*-me again!! yay, okay, i'm not going to babble much like i usually do..so yeah, no owning avatar and no owning the lyrics (paramore, decode) =)
Chapter Two: Taunted
How did we get here? I think I know...
Sleep. That was exactly what I needed. And what better place to take a nap than the park itself? Well, some people might prefer their beds, but when you have an idiotic brother and moody father yelling over the last Yoohoo in the fridge, that isn't your first idea.
The park was always a great place for me to relax, after the sunset. That was when people started to leave the park and go home, so it always left me a calm serene area to just think and relax. Not to mention the great view of the luminescent moon piercing the sky with its white glowing light.
The moon was always so calming to me, for some unexplainable reason. I lay on my cotton blanket I threw over the grass and just stared at it for awhile. Until my eyes fell shut and I drifted off to sleep. Some time later I woke up, but when my eyes opened, it wasn't the view of the moon that greeted me.
I saw three guys faces, all strangely smirking at me. I jumped, but found myself restricted from much to any movement. My back was rubbed against something rough and damp. I realized after awhile that I was tied to a tree. I fell into a state of shock, while the three guys just laughed at me in amusement. Like my squirming was funny.
"How did I...what the hell.." I trailed off, glancing at the ropes tied around my body. I kept wriggling, trying desperately to rid myself of the ropes. No avail.
"You might as well stop, there's no way you can escape it. We secured it tight," one of the strange guys laughed. I hadn't recognized him, but I knew that he was somewhere around my age. The three guys starting whispering amongst themselves. What about, I don't know. I could hardly focus, the anger from being held against a tree was so overwhelming, I couldn't control it. What right did these guys have to tie my against a tree? Who even does that?
"Why did you tie me up here?" I spat, my eyebrows furrowed.
"Why were you in the park after dark?" another guy asked.
"I could ask you the same question," I said to myself. The guys laughed again, much to my annoyance.
"You of all people should know it's not safe out for a pretty girl like yourself," the first guy taunted, walking closer to me with a devious grin spread wide across his face.
"What's that supposed to mean? I don't even know any of you!" I screamed at them.
"Really, Katara? You don't know any of us?" the third guy asked, taking the place of the guy who stood in front of me only seconds ago. I was shocked that this strange boy knew my name, when I could hardly register his face. It wasn't until his hair breezed to the side that I noticed the red, wrinkled skin around his eye. That scar only belonged to one person, and that person just happened to be Zuko.
"Zu..Zuko..." I stuttered, slittling my eyes at him. I didn't know him that well, but I knew his name. Everyone at school practically knew his name. He was either "that guy with the scar" or "the suicidal emo who had just beat up somebody". What I didn't understand, was how he knew my name. I was no where near popular, just another nerdy girl on campus. Some people knew me, but that was only because I'd been on the swim team when we'd won the championships.
"Well, it looks like you do know one of us, don't you, Katara?" Zuko teased, smirking at me while his golden eyes twinkled. I glared at him.
"That means you just told a lie," one of the guys in the back said, swaying forward clumsily as he laughed and leaned on the other guy.
"You know what we gotta do now?" Zuko asked. He leaned closer, so that I could feel his hot breath on my ear when he's whispered, "I think we've gotta punish you."
I was angry at myself for feeling the way I did when he had said this, because I felt a strange feeling occur inside of me as I shivered from his comment. I had to realize, though, these guys were totally taking advantage of me. How dare they tie me up to a tree like this! It was infuriating, and then to have them laugh while you struggle to escape...it was humiliating. I hated every moment of it.
"I hate you," I said coldly. One of the guys fake jumped in the back, "Oh no! She hates me! I'm gonna die!"
The other guy patted at his back, laughing, "Good one, Aki!"
Zuko pulled something out of his pocket. It looked like a necklace, dangling from his fingers. Like a reflex, I automatically looked down at my neck. It wasn't there. My...my mother's necklace wasn't there. "You...you thief! Give that back to me!!" I yelled.
