Note: Oh man, thanks for all the kind reviews so far! I hope maybe my sentence flow/ scene changes got a bit better in this chapter? I'm trying to get a lot of other people's actions that are happening at the same time and I didn't want to have to move it to the next chapter to do so…
I added a touch more humor in this chapter too (hopefully it's not bad haha)! Most of my chapters are probably going to be this long (or a bit shorter actually) and I probably won't update this constantly, but I hope it's still good and that you like it! Thank you for reading this story! Review responses at the end.
Piece recommendation: Symphony no. 9 (Shostakovich) is what I listened to while editing but I really like Waltz no.2 by him too! Fun, short, and dark.
As Katara hurriedly left Miller Hall, she glanced behind her back. The willow tree waved its fronds in a gentle, end-of-summer breeze, although the practice room window was still hidden. She shook her head again. "No wonder that music was so… magical," she murmured to herself. She shook her head again and reached for the headphones in her bag.
"First Year Orientation- Dean's Welcome Speech. 20 minutes ago." Katara glanced at her phone's glaring lockscreen in surprise, before staring back at the empty lobby. She chewed her lips.
"Screw it. Screw this," she growled and swiped the message away, pushing down the Student's protests. Katara jammed the earbuds into her ears and strode angrily back towards her dorm to a sped up "Slavonic Dance no.8"*.
Once she reached Lin Dorm, she slapped her I.D. on the scanner and pushed her way in, ignoring the terrified look of the receptionist. Expletives were still slipping out of her mouth when she shoved open her dorm room door and the girl inside jumped.
Katara froze, her anger melting away. "Oh shit," she whispered before, "Wait, sorry, I didn't- I don't usually- sorry. I'm sorry. I'm… was in a bad mood."
The girl raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. Katara stared morosely at the ground. "Alright," the girl said at last. "I mean, first meetings with roommates could've been better. But-" She brightened up. "Could've also been worse. I had a brawl with my last one."
Katara cautiously looked up, and saw that the girl was still grinning. She felt her own shoulders relax, and the tension in the room dissipated. She smiled back, a bit uncertain about the last phrase. But she seems like a good kid. "... Cool. I'm Katara Mizuno. First year. Flute." She glanced at her messy slew of unopened boxes and bags. "Sorry, I haven't unpacked yet. I'll get it done soon though."
The girl shook her head, her short, light brown bob bouncing. "Nah, don't worry about it. Oh, and my name's Suki Kiyotera. I'm a second year in Secondary." She made a face. "Too many twos. What a tongue twister."
Katara blinked before she registered what Secondary was. She reluctantly opened her mouth to say "Lower" when someone gave a sharp knock on the door.
"Kataraaaa, bring up your own things, sheesh."
Katara turned around in surprise. "Sokka!"
Her brother gave her the evil eye as he dumped another cardboard box on the floor. The insides clanked lightly, but Katara was more confused why he was here. As if to answer her look, Sokka sighed and said, "Dad wanted you to take more tea. In three boxes. Told me I might as well do it since I can drive and it's still summer vaca for high school." He rolled his eyes until he saw Suki. His jaw dropped.
"You're kidding, you're staying- you're staying with her?!" he shouted, making an overdramatic pointing gesture.
Embarrassment rushed through Katara. She grabbed his ear and hissed, "Shut up will you? She's perfectly nice and I don't need you ruining friendships on the first day!" She pulled a bit harder until he was yelling before letting go. She turned back to Suki. "Sorry… again," Katara said, feeling a blush go right to the roots of her hair. "My brother's… kind of a jerk." She waved a hand at his protests.
Suki laughed, and Katara noticed how refreshingly sweet her voice was. "Oh no, it's fine and perfectly understandable. I met him a bit earlier- I think when you were at the freshman audition board?- and I asked him if he wanted some help carrying the other boxes." Katara felt a growing sense of doom but Suki continued. "He told me he wouldn't ever let a girl hold heavy boxes. He also asked whether I play a 'girly' instrument or not."
