Ok. Here's the first actual chapter. Thanks to those who reviewed…very few, but I'll take what I can get. And as for the paragraph breaks and such, I'm just not used to the way you post things on here. sighs anyways. We're going to get some drama from Zuko, Katara, Sokka, and Jet. Ok, so I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Avatar…too bad, huh? Actually, I would have destroyed the story by now. I think those writers are good enough and I'll just remain the fan who writes the crappy fan fiction. Haha. Oh, and I do not own Romeo and Juliet. Duh… I used "Absolute Shakespeare" for the lines for the play.

Notes: Ok, so the scene I have Katara and Zuko play out is not in its full form. I figured you didn't want to read it all, and if you do you can find it on the internet or something…:) Anyways, I just wanted to make sure you know that as well. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

You're kidding…right…?

Ok. So, apparently Zuko wasn't here by choice. He truly hated anything to do with the school plays, but it had been a requirement by his advanced art teacher to at least help with painting the set design, but it turned out that he ended up designing it. That wasn't his choice either…even though it was his fault. Zuko had learned the week before what not to say to the set designer. He made her cry, and she quit…as did her friends. Actually everyone quit because of Zuko, and now he found out that he would be stuck with a bunch of people from detention who would be helping him. Currently, he was sitting on the edge of the stage with his back to the auditorium and was trying to visualize what was on his page. A pencil was in his mouth as he thought and he sat just staring for a while. He was brought back to reality quite swiftly, though, by the loud chatter of hopeful try-outs, and the detention posse. With a soft sigh which sounded more like a growl he stood up and took the pencil out of his mouth to take a look at who he'd be working with. His eyes feel on the ring leaders "Of course…" he said to himself and he just watched as the two imbeciles in front of him were seeing how long they could punch each other in the arm before one quit. Sokka and Jet. "God, why me?" he asked and motioned behind him "Hey! Jocks!" he said coldly "Those need to be moved…" he said. Sokka and Jet stopped hitting one another and looked up at Zuko "We have to work for you? Where's Mar?" "She quit." "Well, I could probably guess why…" Sokka said with a chuckle after the short banter between his self and Zuko. Zuko just rolled his eyes "I don't need to explain myself to you, so just move the stuff before I have to deal with you for another day…" he said knowing that the one overlooking detention would be quick in giving the boys another day of detention which would mean another day to be around him.

Sokka just shrugged and hit Jet again before jumping up on the stage and going to move stuff. Jet followed and bumped against Zuko's shoulder as he passed "Stay outta my way, alright?" Jet said coldly to Zuko, and the normal joking tone was gone out of Jet's voice and Zuko's eyes turned to meet a cold glare to match his own. Zuko didn't reply. He didn't have to. He knew where he and Jet stood on the friendship scale. Hell. There wasn't even a way to measure it. They were both so far off of it that the scale didn't even matter. Zuko knew the reason, too. Jet hated him. Hated him with a passion along with his entire family and his father's company. Jet's dad had worked for his father for years. They had even been on somewhat friendly terms, which was hard for Zuko to believe since his father was as friendly as a cactus. No, the cactus would be friendlier. Anyways, apparently, Jet blamed his father for his parent's death. It happened when they were both eight. Jet and Zuko had actually been friends back then. Back when life was more carefree. However, it changed all too quickly. They had been murdered. Both his mom and his dad. In their own home. Jet had found them which seemed to make it even worse on the boy. The police said that it had been a random robbery that his parents happened to walk in on, but Jet was convinced that Zuko's father had done something to them. There had been an argument between Jet and Zuko's father the week before, and even back then, Zuko knew that that meant trouble for Jet's family. Ozai wasn't one to rub the wrong way, and Jet seemed to know that as well.

The company that Zuko's father was president of dealt with manufacturing, but those who really looked knew that Ozai couldn't possibly make as much money as he did just in the manufacturing business. Zuko knew that to be all too true. The truth was that Zuko's dad was also the leader of an underground shipping business. Underground meaning illegal. But this wasn't just some amateur jobs. Oh no. Ozai was like the Godfather…or rather the Godfather was like Ozai. Ozai ran the town from the top of his thirty one story office complex, and anyone who got in his way ended up disappearing somehow. It seemed that Jet's family had gotten in the way. Zuko didn't hold that against the other young man, but that didn't mean he had to back down away from Jet's threats. Just because Jet hated his father didn't mean he had to take it out on him. However, he kept his mouth shut and looked at the few hopefuls who had turned out for the winter play. There were only a couple of guys in the group, and none that looked as if they were lead role material. Not that Zuko was offering, but he could just tell.