"Or what, Katara? What are you going to do to me?" Zuko whispered in my ear. I hated this guy. He held me for his entertainment, purposely dangled my mother's necklace right in front of my eyes, and made me get this chemical reaction everytime he came closer to me. I hated everything about him.
He paused for a reply, "That's right. You can't do anything, remember?"
"Why are you doing this?" I asked, staring straight into his golden eyes.
"It's not obvious?" Zuko smirked.
"We were booorrreeedd....soooo boorrrredd!!" one of the guys slurred, moving his legs around in an attempt to walk. Instead, he ended up tripping on his own foot.
"This isn't funny! Give me my fucking necklace back!!" I shrieked in pure fury. These idiots would not get away with this. They couldn't take my necklace away from me. They had no idea how important it was.
"Oh, Katara....I'd never heard you sound so angry," Zuko taunted, circling around the tree in what felt like slow motion. He'd pop into my line of view once every few seconds, then circle around again and I'd lose sight of him.
I glared daggers at him every chance I could, hating the smirk that seemed to be plastered on his face. "Go to hell."
"You know, when you talk like that, it makes me kind of hot," he whispered in my left ear as he circled around. He laughed.
I struggled to escape, but it really was no use. It only made my back hurt even more, the bark digging into the fabric of my clothes.
"You're sick," I spat.
He smirked, then leaned over the tree so his face was only inches away from mine, "I know."
The flashback dream began to fade away, a distant voice reaching my ears.
"She's awake. Oh, finally! She's awake!'
My eyelids felt heavy as they fluttered open to reveal three pairs of eyes gawking at me. I rubbed at my temples, then slid up slightly on the bed. "Where....where am I?" I asked, still in a state of shock. My eyes still hadn't adjusted to all the white light in the room.
"You're in the hospital, Sugar Queen. The docs over there say you've got a concussion," Toph answered, pointing to the two men in white coats in the corner of the room typing rapidly on their computer.
"A concussion? That...that can't be right..." I mumbled, glancing at each face around the hospital bed.
"Why not?" Toph asked, looking at me with one eyebrow quirked up.
"There was gunshots...I fell to the...I got shot, didn't I?" I rambled, looking at them in dismay.
"No! And thank God you didn't! Dad would've killed me!!" Sokka exclaimed, throwing his body over me in an overly-exaggerated hug.
"He should've killed you, you dumb idiot. How can you forget to pick your sister up?" Toph half-lectured him, punching his arm every two words in her statement.
"Ow! Stop Toph, it hurts!" Sokka yelled, clutching his arm in an attempt to block her attacks.
"It should! Geesh, Snoozles, I can't believe you're that dopey in the head," Toph said, pounding on him harder.
I laughed at the two, watching my brother wimper everytime Toph successfully punched him.
"Alright, Miss Suzushi, I'd say you're making a very nice recovery. You should be able to go home by tomorrow," one the doctors said as he walked over to the rail of the hospital bed.
"Wow. Really?" I asked in shock. I couldn't believe it.
The doctor chuckled, "Yes. We are currently updating your medical files, and making sure the prescriptions get to the pharmacy for your medication. I'll be back to ask you a few questions regarding your state of health."
I replied with a simple "okay" as him and the other doctor left the room.
"Would you guys stop already?" Haru asked, directing the question toward Toph and Sokka.
"Tell HER that!!" Sokka complained, wincing away from Toph, who was still punching him, each harder than the one before.
"Toph," I started.
"Fine. But I'm stopping only because Sugar Queen is in the hospital," Toph said, watching Sokka wince like he was about to get punched again. "Which is still your fault."
Silence occured in the room.
"Toph! I thought you said you would stop!"
"Oh. Yeah. I lied," she smirked deviously.
It's kind of crazy how one near-death experience can change your opinion of someone so drastically. Ever since that night at the park when Zuko and his friends thought that it was funny to tie me up to a tree and taunt me with my mother's necklace, I've hated Zuko. That's always how it's been.
