Welcome back! Sorry, I know it's been awhile, but I don't really update regularly. I've been debating on putting a short synopsis on what happened last chapter in the begin of each new one so that you all have a reminder, let me know what you think of that idea. Also, I messed with the characters ages a bit so that they'd all be in High School Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
That night was spent much the same as the last. Zuko paced, ignoring the small tugs of exhaustion that pulled at him from the edges of his subconscious. Sleep meant nightmares, which in turn meant an even more fucked up day to follow. He was surprised he didn't wake up Iroh with the amount of time he spent walking between the walls of the small bedroom. If he were home, he'd have a steady supply of alcohol, and other desirable substances. Instead, all he had was the cigarette that Jet kid gave him. He rolled it against his fingers, trying to decide whether to smoke it then, or later. A few hours passed, and he made his decision. Iroh would probably smell the smoke the next morning, but he'd deal with it them. Opening the window before grabbing a lighter he knew was hidden in his bag, he watched the sun rise.
People walked past him down the crowded hallway, and Zuko wished he could've gotten there earlier. He hated being in such close proximity to people, especially when illegal substances weren't involved. His backpack was already hurting his shoulder, but he suspected that it had something to do with the massive lunch Iroh had packed him, along with a thermos of tea. Thankfully, Zuko still made it up to his classroom before the bell.
There were only a few people in the room when he got there. Ignoring the eyes that followed his movements, Zuko took the same seat as he did the day before. He almost rolled his eyes at the cliché - the angsty new kid, sitting in the back by the window. All he needed now was a sketch book and he'd be the poster-boy of some new chick flick. Of course, a girl talking to him would help too.
As if reading his mind, a girl walked up to him. Zuko caught himself before he could groan. Just because he made the joke to himself, didn't mean he actually wanted somebody to try to talk to him.
"Hi," she said once she stood in front of him. She moved a strand of long brown hair behind her ear. "I'm Katara."
Katara, Aang had mentioned her, hadn't he? What was up with this little group and trying to make friends?
The girl, Katara, waited for a moment. Zuko knew she was expecting him to introduce himself, it was what people did in polite conversation. Of course, Zuko didn't feel like being polite.
"Uh, mind if I sit here?" she motioned to the seat next to him when he said nothing. Zuko only shrugged in response. Smiling, she sat next to him. Why did people have to be so fucking persistent? "My friend Aang told me you helped him out yesterday."
So that's what this is about. "Yeah, guess I did," Zuko answered vaguely, hoping she would get the hint that he wasn't in the mood to talk.
"Look," she said, a more serious taking over her voice, "I was the new kid once too. I know it sucks, but it gets easier."
He tried not to laugh. Nothing ever got easier for him, especially not school.
"Aang seems to really like you, and this morning, Toph said you're pretty cool." Toph? Really? He had barely talked to her. "So I'm trying to give you a chance here." He met her eyes. They were blue, unusual against her dark hair and skin. She sighed and reached into her backpack. "Here," she told him, handing over a notebook. "Copy those in study hall and give them back to me in drama. They're all the notes I've taken so far."
Zuko took the coiled book with a suspicious glance. "Thanks," he muttered. An awkward silence fell between the two as more students filed in. He debated on whether to say something more to her. Well she's trying to be nice and she did just offer me up notes… ugh. "I'm Zuko by the way."
Katara nodded. "Nice to meet you Zuko."
Aang found him in Study Hall, he had purposely sat as far out of sight as possible. Not necessarily to avoid the kids, but more to avoid the glares he knew he'd receive from Chan and his gang of assholes.
He had been quietly transcribing Katara's notes when he heard Aang's familiar voice.
"Hey Zuko, are you feeling better?" he looked up from his work to see the smaller boy.
"Uh, yeah, I am. Thanks" he replied, watching as Aang took a seat across the table from him.
"Are those Katara's?" he asked, pointing to the notes Zuko was reading.
