A/N: Hey, everyone! Hope everyone had an amazing Halloween. Seeing as it's been a full week since last update, thought you deserved another! Not much to say, so let's start where we left off.
MrHoodman2132: Thank you. And well, we do get some more hints this chapter in regards to that. Could lead somewhere, but it may not... I truly am evil, aren't I? XD
Guest: Much appreciated, Guest! I certainly will continue... starting right now!
Chapter 6: The Plan
Zuko's mind was racing… The further he walked away from the lunch table, the more he wanted to turn back to question things further. However, upon remembering how adamant the Earthbender girl was about her decision, he quickly decided against that.
Just what the hell was going on?
No one just gives someone money like that… Not without some kind of catch, surely.
Right?
A sigh escaped Zuko's lips, as he now stood in the thankfully much shorter lunch line than there was before. Risking a glance at where the line to grab a tray would be, he saw that it was completely barren.
'Guess they were right… This does appear to be the way to go.' The Firebender thought.
Seeing the line move forward, Zuko did so as well, not wanting to disrupt the flow in any way.
All this waiting did give him time to think back on what was plaguing his mind, though: why on earth was he given free money? And what potential catch was involved in all this?
Toph claimed it was out of a sense of friendship, and the others seemed to silently share in those sentiments, but… Surely not, right?
This was his second day at this school, and he hardly even knew these guys! They hung out together one time, which was yesterday, and now for whatever reason they were being kind to him?
Why? For what purpose?
The scarred teen's mind began to go into overdrive again. What was their motive!? Everyone else had been so horrible or distant towards him, and yet these guys were just somehow different?
He honestly found that hard to believe… There was no way someone could be so accepting, especially in so short a time.
Something fishy was going on. He just knew it! He would not allow himself to get attached to these people…
It would only make things more painful when he either had to move away, or whenever they inevitably betrayed him… As so many others already had…
"Hello." A sweet sounding, feminine voice spoke out to him, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Shaking his head out of his trance, his gaze settled in front of him, where a girl stood behind a counter.
"What can I get you?" The girl asked, her tone maintaining its sweet kindness. It was almost deceptive, as if too good to be true. Yet somehow, some way, Zuko knew that it wasn't.
Her green eyes were dark, yet piercing. They were complimented nicely by her raven black hair, which were tied into two distinct braids that fell across the front of both her shoulders. She wore a green kimono, which only gave away that she was Earth Kingdom even more. Unlike someone like Toph, whose facial structure was slightly more defined, this girl's face was rounder.
"Uhm…" Zuko started to vocalize on instinct, realizing he was taking too long to respond. "What… do you have?"
The girl giggled a little bit, as if sensing his awkward, nervous energy straight away. Though it didn't sound like it was demeaning, but rather, like she was amused or found it endearing.
"There's no need to be so shy, cutie…" The girl responded, causing Zuko's cheeks to flush. She… thought that about him? Even though he had this ugly scar-
'Stop it, Zuko!' He practically growled on the inside. 'It was just a compliment… Pay it no further mind.'
"We have plenty of stuff up here." The girl continued on, and spared Zuko any further awkward silence. "We have pizza, sandwiches, chips, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, salads… All the good stuff, really." She smiled.
"Right…" Zuko went into thought, holding the money in his hand, looking at it. "Well… How much for just a small bag of Fire Flakes?"
"Fire Flakes, huh?" The girl grinned, her expression changing to an almost knowing one. "A personal favorite of yours, I'm guessing?"
'Dammit!' Zuko practically cursed himself.
"No! I mean… No, wait. I take it back-" Zuko attempted to backpedal, which only earned another laugh out of her.
"You're so cute… Don't even worry about it." She tried to reassure him. "Everyone knows that you're from the Fire Nation, Zuko."
Zuko stood there frozen for a few seconds.
"H- How do you know my-" Realization set in, as he remembered what Suki told him. "Oh… Right."
"Here's your Fire Flakes." The girl smiled, handing them to Zuko.
Holding the money out to her, he was surprised to see her lightly push his hand away.
"This one's on me." She winked. "After what you did against Jet and those bullies, I think the least you deserve is a free bag of Fire Flakes."
Zuko's shoulders drooped, as he stared in shock for a moment. This place and these people just got stranger by the minute!
First Toph gives him free money, and now this girl was giving him free food!?
