A/N: I'm a lousy updater. My life's crazy busy. I think I got one review saying they'd cry if I didn't update--never fear, I will update! It just takes awhile sometimes.

Reviews do keep me motivated. :) And if you readers have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

title; Phase One
characters ; Azula, Katara, Zuko, Jet
rating ; K+
word count ; 589

When Katara's locker door slammed shut, she was surprised to find a pair of golden eyes staring at her from only a few inches away. Unfortunately, it belonged to the wrong sibling.

"Hi, Azula," she offered cheerfully, adopting a smile despite that every instinct in her body told her to flee. While she didn't really know her all that well, it only took so many times overhearing conversations about destroying the enemy in the locker room to decide it was best to steer clear of the other girl.

"You're taking trig, aren't you?"

It was apparently a rhetorical question. Before she could so much as nod, Azula went on, "That must be why Zuko's been talking about you."

Katara literally felt her jaw drop. Zuko? Talking about her? It was too good to be true.

Knowing Azula, it really was too good to be true. Sure enough, before she'd formulated a response, she heard, "Don't worry, I spared you any awkward conversations and told him you're taken."

"Wh—what?" The little butterfly that had flapped to life in her stomach suddenly crumbled into a pile of ash—in her mouth.

"You know, taken." Azula shot a look at Sokka who was lounging across the hall, waiting for his sister to get her books so they could head home.

The first thing that flashed through her mind was Oh, gods, my life is over. The second was Ew, Sokka?!

Later she could wonder where her priorities were at. Now, she managed to squeak out, "He's my brother."

"Pity. If I'd known that, I wouldn't have told my brother to forget about you." Of course the look on her face said that was a lie.

Katara missed that in her sudden panic. "Well… Tell him you were wrong!" (Because ordering Azula around had always worked in the past—not that she had much of a past with her.)

Azula just smirked. "Why don't you tell him yourself? He's probably out smoking now."

Without another word, Katara was off—and just short of running.

# # #

"I don't have a boyfriend."

Too bad that came tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop it—and before she realized Jet was standing right there with his own cigarette dangling from his lips.

Zuko just gave her a puzzled look.

"I mean, Sokka's not my boyfriend, he's my brother."

Another look.

"Azula said—"

Something like understanding finally seemed to dawn, but was interrupted by Jet, roguish smile out in full force when he interjected, "Zuko, I think the girl's trying to say she wants a date for the game this Friday night. Am I right?"

Truth be told, Katara didn't know what she wanted, but that sounded almost too good to be true. All she could do was nod.

"Right then, I'll pick you up at six."

…Wait. A date with Jet was definitely not what she wanted. "What?"

Jet gave her another wolfish grin, one arm slung around Zuko (who was looking almost as bewildered as she felt). "Well, Zuko here's already got a date, so we can make it a double."

"I don't think—"

"Oh, come on, it's perfect. I'll see you then." A beat, a not-so-polite onceover, and the shmooze added, "Wear something blue." And tight. "It'll match those pretty eyes of yours."

Every girl liked compliments, but as she turned to walk away, she couldn't help but feel…

Manipulated.

# # #

And from the bushes just around the corner, Azula thought phase one of her evil plan had gone even better than expected.