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Ch. 1
"Mom...Mom...Mom," a young girl wailed, as she sobbed hysterically. Flakes of ash swept softly onto her face, gently landing on the tears flowing fastly from her eyes. A large crash sounded, and the roof of a three story building collapsed into an angry mouth of flames. "Mom," the young girl screamed more hysterical than ever. She broke into a coughing fit as a cloud of smoke penetrated her lungs. Strange men came running towards her, shoving a mask over her face and surrounding her as if she were a prey cornered by its fierce predator. The girl, suddenly violently threw the mask off, and tried to run screaming through the wall holding her in. Instead of backing away, the wall moved in closer, consuming her until her head began spinning fast from nauseation. A burning sensation filled her stomach and throat. She stumbled, but the wall of predators held her tightly in. The acid building in her stomach came into her throat like a tidal wave crashing onto a sandy beach. Now, a woman broke through the circle. The circle the girl had tried so fruitlessly to escape. Grabbing the girl gently by the arm, the woman pulled her toward a wailing car. "It's okay Katara," she soothed, "Everything is fine." All of a sudden, fierce shouts broke out and the girl turned as quickly as her aching body would allow her to find a body bruised, scarred, and burning red, almost inhuman being carried on a stretcher out of the dilapidated building.
Suddenly, I woke. Beads of cold sweat trickled down my forehead and off my nose. The single sheet I sleep on lay twisted and warped at the end of the bed. I sighed shakily; I'd had the dream again. The same dream that has been visiting my sleep for the past three weeks. It grows more vivid every time it plays itself in my mind.
This time, the woman's face was more distinct. For weeks, I've been dreading that I will have to see that face; the bloody lifeless face of a limp woman. "Just forget it," I said to myself quietly, trying to soothe the aching feeling in my chest, "You won't see her, you can't." Turning to check the clock, I saw my roommate staring at me with a strange glint n her eye.
"Freak," she whispered as she turned onto her side, leaving me to stare at the back of her blue striped pajamas. Even in the dark, I could make out the name Mai embroidered on the neckline. For a second, I envied my roommate. Her pajamas look soft, comfortable, and even pretty. All I can boast to sleep in is an old baggy T-shirt that reads "North High Soccer."
The funny thing about my sleep attire is that I don't even play soccer. When I started school here, I was given it when no one claimed it from the lost and found. North High Academy is a boarding school situated in the wealthy end of Chicago. It consists of a middle school and high school. Most kids do not enroll at North High until they reach ninth grade, which is what happened to me.
I have only being living in this prison for a month and it has already turned out to be almost too much to bear. Calling it a prison might be a bit of an exaggeration. Everything is top class, which is way many of Chicago's wealthiest send their children here, but I am definitely not a child of money. Every year, the school gives out three scholarships to kids in lacking situations. My tenth grade brother and I were two of the three "lucky" (sarcasm) children picked to be admitted here and I've been dreading it. An admittance given to me on scholarship, a scholarship not earned. Being randomly picked of a list of orphans running loose around downtown Chicago, does not seem like a legitimate reason to be thrown in a boarding school. Though technically, I'm not an orphan, my father's just missing.
The theory I conjectured for the puzzlement of being admitted to this place, is that the North High board of Legislators want their school to seem like they care about the poor lower class citizens of their "beautiful city." But, all that happens when we walk through the halls is that were taunted and ridiculed. Trash, garbage, and an array of more colorful names seem to be the only words the more fortunate kids know to call us. The alarm clock blares, making the time of 5:30 known to the room.
Jill throws off her covers; she has more than one, and walks over to our bathroom without even glancing at me. Today starts as prosaic as any other day. Since, Jill never gives consideration to the need that I might need to use the restroom; I grab my toothbrush and toothpaste and start in the direction of the girl's locker room. The hall is empty. No trouble meets me on the way down the three hallways.
The boys' wing of the high school is on the opposite side of the school. Girls are not allowed to go in the boys' dorms, but most girls don't follow that rule. I've broken it several times to visit my brother. His roommate, Aang, is probably the only nice person I've met so far. Luckily, Aang's schedule includes three of my classes; geometry (I hate this class), P.E, and biology (My favorite class). The bathroom is pitch black, because the janitor hasn't been around and turned the lights on yet.
Each morning, I enter to bathroom to be greeted by impenetrable darkness. Like each morning, I maneuver across the tingling cold tile to the light switch by the showers. Garish lights flash into my eyes, making me blink at the intensity of the illumination. A few minutes later, I'm back in my bedroom grabbing the first shirt in the drawer. Spending too much time in that small room makes me feel compressed.
Even though it is six in the morning, Sokka's standing outside the vending machine buying a snickers bar for seventy-five cents.
"What's happening," he yells from down the hall loud enough to wake the already always cranky North High boys, "Just getting some breakfast."
"That's nutritious," I say as I slump lazily against the hard wall.
"What do you want, reeses or butterfingers?"
"Do I have to say?"
"Of course I know Sis, but I felt like asking anyway. One reeses veaneuz bienetôte."
"Sokka, I believe its venez bientôt, not the weird thing you just said."
"Woahhhh, what's with that language? I'm telling you Katara; next you're come home to tell me you got a brand new tattoo that says I love metallica.
Oh, do I love Sokka. Even if I listened to metallica it's not like I'd tell him. I'm more of the jazzy, Nina Simone kind of girl. As I took a bite of my chocolate bar, I realized how much I like reeses. It had never died on me, disappeared from me, or told me everything was going to be okay when it really wasn't. Reeses will always be with me and not be able to go away when I don't want it to. Well, it will, but I'll just have to buy a new one.