"Thank you…" Zuko shoved the bag back towards her. "But I'm not a charity."
A frown settled on her features, cocking a brow of confusion.
"No charity…" She reassured. "I just wanted to, as a show of thanks."
Those words rang in Zuko's head. Isn't that similar to what Toph had said? Only her reasoning was because they were apparently friends…
Didn't these Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe people get it!? He had to work for everything he's gotten in his life… He wasn't used to all these handouts!
So to just be... receiving all of them now? It was jarring, and he wasn't so certain he was comfortable with it…
The people in Capital City certainly didn't act this way: It was either you earn what you can get, or be left with nothing at all…
"I've done nothing special…" Zuko refused, folding his arms as he glanced away.
The girl stood there in momentary silence, before shaking her head.
"That's where you're wrong, Zuko." She uttered.
The scarred teen's gaze turned back, now facing her again.
"You may not be able to see it, but a lot of us do. True, we haven't heard all pleasant things about Firebenders or the Fire Nation, but that doesn't mean all of us flock to that thought process."
Zuko's face softened, as he tried to absorb this information into his mind. Could she be right? Could he only be looking at this at face value, and judging things unfairly?
He honestly didn't know…
A smile returning to her face, she shoved the Fire Flakes back in his direction.
"You'd better eat up. Lunch will be over soon. I'm just a volunteer in the cafeteria, so I still have to eat lunch too. It was good meeting you, Zuko."
"Wait." He stopped her, just as she looked ready to close up the snack line. When she turned to face him, he grabbed the bag of Fire Flakes, as he contemplated his next question. "Who are you?"
The girl maintained her friendly smile, before bowing in a traditional and respectful manner.
"My name is Jin." She answered. "I'm a Senior, just like you."
Zuko returned the gesture, trying to keep her name in mind.
"It is an honor to have met you, Jin." Zuko replied, his speech sounding very articulate and proper.
"You speak as though we may never meet again." Jin giggled, obviously teasing. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you around."
Zuko did not respond verbally to that, instead responding with a quick nod.
"Okay, well, I gotta go… Bye, Zuko." Jin waved him off, sending him one final smile before leaving.
Watching as she left, Zuko's gaze soon fell upon his free bag of Fire Flakes, and then to the money still in his hand, before sighing and walking back towards his lunch table.
Meanwhile, the Gaang huddled together at their lunch table while Zuko was away, trying to work out some ideas to show Zuko how enjoyable a more modest life in Gaoling could be.
"Yeah, Sugar Queen, that could work…" Toph seemed to nod in agreement, before her expression instantly faded into a disapproving one. "If you were trying to bore him to death!"
"Honestly now…" Katara huffed. "I think you're being a little overdramatic."
"Not overdramatic… Just realistic." Toph reaffirmed.
"Look, look! Let's not focus on the negatives." Aang butted in with a smile, wanting to prevent an argument from breaking out. "Let's instead focus on the positives. I mean, we already have quite a few interesting ideas."
"Aang's right!" Sokka agreed, before a grin settled on his features. "Especially the one about food."
"Is that all you think about is food, Sokka?" Yue quizzically asked.
"You would certainly think so." Suki chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah…" Sokka rolled his cerulean eyes. "Can we just get back on track?"
"Fine, then." Katara agreed. "So what's the plan for today?"
"Okay, so Katara, obviously you ride with me, seeing as we live at the same house." Sokka began to lay out the plan.
"Duh…" Katara grinned knowingly.
"Toph," Sokka continued. "Since you're a couple blocks away, we'll come and get you next."
"Sweetness." The Earthbender nodded her acknowledgment, everyone following along so far.
"Aang, this is where you come in." Sokka looked at the Airbender. "See if you can invite Zuko to your house again, and if all goes according to plan, we can pick both of you up at the same time."
"He lives across the street, though, doesn't he?" Katara cocked a brow. "Surely that wouldn't matter."
"Oh, but it will…" Toph brought up before Sokka could. "You saw how hard headed Sparky can be. The way I see it, getting him to accept beforehand sounds way better than trying to drag him out of his house…"
"Trust me…" Aang agreed with a nod. "It really is."
"Fine, fine…" Katara sighed. "And if he refuses?"
Toph could only smirk.
"Then I'll have to Earthbend his butt until he sees reason."
"…Hard to argue with that logic." Katara chuckled.
