Chapter 10

"...and I've been referring to him as a boy all this time, but it's very possible he was a girl. Er, she...it might have been a...mix? Are animals like that? Either way, I sure do miss that little guy. The other night, I had a dream about him. This time he was the one stuck in the dirt and I was getting ready to eat him when..." Sokka had been rambling about Foofoocuddlypoops all through the meal, but I wasn't really paying attention. I was focused on Aang's head. It was reflecting the light really weird; sort of glowing, but not like it did when he was in the Avatar state. The light was just flashing off of his shiny bald head...

"That's enough, Sokka. No one really cares," interrupted Toph.

"Fine." Sokka shut up, stuffing his face with noodles.

"So Zuko, you're awfully quiet today," stated Aang accusingly. "Is something wrong?"

"I just don't have much to say."

I tore my gaze from Aang's forehead and stared down at my food.

"Does it have something to do with a 'special lady?'" Aang snarled.

"No."

I could feel my face turning red and I tried to lower my head just a little more. What was Aang doing? "Excuse me," I grunted as I left the table. No one seemed to notice.

I slammed my door and collapsed onto my bed. Why was Aang mad at me? I hadn't done anything to him. And I hadn't forced him to talk to Zuko. I would've done it myself, but he volunteered. That wasn't my fault.

My thoughts were interrupted by a shy but forceful knock on my door. "Come in," I called welcomingly.

But the door didn't open.

"Come in," I invited again, this time a bit louder.

The doorknob turned slowly, but then stopped and snapped back into its normal position. I sighed in frustration and got up, opening the door to see Zuko. "I, um...I wasn't sure if you said 'come in' or 'coming'..." he defended briskly. He looked really nervous, but at the same time he was even more handsome than usual.

"Oh, it's fine. Do you want to come in?" I asked softly.

"Uh...what?"

I was confused. Hadn't he wanted to come in a second ago? "What?"

"I don't know what you're saying."

Maybe it was time I re-evaluated why I liked this guy. "I was just asking if you wanted to come in. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"N- no, Katara, not for the reason you think. Or what I think you think..."

What was I thinking? "What?"

"I really don't want to take advantage of you. I just wanted to talk; not...not do anything in your room. If you know what I mean."

"No, no we don't have to do anything like that! I don't even want to do anything. I mean I want to do something; I want to talk. If you want to talk. But just talk. Nothing else."

"Oh, uh, yeah. That's exactly what I want, too. So...can I come in?"

"Yes, of course." I led him into my room and searched for somewhere for him to sit. We couldn't both sit on my bed. That would be awkward after our previous conversation. So I sat on the floor and patted the floor next to me. Zuko sat down stiffly.

"I wanted to talk to you," he began.

"Go ahead."

"I was talking to Aang earlier and he said some interesting things."

"Yeah that Aang, he's a real card. So fascinating," I blurted out.

"I guess. Anyway, he said some things...about you. And me. He has this weird idea that you might..." There was a long pause as if he was trying to extend my suffering. Finally, he finished, "...like me or something?"

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't deny it, but I definitely didn't want to admit it was true. How embarrassing.

"So...is it true?"

I shook my head, too confused to answer, and left.

It was still broad daylight since we'd just finished lunch, and I was having trouble finding a place to go where Zuko couldn't find me. I didn't want to talk to him. Not ever, ever again. How stupid was I that I'd thought things could work between us? But it didn't matter now. All that mattered was that I found somewhere to hide.

Far behind the temple were some trees, a scrawny example of the forests that used to cover the land around the temple. I wandered as far as I could into the pathetic bunch of timber until I couldn't see the temple anymore, then pulled myself up onto a low branch. I shouldn't have ever told Aang anything. I should've kept it all to myself and tried to convince myself I didn't like him. And I really should've ignored when Zuko knocked on my door.

As I thought about this, getting angrier and angrier at how foolish I'd been, I heard footsteps. Of course; I couldn't ever seem to get any alone time thanks to the people I was traveling with.

