2
Katara
The sound of a loud thud made me get up a leave. I wasn't really fond of having people secretly walk in on my one no one time with my instrument.
"Wait!" I could hear him calling after me, but I ignored him and just left. It was almost running, but not quite, back to my room. It wasn't right for me to be in the concert hall at this time off night. But the feeling of playing in front of an audience is just wonderful to me, even if it is an imaginary audience.
I walked into my room and closed the door silently, my roommate was asleep. After putting my cello away in its case, I changed into my comfortable pjs and got into bed with my laptop. I tied my hair up in a high ponytail and put on my glasses, this is how I get ready for a long time on the internet; I like to prep for that. As soon as the laptop turned on my IM window popped up.
Sokka said:
Couldn't help but notice you were on.
I rolled my eyes at my brother's comment. He likes to check up on me since he goes to a different school. He goes to a police academy almost half way around the world. He wants to be a cop just like dad and insists he go to the best school. So every chance he gets, he'll watch his computer until it tells him I've signed on. How annoying.
You said:
How's it going over at the police academy?
Sokka said:
Surprisingly well, except Suki's at it again.
Suki was a friend of ours when we were kids and had a bit of a crush on Sokka. It's funny how small the world really is. After ten years of not seeing her, she ends up going to the same school as Sokka. Suki's always been one step ahead of Sokka which is the funniest thing. It all started when Sokka said Suki couldn't play with him and his friends because she was a girl. That upset her, a lot, ever since she's been better then him in everything.
You said:
I'm telling you Sokka she still has a crush on you.
Sokka said:
Katara we were what six seven? That's a long time I think she would have gotten over me by then.
You said:
Oh so you don't like her anymore?
Sokka said:
…no comment.
I laughed. I always seem to do that. Get him to shut up. It's a gift really.
Sokka said:
Ok well I'm going to bed and you should too! It's almost one in the morning over there!
You said:
Ok mommy goodnight.
Sokka said:
Night love you.
I clicked the X on the IM box and turned off the laptop. Maybe I should get some rest; I have a big day ahead of me with signing up for classes and checking out the rest of the school. It's not just the music I'm interested in here. I mean at first I thought I would just stick to that but the more I toured the school the more interested and respect I had for the other arts. Painting looked fun but I was never the best at drawing. Maybe dancing. Of course not I have two left feet. I'll figure something out. The light on my iPod flashed on and I put my ear plugs on. Music seems to relax me and help me fall asleep faster; it's always been the case.
XXX
"Kataraaaa" That voice was loud enough to seep through my ear plugs, but I pretended not to hear it. I felt the presser in my ear vanish as my roommate pulled the ear plug out.
"Katara!" I screamed and jolted out of bed. She didn't have to scream in my ear!
"I'm up I'm up." My finger was in my ear trying to settle the rattling going on in there.
"We're gonna be late sleepy head, don't you wanna get there early to sign up for classes?" Ty Lee was and has always been a good friend of mine. We went to elementary school together until her parents transferred her to some all girls' school. We missed each other so much, until we were old enough to get a facebook account and we found each other years later. She told me she was going here to UFA for dance and I was so excited to hear. I had been accepted on full scholarship. I still don't know how she managed to share a room with me but I don't really care as long as we're together.
I rubbed my head as I flung the covers from my body getting out of bed. Ty Lee clapped cheerfully and ran to her mirror to fix her bed head. I dressed in a loose beige colored tank top with a dark green skirt that hung loose to my mid thigh and a pair of grey leggings. I put my glasses on, you know for reading, and slid on my dark green flats. Brushing my hair back and quickly brushing my teeth I was ready for the day; and after all that Ty Lee was still fixing her hair.
"Come on slow poke we have to get there early remember?" She turned to me and frowned.
"I can't decide up? Or down?" The troubled teen demonstrated the different styles for me. I told her itdidn't matter and she got mad. I sighed. Sometimes I wonder about my friend. Finally after those five whole minutes we were headed towards the school part of campus.
"We should get breakfast. I'm starving." Ty Lee said. I agreed and followed her to the 'cafeteria'. There we spotted Toph. It was my first time meeting her yesterday, but apparently she had gone to school with Ty Lee one year at the all girls school. It took me a while to believe that she was actually blind but after being yelled at by her I quickly gave in.
"Hey Toph." Ty Lee gave her a big grin.
"So do you live here or something?" I asked. I had seen her a lot during the day yesterday and today she was back again munching on a muffin in the cafeteria.
"Mo." She said with her mouth full. She swallowed and continued. "But my parents think they do." She put her feet up on the table and took another bite. Ty Lee and I sat down in front of her.
"So what are you guys doing up so early?"