"Or, theoretically," Aang began to pitch in. "We could always ask him during homeroom. We all have it during sixth period, right?"
Everyone nodded, seemingly confirming what Aang had already assumed was true.
"Well, if that works better for you, Aang… I suppose we could try it during homeroom." Sokka adjusted the plan.
Aang nodded his approval, and it seemed everyone else understood what was happening too.
"Cool! So we have a game plan…" Sokka grinned. "We already went over some of the specifics, so we'll just have to see how the day plays out."
His gaze then shifted to the other two girls who hadn't yet been addressed.
"Suki, Yue, you guys coming too?" The Water Tribe senior asked.
"Of course." Yue agreed with a smile.
"I'm down too." Suki nodded. "You remember where I live, right?"
"I think so." Sokka replied with a shrug. "Should be easy to remember."
"Wait, you've been over to Suki's house before?" Toph cocked a brow.
"Oh, uhm… Yeah." Sokka answered with a hint of a blush. "I used to go over there and… study a lot." He shrugged, looking away in slight embarrassment.
A hint of pink stained Suki's cheeks as well, looking downcast to not draw any more attention to that than there needed to be.
It was clear there was more to that than met the eye; something that didn't go unnoticed by Toph. Sensing both of their heartbeats increase at the mention of it, it practically confirmed that there were still shared feelings between the two in some way. Though Toph would never bring it up directly, on the inside, she was seething. The Earthbender's arms folded as if on instinct, and her chest tightened in jealousy.
No one seemed to notice this except for Katara, but she knew it best to remain silent on the matter. She didn't want to embarrass Toph or bring any attention to it in front of everyone else.
"How's that gonna work, anyway?" Toph questioned, a bit harsher than intended, but still mostly concealed. "Your car can only fit five of us. Two up front and three in the backseat."
"Well, Suki got a car over the Summer." Sokka answered with a smile. "So that means we can link up at her house and drive separately. They can just follow us whenever we go somewhere."
"Is that okay with you, Yue?" Suki asked the white haired girl with a smile.
"That works." Yue agreed with a grin of her own. "I can ride with you to your house after school today and we can wait for the others to get there."
"Awesome." Sokka tapped the table with the palm of his hand. "Then it looks like we're all set."
"Great!" Aang smiled, appearing to be excited.
"Yeah…" Toph groaned in a whisper. "Great…"
Sokka cocked a brow, as if noticing that something was up with Toph. However, just as he was about to question her about it, he caught something out of the corner of his eye.
"Zuko's coming!" Sokka pointed out, sitting up straight. "Act… natural."
Everyone broke their huddle and went back to their original seats, just as the Firebender returned.
Taking a bite of his Fire Flakes, Zuko was about to sit down, before he took in the scene before him.
Suki and Yue ate the rest of their chips, keeping their gaze off of him. Aang and Sokka sat side by side, an arm around the other while flashing wide smiles. Katara leaned her chin into the palm of her hand, her elbow propping her arm up on the table. And Toph? Well… Toph looked perhaps the most normal of them all, sitting silently. However, what he did notice was that her gaze looked downcast, almost sad.
Cocking a brow of confusion, he almost wanted to address that… until he remembered everyone else.
"What… are you all doing-"
"Heyyy, Zuko! Buddy. Friend!" Sokka greeted him back, his forced and exaggerated smile unfading.
"Uh… Hey?" Zuko stared uncomfortably, before hesitantly taking his original seat back.
Reaching into his bag, Zuko took another bite of his Fire Flakes, before scanning the table again, where everyone maintained their forced demeanors.
Sitting the bag down on the table, Zuko sighed, deciding to just come out with it.
"Okay… what are you doing?" He pried, his suspicion and discomfort beginning to grow.
"Nothing! Nope. Nothing… Nothing at all." Sokka quickly denied, though the crack in his voice wasn't very convincing.
Zuko cocked a brow at him, shooting him a glare, which basically shut down everyone's forced attitude.
"It's… a surprise." Aang grinned, trying to fix Sokka's blunder.
"A… surprise?" Zuko's glare faded, replaced with a confused look.
"Yeah. A surprise." Katara smiled. "After school…"
Zuko sat there in momentary silence, before noticing Yue and Suki smiling his way as well. Which was… definitely weird, and sudden.
But not knowing how else to respond, Zuko shrugged and voiced,
"Okay…"
Content with his response, the table returned to normal conversation, leaving the Firebender just as confused as he had been when he came back.
