High School
Chapter 11
Remember When The Grossest Thing You Could Get is Cooties?
Zuko's POV
The buzzing of the alarm woke me up 6:30. I sighed, putting my hand to kill the annoying sound that was buzzing in my ears. I groaned at the idea of getting up and going to school again. I sighed against the pillow, wiping some saliva from the corner of my mouth, I stumbled out my bed. My bare feet hitting against the hardwood floor of the flat I co-lived with my uncle. I smelled tea with eggs and toast. I walked into the kitchen (what was the kitchen) and saw my uncle making breakfast.
"Good Morning, Zuko." Uncle Iroh greeted me. I groaned in response, he smiled back at me.
"So, what are you going to do today?" I sighed.
"I'll probably visit my mom today after school, then hang out with Toph." I say, blowing on the tea to cool it down.
"Hm. That's nice, are you gonna stay late out today as well?" Uncle Iroh asked.
"Why are you so interested in what I'm doing today?" I ask, raising my eyebrow at him, I saw him tense, and chuckle nervously.
"I've always been interested in what your doing..." He chuckled, raising his hand waving me off like fly.
"Maybe, but what's up?" I say, he sits down, in the seat in front of mine.
"Your father is coming over to talk to me, and I don't want you in the house with him. I know it's been years but I have the feeling your not ready to see him just quite yet." Uncle Iroh sighed, as he sunk in his seat, his gut hitting the table.
"What does he want." I said before taking a bite of my toast.
"He wants to discuss your return to the estate." He mumbled, I cough.
"What? Why would he...?" I asked. I looked down at my breakfast, losing my appetite completely.
"I'll deal with it, just don't come home until...around 7:30, alright? Just get ready for school, and don't worry okay?" Uncle Iroh, said. I nodded, and left to get ready for school.
"Zuko?" I look up to see Katara standing in front of me.
"What?" I say, looking around to see Azula less than a few feet away, probably waiting for Katara to finish up talking to me.
"I'm just wondering if you needed me today for-"
"No. I'm gonna be to busy after school to work on it anyway." I get up and turn around. "Go can go away now." I walk away. Just to run into Sokka and Suki.
"Hey Zuko! How are you? You weren't in Biology today." Suki asked, her red make-up around her eyes still distracting me from her eye color.
"I was with the counselor. Just talking about my future...and stuff." Sokka nodded, he was wearing his football jersey.
"We'll see you at the game?" Sokka asked.
"Yeah, I'll be with the camera." I say, patting him on shoulder after wishing him good luck. I leave down the hall, and head towards the library. I walk to the very back, where the photography books were, I sit down in the disc chairs the librarian left for the students to sit on. I put my head in my hands,
'He wants to discuss your return to the estate...' The words echoed in my head. I know Uncle Iroh will protect me, I don't think he'll let me go back to the hell. I felt myself tremble, I lean back into the chair, and reach for my favorite photography book, I started to look through it, just like so many another days. The bell made me jump, I put the book back and went to my next class, which happened to be journalism. I walk into the classroom right when the tardy bell rang.
"Your lucky." Ms. Meeker said to me, while writing down something. I sat down at my desk, Katara didn't look at me, of course she wouldn't, why would she? She probably pissed because I told her to go away anyway.
"Hey Zuko, you okay?" I turned to see Toph, her eye brows furrowed, her pale eyes showing worry.
"Tell you later?" I tell her, she nods, facing the front of the class again. Katara turned for a moment, I stared at her, she looks down, then turns back. I glare at the back of her head, I pick up my pencil and work on my assignment. I start to write, thinking of when I get out of this place and work as a journalist, working in that big office, and people calling me a great writer, and people thinking of me as a good idol. Not as a screw-up in the small town that believes everything that they hear. The door to the classroom opened, and Tai-Lee, who had office ad. this period, (apparently) giving Ms. Meeker the pick slip in her hands, she left the room giggling. Ms. Meeker read the slip, and looked up.
"Zuko." Her arm stretched out, her hand holding out the slip. I walked to the front of the class, grabbed the slip, instructing me to go to the office, a meeting with the counselor. Again? I shrugged and left the room. I opened the door and started to walk down the hall towards the office. But before I could make it to the office, something grabbed me from behind.
I shut my eyes tightly, when the person grabbed me, I now opened my eyes to see some football players, all standing (I'm on the ground), looking down at me. One of them the one that pushed me to the ground to the other day. I stand up, looking at them straight in the eyes.
