Motorcycle- Day 3
(noun); a two-wheeled vehicle that is powered by a motor and has no pedals.
Katara's P.O.V.
Ember Island. Zuko had always invited the gang to Ember Island every summer after the war. Between meetings and rebuilding the world there was always someone who couldn't go. Toph had her earth benders at her metal bending academy. While Sokka become councilman of Republic City, while Aang and Zuko built it. Then there was me who was slowing rebuilding the Southern and Northern Water Tribes. It was pure luck that in past 5 years the gang would finally see each other again; nothing excited me more.
We did all the stereotype vacation things friends would normally converse in. We started at the beach and worked our way into town. One night Sokka came back from town with Suki and rolled out an Ember Island Players poster.
"Guys you won't believe what Suki and I found." Of course out of all the plays the Ember Island Players rehearsed was 'The Boy in the Iceberg'.
We all rolled our eyes and sighed but not as much as Aang himself. "Oh come on guys! It's been years since the last time we saw it. Maybe they changed the story since we beat 'loser lord'."
Somehow they managed to butcher the play even more than the last time.
Zuko spilt from us once the play was over. Once back at the house the rest of us all settled in re-telling stories of our adventures. Aang so irritated about the play he vented to Sokka about how he wasn't a woman. Sokka thought of the glorious plan to talking Zuko into banning the production of ever playing again.
"Zuko is Firelord now. He could save a lot of people from seeing that catastrophe."
With a pent-up of nostalgic emotions I leave the house to get a breath of fresh air. Inside I hear Sokka re-telling the story when he insisted he had a wart on his throatal flap when Aang gave us the frozen frogs. I smiled while I listened to everyone laugh inside. Still smiling I look down the road expecting to see Zuko walking back. When I didn't see him I walked down the road a little hoping to hide and scare him for being so late. Right as I was about to hide a light appeared at the end of the street approaching quickly along with the sound of a low rumble from a motor. The light blinded me and I screamed. The light stopped feet in front of me. It was the laugh of Zuko that brought me back.
"Look what I found." Zuko pulled up beside me hitting the gas. He sat forward and tapped his hand on the seat.
"A motorbike?"
"Motorcycle," He corrected "hop on."
"Are you nuts? These are dangerous and not to mention you almost ran me over!" I eyed him suspiciously. From what I knew Zuko never had a motorcycle. "Where did you get one?"
"Katara, it's a motorcycle. A brand new model straight out of the factory," Somehow I didn't doubt that. "I bet the water tribes don't even have motorcycles yet."
"No they don't."
"Who can say they rode a motorcycle with the Fire Lord? Nobody." Zuko tapped the gas again raising his eyebrows. "I bet you're just scared." I immediately closed the distance between the motorcycle and stepped on.
"If you think I'm scared you're mistaken." I lied, I was. "Just to let you know, Sokka will kill both of us if he finds out I rode one of these."
"I never planned on letting him know."
"Where are we going?" Zuko turned his head with a crazy look in his eye. I was regretting my decision. This time when he hit the gas the motorcycle moved ahead. I inhaled out of surprise as he bolted forward. Instinctively I wrapped my arms around his waist. I dug my knees into his calves and buried my face behind his back.
"How fast are you going?"
"A little over." So of course he sped up.
We approached town and Zuko ran through the streets. Each time we turned a corner I flinched expecting to crash. We approached another turn and prayed that it would be the last corner. Apparently I should have prayed for no cabbage merchants with a cart full of cabbages to be crossing the street at that very moment.
Losing control, Zuko drove right into the cabbage cart sending pieces of cabbage everywhere.
"My cabbages!"
I particularly landed on Zuko with a soft landing. Unlike me, Zuko had landed on pieces of cabbage.
"errp"
"What?"
"Gert erp." Zuko lifted his head from underneath the pile of destroyed cabbages. With a growing black-eyed he spat out a mouthful of cabbage. "Get up, you're on me!"
"MY CABBAGES!"
"I'm so-" I started.
"Every place I go is worse than the last!" In defeat the man dropped to his knees collecting his plant using the cabbage leaves as tissues. He silently grumbled to himself making me question his sanity. "Ba Sing Se...Omashu… Ember Island…." Then as if nothing could get any worse police came running toward us.
"Stop right there!"
"Zuko it's the police!" I picked Zuko up from the arm. In our attempt at escaping he slid on a head of cabbage. "I have the half of mind of leaving you, the Firelord, here to explain yourself if you don't get a move on!" Zuko snapped into reality. We kept running until we lost the police down the road where I first found Zuko.
"I can't believe I totaled the motorcycle."
"Pff, I can't believe I got on the motorcycle. Now I can tell all the Water Tribe how great the Firelord can ride a motorcycle." I passed as facetiously. "Actually you're right. Nobody should ever say they rode a motorcycle with the Firelord."
Zuko slowed his pace always keeping two steps behind me. "You're impossible."
Once we walked in the house everyone stopped laughing. Tension filled the room so fast it was like we were the butt of a bad joke. I was waiting for the crickets to start chirping and tumble weeds to cross the room. It was Aang who finally broke the awkwardness.
"Uh, I'm not sure I want to ask."
"I'm not sure if I want to explain." I said.
"Was there a sale on cabbages? I didn't know Zuko like cabbages." Sokka pointed out the pieces of cabbage in Zuko's hair.
Zuko pouted his lip out. "I don't." Zuko crossed the room shaking the cabbage out of his hair. Momo followed him stuffing his mouth with fallen cabbage. Zuko exited the room. It was silent all for about five seconds when I heard a door slam.
Unable to take the confused stares from Aang, Toph, Suki, and Sokka I slowly shuffled down the hall. "I'll be riiight back." Once out of sight I ran toward Zuko's door; I silently knocked. No answer. Uninterested in being ignored I open the door stepping inside. Zuko was lying on his bed with Momo.
"You need to work on not sulking." Zuko put on the biggest frown he could. "I did have fun. Uh, thanks for the ride…" I replayed the events of the cabbage cart. I covered my mouth trying to cover up my chortling. "cabbage boy." Zuko scowled but underneath he hid a light blush. He through his pillow at me making me burst into laughter.
"Don't call me that!" The corners of his scowl lifted up slightly. I jumped on end of his bed.
"What, you didn't have fun too, cabbage boy?" I reached over to Zuko lifting his scowl up into a ridiculous smile with my hands. This time he joined in on my laughter.
"Alright, I had fun too, cabbage girl."
This definitely was a story worth telling next Ember Island visit.