Since I really didn't care who it was, I didn't turn around. Just sat still; staring past the spindly brown tree trunks that were all around me.

"Katara?" Not him again. Now I wished I'd run - run away as soon as I'd heard those footsteps. Just one more mistake I could add to the list.

"Katara, listen. I just want to know if it's true. Please, talk to me."

Talk to him. Yeah right. I'd done enough talking for one day.

"No matter what you say, it's not going to change anything. We can still be friends."

He thought we were friends? I'd nearly killed him with a rock the other night. If anything, I was a really awful friend.

"Come on, Katara, say something."

"What do you want me to say?" I hissed, still keeping my gaze fixed on the trees. "Like you said, nothing I say is going to change anything."

"No, that's not what I meant. Things don't have to be...awkward...like this. That's all I was talking about." There was a sense of urgency in his voice that I found really comforting; did he really want to be friends that badly?

"Zuko, it doesn't matter. Just think whatever you want to; I don't care."

"I want you to care, though. And it does matter. To you, at least."

Angrily I jumped down from my perch in the tree and walked away again. So it only mattered to me? At least now he was being honest. But I would've preferred it if he'd lied.

"Stop. You can't just keep ignoring me."

"You want to bet?"

Just when I thought I was out of reach, he grabbed my arm and pulled me back. His grasp was firm, but so gentle; and despite myself, I stopped walking. "What do you want from me?" I snapped, pulling free of him.

"I just want to know if you think of me as anything more than...you know...a friend."

"Do you like me as anything more than a friend?"

"I hardly know you, but I -"

"Then forget it. Pretend Aang never said anything."

"No, Katara. Let me finish. I may hardly know you, but I still want to get to know you better. We have...potential."

I turned around and walked back toward the temple, smiling. This time Zuko didn't follow me.

Because finally, I think he'd figured it out.

Bedhead: I'm Katara...

Squaw: I'm Zuko...

Katara: (pets floor) This is my friend, Florence.

Zuko: (sits down on Florence the floor)

Katara: NOOO!! Get off of Florence!!

Zuko: What? Why?

Katara: Florence is my friend, and you two hardly know each other. Get off of him!

Zuko: What are you talking about?

Katara: He doesn't like having your butt in his face!

Zuko: Huh...

Bedhead: Sorry. That was awesome, Squaw.

Squaw: Katara "pet" the floor in this story and I thought we should write pet and Bedhead thought we should write pat. But yea... long story.

Bedhead: No, it's really not. You just told the whole thing in one poorly constructed sentence. And she patted it, not petted it. I was right. BY THE WAY: Good job avatard05 for finding the typo in Chapter 6.

Where it should've said the floor of the temple was smooth and whatever, it ended up saying the floor of the palace was smooth and so, avatard05, you are the winner of the CHAPTER 6 TYPO CHALLENGE!! Kudos.

Squaw: CHAPTER CHALLENGE!! THAT WORD WIGGLE WAS MY IDEA!

Bedead: Squaw, I hate you. Remember to take it off caps lock next time. :) This chapter was late being posted (if anyone was wondering) because Squaw and I put it off til the last minute and then got in a huge fight before we could write it. It's written now, though, and next chapter will be posted on Friday. Like always.

Squaw: Bedhead always abandons me for Hannah so I'd like to point out I had some good reasons for the fight. Well not that I started it, no one really did... And has anyone read The Sun Sets in the West? Its pretty fancy.

Bedhead: Why thank you, Squaw dear. And yeah, The Sun Sets in the West is going to be awesome...I think only like two chapters are posted but there's eight written and eventually it really does get interesting; I swear.

Squaw: Haha! I thought you were going to write The Slut Sets in the West!

Bedhead: Yeah...haha...?? So, we have kind of crippled Zutara in this chapter, but I can promise you the story isn't nearly over yet, so please don't kill us yet. :) It's going to be awesome and OMGOSH Squaw and I have the COOLEST ending EVER planned out!! I'm so excited!! But the story is only about halfway done; maybe a little less. So keep reading, and remember to REVIEW!!

Squaw: REVIEW!!