Chapter 2: Attempts

Zuko was giving one of the soldiers change when Pao elbowed him between the ribs. "Hey. Your girlfriend's back." Pao was the owner of Pao's Family Tea Shop - not that Pao had any family. If asked, he would make up something about how Iroh and Zuko were his not-so-distant relations. The storefront's name was just something he came up with to entice a more wholesome demographic of patron. This scheme, like so many of his ideas, didn't really work out.

"She's not my girlfriend," Zuko shot back instinctively before looking up and spotting Jin seating herself at the corner table and removing several scrolls from her bag. She looked up to see him staring and waved at him. He quickly broke eye contact.

"Oh, of course she's not," Pao said as if he didn't believe a word of it, and shoved him away from the counter.

Why did everyone keep shoving him? They should mind their own business. But then of course hell would freeze over.

Turning his attention back to Jin, he thought that maybe he should go talk to her. She was friendly enough and she was being a pretty good sport about the whole terrible date fiasco. Plus he felt a strange competitive urge to get to know her better than his uncle did. He didn't know why.

He blew out a puff of air, just as he did to center himself before fire bending and walked towards her. After a moment of standing awkwardly next to her table, he sat down. She looked up from the scroll she was writing and watched him curiously.

Ok. Attempt number one at talking to Jin.

"I'm … uh … taking my break." He scratched his head and looked off to the side. "What are you doing?"

"I have an essay due in a few days. I'm trying to get a start on it so I don't have to write it all after work."

"Oh." She turned back to her scroll and he drummed his fingers on the table. "What's your essay about?"

"I'm discussing themes of dominance in 'Blood and Hope'. It's really very interesting. Well, I think it is, but I won't bore you with it."

"Uh..."

"Have you not read it?"

He shook his head.

"It's a staple of Earth Kingdom literature. You should really read it." She slid one of her many scrolls towards him and he scanned a few lines. "I can let you borrow it."

"Oh, no, I couldn't."

"Sure you can. I'll be done with my essay in a few days, and then you can read it. You can read, right?"

"Of course I can read!"

She shrugged. "Some people can't. I don't want to assume."

"I'm not illiterate!" He stood and slammed both hands against the table, glaring at her as she gave him a blank look.

"I should get back to work," he mumbled and stomped off.

Zuko frowned. She was back again. He didn't want to talk to her. He wasn't good at talking to girls. Yeah right, he wasn't good at talking to people in general. But then again, he was determined, and he never backed down from a challenge. He wasn't exactly sure what the challenge was or what he expected the outcome to be, but he was just stubborn enough to attempt whatever it was anyway.

Did that make any sense?

No. Not at all.

He sighed. Alright. Attempt number two at talking to Jin:

"You're working again." Yeah, way to state the obvious.

"Yes. I'm doing mathematics today."

"I guess you're pretty smart, huh?"

"I guess so, but I wouldn't want to over sell myself."

"Oh." There was a pause that he found awkward, but she didn't seem to notice as she marked a few figures on her page.

He was just thinking about saying he could hear Pao calling him when she spoke again. "I'm applying to the University to start in the fall. I guess we'll see how smart I am if I get in."

"Ba Sing Se University?" She nodded. "Why would you want to go there?"

"So I can study."

"Do you think you'll really get in?"

"You sound skeptical."

"Well, you're a girl." Oh no. "And I mean, uh, you know, a lot of girls don't go to universities."

"A lot of girls don't finish grammar school."

He didn't really know what to say to that and there was another pause.

"Um, I think I hear Pao calling me."

Attempt number three at talking to Jin:

He set her tea down on the table and began the conversation as if he hadn't made a fool of himself the day before. He had lain awake the night before thinking of what he should have said.

"Isn't it hard to get into the University if you're from the lower ring?"

"Yes."

"But you're trying anyway?"

"My record speaks for itself. If they're going to be bigoted about it then maybe I don't want to go there."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault." She looked up from her tea and leaned closer to him to whisper, "Actually, I kind of lied about where I lived."

"You…what?"

"I gave them an address in the middle ring. I feel a little bad about it."

"Because you lied to get into college?"

"No. Because I bought into the idea that lower ring kids can't amount to anything. We have to hide who we are if we want to get anywhere in life. It's not fair and it shouldn't be that way. I shouldn't be encouraging it."

He was so taken aback by the sudden, serious turn the conversation had taken that he couldn't think of anything to do but nod and walk away.

Attempt number four at talking to Jin:

"I think you have so much trouble talking to people because you're wound up so tight."

"What? I'm not wound up."

"Yes you are."

"No. I'm not."

"You're getting defensive."

"I have a right. You're being rude."

"How so?"

"You just … say things."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

He growled.

They sat in silence for a moment, during which he brooded with his arms crossed over his chest and she took a sip of tea and smiled to herself.

"What do you do to relax? You need an outlet for all the frustration you're feeling."

"I'm not frustrated. Quit pretending you know me."

"You should try some meditation."

"I do meditate."

"That's good. Maybe you should do it more."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I jog."

"What?"

"I jog every morning to relax. It clears my head. Maybe you should try that. Do you want to go with me tomorrow morning?"

"No!"

Attempt number five at talking to Jin:

"Did you go jogging?"

"No!"

"Oh, well I see you didn't change your meditation technique either."

"Arg!"

