Saturday morning came and Zuko was awakened by his cell phone ringing. He pulled the covers off of his head and reached onto his dresser without looking and felt around for his cell phone. He found something and put it to his ear. "Yeah?" he said, but the ringing continued and he looked at what he picked up to discover it was his mp3 player. He groaned and tossed it aside and reached again and this time succeeded in finding his phone. He pushed the talk button and put it up to his ear. "Yeah?" he repeated.

"Hey Scar Face!" Zula said on the other line. Zuko yawned and rubbed his forehead.

"What the hell are you calling me for at," and he looked at his clock quickly, "Seven thirty in the morning?" he asked.

"It's the nineteenth, baldy. The competition is on the twenty fourth!" Zula replied.

"I know that!" Zuko retorted angrily. How dare she bother him so early in the morning? Especially since he was up until early morning, looking up information on the Prodigy. And not to mention watching the video of Celeste and listening to her CD.

"So how many hits has the site had?"

"Last time I checked it was over a thousand." Zuko said as he sat up in bed.

"Great. Well anyway, I was calling because I have a date today."

"Good for you." He said with sarcasm. "And I would care why?"

"I thought you might like a date with Celeste, since you have this little obsession with her." Zuko was surprised by what his little sister said and woke right up.

"What?"

"What I mean is, I'm busy today. I need you to go over to Celeste's house and make sure she practices. Are you up for it or not?" Zuko thought for a moment. It would be just him and Celeste, alone, for possibly a whole day. It seemed like a great idea.

"Sure." He said in a bland tone, trying not to sound excited.

"Good, I'll talk to you later." And she hung up. Zuko hung up his cell phone and got out of bed. He was wide awake now, so what was the point of going back to sleep?

Zuko went over to Celeste's at noon. He had taken and shower and gotten ready, making sure he was his best. A day alone with Celeste was something he had wanted for some time now. And now that she was practically single after the whole incident with Rue, he had a chance of getting the rebound. But little did he know what a big day it would be.

Celeste's mother opened the door and greeted him. He said hello back and stated why he was there. She said that Celeste would be happy to see him, and she took his snow gear for him and he made his way up to her room. He knocked first and then he got the okay to enter. He poked his head in first. "Celeste?"

"Zuko?" she seemed surprised. "Where is Zula?"

"She had a date." He informed her as he stepped in. He had something behind his back. He had made a pit stop on the way to her house. Celeste sighed with a smile.

"Figures she'd leave me in the dust." Celeste said and chuckled a bit. "I know it sounds cheesy, but do you sometimes feel lonely?" she asked him. Zuko was surprised by the question.

"Sometimes." He replied simply. Celeste smiled at him again. Zuko looked at her figure, up and down and saw how skinny she was. And it struck him; it really was to an unhealthy extent. But it didn't matter to him. He thought she was beautiful.

"Rue never loved me." Celeste plopped down on her bed and sighed a heavy sigh, heavier than the one before. Zuko approached her and gulped.

"I, uh…brought you something." He said, and he pulled a single red rose from behind his back. Celeste sat up quickly and looked at it with a twinkle in her eyes.

"For me?" she asked, and he nodded. She stood up and walked over to him. He handed it to her and she smelled it.

"I might be new at this whole…romantic thing, but it doesn't mean I can't try." He said, making her smile. "I'm not happy with the way Rue treated you, and I wanted to make you feel better." He admitted. Celeste was about to say something, but was interrupted when her mother calling up the stairs to her.

"Celeste, someone is here to see you!" Mina called.

"Excuse me for a minute." Celeste said to Zuko and she walked out of her room and down the stairs. Zuko followed her half way, wishing there hadn't been an interruption. He had been doing so well!

There was a boy at the door with jet black hair that was in a mohawk and had a chain around his neck and baggy pants. Zuko looked at the boy and started to chuckle to himself. What a loser! He was just some punk, but why was he there? But Zuko got a bolt from the blue when he overheard Celeste speaking to the boy. "Hi…Rue." She said. She had to be kidding! That moron was Rue? No way! Celeste could do way better than him!

"Listen, Celeste, I wanted to apologize about the dance." The boy said.

"Now's not a good time. I'm kind of with somebody." Celeste hinted, but Rue didn't get it.

"I brought you something." And Rue presented not one, but a half dozen red roses! Zuko's mouth went agape. He had been out done by some punk loser. Celeste looked down at the one rose in her hand and at the half dozen in Rue's hand. "Who gave you that?"

"A friend." She replied. And then she looked up at Zuko who was on the stairway. And something in her snapped and she turned back to Rue and said something unexpected. Something that stopped Rue in his tracks. "Actually…not just a friend."

"Baby, have you been seeing someone else?"

"I should be asking you the same thing, Rue." She said. "I'm not accepting those flowers from you." Zuko smiled, score!

"C'mon Celeste, I spent a lot of money on these."

"No thanks."

"Celeste…take them."

"I don't want them." And then Rue flipped.

"I SAID TAKE THE DAMN ROSES!" he barked at Celeste, making her jump.

"…No."

"YOU NO GOOD PIECE OF CRAP!" And Zuko grew furious! He could no longer stand back and watch this.

"Hey!" Zuko called and walked down the stairs and to the doorway. He pulled Celeste aside and got in Rue's face. "Leave her alone!"

"Or what, Scar Face?" Zuko was tired of being called that, and then it got personal. Zuko grunted and steam came from his nostrils. Rue jumped back. "You're that firebending boy who has been hanging with Celeste!"

"Yes, I am! What're you going to do about it?" and Rue was silent. "Than I suggest you get the heck out of here before things get ugly." Zuko threatened.

"Celeste, you're passing me up for this scarred loser?" Rue asked. Celeste looked at Rue and drew in a deep breath. "You know nobody else will take you…especially with the problem you have." And Zuko looked at Celeste who had a tear rolling down her cheek.

"What problem?" he barked. There was no response from either of the teens. Zuko snatched the roses from Rue and ignited them, burning them to a crisp. Rue glared and Zuko dropped the pile of ashes into the snow. "She said she didn't want them."

"Celeste…" Rue tried.

"Leave. Now, Rue." Celeste said quietly. "It's over." Rue sneered and stormed away. Zuko closed the door and smiled at Celeste. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You did the right thing." He said.

"I know." She spoke, and she held up the single rose Zuko gave her. "I'd rather have a single rose with meaning that a bunch that mean nothing." Zuko smiled.

"Let's go practice, shall we?"