Authors note: Some of the words in a different language in this story are in Cherokee & Potawatomi and will be translated at the bottom of the chapter and hinted meanings will be in the sentences.
Chapter 9 Geyadohvsdi
The music was blasting and vendors were beginning to cook. The atmosphere was full of thrill and excitement as many of the young people would be staying at this over night party until the early ferries arrive.
"Isn't that Zuko?" Sokka asked.
Jet looked in his direction and saw Zuko walking aimlessly. He waved his arms to get his attention among the crowd. "Hey Zuko! Over here!"
Zuko couldn't hear over the loud music. He kept wandering around until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see the almost unrecognizable Katara and Suki standing behind her.
"Looking for someone?" She smiled. It was easy to tell he was lost. "Come on. Jet's waiting."
She led the way, not noticing the many glances she was receiving from the guys on the beach. The reactions she did notice, however, were from her friends.
"Katara?" Haru asked in disbelief of her girly appearance.
Jet draped his arm around her shoulder, the other around Suki who felt awkward by his forwardness. "Girls and Zuko, this is a new friend of ours. Ruon-Jian. This is Katara, her friend Suki and Zuko." He said to the new boy in the group. He ran a hand through his brown hair and smiled.
"What's up?"
"Suki and Zuko, this is Haru and Chan. Other childhood friends. And of course Princess Yue." He presented the young princess who was standing behind Sokka, barely noticing the two girls arrival.
"Katara!"
"Yue!" The girls hugged each other tightly as though they hadn't seen each other in years.
"Katara, you look so pretty! So grown up." Yue said sweetly.
Suki watched, slowly losing interest in the evening after meeting her competition. The beauty and kindness of the princess was so apparent to her that she knew she couldn't win against.
"Suki? Are you listening?" Katara asked, drawing her out of her daze.
"Sorry, what?"
"We're going out to the water with Yue. Come on." Katara took Suki's hand and Yue's in the other as they walked together to the shore.
The boys almost sighed dreamily at the sight of three lovely girls playing in the water.
"Katara really surprised me today." Pipsqueak said. "I've never seen her dress that way before."
"Yue's right. She did grow up." Haru added.
"Our girl is a woman now." Jet smiled, crossing his arms.
Sokka felt a fire lit in his stomach. "Can you guys not talk about my sister that way?!" He was almost furious.
"Let us enjoy the view a little longer." Chan asked, rubbing his hand into Sokka's hair.
"What view?!"
"Hey Haru!" Katara shouted and then pointed at the row of five surfboards the boys stood next to. "Are those ours?"
"Yeah!"
The girls said something to each other and then returned to the group. "We're borrowing these three."
"Sure. But, can you surf?" He asked to Suki. Not with the intention to mock her, but Suki didn't like to be looked down on.
"Just cause I'm a Local means I can't surf?" Her voice was sharp.
The sensitive Haru's eyes grew. "No I didn't mean it like that, I was just-"
"You do know that this isn't the only ocean in the world, right?"
Ruon-Jian made a face to Zuko, trying not to laugh. Haru tried denying his words but stopped as she striped off the clothes on top of her swim suit. Zuko blushed slightly and looked away. Jet raised an eyebrow at Pipsqueak and Longshot.
She grabbed a red board. "Watch and tell me if I can't surf." She said as she turned away and headed to the ocean.
"You made her mad." Katara laughed. "But don't worry, I did the same the first time I went surfing with her. She doesn't prove herself with words. She doesn't need to." She said mostly to Haru, but also to Yue who looked concerned. "Let's get closer."
They all walked out to the shoreline and watched as Suki waited alone in the ocean for a wave. Katara stood next to Sokka, hoping to see a spark in his eye or something when he sees Suki's unknown skill. Zuko moved himself to her other side.
"She can surf, right?" Zuko asked.
Katara was a bit startled at his interest in Suki but he looked at him with a small smirk on her face. "You're about to find out."
Finally a good, yet a bit on the small side, wave arrived and Suki was easily able to stand and ride it. She wasted no time to start showing off some tricks like a Floater.
Katara glanced at Sokka who seem captivated in the unexpected show.
"She's good isn't she?" She asked.
Without looking at her Sokka answered, "Yeah." But joining him at the same time was Zuko.
She looked at him and saw his mouth slightly parted and wonder in his eyes. Although Katara was happy that everyone was noticing Suki in a different way, she felt a unsettled feeling this was too much attention. Suddenly, she removed her top and slid out of her skirt, revealing her bikini that presented the womanly curves she kept hidden. The boys watched her, incredibly shocked.
"Katara!" Sokka shouted. "Put your clothes on!"
"This is a swimsuit, Sokka! I'm going to surf with Suki. Let's go Yue."
