"It's like, I don't even know her, but when she looks down at me or you with that smug smirk on her face it just infuriates me like nothing else!" Katara screamed.
"That's still no reason to fight," Aang reprimanded, patting Katara's arm soothingly. Katara glanced to the side, a bit ashamed now.
"I know," she admitted.
"You definitely have got to cancel it. But hey maybe we could still go to the meeting place," Aang grinned. "Who knows it might just turn into a good old-fashioned hangout!"
Katara managed a half smile. "Thanks Aang." He always knew what to say. She leaned forward and kissed him, not exactly long, but more than a peck. Aang's whole face turned red.
"N-no problem," he stuttered. Katara smiled, then turned to leave.
"I'm going to go find Azula."
Katara walked the halls to where she knew Bumi's classroom was. She'd gotten out of her first period early, and it was time to confront Azula. While waiting outside the door, she noticed that something felt off. Bumi's class was usually loud and rambunctious, with constant noise blaring from the doors and windows. Katara decided to peek in through the window. Her eyes widened.
Bumi and the rest of the students looked like people caught in a hostage situation. Bumi was very lightly and delicately writing on the board and the rest of the students were staring straight ahead, eyes wide. And Katara could clearly see why. Azula and Zuko were leaning back in their desks aggressively, with matching sneers on their faces. Oh yeah, they were in a bad mood.
The bell rang, but nobody moved. Everyone turned to Azula and Zuko to see what they would do. Katara decided that it was time to interfere. She barreled into the room. "Alright see you guys later! The bell rang, get out of here!" Azula and Zuko whipped around to glare at her.
The class ran out in a huge herd. Bumi stayed writing on the board, his head hunched over. He was obviously too scared to turn around. Katara went up to him, placing a hand on his arm to stop him.
"Why are you writing like that Bumi?" she asked softly. She didn't want to startle him.
"O-one, ahem, one of the students noted that I might want to write more quietly, as it was disturbing the class," Bumi whispered back. Katara pulled a face. She knew exactly who that student was. Just because Azula was in a bad mood didn't give her the right to act this way.
"Azula, can I talk to you for a minute?" Katara asked, exiting the classroom before Azula had a chance to reply. The girl had to come out anyway. And in a bit, she did. Then Katara saw what had gotten her in such a foul mood.
"What happened to your face?' she gasped, reaching up to brush the huge bruise on Azula's cheek. Azula grabbed the hand out of the air before it could make contact and squeezed the fingers painfully.
"Never touch me, waterbender," Azula snarled, finally releasing Katara's hand. The taller girl then looked away. She hadn't met Katara's eyes all day. "Look, I'm rescinding the challenge that I issued to you okay? I'll deal with whatever consequences you want to dole out."
Consequences? "N-no," Katara replied, surprised. "I was just coming to say the same thing."
"Of course you were," Azula sneered. Contempt and malice exuded from her every pore. Katara had always felt a challenging air when Azula addressed her, but never this open evil intent towards her from the girl. It made her feel surprisingly horrible.
"Do me a favor and never address me again, waterbender," Azula ordered as she left. Zuko added a sarcastic smile as he followed his sister away. Katara thought.
Waterbender again. Why would she use such an outdated, classist term? It's not like anyone bends water anymore, so why waterbender? And why with such contempt?
"-atara!" Katara snapped out of her thoughts. Aang beamed up at her.
"Glad I could get to you," he smiled. "Are you ready for lunch? Warning: there's come pretty cute bunny shaped apples in there today, courtesy of the monks." She'd thought her way through three periods without even noticing. Katara shook her head to ignore Aang's last comment. She wasn't in the mood to laugh right now.
"Sorry Aang, I really need to go think right now," Katara replied regretfully. "You know how I get."
"Yeah! Totally," Aang replied. "Cool. I mean, I'll just eat all of these apple bunnies alone. It's not like I specially requested them for you or anything..."
"Great," Katara answered, obviously not listening at all. "I'll be around."
"Okay," Aang sulked.
Katara found herself in the Common department, one of the older buildings in the school. Barely anyone came through these halls, as in this combat-focused school, barely anyone wanted to learn more about the Common language, or how to write an essay. Katara opened a window and looked out. A faint breeze ruffled her hair-loopy-thingys. Perfect...
...except.
"Ew, that smell!" Katara exclaimed, waving her hand in front of her nose.
"Is it an issue?" the offender inquired drily. Katara look out of the window and down. There, leaning against the side of the building with a cigarette between her lips was Azula.
"It's you," Azula rolled her eyes, derision in her voice. Katara peered at her carefully. As opposed to this morning's attitude, Azula now seemed more... relaxed. Rather than the bloodthirsty killing intent Katara had felt this morning, now it was just sort of a tired hostility.
"Do you always come back here?" Katara asked curiously.
"Yes," Azula answered testily. "I come back here to smoke. Which you don't like. So leave." She reached up to wave the cigarette beneath Katara's nose. Katara wrinkled her nose and backed away, but didn't leave. Azula seemed... different. More relaxed. Maybe it was the place, or maybe it was the cigarette, but something that calmed her. This piqued Katara's curiosity. But as Katara got ready to talk, Azula put out her cigarette on the ground and stood.
"How did you get that bruise?" Katara blurted out, hoping that that calm atmosphere was still there. It wasn't.
"That's none of your business," Azula growled before turning and stalking away.
"Yup, it was definitely the cigarette," Katara surmised.