I never really spoke to him after that incident, and when he'd tried talking to me, I'd never give him the chance. We never actually knew each other, we really only knew of each other. That night, though, kind of changed it. I may not have known him that well when it'd happened, but it was enough for me to develop intense hatred for him and not feel sorry.
I'd see Zuko countless times in the hallway, but we'd never speak. I'd glare daggers at him then move on. We had this...distant hate relationship. And I was accustomed to that. I had no problem with it.
That incident two weeks ago changed my view of him. Of course it had, I mean, Zuko saved my life. I feel like I at least owe it to him to not think violent, horrible thoughts about him any more. My whole outlook just flipped, and honestly, I'm still kind of shocked that it was Zuko who'd jumped in front of the bullet.
I haven't seen or heard from Zuko since the encounter with his father. All I knew were rumors that he'd just gotten out of the hospital. I never actually went to the hospital to check. I mean, I really didn't know how to face Zuko. Without feeling guilty for treating him so terrible all this time. Without feeling bad for getting him wounded. And not only that, but I don't know what I would say to him.
You're such a coward. Zuko jumped in front of a bullet for you. The least---the least---you can do is face him. That's the least thing you can do, a voice in my head had screamed internally.
But I already knew that. I just, wouldn't know what to say.
Is that your reason why not? YOU ARE PITIFUL!! Get you're lazy self up and PAY HIM A VISIT!!!
Is there no way I can escape this lecture?
Nope. Might as well give in.
Fine.
Good girl.
I hated it when my conscience was right. Which seemed like always. I jumped off the couch and searched through the yellow pages for the hospital number. Once I found it, I grabbed my cell phone and punched it in. It rang a couple of times, before someone finally answered.
"Konko Hospital, how may I direct your call?" a lady's voice asked.
"Um..I was wondering if a patient by the name of Zuko Hi is still staying there?" I asked shyly.
There was a pause on the other end of the line, "Please wait a moment. I am researching the database."
After a couple of minutes, the woman returned on the phone, "Zuko Hi's uncle checked him out a couple of days ago."
"Oh. Okay, thanks," I said as I hung up.
Well, I did try to get in contact with him. Now, all I could really do was wait for him to return to school. Or, I could search his name in the yellow pages for his address. Pfft. Yeah right. That'd make me seem like a huge stalker popping up at his house out of no where like that. I would definitely not be doing that.
School is too long and boring. The classes drag forever because the monotonous voices of our teachers just drone on about crap, basically. Quite frankly, it's annoying. The only highlights of my day are the five minutes in between classes and lunch when I can hang out with my friends. Everything else, is hell.
Like the class I'm sitting in now. It's math, and I can't concentrate at all. Maybe it's because I'm so hungry, or of the fact that I really hate math. I rested my head on my hand, watching as my teacher paced back and forth in the front of the class, jotting down complicated problems hurridly on the board. She vaguelly explained the process of coming up with the answers and moved on to new problems.
I hardly paid any attention to a word she was saying. I don't know, math is just uninteresting to me, and I had other things in my mind. I yawned, flipping open my notebook to pretend that I was writing notes on the lesson. Which wasn't anything close to what I was really scribbling down on the notebook paper. I'd been drawing random stuff for a couple of minutes during the lesson until there was a sudden knock at the door.
Our teacher dropped the marker and headed towards the door. She hesitantly opened the door, and after a moment, in walked Zuko. Limping through the doorway, the class practically gawked at him as he headed towards his desk, half-way in the back of the classroom.
She hesitated in returning back to the lesson, watching with the rest of us as Zuko pulled out his binder and a pencil and sat it on the desk. She sighed, then told Zuko to turn to page 187 and the rest of the class to pay attention to the board.
I don't know why, but I had this really strong urge to turn around to look at Zuko. It had just occurred, and with each passing minute it grew stronger. I knew that, once this period ended, I had to say something to him about the incident. I just had to.
*-so i've started on the next chapter, not done yet (extremely hard to write, gahh!!) okay so, what yah think?? reviews are appreciated!! =)