'What the hell was THAT about…? These people can… definitely be weird sometimes.' Zuko thought.
Grazing his pocket with the side of his hand, it was at that moment that Zuko remembered something.
"Oh, Toph…" He spoke. Toph tilted her head his way, which confirmed she definitely heard him. However, she said nothing; only waited.
Reaching inside, Zuko took out the money that he never got to spend, before placing it in Toph's hand.
"Here…" Zuko spoke firmly, ready to make a point. "I really appreciate the assistance, but I can't accept this. Besides, I didn't even need to end up spending it."
Expecting some kind of snarky response or some other kind of jab, he readied himself to take whatever she dished out. However, to his surprise, she just remained silent, pocketing back the money and eating the last of her chips.
Zuko tilted his head, as if confused by such a response. That was… definitely weird. What was with the sudden silence?
"What… nothing to say?" Zuko asked the Earthbender.
"Nope…" Toph answered flatly.
Zuko blinked, unsure of how to even respond to that. Katara looked on with a frown, knowing full well why Toph was upset. Even Aang by this point had started to catch on, but didn't say anything, for fear of jumping to conclusions.
It wasn't like Zuko was seeking conflict or anything; on the contrary, actually. But even he had to admit, that was quite the shift in mood.
He had to wonder what was wrong…
"So, uhm…" Sokka rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, sensing the awkward silence beginning to take over. "You didn't have to spend anything, huh?"
Taking his gaze off of Toph, Zuko shifted in his seat, clearing his throat as he attempted to focus on the conversation at hand.
"No." Zuko answered Sokka's question. "Didn't have to."
"Why not?" Katara cocked a brow of curiosity, before she grinned teasingly. "You didn't steal it, did you?"
"No…" Zuko sighed, his hardened expression showing that he was unamused by that. "I didn't."
"Hey, I was just joking." Katara put her hands up defensively.
Zuko sighed, as he glanced off to the side.
"I know…" He breathed, with more silence threatening to kill the conversation.
Not intending on letting that happen, Sokka quickly thought up a response.
"Hang on. Lemme guess… That Jin girl who works the stand. She likes you, right?" Sokka smirked.
Zuko froze momentarily, as his glare found itself honed in on the Water Tribe senior.
"Ohh, I get it!" Sokka began to chuckle. "She does, doesn't she?"
"No." Zuko growled.
"And that's why you got the bag for free!" Sokka seemed to deduce, looking amused.
"No, no!" Zuko denied, before letting out a sigh. "I mean, no. Maybe- Ughh! I don't know!" He voiced his frustrations.
Everyone at the table was facing him by now, but kept silent, knowing more was coming.
"I don't… get people around here." Zuko vented. "People either look at me like a freak because of my scar, resent me because I'm Fire Nation, or want to treat me like some kind of hero for losing my temper against that Jet guy! It's all so confusing."
"Well, it was pretty inspiring." Suki tried to defend, referring to the incident with Jet. "And it was the right thing to do… I think you deserve some praise for that."
"No…" Zuko spoke lowly, sounding more serious than he probably ever had before, which kind of startled everyone. "No, I really don't."
"But… why not?" Katara was the first one willing to ask the question on everyone's mind.
"Because, Katara…" Zuko sighed, his hardened expression becoming sad and regretful. The tone in his voice shifted accordingly. "I failed my Uncle… and everything he's been trying to teach me."
The Gaang wore frowns, seeing how troubled Zuko actually was, and how much this all meant to him.
"How could you have failed your Uncle?" Aang spoke up, forcing a reassuring smile. "You helped me out big time that day. And really, I never got a chance to properly thank you… Which is why I give my thanks now." The Airbender stood, giving a traditional bow of respect, officially showing his gratitude.
This only seemed to cause Zuko's frown to deepen, as he closed his golden eyes.
"You shouldn't be thanking me…" He rasped.
"But why?" Yue now asked. "Why not, Zuko?"
"Because I lost control!" Zuko responded louder than he meant to, drawing a bit of attention from nearby tables. Upon noticing this, he spoke more quietly. "Don't you all get it? My Uncle has always taught me to remain calm, patient, and always in control while using my bending. If I were to act on a whim, and use my Firebending on someone every time I got angry at them, what do you think would happen?"
