Book 1: Freshmen
Chapter 8: Healing Wounds
When the next day came Aiyoku felt all cried out. She stretched and yawned. As she got up she looked around at the bright room.
She walked over to the dresser and put on the uniform. She looked at herself in the mirror.
"You know, you look really hot in this outfit, babe."
Aiyoku froze. Her face saddened.
She shook it off then went to join her friends. Waiting in the Common Room, like usual, was Yue and Don.
"We knew you'd show up." Don smiled.
Aiyoku smiled back.
"But remember you can always drop that zero and get with a hero."
Aiyoku froze again. Then she walked on.
Yue, Don and Aiyoku joined the others at the Shuǐ table. But today there was a new member to the table. Zuko was sitting at the table across from Mokka.
"Zuko?" Aiyoku asked.
"I asked him to sit with us." Mokka smiled.
Aiyoku shrugged and sat next to Zuko.
"Where is Shu?" Aiyoku asked.
"Here." came a voice
Shu walked up to them. He was covered in band-aids and bruises.
Mokka ran to him and hugged him. He groaned in response.
"Shu what happened to you? Where have you been?" Mokka asked her voice full of concern and worry.
"I had a problem in Study Hall."He chuckled.
"What problem?" Aiyoku asked.
Shu sat down, "I taught that bastard Jet a lesson." He smiled.
Aiyoku froze once more.
"I don't care if you trust him, I don't!" Shu exclaimed.
"You are not being fair! He's changed he's not the same way anymore." Aiyoku argued.
"Once a criminal always a criminal. They never change. Hasn't dad taught you that." Shu said.
"I know what dad taught me and I wasn't going to date him. But he proved he had changed. Just give him a chance." Aiyoku replied.
Shu thought for a moment. "I swear if he hurts you I will beat his ass till hell won't have it again." With that Shu walked to his room. Slamming the door behind him.
"I can't believe you did that." Mokka said in awe.
"So he fought back?" Zuko asked.
"Yeah, but he's not as strong as me." Shu laughed.
Aiyoku looked at the food on her plate. She hadn't eaten in 24 hours. But her stomach was still too nauseous for her to eat.
"Thank you, Shu. You idiot." Aiyoku whispered.
After breakfast they headed for their classes.
Aiyoku stopped Zuko, "Hey I wanted to thank you again. And apologize for all the things I did and said before. You know at the beginning of school. I had no right and you're actually an awesome guy, Zuko." Aiyoku smiled.
Zuko shook his head, "You don't need to apologize. It's pretty common for people to get the wrong opinion of me. Mostly because of my family but sometimes they don't even know my family and just automatically think I'm a bad guy."
"Because of your scar?" Aiyoku asked. Zuko looked away and continued walking.
"Hey!" Aiyoku ran after him. "I don't think that. In fact I think it make you look cool." Aiyoku smiled.
Zuko looked at her. He smiled slightly.
They started to walk to class when a voice came from behind. "Avatar Aiyoku, I must have a word with you and your friends. All of them."
It was Headmaster Roku. Aiyoku and Zuko turned around.
"H-Headmaster, what for?" Aiyoku asked.
"Many things, your absence yesterday, your appearance in the stalls on the grounds, and two of your friends almost killed each other." Roku said approaching them.
Aiyoku's face fell, "Oh, right all that."
"I'll inform your professors about this and I want all of you in my office in an hour." And with that he left.
"Well, this is so not good." Aiyoku sighed. "And I didn't think I'd have to kick Shu's ass for kicking Jet's ass."
"I guess we have to go round everyone up." Zuko said.
Aiyoku looked confused, "We?"
"He said 'all your friends' am I not one of them?"
"Oh, right. Friends." Aiyoku smiled. "Oh no. That means Jet too."
Zuko looked over at her, "He's not your friend now, is he?"
"No, but he's the reason all this happened so obviously he's involved in this."
"Hey don't worry. You go get Mokka and Shu and I'll get Yue, Don, and Jet."
"Thanks Zuko, you're the best." She said hugging him. She waved and took off for Elemental History.
Once gathered at the front of the statue to Roku's office. Aiyoku said "Awaken mighty warrior." Suddenly the dragon came to life and blasted fire in a vortex around them.
When they appeared in the office Aiyoku was shocked. "I can't believed that worked."
"The dragon only responds to me and the Avatar." Said a voice from the desk. Headmaster Roku sat camouflaged in his seat waving them forward.
"So Avatar please explain to me what happened yesterday. From what was told to me by your professors, my grandson said there was a joke charm gone wrong. But that did not seem to be the case." Roku said as everyone sat in the melee of chairs.
Aiyoku who was sitting in between Zuko and Mokka looked over to the boy, "You covered for me?"
Zuko shrugged.
