are just standing here like a freak. Say something, anything!'

"How did you know where I live?!"

'When I said anything, I didn't mean yell at her. You are just too smooth..'

"I live across the street; two houses down." She giggled at him and pointed behind her.

"Oh…"

"Yeah, well…I don't normally do this, but do you wanna hang at the school Friday night? We can start a food fight, make a clean getaway and catch a movie?"

Zuko stood there dumbfounded for a few moments. His mouth might have been hanging open. His voice was trapped in his throat and was having trouble responding.

"Or not…that's ok too. I'll see ya."

Her smile was gone and she was about to make her way down the tree.

"Hey! Wait! I'll go with you!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, sounds…fun."

She laughed. "So, got a name?"

"Oh yeah…right, my name…um, it's Zuko."

"Hey, Zuko. I'm Katara"

Katara was already possibly the coolest girl Zuko had ever met. He had no clue how she kept her cool when he was a sweating wreck.

"So Katara, I was thinking about going to get some food. Do you wanna go with me? I mean-to get food?"

She smiled brilliantly at him.

"Yeah, let's go!"

He couldn't help but respond with a smile of his own.

A/N- I kinda self-combusted and I'm slowly picking up the pieces. Writing isn't my strong point but its really therapeutic for me. I have this story as "complete" but I'm liking this AU I've set up. I'm open to one-shot ideas for this AU, so send me some and let's conspire.

Avatar belongs to Bryke and Endless Blue and Changing the Rain belongs to the Horrors.