Everyone remained silent for a moment.
"You would fit the stereotype that… they portray the Fire Nation as." Toph surprisingly answered, though in a more reserved and hushed tone of voice.
Zuko's eyes clenched shut, momentarily wincing at the description. Though he knew that was exactly where he was going with this.
"Yes…" Zuko confirmed. "Exactly that…"
No one really said a word after that. The silence was more a reflective one from that point on, but even then, it still didn't last very long. Mercifully, the bell rang at that very moment, signaling that lunchtime was over.
"Finally…" Zuko sighed in relief, standing up from his seat and looking at Aang. "Ready when you are, Aang. Just two classes to go, and then we're done."
Aang gave a nod of acknowledgment, as he stood up next. The rest of the Gaang followed suit, and soon everyone in the cafeteria began to disperse out into the hallway to go to fifth period.
"So, what do we have?" The Firebender asked.
Aang turned to face Zuko as they walked together, the rest of the Gaang trailing not far behind.
"PE." The Airbender answered simply.
PE… This could either go really well, or really bad.
Sure, Zuko was athletic. That wasn't the part he was worried about. His worry was mainly centered around what activities they did, and the coach.
Seriously, depending on the PE coach you got, it could make or break the entire class.
He just prayed to Agni that it was a more laid back coach, and not some hardass who took things too seriously.
"LISTEN UP!" A gravelly, booming voice struck everyone's ears. "I, The Boulder, am your PE instructor for the rest of the school year! You will listen well, and you will participate in every activity. If you refuse, The Boulder will bury you personally... in a Rockalanche!"
There was an uncomfortable silence, which went on for several seconds.
"Can he even do that-" Sokka's whisper to Yue was cut off when The Boulder marched forward.
"Were you saying something, Water Tribe wimp?" The Boulder got in Sokka's face.
"Uh… no?" Sokka looked away, trying not to look him in the eye.
With a grumble, The Boulder turned around, before keeping some distance between him and the other students.
"First things first… go to the locker rooms and change into some shorts! You are to wear proper attire every day to PE, so that you can most efficiently perform each activity. Is that understood?" The Boulder questioned firmly.
Everyone voiced their understanding, prompting him to nod.
"Good. You can find the locker rooms through that door, where they are separated accordingly. When you are changed, exit the door at the end of the hall and go outside. I'll be waiting." The Boulder pointed to a nearby door. "Now hurry it up!"
Everyone did just that, walking through the door from the gymnasium which led into a small hallway. Inside were three doors: one on the left which led into the girl's locker room, one on the right which led into the boy's locker room, and one at the very end of the hall which led outside.
Walking into the boy's locker room together, Zuko, Sokka, and Aang struck up a small conversation.
"Why does it seem like everyone I've met so far is in this class?" Zuko questioned aloud.
"Hm… I don't know." Aang shrugged with a grin. "Coincidence? This class is mixed in with multiple grades, though. So that probably has something to do with it."
"I think it's nice." Sokka admitted, beginning to change into some shorts along with Aang. "The Gaang all in one class together? How convenient, right? Just means I have more people to talk to."
"'The Gaang'?" Zuko cocked a brow of amusement. "Is that what you call it?"
"Yep. With two A's." Sokka confirmed. "Get it? 'Gaang'? 'Aang'?"
"Yes, yes. I understand…" Zuko groaned, though couldn't help but be amused at the same time. He didn't know how Sokka could bring the best and the worst out of people all at once, but he sure found ways of doing it. "At least it's better than 'Freedom Fighters'." The Firebender decided to diss.
"I know right!?" Sokka began to laugh aloud. Even Aang had to chuckle at that. "What does that even mean, anyway? Freedom from what?"
"The freedom to have outdated spiky haircuts?" Aang interjected, the three of them laughing at that.
"The freedom from attracting any girls?" Sokka laughed.
"No, no." Zuko began to make a quip, a smirk on his face. "The freedom to-"
"Someone talking about us?"
Aang's eyes widened, turning around, Sokka cocked a brow of surprise, while Zuko's eyes narrowed in anger. He knew exactly who that voice belonged to.
"Surprised to see me?" Jet smirked, flanked by Longshot and Pipsqueak just like last time, but also two others. One of them was bulky, though not as tall as Pipsqueak, while the other was a lot shorter and didn't seem like much of a threat visually.