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Katara was standing in the small group and held the script in her hand and was chatting with another girl her age about being excited about trying out "I'm sure you'll get the part. There's no way you couldn't…" Katara said to the other girl who just laughed "Are you kidding me? You know you're getting the role of Juliet. I'm not even going to try out for it. Neither is anyone else. You're perfect for the part, and you have so much more experience." She said and Katara just scrunched up her nose "Are you sure it's just so you don't have to kiss one of them?" she whispered and they all fell into giggles.

Aang happened to be 'one of them' and he heard them and hit Katara in the arm "Hey!" he said and blushed at the thought of kissing one of the girls. This just made the girls laugh even harder "I don't even know why I'm here…" Toph groaned from behind Aang who jumped since he forgot she was behind him "Because you need to try out too." Aang said simply. Toph just stared at him and didn't say anything "What?" Aang asked as if confused "You're just being nice…I can't be in the play! It'd be embarrassing!" she whispered while picturing herself falling over things and destroying the set and Aang put a hand on her shoulder "I'd help you." He said with one of his signature smiles. Even if Toph couldn't see she could still feel the smile. She didn't know how she could, but she could feel it every time he gave her that smile and she couldn't help but smile as well "Look, Twinkletoes…I'm not trying out, but I'll stick around just to hear you make a fool of yourself." She said and made her way to a seat and plopped into it.

Katara watched the two with a smirk then looked around and saw Sokka and Jet "Sokka! What are you doing here?" "Fulfilling my debt to society…or rather…the theater!" he said with a comical flourish of his hand which ended up smacking Jet in the back of his head. Jet turned around and smacked Sokka in return "Ow!" Sokka said in protest and just about started to beat on Jet again when Katara spoke again "Detention, huh? That's the third time this week, Sokka…" she said as if chiding him "You're not my mom, Katara…I know, but it's not my fault." "I know, its Jet's." she said and made a face as the instigator "Look…I'm just the idea guy…I don't make him follow through with stuff. He does that on his own." Jet said and walked over to Katara and sat on the edge of the stage "So…Katara…" "No, Jet." she said before he could even continue "What? You didn't even let me ask-""Because I already know what you are going to say…" she cleared her throat, and when she spoke again she made her voice low and scrunched her eyebrows together as if to imitate Jet "Katara…I was just noticing how beautiful you are…you'd really compliment my own good looks…so what do ya say, huh? Wanna go on a date?" she said and crossed her arms while raising one eyebrow. Jet just smiled "I should work on saying something different?" he asked then was hit in the back of the head by a unused paint brush and turned around "Stop hitting on my sister, dude…that's gross!" he said and was about to throw the paintbrush back at Sokka, but looked at Zuko who was glaring at him and then motioned for Jet to get back to work. Jet sighed and looked at Katara "Save me from the emo god…" he said as if a damsel in distress then stood up and walked over to where Sokka was picking up something that looked heavy. Katara couldn't help but smirk at Jet, but looked over at Zuko whose eyes were trained on his papers. She didn't realize she was staring until Zuko's own golden eyes turned up from the pages and met her's. With a small gasp, she turned away from him quickly and walked back to the group.

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Tryouts were killer for most of the girls. More than half left in tears, and the others were still somewhat discouraged by the way the director spoke to them, and criticized. However, they all received a little encouragement from Katara who was sitting next to Toph "Why do you lie to them? You know they suck…just leave them be." Toph said with a sigh and Katara just laughed "I don't like it when people feel left out." She said and it was Toph's turn to laugh "You don't do that with everyone." she said with a smirk still playing upon her lips. Katara looked at Toph "I do too!" "Oh yea? And what about Zuko? You couldn't possibly say one nice thing about Zuko." Toph said and crossed her arms in victory as Katara shut up "Wait…I can…I just have to think…" she said and heard the director practically beg for a male to try out for the roles of Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt. The older woman walked onto the stage as Aang was still standing up there and called for Katara "Juliet!" she called her stage name since that was what she did for every play "Come here, please, dear…" Katara nodded and was up on stage and next to Aang "Face one another." she directed and they did "Now...Aang keep eye contact with Juliet and say your lines." Aang just stared at Katara frozen solid. What made it even more comical was that he was almost three or four inches shorter than Katara was. Aang finally had to look away "You can be Benvolio, Aang, but there is no way that I will have such a gangly boy be Romeo…" she said and looked around. The closest boy was Sokka who she pulled over and looked at them. They both gave each other sideways glances "You know we're brother and sister, right?" Sokka said and made a face "Fine…go…move… something heavy…" she told him and her keen eyes were already scouting the others. Jet was looked past immediately even though he was practically begging, and only stopped when Sokka elbowed him.

