Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it. This is for personal amusement only—so I hope you're amused!
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Chapter 7
Interesting night, Katara thought to herself as she grabbed her shampoo, conditioner and soap before heading to the women's restroom for a shower. I need to wash this night off…Talk about uncomfortable—first Zuko, then Jet. From the arms of my jackass classmate to the presence of my ex…Doesn't get any better than that!
She placed her basket in the stall and turned on the shower. Soon enough, the small space was filled with steam. Carefully, she tested the water with her hand. When it reached the right temperature, she disrobed and stepped in. As she lathered her hair, she replayed the night's events in her mind. What was Zuko doing there? Iroh must have told him or maybe he saw the flier at the tea shop. Well, if he hadn't been there I would have some serious injuries from falling in the pit, that's for sure. Shaking the confusion and Zuko from her mind, she finished her shower, toweled off and returned to her room.
Thankfully, Suki's already asleep. Katara thought back to the ride from the diner to their dorm. Sokka's face had worn a dumb smile nearly the entire time and Suki had seemed to enjoy his attention. I hope Sokka knows what he's getting himself into—if things go awry between those two, I'm going to be stuck in the VERY uncomfortable middle!
As she put on her pajamas, she frowned and realized that the shower had had the opposite of its intended effect—I wanted to relax, not feel even more awake. Katara still felt tense after the evening in the pit and slightly uncomfortable regarding the night's events. She looked around the room for something that would serve as an appropriate sleep aid. Don't want to watch a movie—it might wake up Suki— and I don't feel like reading anything. Turning her eyes to her laptop, she thought, maybe I'll just surf the Net until I get drowsy?
Sitting on her bed with her legs crossed in front of her, her hair still wrapped in a towel, she turned it on. The light from the screen illuminated her face as she signed on to her IM account, checking to see if anyone was online. It isn't that late…With a tinge of excitement, she noticed that bluspirit was online, too. She hastily typed a quick note:
h2opologurl: where were u 2nite?
Quietly holding her breath, she waited for his response.
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Zuko let himself into the house as quietly as possible. No sense in waking up Uncle, he'd just want to get all the details of this awkward evening—and I'm in no mood to share. Silently, he went to the kitchen and looked for a late night snack. Peering into the refrigerator, he spied some leftovers from dinner earlier that evening and grabbed them. Pulling a pair of chopsticks from one of the drawers, he proceeded to his room.
Zuko fumbled with the doorknob a moment before entering, squinting in the darkness until he found the light switch. The light tentatively flickered on, as he recalled the evening's events. First I catch her and she thanks me -- then I automatically put my foot in my mouth and she's screaming at me again. What is it with me and girls?!? As he nitpicked his conversation with her, focusing on as many details as he could recall, he relaxed in his desk chair and snacked on the leftovers. I guess it could've been worse—I don't know how, but I'm sure it could've been…
While Zuko's attempts at making nice with Katara had failed rather spectacularly, he realized it had been much the same as his other, previous attempts at interacting with the opposite sex. First, there'd been Song. They'd met in high school, shortly after he'd moved in with Uncle. She'd tried so hard to be his friend, only to have him push her away. Zuko had been lucky that his Uncle was friends with Song's mom and had thus been able to mitigate the situation. Now, whenever he saw Song, the words he'd overheard Uncle say over the phone to Song's mother would reverberate in his mind, "It's not the boy's fault."
Then, of course, there was Jin, his first "real" girlfriend. They had met at the tea shop in his freshman year of college. For some reason, she saw something in Zuko—he'd never understood what—but Uncle had encouraged him to spend time with her. When she'd asked him out, his Uncle had unfortunately been near enough to answer in affirmative for him. Their first date had been horribly awkward. He didn't know what to say, and she kept asking questions, only to receive pointless, one-word 'yes' or 'no' answers. If she hadn't initiated their kiss goodnight, they probably would never have had a second date. She was sweet, but there was nothing long-term in that relationship. She didn't have any depth to her, no spark…After dating for a couple of months, he broke up with her, using the infamous, "it's not you, it's me" line. She'd been upset initially, but thankfully, had wanted to remain friends.