"Yeah. She introduced herself to me before class, and gave me these," he shrugged, "it was nice of her, I guess."
Aang hummed in agreement as he took out a laptop. It was grey and bulky, definitely older than any teenager would like. He must have seen him looking, because Aang sighed a little. "We don't have a lot of money. Foster kid, remember?" he didn't seem upset by the statement, more like he was used to explaining. "This was my sister's from when she was in university. She gave it to me for my birthday," a smile crept across his lips. "I think Gyasto and my siblings are planning on getting me a new one for Christmas, but I can't be sure."
Zuko nodded, Aang didn't seem upset about telling him, but he still felt like he should apologize anyways. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by looking staring, I was just thinking that it must be a bitch to carry around."
The other boy laughed. "Yeah, it can get heavy. It's only really a problem when I have to walk to or from school, but Sokka drives me most days, so it's okay."
"Sokka?" Zuko asked, trying to remember if he had been told the name.
"Katara's older brother!" his smiled flashed teeth. "He's in your grade. I tried to convince him to take drama with the rest of us, but he chose gym class. I don't know why though, my cousin Suki kicks his ass everyday, has for years." He caught himself before Zuko would ask. "She isn't actually my cousin, she's my niece, but considering she's older than me; it's just easier to call her that."
Zuko nodded, agreeing with the statement, God his kid's family is confusing. "So Katara has a brother?" he asked, changing the subject.
Aang nodded. "Yeah, he's a year older than her."
"Wait," Zuko started, "so Katara isn't in my grade?"
"Nope!" Aang replied, beaming. Fuck, he has a crush on her doesn't he? "She's a year ahead and in AP English, but she takes the rest of her classes with me. I'm a year younger than her, but I've skipped a grade, so it works out."
Zuko raised his eyebrows. No wonder the kid looked so small, he was what, fifteen? God, he was talking to a fifteen year old, a kid Azula's age. If she ever saw him, she would never let him live it down.
They settled into a comfortable silence, but Zuko found his mind beginning to wander. How long had it been since he last downed a bottle of something? Three weeks? Fuck, no wonder he was being a moody asshole. Course, going without weed for just as long sure as hell didn't help. If there was one thing that kept anxiety down, it was that. When had he become so used to feeling high? Oh yeah, when he discovered it stopped his panic attacks.
"Zuko? You okay?" Aang asked, drawing his attention.
"Hm? Oh, yeah sorry. I'm fine," he looked down at the paper in front of him. "Just thinking."
Aang seemed to get that he didn't want to talk. "Oh, okay then," he smiled before going back to typing. After a few moments of silence, he spoke up. "Are you gonna join us for lunch?"
Zuko took a deep breath, hoping Aang wouldn't notice. "Yeah, sure."
He looked down at Katara's notes. Aang was a nice enough kid, but he wanted to go home. Not to the house Iroh lived in, not even the the mansion his father and sister occupied. Home was with his friends, with the string of vodka as it burned down his throat, and the feeling of happiness when the rest of the world faded away into nothing but a faint memory.
Just as before, history was dull. The teacher droned on and on about whatever the day's subject was. If he was honest, Zuko would admit that he didn't even need to listen to the lesson, he already knew it all anyways.
By the time the bell rang, he couldn't wait to get out of there.
The hallway was packed as he weaved his way in and out of the crowds of students. Why did they always have to gather in the middle of the hallway anyways?
Instead of heading to his locker like he had yesterday, Zuko went straight to the cafeteria. It took him longer than he'd like to admit to navigate the maze of lockers and classrooms. By the time he made it there, he could see the familiar sight of blue arrow tattoos at a table on the far end. He would really have to ask Aang about those one day, but that day was not anytime soon.
The closer he walked towards the table, the more faces he found himself recognizing. Aang, of course, was there, talking to Katara. Toph sat nearby, her dog at her feet. It still weirded him out that she went to a public high school instead of a private one, but to each their own.
"Zuko!" Aang shouted happily when he saw him.
