Yeah! I updated! Man, you guys, I am soo sorry for the wait. It's not that this was a long chapter, in fact, it is quite short, but it's summer now. i went camping in maine last week, so I couldn't update then, and the week before that, I had to clean the camper! Oooh, man, but now that is over, I have more problems: I babysit 2 days a week now (8 hour days) at my aunt's place, and I go camping at my seasonal camper every weekend. Oooh, who would think the summer would be rougher than school?

Well anyways: I do not own Avatar: The Last Air Bender, but I do own the kids of the woods.

Chapter 9: Not Quite Right

The sun was fully risen. Zuko could hear the noises from the awakening children from the village. He looked back into the woods behind him and Ayumi, keeping his arm around her. "You can let go of me now," she told him. He did, and she stood up, wiping her eyes and fixing her clothes.

She looked down at him, and told him, "This stays between us, ok? This never happened. I was cleaning my hands at the river, and you showed up as I was leaving, understood? And also, I'm still not going to give you back my money." Zuko looked up at her, and with a look in-between aggravation and confusion, nodded. Ayumi left, leaving Zuko alone by the river.

He thought to himself. So many things filled his mind. The body, for one. Whoever left it there, the fire nation most likely, would be back. The questions were, who was it, when were they coming, and most of, why did they do it? All of this confused him, but the thing that was confusing him the most, was Ayumi. Zuko knew she hated him, but that look she gave him before she left, it wasn't like the others. It wasn't a glare, nor was it a look of sadness. It didn't even show anger or hatred to the boy. Her look was more of a… smile? No, it couldn't be. Zuko shook his head, and started back towards the village. He hadn't slept the night before, and he was too tired to think.

When he reentered the village, Zuko saw some boys carrying away the body, and Ayumi over on the side. He could tell that she was holding back more tears. He walked back into the house he was sharing with Oguri and Masahiro and laid down on his bed on the floor. He stared at the ceiling, and fell asleep.

Ayumi made her way back home, too. She walked into see Emi and Endoh sitting on the floor playing a game. They merely looked at her, then continued. She walked into her room, looking around at everything. Her room was empty, except for her clothes, a bed, and a small box in the corner. She sat down on her bed, and opened the box. It was filled with nick-knacks and things. She added her new treasure, the other necklace. A small arrowhead caught her eye, and she picked it up. It was black, but when it captured the rays of the sun outside her window, a shine of blue light filled her room for a split second. She brought it to her face and whispered, "Dad." With a small kiss, she placed the trinket back in the box, and put the box underneath her bed.

Her time alone was diminished when she heard Endoh scream with delight; she had won. Ayumi looked out her door, and explained to her friends about the body. She had told them everything she told Zuko, only she didn't tell them that she had told Zuko. When she finished, looks of terror, sadness, and grief covered their faces. "Oh, Ayumi," Endoh said as she pulled her friend into an embrace. Emi joined them. She had finally told them, down to the very same word as she had told Zuko, but, for some odd reason, she didn't cry. Why was it that she felt comfortable enough to cry in front of Zuko, the man she despised, but not in front of her friends, her only family? She shook her head as she hugged her friends back.

The girls left the house, and went out to say hello to everyone, and stop by the river. As they walked along, Ayumi saw Oguri and Masahiro talking to Hara and Kazuma. She joined them, and questioned were Zuko was, but it didn't come out that way, "Hey, Masahiro, where's the pain, What's-His-Name, Zuko?"

"I think he's sleeping," Oguri answered for Masahiro as he pushed him aside. Ayumi looked at them, then Emi and Endoh pulled her away to talk to Kojima, Hasagawa, and Watari. She sighed as she once again told her story, and once again, the girls felt sorry for her and hugged her. She looked past her friends, and thought about how once again, she didn't cry. The girls let her go and told her that they were going to spend the night at her house, all of them. Ayumi smiled, but tonight, she wanted to be alone for a bit. She had to think. But she knew they wouldn't take "no" for an answer, so she told them it was all right.

"Oh Ayumi," Kojima said, "I'm so sorry. If everyone knew, they'd be, too."

"No, that's ok I-" Ayumi said, but no one was listening.

"Not everyone," Watari stated, "Not Nakashima and Zuko."

Ayumi's heart sank, but she didn't know why, that is, until it came around the corner.

"Speak of the devil," Emi said as she pointed to a boy with a large burn on his left eye.

"Zuko," Ayumi said under her breath. She shook her head. What was going on with her? She watched Zuko walk up to the other boys, and they greeted him as they always did, a wave from Masahiro and a punch on the shoulder from Oguri. Ayumi put on a "serious" look and started over to him, but Endoh beat her to it. She walked up to him, and questioned where he had been when the body arrived.

He told her that he was at the river, and mentioned nothing of Ayumi, just as she had said. Her look lightened for all of a second, and then she headed over. "Are you going to give me back my money now?" He asked her. She glared at him, then told him, "Of course."

Zuko looked surprised at her. Had he actually won? "Over my dead body," She finished. He knew it was too easy. She laughed, and walked away with Endoh.

What had he been thinking? The look down at the river was nothing different then every other look she gave him. He stormed off, back to the other boys, and they once more told him that it was just the way she was. He watched her leave, or more like be pushed towards her house. She looked back at him, with the same look she gave him at the river! He scratched his head, and looked back at her, the look was now a glare. Was he going insane? The boys continued their talks, but Zuko didn't care, he was stuck in his own thought, that is, until they talked about body.

"I don't know who it was, or how it got here," Hara said, "What I do know is that whoever did it doesn't like us."

"It had to have been a fire bender!" Oguri exclaimed. He crossed his arms and looked to Masahiro and Zuko for some support.

"Maybe they got the town, and threw bodies throughout the woods?" Masahiro suggested.

"Even if that is the case, they have to know that there are people in this area now. They are going to attack us, and we should be ready," Zuko finally joined them. The boys agreed with Zuko, and thought up the idea of a militia. They would gather other boys, over the age of ten, to protect everyone. Word passed, and by sun down, everyone knew about it, and of course at the girls sleep over, it was the main conversation, after all, only boys could join.

They talked about it for a few hours. Hasagawa and Kojima tried to talk sense into the rest, but it was pointless. The girls had very strong thoughts about the rules, but at the mention of boys, Emi had to speak, this was bad. "Speaking of boys, Ayumi, do you ever plan on giving Zuko his money back?"

Ayumi coughed up her water, and looked at her friends, who were now all staring at her. She cleared he throat, and tried to casually explain, "Pft, Of course not. Why- why would you think I would?"

Emi looked suspiciously at her, "I never said I did. Tell me, Ayumi, by any chance, do you like Zuko?" The rest of the room looked intensely at her. She felt so nerves. Why? She didn't know, but she did know that whatever she said her friends would think differently, depending on her response. "I- I…"

What is Ayumi's response, and is she actually smiling? R&R!

P.S: I love you guys. Your so patient!