"Well, well… If it isn't Jet and his merry band of douchebags." Sokka unapologetically insulted, folding his arms with a defensive glare.
Jet growled, marching closer to Sokka. However, Aang and Zuko quickly backed him up, putting a stop to his aggressive advance.
"You'd better watch it, Water Tribe scum!" Jet threatened lowly.
His gaze soon fell on Aang, and then finally Zuko.
"But not as much scum as him." Jet narrowed his eyes, looking right at Zuko. "Fire Nation filth. How could they allow you in this school? In this town, even? All your people do is cause nothing but trouble."
"You're one to talk!" Zuko nearly snapped, but Sokka and Aang held him back, keeping him from losing his cool. "All you seem to do is hide behind your braindead servants, while they carry out what you're too afraid to do on your own."
"Wanna bet, Fire Nation boy?" Jet's fists started to clench.
"Bring it! I'm not afraid of you!" Zuko exclaimed.
"Zuko! Zuko…" Aang put a hand on Zuko's shoulder, prompting him to look at him.
The Airbender shook his head, keeping a calm and passive demeanor.
"It isn't worth it…" Aang spoke. "He's trying to get you to lose your temper again. Unless he attacks you first, you would be the instigator. And with Long Feng cracking down on you like he is, I wouldn't recommend it."
Zuko took many deep, angered breaths, but they soon began to fade. He knew that Aang was right… Long Feng would be on him like a hawk the instant he screwed up. He didn't need any more trouble. Not right now…
And besides, his Uncle had taught him time and time again to keep his temper in check. He couldn't let his anger control him; he instead had to control his anger.
Taking another deep breath, Zuko exhaled, giving a thankful nod to Aang.
"I don't think anyone was talking to you, Airhead." Jet glared at Aang, shoving him once.
Sokka lunged forward with a growl, getting in Jet's face.
"Touch him again! See what happens…" Sokka coldly warned.
Jet looked ready to retort, but just then a loud banging was heard at the locker room door.
"You all have three minutes to get outside! Any later than that, and The Boulder is gonna have some problems!" The Boulder spoke, before the door to the outside was heard opening then closing behind him.
"Oh, don't worry, Water Tribe boy." Jet chuckled, shoving past Sokka. "We aren't gonna do anything… yet."
Jet and his four companions walked to the locker room door, before their leader turned around once more.
"Now isn't the time or the place… But let it be known… you're all on our list." Jet's eyes narrowed. "All three of you. And let it be known, by the time we're done with you? It's not gonna be pleasant…"
Not another word was spoken by him, as the leader of the Freedom Fighters exited the locker room, his cronies trailing behind him, as he allowed his threat to linger.
Once they were gone, Sokka, Zuko, and Aang all looked at the door, a mix of emotion on their faces.
"What a dick…" Sokka muttered, rolling his eyes and approaching Aang, who appeared rather thoughtful. "You okay?"
Sokka put a hand on Aang's shoulder, his expression holding that of understanding.
"I… I'm alright, Sokka." Aang sighed, though he looked really guilty. "I just wish you and Zuko didn't have to be caught in the middle of this."
"Well, whether you like it or not, we are…" Zuko firmly declared before Sokka could speak. "But… what that also means is, you won't have to go through this alone. None of us will. We aren't gonna let Jet and his goons do anything to hurt you. Just as I know you'll do the same for us."
"Damn straight, buddy." Sokka patted Aang on the back, a determined grin settling on his features.
Aang allowed a smile to come to him, looking between Sokka and Zuko.
"Thanks, guys." Aang felt a bit more relief. "I'm glad to have friends like you."
Zuko stood there, frozen. There was that word again. The word that had been on his mind so much lately.
'Friend.'
The thought was… appealing, but also so terrifying.
He knew Aang wouldn't lie, and he doubted Sokka or Toph or anyone else would either that has claimed to be his friend.
But… he didn't suspect many of his older friends were lying either. People that… were well in the past now.
And yet, his heart still ached for the void they left behind… He couldn't afford to go through it again.
After all, what would opening up a void where one already existed cause anyway? Nothing but chaos, inner turmoil, and pain. That's what…
He couldn't grow attached… He couldn't, he couldn't, he couldn't-
"I'm really glad you decided to join our group, Zuko." Aang vocalized, a genuine smile lighting up the whole room. "I know it must have been hard and different… maybe even a little frightening. But you're a good guy, no matter what they say."