As soon as eight came, I found myself trudging up the endless staircases to my English room on the top floor of the building. Mrs. Wick, like usual, is sitting in her old rocking chair covered with a green and black checkered quilt. This morning, her gray wiry hair is sticking up in strands off the top of her head. Her intense vulture-like eyes are scanning the room for any imperfections the students are showing.
As soon as one of my classmates walks in the room, she notices that his shirt is sticking out in the back and barks at him to tuck it in all the way around. I also notice that Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai enter the room right before the tardy bell rings. Azula flashes me a smirk, before sitting down in her desk.
Not today. I don't need any more trouble. I've been here a month, and for some reason, Azula has made it her plan to make my life miserable. Everyone tries to stay away from Azula and her pack of mongrels, but sometimes it is just inevitable.
Today, Ty Lee looks perky in a bright (very bright) pink sweater and black miniskirt. The big furry boots she's wearing look out of place in September. Mai looks normal caked in black mascara and dark baggy clothes. Azula however, looks like any other kid wearing a plain button down shirt and kaki capris. But, I like to say to my brother that you can feel the evil radiating off her body. Sokka just laughs, rubs my head, and goes back to eating his candy bar.
"Today's assignment will be to write a two page essay on how Shakespeare's writing influenced the future generations…after he died," Mrs. Wick says in her nasally voice, breaking me out of my stupor. The whole class gave a loud groan, as if on command. I just chuckled and got out my books. I prefer to work alone; it's less complicated.
The class period soon ended, and I gave my completed paper to Mrs. Wick on my way out. Biology is next, and today I am especially excited because a doctor from the local hospital is going to give a presentation about his average day working in the E.R.
"Welcome, sit, don't be shy," my biology teacher booms as the students enter the room.
"Hello Ms. Linwell," I say grinning as I take my seat. She smiles back and says how happy she is that I made it to class today. Her flashy palm tree shirt goes perfect with her eccentric personality. If there was one person I could listen to for hours, it would be Ms. Linwell.
"Class, I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite doctors. His name is Dr. JC Roberts. Come up Dr. Roberts and take the spotlight," Ms. Linwell said gesturing to a man standing in the back end of the room.
The man walked up to the front of the room and turned to look at us with a dazzling bright smile on his face. All at once, the girls in the room let a huge sigh. His face looks like that of a Greek god. His black eyes contrast nicely with his high cheek bones and dimpled chin. I feel like a girl from a movie gazing at the dreamy boy who just moved in right next to her. But then Dr. Robert's is probably around thirty-five and I'm fifteen. It's just harmless staring.
But as Dr. Roberts started talking about his career, I became more serious. Some of the other kids snickered at me as I took out my notebook and pen to take notes, but I didn't care. My life's ambition is to be a doctor, and I'm not going to miss out on a chance to learn more about it because some kids have a stick stuck in their pants (that's how I feel about it anyways.)
The class blew by like a sweet memory. I hung onto every word Dr. Roberts said. When the bell rang an hour after the class began, I felt like I'd only been listening to the doctor's pleasant words for five minutes. Aang came running after me right as I entered the hall. Today is the only day I have forgotten that Aang is in my class.
"That guy was pretty cool, wasn't he?" Aang said as more of a statement than a question, "He seemed like he really knew what he was talking about."
"Yeah, the ten years of schooling probably helped." I said making my way to the gym.
"What do you think were playing in gym today?"
"I don't care, as long as it's not any more football."
"What?" Sokka said as if appalled, as he rounded a corner joining Aang and I, "Katara, you don't like the man on man touching, or the way the boys always take their shirts off in the middle of the match."
"Spare me," I said rolling my eyes. Leave it to Sokka to make everything perverted. But I do have to say that one of the sophomore guys has quite the nice six-pack.
"Today, Mrs. Kingle had something stuck tightly; I can't say this enough, tightly in her pants," Sokka said lightly, "Well, I might have done a tiny, little, barely noticeable thing, and because of that little thing, I was given a detention."
"Another one," I said exasperated, "This is your third one already in one month, you want to get kicked out of this school."
"I was just having a little bit of fun. Everyone here is just wound up too tightly."
"What did you do?" I said in an I'm-not-going-to-let-you-get-away-with-this-one tone.
"Well," Sokka said chuckling, "This is my class, so I won't be able to tell you at this moment, but it's not that important."
"Sokka, I will find out," I screamed as I got bumped and pushed down the packed corridor.
Aang just chuckled. His smile was so bright I couldn't help smiling myself. I may be angry at Sokka, but who couldn't be happy when they're around such a carefree kid like Aang. I waved goodbye to Aang, and stealthy slipped into the girl's locker room. I found an empty shower and changed in there. My mother's necklace dangled against my skin, sending a chill up my spine. Its cool stone contrasted with my warm skin.
When I crept out of the locker room, I realized there was a new girl sitting on the end of the bench. Her hair, shoulder length and dark brown, looks nice against her creamy skin. When she entered the gym, she waved and ran over to me. Her shorts, baggy and long, blew a little behind her as she ran.
"Hi, I'm Suki," she said smiling, "I just moved here from Michigan. My dad's company transferred him."
"My name's Katara," I said smiling back, "How long have you been here?"
"Today's my first day here, but we moved around a week ago. Not everyone here seems very friendly."
As she said that I burst out laughing, "This is my first year here too, and I haven't been feeling that much warmth from the students either."
Maybe this school would become a little more bearable; maybe not much, but with a friend improvements could be made.
Hope you like it so far. Zuko hasn't been introduced yet, but a Zutara this will be. Don't forget to press the little button down there that says review.