Zuko was busy sketching the layout when he heard his name bellowed "Come here, now!" the director practically screamed. Zuko growled as she had surprised him and a large mark was through part of the drawing, but he walked over anyways "Yes…" he said and looked at the director and ignored Katara's nervous stare. Katara looked as if she was going to faint "Please read…"the director looked through the script and Katara all but crossed her fingers Not Act 2: Scene 2..Not Act 2: Scene 2…she prayed "Act 2: Scene 2!" "All of it?" Zuko asked as he read through the part"yes, all of it! I have to be able to get a feel for it, and you two need to as well…" she said while going to take her seat in the audience. "This should get interesting…" Toph said with a smirk as Aang made it back to sit next to her "What's Katara's face like?" she asked with the smirk growing by the second "She looked like she's going to throw up…" "That would be awesome! I hope she does it on Zuko…that would be even better!" Toph said and laughed and Aang just shook his head "You're a terrible friend, you know that?" he asked jokingly and Toph just shrugged "It'll be good for her."

Katara read the part the woman had pointed out Oh, God…why me? She asked herself as she looked up at Zuko and swallowed hard but his expression was unreadable, yet she knew he was thinking something she just couldn't tell what. Zuko then turned and walked from her a little and when he knew that the director was ready he began to read. At first he sounded as if bored with life. Definetly not a Romeo "With feeling, Romeo! You've just found the love of your life not a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe!" the director screeched and she seemed certain that Zuko was the one. She watched with great interest as Zuko cleared his throat as if nervous then continued "But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou her maid art far more fair than she: be not her maid, since she is envious; her vestal livery is but sick and green, and none but fools do wear it; cast it off. It is my lady; O! it is my love: O! that she knew she were. She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that? Her eye discourses; I will answer it. I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks: two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, having some business, do entreat her eyes to twinkle in their spheres till they return.What if her eyes were there, they in her head? The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars as daylight doth a lamp; her eyes m heaven would through the airy region stream so bright that birds would sing and think it were not night. See! how she leans her cheek upon- her hand: O! That I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek." he said smoothly as if he had changed completely. His normal cold tone was lost in the words, and Katara found to her dismay that she was lost as well, and just stared at him until she heard the director clear her throat, and she said her small line of "Ah me!" which came out more like a croak. Sokka looked confused "What's her problem…a guy spouts off some Shakespeare and she goes all weak in the knees…" he said but didn't notice Jet's growing anger.

The two continued for a while, and it seemed that Katara was again keeping her bearings and not so nervous around him as he drew close to speak to her. She felt like a little kid. She was never this nervous around guys, and why him? She hated him, but it seemed he was different at that moment. She was being such a girl! Katara scolded herself inwardly for swooning over the one she hated just because he could read a little Shakespeare…They continued:

Katara: At what o'clock to-morrow shall I send to thee?
Zuko: At the hour of nine.
Katara: I will not fail; 'tis twenty years till then. I have forgot why I did call thee back.
Zuko: Let me stand here till thou remember it.
Katara: I shall forget, to have thee still stand there, remembering how I love thy company.

Zuko: And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget,
Forgetting any other home but this.
Katara 'Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone; and yet no further than a wanton's bird, who lets it hop a little from her hand, like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
And with a silk thread plucks it back again, so loving-jealous of his liberty.
Zuko: I would I were thy bird.
Katara: Sweet, so would I:yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. Good-night, good-night! parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good-night till it be morrow.

As Katara turned as if to truly leave after saying good night, Zuko reached out and took her hand and turned her around then continued.

Zuko: Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy heart!

Then to Katara's surprise and the surprise of everyone in the room he kissed her. He's kissing me! It's in the script, but he's actually kissing me! she thought in her head and was left with her mouth hanging open as he broke the small kiss. With his hand he put her chin back up so her mouth was closed and finished his lines "Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest! Hence will I to my ghostly father's cell, his help to crave, and my dear hap to tell."

As soon as the scene was done, it seemed that Zuko was back to the way he normally was. As if he had been Romeo and was now just emo Zuko again. Katara's cheeks blushed after the kiss. She knew it was fake, but still…she was somewhat frightened by her own reaction to it and hastily went to sit back down. She sat next to Toph who was grinning "I think I found something nice to say about Zuko…" "What's that?" Toph asked "He's a great kisser…" she whispered and blushed again. Aang just peeked over at Katara and sighed to himself.

Zuko went back to his work, and didn't notice the glares he was getting from two in particular. Sokka who thought to himself You'd better stay away from my sister, jerk, or you'll be dealing with me! And Jet, whose hands were clenched into tight fists and his eyes shined with jealousy. His thoughts could be well read, and his hatred seemed to grow by the second.

Who knew that one little kiss would change everything…

Ok. That's the first chapter. I kind of liked it, and I had fun doing it. I hope you enjoyed it as well. Please review. :)