But now, with the hot-tempered, blue-eyed brunette, Zuko was completely out of his element. He tried talking to her, but he always seemed to say exactly the wrong thing. How am I going to deal with this—in order to get the grade, I have to be able to work with her. Under the surface, he knew that she was a good person—she had plenty of friends that she seemed to genuinely care about and vice versa— he just had to find out what it took to bring out that side of her around him. But what? He shook the problem from his mind, knowing full well that it was too late that night to try to come up with a plausible solution. Finishing up the last bite, he placed the container and chopsticks down. I should just go to sleep and forget about it. Besides, I have to work tomorrow morning, then meet with her at the library…
Changing into his Blue Spirit pajamas, he heard a familiar ding. He looked at his computer, still turned on from when he'd left earlier that evening. Who would be messaging me this late? Looking at the note, his eyes grew in surprise as he recognized the sender of the message. She's awake at this hour? Should I even respond? Do I let her know it's me? The questions raced through Zuko's mind as he sat nervously at the desk. Tentatively, he responded:
bluspirit: couldn't make it, got sick
Lying to her made him uncomfortable. I hate lying and I've never been good at it. I should fess up…
h2opologurl: too bad, it was fun ;)
She thought almost getting stomped on was fun? What kind of girl is she? Was our argument that forgettable?
…Maybe I didn't screw up as bad as I thought…Thinking over the night's events, he forgot his good intentions of telling the truth, intrigued at what else she might mention regarding her evening out.
bluspirit: really?
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Taking a deep breath, Katara stared at the screen momentarily. I don't want to dump my problems on this guy…I barely know him. She replied as honestly as she could without bringing up the unpleasant memories of the evening.
h2opologurl: friends+rockin band+moshingfun!
Smiling as she hit enter, she realized that she did have fun for a good portion of the evening. Minus the uncomfortable conversation with Jet, dealing with Sokka and yelling at my classmate—yup, it was fun.
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He chuckled at her exuberant reply, almost surprised she didn't mention her near-encounter with the floor. As he typed, he thought to himself, I wish she was this easy to talk to in person. As they had a few nights before, they conversed back and forth to each other, joking around and musing on life, school and the concert he'd supposedly missed. Zuko learned that she was friends with the band, maybe that's why the lead singer looked so put off when I interrupted? I wonder how well she knows him…
Soon enough, another hour had passed as Zuko warily eyed the clock. I've got to get to sleep now, or I'll feel like shit in the morning. With hesitation, he typed "got to go, goodnite" to his online friend. Turning off his computer, he slowly placed it on his nightstand and closed his eyes. Talking to girls isn't that bad…Or maybe it's just her… In moments, he was happily asleep.
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Walking to the tea shop the next morning, Zuko nearly groaned. He had cursed the sunlight that had poured through his window and practically begged for just five more minutes of sleep. He silently swore at his Uncle's smiling face when he finally stumbled to the kitchen to dump the dishware from his late-night snack.
Examining the dark circles under Zuko's eyes and his slow movements, Iroh said with a knowing smile, "Judging from how you look this morning, I assume you had a good time last night, nephew." Ah, to be young again!
"Yeah…fun," was all Zuko said as he went out the door and walked purposefully towards the tea shop. Squinting in the sunlight, he was suddenly grateful for the sunglasses he'd dug out from his drawer. I haven't worn these since high school, but they'll do today, he'd thought morosely when he found them.
Arriving at the tea shop, he unlocked and waited for the additional staff to arrive as he set out the chairs on the patio. When another worker showed up, Zuko retreated back inside and made himself a pot of ginseng tea. For once, I NEED this…he thought as he downed two quick cups of the strong, invigorating brew. The phone rang as he cleaned up his small mess. Picking it up, he listened to the strained voice at the other end.
"Zuko? It's Ghashiun, I'm sick and can't make it in today."
Speaking through clenched teeth, Zuko responded, "What do you mean you're sick, Ghashiun? You looked fine on Friday…"
"I must have gotten food poisoning or something, and I don't feel so good. I've been throwing up all night…Oh Gods, here it comes again," the sick man at the other end paused and began to make retching noises.
With that, Zuko pulled the phone away from his ear, waiting for a moment of silence before continuing. "Ghashiun, stay home, PLEASE," he ordered, then quickly hung up. Heading to the manager's office, he began calling everyone on the back-up list to see if anyone would come in to cover Ghashiun's shift. Of course, as the tea shop's staff consisted mainly of teenagers and BSSU students, not to mention the fact that it was early Sunday morning, no one picked up. Well, I guess we're on our own today. Uncle has his White Lotus Society event today and he doesn't have a cell phone, so we'll have to manage.
