Perfect timing! I had just finished the book – it had a rather tragic and heartbreaking ending – when Aangs alarm sounded throughout the room. Before breakfast, drill is held and – although it helps to prepare you for the day ahead – it is not mandatory. Therefore Aangs is the only one from our dorm to attend, while Zuko and I do something with the little free time we have.
I watch with mild humour as Aang walks into the door on his way to the bathroom in an almost trance-like state. He doesn't bother closing the door, so I can see him fall down the steps into the pit where the showers are.
I couldn't help but laugh when he yelled "I'm up already!" I regretted it instantly when I heard a groan coming from the corner by the fireplace. Zuko was absolute hell in the morning, and he had gotten back pretty late last night, too.
"Liar. You only pretended to be asleep to get me to, didn't you?" He stood in front of my bed, giving me a quizzical look and seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was only wearing a pair of deep red boxers. Either that or he doesn't care.
He doesn't seem to require an answer and yells over his shoulder "Hurry up, Aang, or you'll be late!" We both like to tease him as much as possible – he still has over an hour to spare. He rushes out of the bathroom, his clothes on backwards and dashes out of the room without registering the fact that Zuko had turned up.
"At last. Damn monk takes too long, I swear." He fetches clothes and enters the previously occupied steam-filled room. There are three shower heads in the pit, but we have an unspoken agreement not to go in when someone else is in there. That way, we avoid uncomfortable moments as much as we physically can.
I wait for the sound of the water sputter, then the hiss as it is turned fully on before slipping my book into the empty secret shelves and locking the doors shut. They're only empty because I take the all home at the end of each term. I fling the key on its chain under my pillow without looking and set off down the corridor to the library. I would wear it around my neck, but during our many battle-related classes it could become a serious disadvantage to me.
Once seated at a computer away from everyone else, I log in and bring up the website I buy my books from. Then I stuck my pen drive into the computer and used the long list of books I wanted to buy to put the top four into my basket. I changed the postage address to the school and bought them, deleting the titles from my list. I logged off and took myself and my pen drive back to my room. I had already ordered a couple yesterday before I left, so I should be getting them when post is handed out during lunch time.
I froze when I saw my bed. Sure it was made – if not a little sloppily – but the pillow was laying on the floor next to my bed, leaving the key on full display. I grabbed it on my way past and hurriedly opened the cupboard. I slumped in relief to find that it still looked the same as the way I had left it.
I heaved a sigh of relief – I must have left it like that when I wasn't paying attention earlier. I pull the pen drive out of the pocket of my trackie bottoms and put it on the bottom shelf. I carefully lock it back up and replace the key – making sure this time that it is hidden.
I glance at Aangs alarm and sprint down to the main hall. I arrive out of breath but thankfully not late.