Sokka guarded everyone eyes off Yue as she slipped off her gown to her more modest swimsuit.
"Holy crap." Jet said after a moment of silence. Then he grabbed a surfboard and followed. "What are you standing around for?"
Jet and Haru joined the girls while some went to rent more boards and others who couldn't surf went to eat.
"So who says Locals can't surf?" Suki asked with pride to Haru.
"You win. Sorry for judging you. You were really awesome."
"Enough flirting. You're missing the waves." Jet told them as he high fived Suki.
As the night came the bonfires lit the beach and its smoke mixed with the delicious smell of food in the air. Some started dancing, but many sat around watching the surfers.
"I'm going for some water." Katara said as she paddled back to the shore. She left her board next to Pipsqueak, Longshot and Ruon-Jian who sat laughing and eating. Pipsqueak handed her a small towel to pat herself dry before putting on her clothes.
"Thanks. Where's Zuko?" She asked.
The guys shrugged. "He left a while ago with some girls."
"Oh. Ok." Katara walked off and bought water from one of the busy vendors. This was the first year it was ever so noisy with this amount of people. She decided to walk off to rest where it was quieter. There, laying on top of a small sand dune, was Zuko.
"Hey. Can I sit with you?" She asked, hoping not to startle him.
"Sure." He sat up. "You got bored surfing?"
"No, just a little break. Why did you leave?"
He smiled at her. "Just a little break."
"Pipsqueak said you left with some girls?"
"Oh. Yeah my sister. She's here with her friends. They go to our school too. She came to complain that she was hungry but didn't want to wait in line. She acts like a princess." Zuko explained with annoyance in his tone.
Katara laughed. "What a sweet brother you are. Sokka would never do that for me. And if he did, he would eat my food before it got to me."
He laughed softly with her. "I heard stories today of your brother's eating habits."
"They're all true. I swear it." She put her hand up as though she were making an oath.
Again, he chuckled. She smiled at the sound. She folded her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them. Katara rested on the side of her head on her knees, watching how the bright reflection of the moonlight looked on his skin.
"Do you like Suki?" She asked suddenly.
He looked away. "What gave you that idea?"
"I saw the way you looked at her. There's nothing wrong with it."
He looked back at her. "Well, I mean I don't not like her. She's nice but I don't even know her that much."
Katara lifted her head. "That doesn't mean you can't like her. If you don't know her, then get to know her. Simple as that."
He shook his head as though she were speaking nonsense. "It's not that easy."
"Why not? You just need some courage. Except…" She stopped mid sentence as she remembered a previous conversation she had had with Suki.
"Except what?"
"She told me before that she's really into surfers. I kinda guess you don't know how, right?"
Zuko shook his head.
She sighed. "Suki says that she loves surfing and would want to 'share that love' with the guy she dates. This is too bad. Hmm…unless." She glanced at Zuko.
"What?"
"How about you take classes? Surf lessons. They offer them all the time." She suggested.
He frowned. "No way."
"Why not?"
"That kind of thing is for kids or tourists who want to look silly. I have pride. I'm not doing that."
"…You're embarrassed?"
"I'm not doing it. End of discussion."
Katara began to laugh. "Wow. Sorry, I just didn't see you as the kinda guy who'd get embarrassed to do some little thing like that."
"Shut up. It doesn't matter."
"It does matter. Zuko, the way you looked at Suki was amazing for someone like me to see. It was inspiring."
"Inspiring?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah! And I want to help you. I think it's fair if you get a chance."
"But you just said she likes surfers."
"I'll teach you. Private lessons. Secret lessons if you don't want anyone knowing." She offered.
"And what's in it for you? You can't be doing this for free." Zuko leaned back on the sand dune.
"It's not free. I want something in return. So when I think of something, I'll expect your full cooperation." She smiled. "but where can we go where no one will recognize us?" She pondered.
"My house. My estate has a private beach."
She looked at him confused. "A private beach? But no beaches are part of residential property."
"Well, no one comes to ours." The way he spoke matter-of-factly brought concern to Katara as she remembered Jet telling her of his fathers speculation of Zuko's family being on the island.
"Alright then. We start next weekend."
"Deal." Zuko shook her hand, then focused back to the ocean. Katara realized that although he moved away from the party, he never left the sight of Suki out in the ocean.
"I better head back before they send a search party. Come back to us when we're done. Ok?" She asked as she stood up, brushing sand off her skirt.
"Sure. And this is a secret. Please." He said, referring to the surfing lessons.
She smiled nodding and walked off.
At least one advantage to going to his home would mean she could investigate herself on this mysterious Zuko and his family firsthand.
Author's note: thank you for continuing to read my story! Please review and send your thoughts and feedback. It's always encouraging and helpful for me to improve.
Translations
Geyadohvsdi (title of chapter): Aware