Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA.

Thanks to Shadowhunter69, Chasingmydreams09, PrincesaDeFuego, Yungsun, Sokka aka Wang Fire, Rainproof Coyote, River WolfGirl and the Moon our Witness for your amazing reviews!

This chapter is in Zuko's POV!

Katara's reaction was actually incredibly endearing. First, she screamed at the top of her lungs and then she immediately began to blush tomato red. I swear, she really doesn't have a filter. She doesn't pretend to be someone she isn't.

At my old school, the girls walked around like they owned the place…and most times, they probably did own a part of the school or at the very least, 'donated' money to maintain uptake of our 'welcoming school'. Well, that is laughable. These 'donations' were merely bribes if someone got into trouble where in a different, less elitist school would immediately be expelled… but no, nobody got expelled from the prestigious Lotus Leaf Academy. Or at the very least, the school administrators covered up said expulsion very well.

They were entitled snobby, careless, self-centred individuals whom only seemed to care for their own well-being. And I not just reserving this for the girls. No, the guys if anything are arrogant bastards whom all think they are the best thing since sliced pan.

But Katara is so naturally herself, that these memories appear so distant now. And I am glad for it. I am glad that I no longer live under the lingering cloud of my father's hatred for me because that was a bad time for me. It was such a truly negative experience that I can't even believe I managed to live so long in that suffocating environment I used to call home.

And abruptly Katara turns towards me, her eyebrows arched so high upwards, they are almost catching in her hairline.

"So this is why we were rambling around the forest for what seemed like hours upon edge looking for the idiotic yellow berry?"

"It was worth it," I assure her.

It just occurs to me that perhaps my previous statement sounded quite a bit flirty.

And Katara seems to think so also if the rapidly spreading blush has anything to say about it.

I am after spending a whole day with her traipsing around the mysterious forest; we have leaves entangled in our hair, we have scratches and cuts from numerous thorny bushes and at one point I even fell into a stream at which point I decided to give up our 'search' until I fully dried myself off with my bending. And she still manages to look stunning. At what point when her clothes got soaked through, I had to think about my uncle when he is in the sauna. Yeah that send a shiver up my spine. That is a visual I never thought I would be unlucky enough to witness.

But Katara merely thought that I looked constipated, believe it or not. I suppose it is better that she doesn't know I was perving over her.

I have seen Katara mad before and it isn't a pretty sight. Her brother accidentally mistook her clothes as scraps, which is quite mean to be honest and he used them to scrub his body while bathing. Yet another shiver races up my spine to meet with the other one. They are having a conversation now I bet.

One would say," Hey dude, what is up with your man? He is really jumpy today."

And the other one would merely stay back blankly and say with a sarcastic tone, "At least you didn't have to see his uncle without clothing. That is a sight I will never forget."

I would much prefer to stay on her good side because seriously, after that incidence Sokka couldn't sit for a week. She chased him around for an hour, gashing him with her magic water, whilst screaming at him all the while.

"That will make you think twice about destroying my clothes."

"But I thought they were scraps," he screamed helplessly.

Of course, this explanation only spurred her anger on and Sokka quickly learnt his lesson. I merely gazed on with equal amounts of fascination and amusement. Her anger rivalled that of kimodo rhino. It was quite extraordinary.

And while her face seems to be returning to normal, I notice that she can't seem to make eye contact with me.

I wrap my arm around her shoulders to bring her closer to me.

"Happy birthday Katara," I whisper softly in her ear," what do you want to do?"

Damn, did that sound perverted? I didn't mean for it to sound perverted. It isn't the words so much as my tone of voice that insinuates that I am being a little too friendly.

Her azure eyes widen considerably in surprise. But to my astonishment, she doesn't begin to attack me for being a pervert.

"Oh Zuko, you are funny! You know that you are my best friend right? The best friend in the world."

And then my heart sinks like lead. I have just been friend zoned and it is beyond frustrating. I was aiming for alluring but somehow I manage to convince her even further that I am simply a friend in her eyes.

"Come on Katara, let's have some cake. I have only had two lunches today and I am ravenous. I wonder if someone will ever invent a meat cake." Sokka screams whilst simultaneously his inner most thoughts and feelings.

Any other time, I would find it amazing but right now I am too downtrodden to even aim for a mere chuckle. I shouldn't be such a glum bum on Katara's birthday but I can't help myself.

As we stroll over, I hear this relentless buzzing noise beside my left ear and all of a sudden, there is this massive boom worthy explosion. I am thrown twenty feet (or what seems like twenty feet) into the air and for a brief moment, I can see why Aang likes flying so much. But that is before I land with a thud on the rock hard ground.

Ouch. That hurt.

Those are my last two thoughts before I fall unconscious due to the splitting pain in my back.

I am so sorry this chapter is so short! But at least there is a fair bit of action!

Please let me know what you are thinking...I am no Jean Grey..yeah, I just made an XMen reference. What of it? ;)