"Whatever the case I wish to know the truth." Roku said firmly.
"Well, Headmaster, sir, Aiyoku was in her bedroom all day yesterday." Mokka answered.
"And why was this, only her second day into her new schedule?"
Everyone's eyes shifted from Jet to Aiyoku and back again. However Roku didn't seem to catch this transaction.
"There was a problem in our little group and Aiyoku and … Jet … had a falling out." Shu said.
"Well I understand that friends are important and it is hard to lose one but that is no ..." Roku started.
"Grandfather." Zuko snapped.
The Headmaster looked at his grandson, "I see. It was that kind of friendship. It does make more sense."
"After what happened Aiyoku refused to leave her room. And Shu decided to go all big brother on Jet. After that I brought food to Aiyoku realizing she wasn't there. We all went looking for her." Mokka said
"Then I found her in Mokka's bison's stall." Zuko finished.
"Well, Mr. Chén and Mr. Zìyóu please stay put for a minute. Mr. and Ms. Tàiyīn you may be dismissed. Grandson, you Ms. Huóshuǐ and Ms. Wéifēng shall wait for me in my study. Show them the way Zuko." Roku said waving away the empty chairs.
Once in the study Aiyoku walked over to the window. "Damn, Why did this have to happen, seriously. Now Jet knows that I spent all day yesterday crying over him. Like that was what I needed."
Mokka sat in a lounge chair and stretched. "Well, I bet he was hurt a little too, he didn't show up to any classes till Study Hall where he and Shu had it out."
"But still that piece of … URGH! I spent so much time and energy on that shit and this is what I get for it. It's hard to believe he ever loved me. And all the time I said and did things that just make me feel like an idiot now."
"What do you mean, he loved you. He just couldn't be the guy you wanted." Mokka said.
Zuko sat in a high backed chair listening to what he could of the conversation outside the doors.
"I just feel like a fool. Shu was right my taste in men suck. You know, I've always had a thing for bad boys and now it's come back to bite me in the ass," Aiyoku huffed.
"You can't help who you fall for it just happens. Like me and Shu, I never thought that we'd be together. He wasn't even my type. Though I wouldn't do the stupid things he asked me, like get two tattoos and sleep with him, well, not till I was ready." Mokka sighed.
At the end of the sentence Zuko's attention was quickly drawn to the girls conversation.
"Yeah well, now I just wish I could take it all back." Aiyoku said slumping down into the closest chair.
Mokka straightened up, "Well you know there are two methods to mend a broken heart. One, spend a night with your girlfriends eat raw cookie dough and watch chick flicks. Two, get another boyfriend and not the rebound kind the kind that stays and doesn't go beat up old men and mug them." Mokka jumped out of her seat. She walked over to Aiyoku. "See me and Yue will stay with you tonight and make you feel all better then when the thought of Jet is out of your head you find another sucker … I mean guy." She said smiling.
"You talk to much. Besides you know me I'd rather not do the whole dough and movie thing." Aiyoku said rolling her eyes. "Aw man, I can just hear those fire monsters saying something about me not having a boyfriend the minute it gets around."
"They won't find out until you start walking around with some other guy." Mokka said.
"Yeah but here's the problem. The only guys I know are Shu, Don and Zuko. I don't talk to guys." Aiyoku sighed.
"And why is that?" Mokka asked.
"I scare them away." Aiyoku said deadpanned.
"And why is that?"
"Because I want them to be scared."
"And why is that?"
"Because in the back of my mind I hate men."
"LAIR!" Mokka exclaimed. "It's not that you hate men, it's that you are afraid of rejection. I don't know why. You're smart, pretty, you have a nice personality, and you are just a great person." Mokka said
"I am not afraid of rejection! Any guy should be lucky to get me to look their way. I mean don't make me a modest, but look at me. I'm hot. I just don't toot my own horn to others." Aiyoku said standing up.
"I'll believe that when I see you with some other guy." Mokka said cheeky.
"Shut up, if I want other guy I'll get another guy." Aiyoku turned and walked back to the window. "But who? Who would be crazy enough to fall for me?" Aiyoku rested her elbow on the windowsill and her head on her hand and sighed.
Mokka looked over at Zuko, who was pretending not to have listened to the whole conversation. "I can think of a few." She said.
Zuko snapped his head in her direction. Aiyoku as well, "Who?"
"I never can understand that Zuko." Aiyoku said.
"It's 'cause he likes you that he helps all the time." Mokka giggled.
Aiyoku turned back to the window. That would be more of a problem. Even if he is a better guy than Jet.
Suddenly the door to the study opened and Headmaster Roku walked in. "I have dealt with your friends you may go to your classes now."
Aiyoku, Zuko, and Mokka left for their 3rd class of the day.