"I told him there's no such thing as a 'girly' instrument, it's just whatever a girl plays. And that I play the trumpet. And to fuck off since the only good thing boys know how to play is themselves," she finished.
Katara felt her jaw drop before slowly transforming into a huge grin that hurt her cheeks. She held out a hand. Suki returned an enthusiastic high-five and laughed again.
"Nice," Katara exclaimed. Suki grinned back, as Sokka grumbled in the background.
"I think we can be good roommates this year," Katara said with a snicker.
"It'll be a pleasure," Suki agreed. "And remember to bring back your brother occasionally so I can roast him." She gave an evil smile.
"Augh, I'm leaving!" Sokka stormed out with a huff as Katara called, "You're welcome to visit me and the beautiful Suki anytime!"
"She's not pretty, she's mean!" Sokka yelled back, already down the hall. Katara smirked and turned to Suki, who looked rather surprised. "Oh he definitely has a crush on you."
Suki blinked. "Really." She paused and then asked, in a completely serious tone, "Is he a masochist?"
She continued looking rather perplexed as Katara hooted in laughter and fell onto her dorm bed. Finally, Katara wiped away her tears. "I mean, you would think with the things he says," she replied with a sigh. Suki gave a small grin at that.
"He's just… He's not bad, I swear. He's just biased in dumb ways sometimes. He's always around… just guys. So I think he just doesn't know any girl other than me." Katara shrugged. "He's a bit wild sometimes and he doesn't like relying on people. He's a good brother though. And not a masochist. I don't think, " Katara added.
Suki looked back out the door wordlessly for a moment before turning back to Katara. "Thanks for telling me. Hah," she chuckled. "It makes me look forward to seeing him next time so I can show him how girls don't pull back punches," she said mischievously.
o0o0o0o
He let the bow screech along the strings. He was half tempted to throw the violin into the wall.
"I'll never be good enough," he muttered. "I'll never be able to match that level… This isn't enough!" He managed to keep the violin in one clenched fist, but his other hand slashed through the sheet music. They fluttered down like dead, crinkled leaves.
He leaned back against the soundproof wall, closed his eyes, and slid down. From above, the afternoon sunshine from the open window washed over him. He held out a hand, watching the shadows from the willow leaves shiver and twirl. Dust winked in and out of the light.
From behind his head, the dark, black mass of the piano felt like it had a spatial power of its own, enough to thrum dully into him as a headache. Or he could just be tired from his sixth hour of practice. His hands were burning raw, after all, like a flash of ropeburn.
Even when physical pain should no longer bother me.
He flinched as the door to the room swung open.
o0o0o0o
"Mai! Over here," Tai Li called.
"Oh. Tai Li. Azula. Did you wait?" Mai smoothed out her black dress before sitting at the counter. Tai Li shook her head as Azula barked, "Iced Chocolate Mocha!"
"No, I don't like wasting time. Too busy with packing and things for uni." Azula turned to them and rolled her eyes. "Although honestly, I could literally buy everything I need nearby and get it shipped."
"Hmm." Mai responded before ordering an iced coffee. Tai Li asked for 'whatever's their recommendation' with a sweet, coy smile.
"Wouldn't even cost that much and obviously wouldn't dent the family finance," Azula continued.
"Yeah."
"I'm literally the richest person at uni; I feel like such a pleeb for even going there. Did you know? They want me to stay a speech as the 'freshman representative'. God, what bullshit, they shouldn't make their smartest student do the most work. Make the idiots fluster about and do it."
"Hm."
Tai Li's eyes switched uncomfortably between Azula and Mai. "Hey, maybe let's talk-"
"Jesus, speaking of idiots, Zuko's stupid, music college degree. That's what's going to put a dent in the family finance. A dent that won't be paid back with interest for a loooong time." Azula rolled her eyes again and let her nails click clack on the counter. Mai watched the polished, talon-like manicures warily. "I don't even understand why music school's a thing except to get people too stupid for normal university a way to spend thousands of dollars. Which is, actually, not bad since people enroll anyway. The world won't run out of stupidity I guess." Azula laughed. "God, why something useless like the arts? You'll just be working on the streets or something. I'm in economics and top of my class. That is the way to go."