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Katara woke up with a smile on her face—what a pleasant dream…She had imagined meeting bluspirit, who was, of course, extremely handsome, polite and well-spoken and completely unlike all the guys you know, her inner voice reminded. Unfortunately, it was one of those dreams where you don't remember faces, voices or any of the details. All Katara knew was that she had met him and that he was literally the man of her dreams…and she felt good. What a way to start a Sunday, she thought to herself roguishly, feeling a slight blush rise to her cheeks.
As she rose from her bed, she glanced over to Suki's bed, which now stood empty. She must've gone to get breakfast or something and didn't want to wake me. It's almost noon, she realized glancing at the small alarm clock nearby. Looking around her room, she mentally went through a short task list for the day. Finish biology homework, do some reading for poli sci and meet up with Zuko at 3:00 p.m. At the thought of meeting with her aggravating classmate, she scrunched up her nose in recollection of their interaction the night before. Oh well, the sooner we decide on the project, the better.
Soon enough, Katara was stretching and cycling through tai chi solo forms. As she slowly went through each motion, she relaxed her breathing and focused her energy. She had started the martial art on the recommendation of Coach Pakku last year—"it will help you focus and provide balance to your training," he had noted. Knowing Coach Pakku had trained some of the best water polo players in the world, Katara followed his instruction dutifully and found herself enjoying the practice, feeling its gentle and calming influence on her during game time, especially during close matches.
As she completed her last form, she noticed the growing ball of hunger in her stomach. Guess it's time to eat! Dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, she went downstairs to the dining hall, bookbag in hand. I might as well do that reading while I grab breakfast. And I need to come up with something for our class project, too, Katara thought with a small groan of dismay.
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When he finally had time to glance at the clock on the wall, his eyes widened in surprise. It's already 2:30! I have to get out of here soon—where did the time go! Stopping by the manager's office, Zuko unsuccessfully searched for his backpack for five minutes. Unfortunately, he hadn't realized in his stupor that morning that he was going to need it that afternoon and had left it sitting on his bedroom floor. Thankfully, he did remember his cell phone and quickly texted Katara, thumbs flying over the keypad:
running late c u 3:30 sorry
Turning to the staff that had just come in for the evening shift, he shouted as he ran out the door, "Gotta go! Make sure to re-stock everything since we were short-handed this morning!" Jogging the entire way home, Zuko flew through the house, grabbed his backpack and hurried as quickly as possible to the library. I really hope she doesn't start screaming again…
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The sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees above, dotting her mocha tan and dark hair as she made her way towards the library. It's so beautiful today, it's a shame I'll be stuck inside. It would be so nice to go for a swim right now! Walking towards the library, she concentrated on the task at hand. What will we do our project on? Think Katara, think!
Her cellphone buzzed in her pocket as she ran a few ideas through her mind. Pulling out the device, she grumbled under her breath as she read the message on the small screen. He's running late—fabulous. At least, he apologized…Guess I'll have time to grab a study room and some books before he gets there. In moments, she reached the entrance to the library. Stepping inside the quiet building, she made her way to the reserve desk and addressed the man at the counter. "Hello Mr. Zei. Think I can get a small study room for the afternoon?"
She innocently smiled at him as he turned around, book in hand as always. "Of course, Katara. How long do you think you'll need it for?" the unassuming man asked, grinning while pulling out a small log book. "We have a small room available for the rest of the day, if you'd like?"
Smiling in return, she recalled her interaction with Mr. Zei last spring when he caught her and Jet in a somewhat compromising position. So every time I visit now, I'll have to relive the moment he caught us making out that night. This is gonna be one helluva semester…"I'll take it, there's no telling how much time we'll need to figure out our project. Which one is it?"
"Third floor, room C. It has a nice view of campus, too, in case you need the distraction," he responded with a small wink. "Don't forget to check out when you're done, okay?"
"No problem, Mr. Zei. Thanks and have a great afternoon!" Katara waved as she turned around and made her way up to the third floor. Did he just wink at me? she thought as a small shudder of disgust rolled through her shoulders. As she walked upstairs, slightly disturbed at the librarian's knowing wink, she texted Zuko, letting him know where she would be when he arrived. This is going to be some afternoon, shethought to herself as she sighed in resignation.