Goddammit, he was getting attached…
Zuko's own grateful smile in response betrayed what his mind was trying to tell him. It seemed his heart was so desperate to fill the void left behind, it overpowered his mind's cautious logic to avoid getting hurt again.
It seemed his Uncle and Piandao's advice of 'giving things a chance' gave him the push he needed to involuntarily start caring about these people to some capacity...
His caution would certainly remain, but as it stood, he knew there was no turning back now… He was starting to really like these guys. Despite their occasional annoyances, he had to admit that compared to everyone else here? They kept him somewhat sane.
"-Zuko? Hey, Zuko?" He heard Sokka snap his fingers in front of him. "You good?"
"Huh? What- Oh… yeah." Zuko sighed, snapping out of his trance.
"You gotta work on that, man. You zone out, like... all the time." Sokka said, before looking at what Zuko was wearing. "Uh… you gonna change into some shorts, orr?"
"I… didn't bring any." Zuko admitted, looking downcast.
"Jeez, seriously?" Sokka sighed. "And Katara gets on my case about being unprepared."
Zuko slumped his shoulders, an unamused glare falling upon the Water Tribe senior.
"Oh come on. Don't look at me like that." Sokka chuckled. "Here."
Zuko's reflexes were sharp, catching what Sokka threw at him. Holding whatever he had caught out in front of him, he saw it was a pair of dark blue shorts.
"I always keep an extra pair on me. Lucky for you." Sokka shrugged, before smirking. "Just don't think you're getting any free shorts outta me like you got that free bag of Fire Flakes."
Zuko sighed, once again looking very unamused.
"Believe me… I have no desire to keep your shorts." Zuko said.
"Whatever, man." Sokka shrugged. "Can't go wrong with dark blue."
Sokka's gaze then shifted to the Airbender.
"Ready, Aang?"
"Yeah." Aang nodded. "It should be getting close for class to start out there…"
The two of them approached the locker room door, before they faced Zuko on their way out.
"See ya outside." Sokka grinned, before he and Aang finally exited the locker room, leaving Zuko alone.
Deciding not to waste any time, Zuko sighed, removing his longer Fire Nation threaded pants, and changing into the darker blue shorts that Sokka gave him.
'A different color for sure…' Zuko inspected himself. 'But good enough.'
Not wanting to waste any more time than he had to, Zuko stepped out the door and into the hallway… However, in his haste, he didn't watch where he was going and bumped into someone.
"Hey, watch where you're-" Zuko growled, starting to complain on instinct, that was, until he saw who it was. "-going…"
Toph's cloudy green eyes narrowed in his direction, standing in annoyed silence about being bumped into.
Sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, Zuko began to calm down, realizing his blunder.
"Uhm… sorry." He apologized, feeling rather embarrassed by his comment in hindsight.
Sighing in frustration, Toph used her hand to forcefully shove past him, not saying a word.
As she started to storm off, Zuko observed her for a moment, his expression holding that of guilt. Could she still be going through whatever had happened at lunch? What even did happen at lunch, anyway?
She seemed like her normal, bold and sarcastic self before he had gone up to get those Fire Flakes, but ever since he came back to their lunch table, her attitude quickly shifted.
And honestly… he wondered why. Why was he so curious? Well, he didn't have an honest answer for that one…
In any case, he sprinted down the hall, hoping he could catch up to her.
"Toph, wait!" Zuko called out.
The Earthbender faltered in her steps for just a moment, but quickly kept up her steady pace thereafter. It was just enough to where he could catch up to her, though, his longer legs helping to keep up with her stride.
"Toph…" Zuko spoke again, walking beside her.
Toph exhaled through her nose, closing her eyes on instinct to show that she was frustrated.
"What?" She questioned firmly.
Zuko stayed silent for a moment, choosing his next words carefully.
"Are you okay?" He decided to start out with.
There was a momentary silence, before it was broken.
"I'm fine…" Toph flatly answered.
"Are you sure-"
"Yes." She answered more firmly, not allowing him to finish that question.
Zuko's expression grew more frustrated by this point, not at all appreciating her hostility. Well fine. If she was gonna act this way, then that was her problem.
"Fine, then. Forget it!" Zuko fumed, using his longer legs to storm right past her to the end of the hall.