"We're gonna sign up for classes. You wanna come with us?" Ty Lee asked seeming even more excited about the idea.
"No thanks." She stuffed the rest of the muffin in her mouth. "I'm just gonna roam the school, you know what I do best. Maybe I'll go annoy the guys a bit." Suddenly her closed eyes opened and her feet were off the table and on the floor. "Speaking of guys, I ran into Zuko yesterday." I almost fell out of my chair from the gust of wind that Ty Lee blew up with her standing from her seat.
'Zuko's here?" She squealed I haven't seen him since, well, last year actually."
"Who's Zuko?" I asked feeling left out. The girls turned to look at me.
"He's a friend of ours." They said simultaneously. Wow, I didn't know the world was this small. It's all one big circle. They explained how Toph knew him when she was little and Ty Lee went to middle and high school with him. Plus Toph went to the same elementary school as Ty Lee. So Toph knew him first then met Ty Lee and Ty Lee met him later. But Toph knew his sister and Ty Lee was friends with his sister who also went to elementary school with them… what did I just say? Well you get it they all know each other.
Ty Lee and I had a quick breakfast then ran off to the classes. We stopped at the dancing studio first where met some of the other ballerinas. They were all really nice and encouraged Ty Lee to sign up for ALL the extra classes that had to do with dance. Something about it'll help her frame or something like that I don't really speak dance. The upperclassmen even tried to get me to sign up. So I gave them a no thank you and tried to get out off there before Ty Lee bragged me into doing something I really didn't want to do.
After that little episode we looked around the art classes. I was really into the comic book art. There had been plenty of times I would take Sokka's comic books and hide with them before he found put they were gone. I even tried to copy some of the pictures in them but I didn't turn out so great. Once Sokka took his books back he hid them so I couldn't get to them; I never found them actually. Looking at the sign up list I noticed a beginner's class for only a few weeks. This sort of class just gave you a taste of what being a comic book artist was all about, so I wrote my name down on the list. I was pretty excited about this one.
I turned around to find Ty Lee and head to the music wing when WHAM! I bumped into, no, collided into someone. I covered my throbbing nose in pain and looked up at who I knocked into. He had almost golden eyes with black hair which dangled in front of his eyes and pale skin. He was holding onto his chin which I guess was what my nose hit.
"Sorry." I said still holding onto my nose.
"ZUKO!" The stranger and I turned to see Ty Lee running up. She almost tackled this guy to the ground. She was giving him one of her 'I've missed you so much it's been so long' hugs and boy were those painful; trust me I know.
"Who's the lady?" I looked at another boy who walked up with a questioning look on his face.
"Ty," Zuko tried to gasp for air. "Lee. To. Tight. Teo. Help." Her eyes widened and she pulled back and laughed.
"Sorry." My arm was suddenly pulled by the excited girl.
"Katara this is Zuko." He smiled and grabbed my free hand for a shake.
"Sorry about your-
He stopped mid sentence and looked deep into my eyes and stopped shaking. My eyebrow went up in confusion.
"You're the girl! The cello player I saw last night." Now it was my turn to widen my eyes and let go of his hand.
"You were the guy chasing me last night?" I pointed at him with the hand that was covering my nose.
"Last night?" Ty Lee and Teo asked. Zuko gasped.
"You're bleeding." Huh? I looked down at my hand. Man that was some hit. I moaned and grabbed my nose again. Ty Lee ran off somewhere and yelled 'I'll be back with napkins!'
"What were you doing watching me last night?"
"What were you doing in the concert hall?"
"Don't question me? Answer my question!"
"You answer mine!"
"I asked first!" That shut him up. He crossed his arms.
"Fine I liked your music so I thought I'd stick around and listen."
"You did?" I backed off a little.
"Yeah it was, nice." I smiled to myself.
"Now answer mine. What were you doing there in the first place?"
"I needed some time to my self that's all. Why were you chasing me?"
"I wanted to know who you were." We started at each other for a while now until Ty Lee came back with the napkins. I wiped my nose and left the scene walking towards the music wing of the school. Ty Lee followed quickly and shouted bye to Zuko. Signing up for the music classes was easy. I had already looked up all these classes online and had already picked out the ones I wanted. On our way out we saw Zuko and Teo walk our way.
"So you're following us now?" I asked Zuko. His buddy Teo stepped in and said,
"We're not following you. Maybe you're following us." Everyone looked at him. "What?"
"We're not following you we were just, uh, interested in joining a music club. Right Teo?"
"I don't want to join-
Zuko jabbed him in the side and Teo quickly changed his words.
"I mean…yeah." I frowned at them and grabbed Ty Lee's arm as she waved bye, walked around them and headed out the door.
Thanks for reading. Review! :D