When she found the room, she turned on the light and placed her bookbag on the small table. Pulling out her laptop, she quickly logged into the library's catalog via the Web and searched for books and journals on interpersonal communications. Pulling up some satisfactory results, she quickly left to grab a few of the books. Hopefully, these will provide some much-needed inspiration.
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When Zuko entered breathlessly into the room, Katara momentarily glanced up from the book she was reading.
Taking a deep breath, he apologized hastily, "Sorry for running late. It was crazy at the shop this morning—someone called in sick and we were a lot busier than usual." Please don't start screaming…I really can't take it this morning.
"No worries—you're here," she said calmly. "So let's get started on figuring out what we're going to do this report on," she replied, her eyes already back on the book she was paging through. She quickly handed him another tome. "Look through this one for ideas. I've already written down a couple of things, which we'll discuss after we get through these."
While he was impressed with her sense of organization and can-do attitude, he was a little put-off by her orders. With a small scowl on his face, he thought to himself, just suck it up and get this over with. While they read on in silence, Zuko snuck in furtive glances to see if he could read her mood. I guess she's not upset with me for showing up late, he reassured himself with a small shrug of his shoulders. As he relaxed in his chair, his stomach suddenly began tightening in hunger. I forgot to eat lunch and now I'm starving. When it rains, it pours, he internally lamented. Nothing's open on campus on Sundays, either, so I guess I'll just wait 'til I get home. As if retaliating against the thought, Zuko's stomach suddenly let out a ravenous growl.
Snickering under her breath, Katara looked over at Zuko questioningly, "Are you okay? You sound pretty hungry. I haven't heard a noise like that since Sokka was in high school…"
"I just forgot to eat lunch—it was busy. I'll be fine." At that, his stomach once again growled and his face began to show signs of mild embarrassment.
Hoisting her bag up to the table, Katara began digging through it. "I've lived with Sokka long enough to know that once your stomach gets to that point, you pretty much have to eat as soon as possible. And growing up with my ever-starving brother taught me a few things—like never leave home without snacks. Ta-da!" With a triumphant smile on her face, Katara pulled out a few bags of miscellaneous snacks.
"I've got some blubbered seal jerky, some dried sea prunes, a bag of fire flakes and a couple of boxes of coconut water…grab whatever you want," she offered. Besides you can't leave now, we haven't even figured out what we're doing for our project!
After glancing at Katara and the food a couple of times, Zuko asked, "You're sure?" Why is she sharing her food with me?
As if sensing his inner monologue, she replied, "Don't worry it's not poisoned or anything. Besides, nothing around here is open on Sunday afternoons and we need to get this assignment together—it's due tomorrow!" As if to emphasize her point, she pushed the food in his direction, looking at him sternly and simply commanded him, "EAT!"
With a small grimace, Zuko grabbed the bag of fire flakes and began snacking while paging through another book. Who does she think she is, telling me what to do? After a few bites, though, his attitude softened, it does help to have a little food in my stomach…at least now I can concentrate. I guess she can be nice to me in person when she wants to. After finishing the bag, he quietly mumbled a "thanks" to her and grabbed the jerky and a box of coconut water.
As he quietly ate, she began to talk in way that made it sound as if she was thinking out loud and not necessarily addressing him. "It's easy to forget to eat and sleep sometimes," she said, flipping through a journal almost absent-mindedly before putting it aside and choosing another reference. "During mid-terms last semester, we were in the middle of the water polo season—I was training early in the morning, running back and forth to classes and then to games in the afternoons. With all the tests, I was staying up late cramming and not getting much sleep. I got so busy, I forgot to eat. I ended up running myself ragged for a couple of weeks. If my brother and my coach hadn't noticed, I probably would've ended up losing my scholarship and disappointing my team," she ended without looking up from her latest book. Why did I just open up to him like that? she wondered to herself, a bit confused by her own admission. Guess he's just easier to talk to when he just shuts up, she decided uncharitably
Why would she tell me something like that, something that personal? Zuko thought as he leafed through the last book. Without acknowledging her short speech, he put the book down. "What did you come up with?"
As Katara laid the book on the table, she glanced at the list she had been keeping over the past hour or so. "'Non-verbal behavior', 'the use of humor in storytelling,' 'technology's effect on interpersonal comm'—," but before she could continue, Zuko interrupted her.
"Wait, what was that last one?" he queried quickly, an idea forming in his mind.
She raised her eyebrows at him in response and said, "'technology's effect on interpersonal comm' Why?"