Zuko rubbed the back of his neck as he looked over the people in front of him. Aside from the three he knew, there was two others. The boy, he guessed was Sokka, Katara's brother, if only because he had the same dark hair and blue eyes. Next to him sat a redhead girl.
"Come sit!" Aang said, motioning to an empty seat to the left of him. Zuko walked over and sat down. Suddenly, he was the center of attention, fuck he hated that. "Guys, this is Zuko," he turned to him, "you know Toph and Katara."
Zuko nodded.
"Well this is Sokka, and Suki."
Suki smiled at him as Sokka stared in shock.
"Dude, what happened to your face?" he asked. It took all of Zuko's self control not to sigh loudly, or launch himself across the table.
"Sokka!" Katara spoke up. "You can't just ask that!"
Toph looked around, confused. "What?" she asked, "what's wrong with his face?"
"Nothing," Aang answered her. "Sokka is just being an idiot, that's all."
She let out a barking laugh in reply, "Well tell me something I don't know."
The table went silent for a moment, and Zuko realized just how badly he wanted to leave. He was considering making an excuse to eat elsewhere, when Katara spoke up again.
"So Zuko, Aang mentioned that you live with Iroh?" her voice was calm, obviously trying to distract from the awkwardness that had sprung up.
"Oh, uh, yeah, I do," he answered, hating the way the tension obviously left his body. Carefully, he pulled out a metal lunch box. It was covered in beautifully crafted dragons.
"Cool lunch kit." Suki told him, admiring it.
"Thanks," he hated how fucking shy he could be.
"So why are you living with Iroh anyways?" Toph asked. Sokka was helping set her food out in front of her.
Shit. He should've known this was coming eventually. "Uh, I was, uh, traveling around a lot, came to live with him now that I'm back."
"That's cool!" Katara said, "why were you traveling?"
Shit shit shit. "I was, um, part of a traveling circus." Fuck, he was a terrible liar.
"Seriously?" Suki asked, not sounding too sure she believed his story.
"That's awesome!" Aang added in, "what did you do? No wait, let me guess, you juggled!"
"Yeah, sure, I juggled," Zuko muttered. He was so fucking terrible.
"You should show us sometime!" Sokka exclaimed, "I'd love to see!"
"Maybe," he shrugged, "I haven't practiced for awhile."
"So what about your parents?" Suki asked.
"Oh uh," he bit his lip. "Family stuff. My dad's a single dad, he was having trouble dealing with both my sister and I."
"I can understand that," Katara spoke up. "Our dad is a single dad too. We live with our Gran Gran while he's away for work." She blushed a bit, "sorry, that's what we call our grandma."
Zuko shrugged. "No problem."
"So let me get this straight," Suki began. "Your dad was struggling, so you ran away to join a traveling circus?"
"Yes."
"You've got a sister? How old is she?" Sokka chimed in, thankfully distracting them from the current course of conversation.
Suki reached over and hit his arm. "Are you planning on hitting on his sister or something?" she asked him.
"What? No way! I was just curious!" he sounded mortified. Everybody burst out laughing, aside from Sokka and Zuko, who wasn't quite sure how to react.
"She's fifteen," he answered when the laughter died down a little.
"Cool!" Aang chimed in. "Maybe I can meet her one day!"
Zuko caught himself before he could laugh as well. "Yeah, maybe."
Silence fell over the table as people began eating. Zuko ignored most of his lunch, instead opting to snack on crackers that Iroh packed him.
"Hey Zuko?" Sokka asked him after a few minutes. Zuko looked up at him. "Is your sandwich shaped like a heart?"
He looked down at the offending item, which was in a green container. Sure enough, it was shaped in a heart. He was going to kill his uncle.
If you spot any spelling/grammar mistakes in this that my beta reader or myself missed, please let me know! I hope you enjoyed the canon throwback to Tales of Ba Sing Se, when Zuko tells the girl he's on a date with that he was a juggler in a traveling circus. Stay tuned for the next chapter!