Stopping momentarily, Toph listened as Zuko opened the door that led outside, before slamming it shut. Her angered expression faltered momentarily, now knowing that she was all alone, before she gave a sorrowful sigh. Her chest hurt, and she felt so alone.
Stupid nagging feelings for Sokka!
Toph felt even worse now that Zuko had stormed off angry at her. Even though she didn't really care that much that he was mad at her, a part of her felt like she kind of deserved that response.
Toph never really was that good at communicating her feelings to other people; a fact that they never would likely understand.
With a heavy heart, Toph stepped her way down the rest of the hall, before opening the door to the outside, where their PE class could officially begin.
"You alright, man?" Sokka questioned Zuko, walking alongside him and Aang.
Tossing Sokka's borrowed shorts back to him, Zuko shoved his hands in his pockets as the three of them walked to their sixth and final class of the day, with Aang leading the way.
"Yeah…" Zuko sighed, still affected by his interaction with Toph. "Don't worry about it."
He wasn't even that angry with her anymore. As he had time to cool off and think about it, he was more angry at himself.
He had allowed himself to lose his cool again and storm angrily away from her, rather than help her and try to understand what was wrong. Sure, he was never that good at consoling people anyway, but… he still didn't exactly like seeing her down.
'Ugh! I'm such an idiot!' Zuko chastised himself. 'Who gets angry at someone clearly going through something? Maybe I do have issues… I'll have to remember to make it up to her later somehow.'
Zuko had already admitted it: he was starting to really like this 'Gaang'. So to see one of them dramatically shift from energetic and sarcastic, to reserved and depressed? It was definitely quite alarming.
'Reserved and depressed… Just like how Mai acts all the time.' Zuko couldn't stop himself from thinking.
Once again, he mentally slapped himself. How could he think so negatively about her!?
Was it really that negative, though? It was only a fact… But then again, he was making it seem like a bad thing.
'But it isn't a good thing.' He tried to justify, before shaking his head of such thoughts. He needed to focus… focus on something else.
Sokka didn't seem to pry anything out of Zuko after that, understanding what personal boundaries were. Aang didn't say much of anything either, that is, until they reached their final destination.
Zuko instantly recognized it, and his expression softened.
"This is just Piandao's classroom again…" The scarred teen pointed out.
"I know." Aang grinned. "This is our homeroom! A place where we can study, do assignments, hang out… Whatever. So long as we're 'not disruptive'." He seemed to repeat the words that many of the teachers spouted in regards to homeroom.
"So basically just… a freebie class?" Zuko cocked a brow.
"Pretty much." Sokka smirked. "That's why it's my favorite of the day."
The three teens walked inside, and saw that the rest of the girls in the Gaang were already there.
"Hey, guys." Aang greeted with a smile.
"Hi, Aang." Katara returned the gesture, before acknowledging Sokka and Zuko.
"So…" Sokka vocalized as he sat down. "Are we gonna… do the thing?"
"The 'thing'?" Yue seemed confused at first.
"You know… the thing." Sokka emphasized more heavily, as if silently pleading them to remember.
"Ohh…" Yue's eyes widened, everything becoming more clear.
"What are you even talking about?" Zuko voiced his confusion.
"Who's gonna ask him?" Suki grinned, glancing amongst everyone.
"Ask who?" Zuko wondered. "Me?"
"Sokka?" Katara suggested.
"Hey, I did most of the planning. Someone else should do it." Sokka attempted to justify.
"Toph?" Katara made another suggestion.
Toph sat there, completely silent. If it were even possible, her sightless eyes somehow felt even more devoid of energy than usual. A fact that didn't go unnoticed by Katara or Zuko either one.
They both frowned, Katara out of sympathy and Zuko out of guilt. Silently, Katara made a mental note to talk to Toph whenever they were both alone.
"…Aang?" Katara made her third suggestion.
Aang looked back and forth, before his gaze settled on Zuko's confused and rather impatient looking features.
"What?" Zuko questioned again, more determined to get a response. "What are you all talking about? Ask me what?"
Aang sighed, as the Gaang braced for impact.
"Zuko…" Aang began, before flashing his most determined looking grin. "How'd you like to hang with us again after school?"
A/N: Sorry if this one was a little slow, guys. I promise we're gonna be getting into some more interesting stuff very soon! Just had to show off the entire rest of the school day and class schedule, so that's all covered now! I appreciate everyone's support, as always. You're the best!