Tai Li winced and clamped her mouth shut. She let her worn dance flats rub against each other beneath the counter.
"Hm," was all Mai said.
"And Zuko's not even a prodigy or anything! He just 'likes music' and 'wants to pursue his passion' or whatever," Azula snorted, adding the appropriate air quotes. "And he's going in with violin like, you were literally only good at the piano? That was all you were ever good at? What do you even think you're doing with a violin? And not to mention, everyone plays the violin! Like-" Azula pivoted towards Tai Li. She flinched. "Like, Tai Li does that weird Chinese dance thing in the next school over-"
"Er ren zhuan," Tai Li interrupted. Azula waved a hand in dismissal.
"-but at least it's rare! I mean, you could get a low-paying job in a circus, but Zuko's so bad and there're so many other violinists out there, he's not going to get any job. And then who's going to pay for the family finances? Who's going to repay that college debt? That's right, me, since I'm going to inherit the company one day and there's going to be a shitload of debt that I have to get rid of while he's just 'pursuing his goddamn passion' and just- Augh!" she hissed and slammed a fist on the table, causing the sugar cellars to rattle.
"... Now, now Azula, you're thinking too far ahead." Tai Li rested a hand gently on Azula's arm. Mai "mmhm"-ed with a slightly more comforting tone.
Tai Li rapidly blinked her tears back, thanking the heavens that Azula was glaring down. "I mean, I guess you're right you know? About… about…" Tai Li gulped what felt like a sack of sand. "Music… being u-useless yknow? But, it's still-" She stopped as Azula shook her hand off.
Azula shook her head and gave a deep sigh. "Whatever. I mean, we all know the kind of failure Zuko is. Hopefully Father took that into consideration when he made the finances." She barked a laugh.
"Haha," Tai Li said.
"Ha," Mai said.
"Anyway, enough about me. Mai!" She turned towards the goth girl, who slouched a bit less at her name. "I heard you broke it off with the loser!"
Tai Li groaned inwardly. Sometimes Azula is a walking social disaster, she thought glumly. I wish I didn't hang around her so much… She jolted at her thoughts. Wait no! How could I say that? To a best friend?
… Guess Azula was right when she said I was too sensitive.
"Him."
Azula blinked. "What?"
"Him. He. Zuko. He broke up with me," Mai said flatly.
Azula stared at her. "You're kidding. That son of a bitch with my friend!"
"Azula!" Tai Li admonished before turning to Mai with a sympathetic look. "Aww, Mai…"
Azula stood and came behind the two to wrap her arms around them. Mai looked up in faint surprise before looking away. She gave a long sigh.
"It's okay, Mai. Tai Li. You both are so important to me. I won't let this go by." Azula lowered her voice to a growl. "I won't let this go by," she repeated, darkly. "We'll wait and then strike. Punish. He doesn't get to do that with my friends. My life." Her eyes began flaming crazily.
Mai looked on impassively, wordlessly.
Tai Li cringed but said, "Yeah, of course Azula."
*Slavonic Dance op.46 no.8 (Dvorak): a mix of angry and a bit of lightness in the middle (before it becomes fast angry again lol). Most of videos on YouTube are a bit too slow for me so I recommend it at 1.25 speed.
Review responses:
Anonymous23: Haha you got me! Toph will be a pianist but she'll probably appear a bit later. ^^ And thank you so so much for your long review. It made me really happy to read all of the kind things you've said. I'll try, but I don't know if I can make it less abrupt since I want to add different events happening at the same time…
GrumpyCat503: YES I play the flute too! Thanks, I'll try my best. :)
ML8991: Haha no it's fine, me neither. I just really like the music and meanings around it. ^^ Haha thanks! I'll try to improve and edit more to keep the flow more logical, but I'm not sure if I can really with all that I try to cram into one chapter.
Look-for-the-miracles: Hopefully I can explain well haha. Thanks!
