Authors note: Okay then, let's move on to the second chapter. Not much I can say but… change.

Chapter Two

The Other World

"Zuko…Zuko…"

He stared up into what he thought was his room but when he looked up…he wasn't there. It was his uncle's guest room and he was staring out the window. He was staring at her.

"I love you Zuko…" she whispered.

"I love you too…" he whispered back.

He lifted his window as did she.

He could feel his self leaning closer to hers. His hand slowly caressed her cheek. Their lips almost touched…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Zuko, wake up! Get up!"

Zuko's eyes fluttered open as he sprung straight up. He sighed, his eyes doing a three-sixty.

"If you do not get down here right now I will tear you up!"

"I'm coming...I'm coming..."

Still in his clothes from the previous day, Zuko sauntered down the stairs. He peeped around the corner and scowled.

"Why do they already have to be up?" he thought, coming into the room.

"Konu and I are going to the games," the woman who had been screaming before said seeing Zuko, "We got lucky last time."

"So I've heard."

Zuko brushed back his black hair as Konu laid a harsh hand upon his shoulder. Zuko quickly slipped away, a frown plainly on his face. Seeing this, Konu scowled.

"What's wrong with you? Can't take a hit."

"Stay away from me..." Zuko murmured.

Konu raised his fist high.

"Enough!"

After calming herself, Acura, Konu's wife, went on.

"Do not make this place a mess while we're gone."

"I know…" Zuko answered.

"And you had better just go to work or so help me I will kill you."

"I know…"

"Good, now make dinner before we come home. We'll be hungry."

"You just said I could go to work. How am I supposed to-?"

"I don't care," Acura remarked, "You had better have dinner done!"

"Fine...like hell do I-"

"Do not talk to your mother in that tone!"

Zuko glared at Konu as the two adults walked out of the house. He knew they would be gone…gone longer then they always said. It was always been that way and sadly it seemed as if it always would.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Zuko, pick this crap up!"

Rushing over to the counter, Zuko dropped to the floor. A waiter from before had let some of the food on their platter fall. Now, it became his burden.

"I don't pay you to drop food on the floor…let it happen one more time, you just let it happen."

Zuko glared at Long Feng as he disappeared to the back. Everything had been hard and unfair for Zuko ever since he had first worked at the restaurant. Long Feng enjoyed pointing out his wrong whenever he could, even if it wasn't his in the first place.

"If I could just get a break around here…"

Zuko threw the food away and began to scrub the floor when he felt someone tap his back. He looked up into the face of Ruon-Jian.

"What are you doing here?" he grumbled.

"Just came to see a loser…"

Zuko rolled his eyes, his arms aching from being on the floor.

"Will you just leave me alone?"

"Uh…no."

"Ruon-Jian, get out of here…no one wants a druggie around."

"What did you call me?!"

"Nothing…"

Ruon-Jian pulled Zuko to his feet and pushed him up against the counter top.

"If you even say a word against me, your dead…the gang will make sure of that."

"Why the hell should I care?" Zuko spat back.

Ruon-Jian was about to punch Zuko square in the face when Long Feng returned.

"Zuko, what are you doing to this customer?"

"Nothing, he's the one-"

"I don't want to hear it…come to the back."

Zuko gave Ruon-Jian one more glare before he walked quickly away. Before Long Feng could even speak to Ruon-Jian, he was already gone.

"You scared away one of our customer!" Long Feng yelled as he came to the back.

"He's not a customer."

"Oh, isn't he!" Long Feng screamed, striking Zuko's face.

Zuko fell to the floor, blood seeping from his mouth.

"I'm sorry…" he muttered.

"You're sorry," Long Feng remarked, kicking him on the floor, "Next time your sorry…you won't be alive to say it. Now get to work!"

Zuko slowly shuffled out of the room and went back to his bucket. He wiped the floor as he wiped his blood.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A loud bang came to the door as the clock just turned four.

"The doors open!"

Shoving it with her shoulder, Jin busted through the door. She muttered to herself as the screen popped out. When finally putting it back in, Jin rushed into the house.

"Zuko, fix that door!" she screamed.

"This isn't my house…" he answered back.

"Oh, there's the ever popular "I didn't do it so why is it my problem?""