"Nah, man. That won't work this time, your freaky death stare won't scare us." One said.
"This is for benching me for two games!" He punched me in the stomach, I wasn't ready for the punch and I stumbled over and fell again. They all chuckled, while closing in on me.
"This is gonna be fairly easy." Another chuckled. Why? Why were they do this? I felt series of kicks and blows all over my body. I tensed, then pulled my head down covered by my arms. I then felt something warm run down my arm. I look, and I see blood. I start to tremble, I stand shakily on my own feet, they seemed pretty proud of themselves. I put my arms on two of the football players, and smashed their heads together, then I punched them in the stomach, noticing that the one who probably started this idea, was tending to his friends, I stumbled out of the room we were in. I clutched my bleeding arm, trying to walk right out of school but then I bumped into Katara, with her hall pass in her hand.
"Zuko? Oh my God, Zuko what happened?" She tried to touch my arm, but I quickly avoided contact with her.
"Like you don't know." I said, venom dripping out of my voice.
"What?" She asked, innocent look on her face.
"Your little boyfriend's friends decided to beat me up for benching that guy for two games, big deal. I can't just be left alone can I?" I started to walk away, my sides hurting from the kicks, I'm pretty sure I was swollen from one eye at least.
"I'm sorry..." She said, looking down.
"What do you have to be sorry for? I'm not looking for your pity." I growled at her, before continuing on my way out of the school.
"Let me help! Okay, I'm just trying to be a better person." Katara followed.
"Leave me alone!" I yelled back. I pushed the door open, leaving the high school.
"No!" She says. I turn around and glare at her, here we are standing in front of the school.
"No? First you hate me for no reason? Then you want to help me? What the fuck is wrong with you?" I yell at her, anger boiling inside me.
"What? You ask what's wrong with me? You act like you hate everybody here, when you're to blame! Only because you don't get what you want!" She yells back.
"What? Is that what you heard? Oh God, of course, why would you not believe them. Just go back to Jet, that's where you belong, not here. Leave me alone." I say, before I turned around and continued to walk away.
"I was just trying to help, Zuko! God." I heard her stomp then reenter the high school. I sigh, and continue on my way.
"Hey, Mom. How are you?" I ask her. "I brought you flowers, Vinca Pacifica, your favorite." I set them down in front of the headstone.
"Your probably wondering why I'm all beat up to see you, I know it's not decent, but I just needed to see you." Silence is all I get. Right.
"You see after you left it wasn't the same with dad. And well, you know, and now I...I'm just outcasted by my class mates. One decided to beat me up after I benched him for two games, it's not really my fault. He was just angry, I was an easy target.
"It hurts. I wish you could be here, I could live with dad, and you. With Azula, surprisingly she hasn't changed much. Does she visit you often? No? I thought so... She's head cheerleader this year, so I guess that's pretty big. I'm hopefully gonna graduate early, by the end of the semester. Great, right? I knew you would be proud...I have a girlfriend...though I'm dating her so she could get attention from her real crush. Don't worry, I was the one who suggested it, and I know what I'm in. She knows what she's in too. I was going to introduce her to you but... I decided to come here right away. Without her, I know I should have but I was scared...I miss you mom..." Rain starting hitting the ground. Heavy rain. I look up at the gray clouds, big and dark. I feel my eyes water, I will them back. I lay on the grass. Staring up at the dark sky. I don't know how long I stared at the sky, laying on my mom's grave. I don't know why I fell asleep, I just felt like nothing could touch me, I felt at peace. the next thing I knew someone was waking me up.
"Zuko! Zuko! Prince Zuko!" I snap my eyes open when I hear my childhood 'nickname' I see Uncle Iroh kneeling in front of me with a worried look on my face. I hear him give a sigh of relief, and hug me. I see behind him, Toph, Sokka, Suki, and Aang. All wet from the rain, which stopped to a drizzle.
"Let's go home." He said, seeing my condition, he helped me up and walked me to the car.
"Zuko?" Toph said.
"Hey. I didn't worry you to much?" I asked.
"Yes! You idiot! Don't run off injured like that! Geez." She puts her hand on her hip, I could tell she was relieved with a small annoyance. I smile. I sit in the backseat of the car. I lean into it. That peaceful feeling coming back.
After bandaging my injured arm, putting ice on my abdomen and eye. I was allowed to eat and after that I fell into another peaceful slumber. I dreamed of my mom that night. It was amazing.