(A/N) Hey guys! I'm back and I'm in a writing mode and this idea (yet again) just popped out of my head a few moments before I started typing. I'm more into Taang than any of the other ships but then again, I just love Zutara and Sukka as well. So, this one's for all three 3

The story is mostly Zutara, though. But I might actually include some crack pairings in the later .

I'm not sure if this idea was already taken though, since I don't read that much Zutara stories (there are too many of them *cries*). I hope it isn't.

(Gods, I miss Avatar.)

Chapter 1: Zuko's Fate

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock…

The students waited anxiously for the most anticipated signal as the clock slowly ticked away. Boys and girls of every classroom were in the edges of the seats ready to leave.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock…

The more the clocked ticked the slower and the more painful were the seconds to bear.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock…

A boy drummed his pencil onto his desk. His leg bounced up and down in anticipation. He can't wait to get the hell out of the classroom. A girl on the other side of the room checked her watched every five seconds to see if time has really moved.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock…

Silence.

RIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

And there it was: the last time that they'll ever hear that irritating school bell for the school year.

Finally. Freedom at last.

Everyone in that stuffy classroom stood almost immediately when they heard the signal. Suddenly, the irritating sound was music to their ears. They jumped for joy, howled, pumped their fists in the air, and threw the last of their school books and notebooks as if they didn't have a care in the world.

Looking at the scene, this is the sort of thing that happens every year. Sadly for the seniors, it's their last. For in the next few years, they will be far too busy to even think of summer while they're in college. So on that day, friends hugged, tears were shed, people talked about, there was noise everywhere.

And it was heaven.

For the teachers, it was a pandemonium. For the students, it was their idea of freedom.

The first thing that Zuko thought when the bell rung symbolizing the end of yet another torturous school year and the start of every student's most-awaited time of the year was:

Oh, hell no.

There in the midst of all the cheering students and chaotic classroom, Zuko remained seated. He buried his face in his hands in despair.

Why did it have to end?

To be honest, he didn't like school. He just didn't want it to end this year (even if the school year was overly dramatic). It truly is ironic to look at. Normally he would be a little too excited to leave he'd be the first to exit the door. It was only this year that he wasn't.

He continued to act in despair. No one seemed to notice the boy with the scarred face in agony because they were all too busy cheering for their freedom.

Summer was most probably his favorite season. He loved the heat, the rising temperature, the freedom and most of all, the open air. Unlike most people, the heat bothered them. But Zuko has a different story. The only thing that was preventing him from looking forward to the summer was the fact that he has to bear this one problem. And for him, it was much of a big deal.

You see, the main reason why he didn't want summer to come was the fact that he knew that he will be alone for the rest of the break. His guardian and at the same time his uncle will return to his hometown and spend his summer there (with the rest of the people in that 'old-people organization' as Zuko would call it), leaving Zuko and his house. He didn't want to leave his nephew, the boy was like a son to him, but it was a necessity. He knew that he will be forcing the boy to return to his father in their estate (and doing so seemed painful even for him), but Zuko would prefer living alone rather than spending the rest of his summer with his despotic father.

His uncle just told him about his leave one week before so the boy didn't have time to think of a back-up plan. The news was all so sudden that Zuko couldn't believe it. And what was even worse was that his uncle was strictly told not to bring anyone along with him for the safety of their organization. What damage could his nephew possibly do? But since it is part of their rules, he must abide to them.

He knew that it was not possible to live alone while you are still under the age of eighteen. Who would finance him? A job was way too much of a hassle even if he works for the whole summer, and living alone would raise questions even if he could handle it. So the only solution he could think of is coming back to his father's house and bearing the fact that he'll be living there until he graduates the next year.

The fact that he'll live with his sister and see her everyday makes Zuko want to punch the nearest wall.

He restrained himself though. Thinking about living with Azula again was a nightmare coming to life. He swore to God when he was thirteen (after a traumatizing experience) that if he ever set foot on their territory and see her again, he promised he'd kill himself. Azula was beyond scary even if she's two years younger than he is.

He could imagine waking up and seeing his sister's evil face hovering above his like a snake.

He shuddered at the thought.

Zuko took a deep breath and forced himself to stand up. He planned to leave the room after everyone else was out. He walked cautiously and stopped in front of the classroom's door. His shoulders slumped and he silently cursed to himself. He wasn't even ready to step out of the door and face his summer nightmare.

When he finally left the room, he wasn't entirely surprised to find the hallway still crowding with students. He pushed himself to move but cautious enough not to accidentally step on someone's foot. With the mass of students and even with his height, it was still hard for him to navigate his way out of the hall. His locker was just nearby but it was far too crowded to even get there.

Dammit, I made sure that I waited for them to leave and disperse, he thought and scowled. I should've left when I had the chance.

It was hard getting there that he nearly tripped almost twice, but after shoving a few students out of his way, he finally made it to his locker. Once he opened it, Zuko wasted no time in grabbing the remainder of his things and shoving it all in his backpack. He made sure that he didn't leave anything for the teachers to find; even scrappy old test papers and the usual trash.