Recalling his IM conversations with her over the past couple of nights, Zuko's mind raced. Why is it so much easier for me to speak with her online, rather than in person? Because there are no visual cues and I actually have to think before I respond…Not to mention she doesn't know it's me… "How about we do something on how communication at the interpersonal level is affected by our use of technology. You know, IM, texting, chatting, e-mail?"
Tilting her head to the side and carefully considering the idea, she quickly nodded in agreement. "It's an awesome idea, Zuko—good job." She flashed him a smile, "Well, now that we've figured out what we should do, let's start digging up some sources, 'kay? I'll look through the books that I've already been through and you do the same." I'm actually impressed. Who knew he could come up with something like that? I guess this won't be as horrible as I thought. Maybe this 'partnership' will work? Just maybe Jerk Boy is a capable classmate—at least it looks like he has more than just two brain cells to rub together…
"Okay," he responded before delving into another book. Did she just smile at me? I wish she'd do that more often—it's definitely more attractive than the look of disdain she's usually wearing—at least around me. Wait a second—did I just say she was attractive? Where did that come from? Before Zuko could examine the thought further, he noticed Katara typing away quickly on her computer. "What are you doing?"
"I'm looking at books on non-verbal cues—when you're online chatting, you don't have the visual cues you normally would in a conversation. You know, body language, hand gestures, facial expressions. Why not look up a couple of sources on the subject and put them on the list?"
"Oh," he said in reply. Impressive, she's got the concept down. She's smarter than I thought, he noted. With a shrug of his shoulders, he started leafing through another journal.
"I'm heading to the stacks to pick up a couple of books, I'll be right back," she informed him as she walked out of the room, not waiting for a reply.
As she walked away, Zuko couldn't help but notice the slight sway of her hips as she exited. Realizing what he was doing, he quickly pushed the indecent thought from his mind and began to focus in earnest on the words in front of him. What are you doing looking at her like that? She's your partner and up until a few minutes ago, she thought you were a complete jerk. And there's no way of telling that she's beyond thinking you're a complete jerk, either, his mental voice reminded him. Besides, you can't even talk to her unless there's a couple of computers between you! And don't forget about her crazy brother, either!
As Zuko went through page after page in frustration, he finally felt the toll of the day's events. His eyes started to droop. Fighting to stay awake, he found himself entranced by the words dancing in front of his eyes, which seemed to will him into slumber. By the time Katara returned, he was asleep with his head resting on his arms, slumped silently over the small table.
Great, he comes up with something that actually resembles a great idea and he falls asleep! Biting her lip in concern, she reconsidered, he must be pretty worn out from last night and working this morning. And if he hadn't been there last night, I might have been in the same position now—only with bruises. With a small sigh—I might as well let the guy sleep for a while—she sat down and attempted to go through one of the books she'd brought in.
As she typed up the citation list on her laptop, she found herself glancing his way. Funny, he almost looks happy when he sleeps. Why can't he look more like that in person, as opposed to that tired look of angst? Katara realized that the thoughts were simply careless, but she couldn't tear her eyes from his relaxed form. He almost looks…sweet…She hadn't realized she'd leaned in towards him as she brushed some stray hair from his eyes—it was as if her body was moving on its own. When she touched him, she felt the softness of his skin before he stirred out of his nap. Pulling her hand from him quickly, she quietly stammered, "You fell asleep and I was trying to wake you up. Sorry." She turned her eyes from him rapidly, willing herself to focus on the computer screen before her. You did not just do that! Why were you touching him to begin with? You should've let him sleep, she thought uncomfortably.
Zuko stretched his arms wide and yawned. I never noticed how tight that T-shirt was on him, Katara thought as she watched him awaken, barely registering the small feeling of warmth spreading across her cheeks.
"Sorry for falling asleep, I guess I was really tired from last night," he said nonchalantly, not noticing her previously intent gaze on him. Noting she was typing on her laptop, he asked, "Have you started on the list of sources?"
With a start, Katara responded quickly, "Yeah, just need about five more sources. Anything you come across before you fell asleep that fits the bill?"
Handing her a small stack, he was relieved and surprisingly heartened that her voice carried no criticism of his short slumber. "Yeah, these should be enough for the list. I guess we're almost done then, huh?" It's almost too bad we're finished, he reflected, but before Zuko could consider the thought further, it slipped back into his subconscious.
