Here I was walking into school, waiting and wanting since the second I left him to see him again. He sat there, alone in the lunchroom staring at a bright red apple he was twirling in his palm. A mysterious wind gently blew his dark hair. He looked up, suddenly sensing my presence, and his golden eyes sparkled as he looked at me. He was smiling, really smiling. Was it because he saw me?

I heard a haunting snicker, and then blinding pain erupted from my back. I felt myself falling, gasping, screaming, bleeding. Zuko stood above me, one arm slung around his sister. "Stupid, pathetic, weak waterbender."

"Peasant," his sister whispered, sounding almost snakelike. I felt myself falling in overwhelming blackness, and I woke up gasping.

Sokka burst through the door with a bat, taking a quick check of my room for mysterious people roaming about. He lowered the bat and sighed thankfully. "Thought someone was in your room."

"Yeah, no kidding, but a bat? Really? It seems primitive." I knew I was lashing out at him to keep from getting to the real issue: my nightmare about Zuko, a guy who I knew my brother hated.

"Maybe next time I won't come," he teased, leaning the bat on my bedside and sitting down beside me. "What's wrong sis?"

"Just a nightmare."

"It must have been terrible. You were screaming like crazy. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," I answered curtly.

He sighed, regretfully this time. "I'm always here."

"It's nothing. My brain is just trying to work things out. It's trying to make sense of things."

"At least give me a hint about what it was about."

"Zuko," I said sadly. I didn't want him to be the subject of my nightmares. Why couldn't I have dreamed pleasantly of him tonight?

"Katara, you know that if he so much as laid one finger on you I would beat him senseless."

I smiled. "I know. Thank you Sokka."

He kissed me on the forehead before he left.

The next morning, I woke up early. I ate breakfast and wrote a note to Sokka that I would walk to school. I knew I was being foolish to think that Zuko would mysteriously find me on the side of the road again but when did hopeful thinking ever hurt anyone?

I wasn't worried about Zuko hurting me. Not after yesterday. He could have done it already if he wanted but he didn't.

I made it to school without seeing any fancy sport cars or scarred firebenders. I waited outside of school until school was going to start. I headed in reluctantly. I guess I didn't really mind ditching school after all.

Math came, and Zuko smiled when he saw me. "Good morning," he said pleasantly.

"Is it?" I asked.

He laughed lowly as the teacher started his class. "Did something bother you this morning?"

"No," I said curtly.

"Not even not having someone to ditch with."

I gasped. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do. You didn't want to come to school today. You wanted to spend time with me."

"You, sir, think too highly of yourself."

His smile widened. "No, my dear lady, I can just read you like a book. We can leave after this class. Just you and me. No one will ever know we left."

I shook my head. "Not after we already showed up."

"They won't care."

"My friends will."

"No, they won't."

"My brother will."

"Lie to him. Say you don't feel well."

"Not to Sokka."

"Katara please," Zuko's voice was even softer now.

"I can't. Not two days in a row."

"Katara and Zuko," the teacher said loudly, "is there something you'd like to share with the class?"

I turned my head from Zuko, feigning chagrin and disgust towards Zuko. "No."

I didn't see Zuko until I was heading for lunch. His sister and her friends sat with them. Both of Azula's friends were beautiful, but they weren't the ones he was looking at.

I raised my eyebrow. He smiled softly, and I felt a blush creep across my face. I turned my face away.

"Oh, who are you crushing on?" Suki asked, giggling. "Are you going to break up with Haru?"

"No, I'm looking at Haru."

"Katara," Suki said with a laugh, "Haru just came in the lunchroom through the opposite door. You're not looking at him."

"Suki," I moaned.

"Who is it?" she asked in an excited whisper.

"Suki, I like Haru."

She shrugged. "You'll spill eventually."

The next day I let Sokka drive me. We walked almost all the way into school together until Sokka saw Suki. He galloped to meet her. She giggled softly, and the smile on his face that stretched from one ear to the other made me smile. I was happy for him. For both of them. They made a cute couple.

A hand quickly wrapped around my waist and started to pull me into the bushes. I shrieked and a hand clapped over my mouth.

When my breathing calmed, the hand removed itself from my mouth. "Do you want to ditch?" he asked, and instantly, I knew it was Zuko.

"Do I have a choice?" I asked with a laugh. "Are you kidnapping me or something?"

He shook his head. "I don't know what I was thinking. I'm lucky you didn't pepper spray me or something. Didn't you even think of fighting back?"

"With what?" I asked softly.

"You are a waterbender after all."

I shrugged and felt my eyes gravitate to his scar. It was so red. It hypnotized me. I reached out and felt my hand touch his damaged skin. He flinched but didn't pull me off. He closed his eyes. "How did you get this?" I asked, finally speaking my often repeated thought.

"A fight," he said vaguely.

"With who?"

He shook his head. "Does it matter?"

"Who, Zuko?"

He looked at me, eyes burning with passion. "My father."

"What?" I gasped.

"You heard me, Katara," he whispered, and I could hear the pain in his quiet voice.

"Zuko, I'm sorry."

"He wanted to teach me respect."

"Zuko…I'm so, so sorry."

His hand gently covered mine. "I've never told anyone that."

I waited for him to continue for I was speechless. The school bell rang loudly from somewhere inside.

"I guess that's the reason I "kidnapped" you," he said, using air quotes. "I care about you Katara. I end up telling you things I don't want people to know, but when you ask, it's like I can't say no."

We stood up and walked out of the bushes. He raised my lowered face with his hand. I gazed up into his breathtaking eyes. "May I or would your boyfriend kill me?"

"I don't think you have to worry about him," I murmured.

Zuko's lips met mine. First, it was softly, but then with more and more passion. He held me closely, and we kissed again and again. My heart raced. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling myself closer to his warm, warm body.

My brother's voice broke through my paradise. "KATARA!"

A/N: Thanks to all the followers and reviews! That means so much! You guys are awesome.