A/N – DEDICATED TO MY BFF VICTORIA - Who got me a $100 Katara Necklace and has been an altogether awesome friend since I've known. Let this story always remind us of each other.

It was only 40 years into the war. Khanna was a 15-year-old girl living in the Northern Water Tribe. Today was her third day in waterbending training, with her best friend, Yagota. On this day, however, she was running late. Literally.

She dashed along the icy sidewalks; leaping over rivers, sliding around corners. Finally, the 53 steps to the Academy came into view. She'd counted them on her first day, when she'd arrived especially early in excitement. 'I hope Master Paku's in a good mood today. I might only get one hour of punishment.' Khanna thought.

At age 14, Paku had been training with the former master, Han Lee. However, Paku had defeated his master in battle too many times to count. So, a year ago, Han Lee retired, requesting young Paku take his place.

Master Paku, despite his youth, was a fierce teacher. If someone was late, or disrupted class or something like that, it was usually punished by an hour or two of cleaning the army's barracks or cooking dinner for the royal family. Khanna knew she was in for it.

She reached the top of the steps to find Paku sitting on an ice stool talking to the class about who knows what. He looked a little irritated. 'Great. Two hours; hour and a half if I'm lucky...Better get this over-with.'

"Sorry, Master Paku." she said nervously, "I slept really late. I got here as fast as I could, but...not fast enough...I suppose." She trailed off, eyes on the ice, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

"Alright." Paku said, with a little edge to his voice, "Just don't let it happen again! Or there will be serious consequences! Now, please demonstrate to the class the water whip. The move I showed you yesterday?" Khanna was shocked. Even his best students were given horrible punishment for being a few minuted late! Now she was twenty minutes late, and she gets off with a warning?! Well, she wasn't going to complain about it anyway. So she tried to do the water whip.

She had asked Paku about it yesterday after class. He showed her the move, very quickly, then asked her to do it with absolutely no help. Then, she couldn't even do it! Now, it at least looked like a whip, but it was crooked and it didn't go at all where she wanted. She nearly whipped a boy's head! Paku nodded thoughtfully.

"It seems I didn't explain it to you very well yesterday. I'll try again. Everyone stand in a line in front of me. You too, Khanna." he said. 'Explain?! You're calling what you did an explanation?' But she lined up with the others. This time, Paku executed the move slowly and carefully, saying what he was doing as he went along. Then, as everyone was trying it, he gave little tips to help them all. After this, Khanna got it almost perfectly. And that was only because when Paku was walking around everyone helping, he didn't go near her at all! Anyway, as everyone was still trying to get it, Paku walked around to the front and eyed them all carefully, stopping on Khanna for a moment. Then he clapped his hand for them all to stop.

"Khanna, I can see that you are not getting this move very well." he said.

Not wanting to insult him and get in trouble, all she said was, "I'm not sure I get how to do it, Master."

"I'd like to have private sessions for me to help you out. I think you'd do better with some one-on-one instruction. You may still come to class with everyone else, but you'll come at a different time for me to tutor you." 'Okay, so you're going to purposefully make me get it wrong, then help me?' she thought. 'Hold on, maybe I'm just being paranoid. He is the master, after all. Maybe he's right.'

Khanna nodded and said, "Okay. When should I come?"

"Could you just stay after class for another hour or so? Not today, of course. You'll ask your mother about it today, alright?" he said. Khanna nodded again. Then, just like that, class resumed as usual.

"Hi, Mom." Khanna said, walking into her home.

"Hello, Khanna. How was waterbending?" her mother said.

"Well, I'm not doing to well." Khanna replied. She didn't want to tell her mother about Paku's strange behavior. She's investigate that for herself. So she said, "Master Paku suggested that I stay after class for like an hour for him to private-tutor me. Is that okay?"

"Any day except Friday." Khanna's mom said, "Your father likes us to go boating on Fridays when you come home, and you and I both know he'd never miss it for his life. It's such a silly obsession he has with that boat!"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot. Well, that sounds fine. I'll tell Master Paku tomorrow in class." Khanna replied. Her father did have a mysterious obsession with going boating. And only on Friday, always on Friday. Never any other day. That was something else she'd have to find out about. "Can I go over to Yagota's house?" she asked.

"Yes. Oh, wait! Isn't Paku's house right on the way to Yagota's? You can stop to tell Master Paku now. It's better that way, so he knows if he has to stay after tomorrow. It's just polite." her mother told her. Khanna nodded her consent, and left her house. Paku lived just a few blocks away from the Academy. She came to his door and knocked. After a few seconds, the door opened, and a woman stood looking at her. 'Probably his mom.'

"Yes?" she asked.

"Hello, my name is Khanna. I'm here to see Master Paku. I have to tell him something." Khanna said politely.

"Oh. Come in, sweetie. His room is just over here." the woman said. She led Khanna through the door and up a small flight of stairs. The woman knocked on another door at the top of the stairs. "Paku? There's a girl here to see you. Someone named Khanna."

As soon as the woman said 'Khanna,' the door shot open, with Paku standing there, wearing his most formal expression.

"Hello, Khanna. Please, come in." Paku said. The woman nodded and left them. "That was my mom, in case you were wondering." he said casually.

"Yes, I thought so." Khanna replied. "I came to let you know that my mom said I can stay after every day but Friday. My dad likes to take us boating that day and...well he just can't miss it at all for some reason. And he insists we all be there. I don't really know why."

"Okay. That's fine. So, you'll stay after for about an hour on Mondays through Thursdays. Then I think you'll do much better with some extra help." Paku said.

"I wanted to ask you about that, Master Paku." she said slowly.

"Ask away." Paku replied.

"Um, I was wondering...well, you said you want to tutor me because I'm not doing well, right? But, no offense to you, Master, but you're kind of the reason I'm not doing well." Khanna stumbled. She didn't want to get yelled at, but she had to know why he was acting so strange in class.

Paku sighed, then said, "I figured you would catch on. I really just had to do all that to make sure the class wasn't suspicious." 'Suspicious? What are you talking about?' "The truth is...I really only did that because I wanted an excuse to be your tutor. I'm sorry I made you look bad." Paku was fidgeting; Khanna knew this wasn't the entire reason behind it all.

"But why would you want to private-tutor me?" Khanna asked.

"I can't get anything past you, can I?" Paku said with a grin. "I guess I'm just going to have to tell you. Well, here goes: I...Well I wanted to private-tutor you so much because...because I just wanted to spend time with you." he stuttered nervously. "I kind of...like you." 'What the f-...WHAT?!' Khanna was struck dumb. 'He...he likes me? Wow! Where in the Spirit World did that come from?! How long has this been going on?' She looked at him; he looked at her. Khann thought, 'Well, actually...Maybe this isn't so bad...I think I might...Wow.'

"You actually like me?" Khanna said, "Me? For how long?"

Paku chuckled. "I know it sounds sappy but, since the moment I looked at you." Khanna smiled.

"Well, I've never really thought about it, but I guess...I might kind of like you too." she murmured. Paku smiled back at her. Khanna was actually happy with this strange turn of events, and yet...it was a little overwhelming. She was still a little confused from it all, and being here made her nervous. "Uh, I think I should go." she said. Paku looked a little nervous as well.

"Yes, I suppose that's right." Paku said. "I'll see you in class tomorrow. Good-bye." But as Khanna got up to leave, he grabbed her arm and said, "You won't...tell anyone, will you?" Khanna's eyed widened.

"Don't even worry about it. To be honest, I don't want it getting out anymore than you do." she said. She paused, then added, "At least...not yet." She smiled again, and Paku smiled back. 'Yeah. This is definitely awesome.' she decided.