Just when he was about to close his locker and leave, someone at a distance called him.

"Yo, Scarface!"

Agni, I hate that nickname.

He turned to find that total goof from the hockey team Sokka waving at him and approaching him with a smile on his face. Zuko smirked when the boy with the pony tail nearly fell flat on his face. But if it weren't for two students catching him, there would've been some damage.

"Thanks guys," he turned to thank them as quickly as he could. He grinned excitedly and turned to Zuko. "Hey, Scarface."

Zuko's eyebrows arched as he frowned in annoyance. "God, can you stop calling me that?"

Sokka chuckled, "Sorry dude. Trust me; it'll be the last time."

Zuko sighed. One look at Sokka and you know that the goof is in a good mood (well, he always is. It's his annoying personality that always irritates Zuko). It was contagious, though. He couldn't help but feel his spirits lifting up and forgetting about his problem for a moment. Sokka's always been the group's resident clown. He has the tendency to make people laugh so easily that Zuko didn't even realize it was possible. The guy was hopelessly hilarious and has a good sense of humor, especially when it comes to his undeniable sarcasm. Not so many people take him seriously, though. He jokes way too excessively that you rarely think of taking him seriously.

"You're in a good mood." Zuko stated.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's finally summer, Scarface! I can't wait to leave this place." Sokka exclaimed with so much enthusiasm as he gestured all around him.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I told you five seconds ago to stop calling me that."

"Dude, I can't help it. Ever since Toph started calling you that, I can't help but adapt."

"She calls me 'Sparky'."

"She actually calls you both. And are you saying that you preferred being called 'Sparky'?"

"Why the hell would I want a nickname that's as incredibly stupid as that?"

"Don't know. I thought you'd just like it better than 'Scarface'." Sokka laughed a bit.

Zuko groaned. He hated his scar. His father did that to him when he was thirteen. The memory of what happened haunted him every time he touched the scar on the left side of his face. He didn't want people to know what truly happened so he made everyone believe that he got it from an accident. But in reality, his father did that on purpose to hurt him. It was never an accident.

And now the damage done will never be forgotten. What's even worse is that he'll always have the memory embedded on his own face.

Sokka broke his thoughts when he didn't say anything for a while. "So," he started a bit awkwardly. "What do you plan on doing after we finally get the hell out of here?"

"Are you asking me out?" Zuko joked with a smirk.

Sokka's eyes widened in surprise. "What the hell? No! Are you saying that if I ask you about what you plan on doing later means I'm asking you out?"

Zuko can't help but laugh at his reaction. "Chill, dude. I was just making fun. 'Cause you sounded so awkward 'asking me out'."

"Right. Ha-ha." He said laughed sarcastically as the other boy continued to laugh. "Look, I'm not gay or anything just like all those fucked-up rumors said, alright?"

"I know you're not. I just thought it was kind of funny."

"Seriously though," Sokka changed topic almost immediately. "You wanna come with us? The Gaang and I are headed out."

"Where are you guys off to?"

"We're gonna hang out somewhere and eat pizza at Joe's," Sokka said and quickly added. "Toph's paying."

Zuko ran a hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head. "That girl owes me cash."

"Yeah, she owes me cash too. That's why she's paying."

"How much did she owe you?"

"A lot. I couldn't keep track or remember but I know it's a lot of money."

It's ironic that the richest girl in town still borrows money from 'commoners' and goes to a public school.

Toph Bei Fong is the daughter of very successful and extremely influential accountants who earn more money than five highly paid doctors combined. They're not only millionaires but billionaires and live in the exclusive part of town whereas their house towers over all the other houses. But despite being extremely rich, Toph doesn't care nor does she brag about it at all. In fact, she acts just like everyone else. She's simple about the way she dresses up that she doesn't even catch people's attention unlike all those other girls in school in their flashy outfits.

"It's high time she pays us anyway," Zuko said.

"I still don't get why she borrows, though."

"Hey, at least she's gonna pay us back."

Sokka nodded. He let a silent moment pass for a while before he asked casually, "So, you're in or not?"

"If she's paying, I'm in," he nodded with a smile. "Besides, I don't have anything else to do this afternoon, so why not?"

The two friends walked out the less crowded hallway and into the lobby where Katara promised to meet her brother Sokka. It was a pretty wide lobby so it wasn't so crowded. Most students who didn't have plans were in the courtyard enjoying their afternoon under the trees. Light poured in from the glass windows from wall above the door and allowed the room some light. They stood there and talked for a while. Even if there were chairs around they didn't bother to sit. Sokka told him that this summer he's finally going to take his driver's education since it's a necessity that he learns how to drive. Zuko heard that his father was always overseas so Sokka's the one in-charge…well; Katara's the one who's truly in-charge. Sokka just want to make it look like he is since he's older.