"I guess…"

A few minutes later a smile was upon Jin's face as she sat herself upon the counter top. Her body was thin of abusive care and her face drained of happiness but still she found a way to smile.

"So what is this "goop" you're cooking?" she asked.

"Goop…I thought it was spaghetti," he answered back.

Jin just laughed and Zuko grinned as he stirred the food. After peering at him awhile though, Jin spoke.

"Hey, what's up with your face?" she asked.

Zuko quickly looked away, trying to hard the mark on his cheek and the bloody residue on his lips. He didn't know it was so noticeable.

"Zuko, what happened? Jin asked, "That looks really bad."

"I'm fine Jin; I just…bumped into a wall in the basement. It was really dark."

Jin frowned, not believing one word. However, one thing she knew was to not pester Zuko. He would soon grow intolerably testy.

"Fine then…anyway, I need a smoke. Got any?"

"Yeah, there's some in my room."

Jin returned with a pack of cigarettes in hand and sat back down on the countertop.

"I forgot my lighter…"

Zuko muttered, grabbing his lighter out of his pocket, "Here."

Jin caught the thrown object in the air and soon had a cigarette going in her mouth.

"So when are the "parents" getting home?" she asked, breathing out the smoke.

"Don't know, they said soon…last time that happened they showed up a week later."

Jin scoffed as she stared into the window.

"Forget them, why don't you jump this place? Why don't you…I don't know."

"Jin, I can't go back, you know that."

"I know but the gang's changed, they won't blame you."

"Yes they will."

"But Zuko-"

"Jin, I'm not going back!"

Zuko turned away as he set the dinner out. He knew Jin wasn't mad and he wasn't either. The two were torn in two separate ways.

"Well…if you can't come back to the gang…" Jin muttered, "Then can you at least see me."

Zuko turned to Jin, the smile gone from her face. He saw her saddened face become even more depressed. She was so different than the girl he used to know…the little girl that used to laugh.

When Jin smiled Zuko could see just a glimpse of that girl but then she left...and he couldn't find her anymore.

"Jin…"

She looked at him with an awkward smirk and clutched her legs.

"I've changed into something I can't control Zu…I don't know what to do. I try and try but every time I see a cigarette I…"

"I know you need it, right? It's like your lungs hurt more without it…"

"Yeah…that's exactly it."

"Well I should know," Zuko said, looking at his pack, "I feel the same thing."

"Zu…I can't do this without you. I see you once a week and it's just so hard."

"I'll do my best but with-"

"Hey is…oh sorry."

Both Zuko and Jin turned to the girl at the door. Jin smiled but Zuko frowned.

"Hello BF, what are you doing here?" he said with a sigh.

The girl sighed and looked down at her feet. She just groaned when she heard Zuko sigh again.

"Nothing, sorry Zuko."

"It's okay…"

"Hey Jin," BF murmured.

"Hi."

"I'll see you guys later…I have to…"

And she was gone; she left without saying another word.

"It's nice that she comes around here," Jin said with a grin.

"Yeah, and annoying," Zuko finished, "She only comes for one reason."

Jin nodded with a grin, "Yeah, well I'd better go."

Zuko glanced at Jin from the corner of his eyes and then looked back down.

"I will remember what you said…okay?"

She nodded before slowly walking off. Zuko looked around before running up to her. He hurriedly rushed her into his arms.

"Now I promise, I won't forget you, okay?" he whispered.

Jin blushed a moment, now with a smile…from the laughing girl long ago.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Slumped in his chair, Zuko stared at his clean plate at twelve thirty-one at night. He looked at his cold spaghetti sitting on two sullen plates.

In his anger he threw not just the food but the whole plates into the trash. He then turned and picked up his own. Throwing it into the sink he sighed. He could hear it shatter in the distance.

Zuko was about to go to his room when he glanced at his pack of cigarettes from hours before. He stared at it awhile before slowly walking over to it and pulling out a single one.

"Who am I kidding?" he murmured, grabbing his lighter off the counter top.

"Are they home?" came a call.

"No…" Zuko yelled back, as he slammed his bedroom door behind him, cigarette pack clutched in his hand.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Authors note: Yeah...I'll try to update soon, please review.