"Yup—I'll just type these up while you return the books and journals to the cart outside," Katara said quickly, not glancing up from her computer in case the red tint to her cheeks had not yet disappeared.
"Okay," he said slowly. Why's she acting so weird? Checking his mouth, he thought to himself, I hope I wasn't drooling or talking in my sleep…Shrugging off the thought, he grabbed all the books from his side of the table. As he grabbed the books near Katara, his arm brushed hers, sending a small wave of sensation up his limb. Holding his breath for a moment, he quickly mumbled "sorry" and quickly exited the room. As he placed the books on the cart, he unconsciously rubbed the area where his arm had brushed against hers. What's with me? I must be more tired than I thought. Or maybe I just liked touching her? What am I thinking; she's my classmate, nothing else! But she's a pretty classmate…who doesn't mind talking to me—at least online. Shaking his head in frustration and disbelief, he re-entered the small study room.
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When he left the small room, Katara's mind raced for a moment. What was that? Did I actually shiver when he brushed my arm? I must be more hard up for male attention than I thought. Well, you did go to the concert last night expecting to at least talk to Jet…or almost any other cute guy…and instead you run into Zuko—who isn't half bad looking. Wait a second, Katara, this is Jerk Boy we're talking about here. Just concentrate on your work and get out of here! She typed the rest of the list rapidly and double-checked it before saving the document. In moments, Zuko was back in the room. Pausing behind her, he momentarily hovered above her to read over the list. Feeling his breath above her, Katara sat straight up, frozen in shock and discomfort. She held her breath as he stood there, scanning the laptop's screen. Hurry up before I turn blue in the face Zuko!
"Looks good," he simply said before walking back to the other side of the table to pack up his possessions. As he gathered the trash from his impromptu snack, he turned to her with a sincere look in his eye and muttered "thanks for the snack," before he diverted his eyes and grabbed his backpack, swinging it over his shoulder.
"You're welcome. I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow," Katara said as she powered down the computer and placed it carefully in her bookbag. "I'll just check us out of this room before I head out." You've got to get out of here—if I have to watch him flex one more muscle, I'm going to lose it…Why did you have to notice that now—it must be this stinking library! After what happened last semester, you must be associating it with certain 'feelings.' That's it— it's the library's fault!
"Okay then, see you tomorrow," he said, glancing over his shoulder and giving a short wave as he walked away. That wasn't so bad…at least it was…easier. Giving way to cautious optimism, Zuko half-heartedly smiled, maybe this'll work out okay. I guess I can always try bringing it up next time we IM each other. I'll have to remember to ask her about water polo—seems like it's important to her…
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Making her way back to her dorm room, Katara shook her head in disbelief over her reactions to their casual physical contact. You were just weirded out from that dream this morning and you haven't been out on a date in ages, Katara. Totally normal behavior considering you don't have a boyfriend or the prospect of one in the near future…With a look of slight horror on her face, Katara made the startling realization, Oh Gods, now I sound desperate! Besides he's Jerk Boy! She practically stomped up to her room as she grew increasingly frustrated with her schoolgirl reaction to Zuko. There is absolutely no way anything would happen anyways! And even if it were the least bit possible—which it's not— I absolutely refuse to acknowledge it!
With a huff, she stopped herself short of throwing down her bag, remembering her precious laptop inside. Shaking her head, she grabbed her wallet and headed towards the convenience store downstairs. Your blood sugar must be low, that's why you're losing it! she decided, desperately clinging on to the excuse. But he isn't entirely horrible. Suki thinks he has AT LEAST one redeeming quality—he did pull you out of that damn pit, remember? Besides, Jet didn't look too happy when he interrupted last night…jealousy's a bitch, huh Jet?
Remembering the look on Jet's face the previous evening helped to temporarily distract Katara from her possible attraction to Zuko, planting a somewhat smug smile on her face. Unfortunately, the possibility of Jet's jealousy didn't pacify her inner monologue long. At least he's smarter than Jet…What are you thinking, Katara?!? As she went down the stairwell, she let out a little frustrated scream, "This is not happening!"
Thankfully, no one was there to hear her small confession.
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Author's note: So it's late and here I am finishing up the edits that Moor thoughtfully provided. Hope you don't hate the bits of fluff and find this chapter mildly entertaining. I'll try writing up another chapter and posting it this weekend. And, thanks to Moor for serving as my always attentive beta!