"Dad told me that if I finally learn how to drive properly he'll finance half of the car's price." He said proudly.

"Good luck on the 'learning how to drive properly' part," Zuko smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"'Sup, guys."

Just when Sokka was about to demand a 'proper' explanation from Zuko, someone else spoke up. They turned their heads to see a short girl with jet black hair and jade eyes wearing a smug expression on her face. When Zuko saw her, he smiled.

"Hey, Toph."

"Hey, Short stuff," Sokka said. "What took you so long?"

"Don't call me that," she threatened. "I swear to God I regret allowing you to adapt to my culture."

"You give everyone a nickname. Why can't I? It only seems fair." he said smugly.

She shook her head at him and not without rolling her eyes.

Toph wasn't entirely short for her age. Everyone else was, according to her, so 'freakishly' tall. Since the past few months, she did grow a little, though; much to her luck. Although, everyone knew that she has never been taller than any of the other members of the Gaang, Toph acts tougher than the rest of them.

From what Zuko observed ever since he met her, the girl loves the color green. She sported it on her clothes, school bag, sneakers, and even her notebooks and pens. She's quite tomboyish that there are times that you can mistake her as a boy (Toph hates it when that happens. And unfortunately, it happens pretty often). Zuko had never seen her act girlish at all.

"Hey, Zuko's coming with us," Sokka told Toph.

"Great," she said sarcastically. "More people I need to pay for."

"It's about time you did anyway," Zuko muttered.

"Look, it's not my fault I'm always short on cash."

"You're like the richest girl in school. How the heck is it possible for you to be even short in cash?" Zuko asked.

"I don't save, okay?"

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose for the second time since he left the classroom.

"I sure do hope you have the money this time," Sokka said.

"Yeah, Toph. Sooner or later, whether you like it or not, you need to pay us."

"Well what does it look like I'm doing now?"

"Um, guys?"

Their heads turned to see Suki with Katara and Aang as they come to approach them. The moment Sokka laid his eyes on Suki, his expression immediately changed. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"What took you so guys so long?" Toph asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"We had to stop by our lockers and apparently, I bumped into Suki and Aang on the way," Katara explained. "I'm sorry to let you guys wait but I had to stop by the teacher's faculty and they insisted on coming along. Did we take that long?"

"Nope. Not at all," Sokka said casually. "Toph just arrived actually." His hand ruffled the small girl's hair and it disheveled making her angry almost immediately. Suki thought it was cute and smiled a bit.

"Quit it, Sokka!" she exclaimed and shoved him with a heavy push. "I swear to God if you do that again, I'll shave you bald. No one touches my hair." She pointed to each one of them with a threatening finger. "Got it?"

Although the girl is scary, Zuko didn't feel threatened one bit. No one is scarier than my sister, he thought.

"So," Aang started to say. "Since we're all here, what are we waiting for?"

"Yeah," Suki said. "Can we go now? I'm starving."

Sokka had just recently recovered from Toph's shove that he came over to Suki and placed an arm around her. "Yeah, you heard the woman. I'm hungry too."

"Sokka, we just had lunch," Katara said.

"Katara, that was three hours ago. I'm hungry all over."

"Yeah, Katara. You know Sokka. He is never not hungry," Suki patted her boyfriends head.

To be honest, Suki hates the fact that her boyfriend is a total pig when it comes to food. But at least she could accept him for that. After all, he isn't that bad of a guy.

Katara can't help but roll her eyes. "Fine."

At first no one moved, but then Sokka said,

"So, should we get going or not? The money won't stay forever, would it?" he looked over at Toph who glared at him.

"You're lucky I owe you that much," she said.

Together, the group headed out of the door. Sokka still had his arm around Suki who seemed not to mind. He practically does that if he's not holding her hand so she's used to it. They've
been dating for almost a year and Katara still couldn't believe that someone actually lasted with her idiot of a brother for that long.

Zuko walked with the group casually. The only person who seemed to notice him going with the group was Katara. The others didn't seem to mind him. She knew that he was an official member of the Gaang but they didn't invite him. They thought he was going to be busy with his uncle after school so didn't mind inviting him to hang out with them. Sokka must have asked him to come so she didn't bother asking. After all ever since Zuko 'changed', he's part of their little group and they learned to accept him.

When they reached the parking lot, however, Zuko separated from them.

"Hey, Sparky," Toph called out to him. "Where are you going?"

"Yeah, Joe's is that way," Sokka gestured to the opposite direction Zuko was going.

"I'll catch up with you guys later. I just need to take care of some stuff," He said as he stepped in his Mazda.

"Okay, but if the pizza arrives and we start eating, don't expect for us to leave you any," Sokka exclaimed although Zuko wouldn't hear.

The rest of them just walked the way since Joe's wasn't very far; Sokka leading the group eagerly with Suki and the rest of them in tow. Zuko drove out of the parking lot, past his friends and cruised to his uncle's tea shop where he knew they would be waiting.

To be continued…