Six. Attempt number six at talking to Jin:

"I brought you these to read." She reached into her bag and pulled out about a half dozen scrolls. "I thought that maybe reading would help you relax."

"I don't need to relax."

She ignored him.

"This is 'Blood and Hope'. It's the one I was telling you about. It's a classic. It's an epic tale about the 46th Earth King's rise to power and his staggering fall. Now, it's a good book, but this one – 'Hymn of the Muses'- is by the same author and is so much better. It's a little obscure, but it's one of my favorite books so I brought it for you."

"You didn't have to-"

"It's not a problem. Then this one is by a contemporary author that takes the story of 'Blood and Hope' and tells it from the perspective of the queen. It's an interesting take on the events, so it's worth a read.

"And then I realized that it might be a little hard to understand if you don't have a firm background in the history leading up to the story and the political influences of the time. So I brought you this for reference. It's a very thorough history of the Earth Kingdom, but it's very dense so I don't suggest sitting and reading it." It was a very large scroll and he looked at it with horror.

"Then this one is just an interesting essay on the book. It compares the 46th Earth King's actions to those of some people in Earth Kingdom territories currently occupied by the Fire Nation. It's interesting, so I threw it in. I don't really expect you to read any of this. I just get a little carried away sometimes."

"Um, thanks."

"No problem. Like I said, I thought that reading might help you loosen up."

"I'm fine!"

Seven. Attempt number seven at talking to Jin:

"If you get in to the University, what will you study there?"

"Literature. I want to be a writer."

"Like novels?"

"Well," she leaned across the table closer to him and lowered her voice. "Do you know how some villages have bulletins where they write about important events in the community?"

"Yeah."

"I want to do that, only on a larger scale. Like here. I could write about issues that are important to the people of the lower ring. I can get them information. I can bring attention to the problems they face. Maybe do something about it."

He stared at her. "Do you think that the Dai Li would go for that?"

"No, I don't. But things change and maybe that's one of the problems that needs addressing."

He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. "You shouldn't say these kinds of things so openly. I wouldn't want the Dai Li to come after you."

"Aww. You do care."

"No. I just don't want them to make a scene in the shop. And anyway, my uncle would miss you."

"I'd miss him too."

The way she said that made him feel uncomfortable somehow.

Eight.

"This book was pretty good." It was obvious that he was trying to stop himself from saying something stupid, or trying to contain a great many things. He sat down across from her and slid a scroll across the table. She smiled when she saw that he had set down her copy of 'Hymn of the Muses.'

"What did you like about it?"

"Umm..." He scratched his head nervously. He didn't know how much he could tell her without looking like a pansy. That it was one of the best books he had ever read? That the characters spoke to him in a way that made him both excited and uncomfortable? That he now wanted to read all her favorite books?

"It's like… a song. The way the words flow. It has a rhythm to it. And it's as if … the characters know how I'm feeling. It's … nice."

She beamed at him. "Why did you start with that one?"

"You said it was the best." He was sounding too nice so he added, "It was also the shortest."

"The essay was the shortest."

"Yeah. I read that too, but I didn't like it."

"What?"

"Whoever wrote it sounds like an arrogant ass."

"He happens to be a very intelligent man."

"You know him?"

She sat up straighter. "I was hoping that he would be my adviser at the University."

"Why?"

"He's brilliant."

"So you have a crush on him or something?"

"You're insane."

"You're insane."

"Oh, go away, Lee."

Nine.

"What are you doing?"

"Reading and drinking tea."

"You're drinking that weird flowery tea that my uncle just came up with."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I thought I'd try it."

"You always hate them."

"I do not. You didn't tell Mushi that. Did you?"

"No."

"How would you know anyway?"

"You make a weird face when you drink it."

"I do not." She unconsciously moved a hand up to cover her mouth and nose.

"He won't be offended if you don't try his stupid inventions."

"Well, since you know everything, why don't you tell me what tea I should order?"

"You should have plain green. It's your favorite. What's wrong with you?"

She stared at him for several seconds.

He tried again, "I make it every day so it's ready for you when you get here. When you order something else it just goes to waste."

She just continued to stare at him.

"What? Crap, girls are crazy!"

Ten.

There was a tension in her voice and stress across her face.

"I'm sorry. I really can't talk to you today, Lee. I really need to get this done."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" He slid into the seat across from her, looking more concerned than he would like.

"No. Look, my finals are coming up and there's a big party at the palace so my dress at work needs to get finished and if I don't get this assignment done while I'm here I'm going to have even more to do after work."

"Calm down. It can't be that bad. When are you done with work tonight?"

"Midnight."

"What?"

She was getting impatient with him. "Midnight. Twelve o'clock. I start at four, I end at twelve. It's an eight hour work day."

"You work that much?"

"Yes."

"And then you do homework?"

"Yes."

"How do you get home at night?"

"By flying mole rat."

"What? Really?"

"No. I walk."

"Alone?"

"Yes."

"You can't do that."

"Why not?"

"It's dangerous."

"Oh, please."

"Where do you work? I'll walk you home when you're done."

"Are you crazy?"

"No. You are. Do you know what kind of people wander around here at night looking for unsuspecting girls?"

"Yes. I know. And I can take care of myself."

"You're stupid."

"You're infuriating."

"Give me the address of your dress shop."

"Don't order me around."

"Give me the address of your dress shop, please."

"Go away."