“Sokka, I’m going to the library after school.”

“That where Jun’s lurking, isn’t it?” Sokka accused instantly.  

“No.  I have to do American History.”  

“Oh, yeah,” Sokka remembered.  “My battle’s the Alamo.  What do you have?”

“Iwo Jima.  With Zuko.”  

“Zuko?  Tell me you’re not going to the library with him!”

“I’m not,” Katara lied.  “I was going to work with … with Toph.”  

“Who’s Toph again?”

“You know, Sokka.  She’s a junior in high school, her parents are REALLY rich.  She’s got black hair… and she’s blind.”  

“Oh yeah,” Sokka said vaguely.  “Uh… do they have Braille books there?”

“I was going to quiz her on math,” Katara lied again.  

“I would say ‘have fun,’ but I have a feeling that’s the wrong sentiment.”  

“It’s fine.  Bye.”  

Katara had picked out her outfit the night before – it may not have been a real date, but her subconscious was acting like it.  She tried to tell herself that no, she wasn’t getting specially dressed up, she was just picking clothes for tomorrow.  

Give it up, Katara.  You can’t even fool yourself.  She had on navy-and-white ballet flats, a navy blue cap-sleeve top with the top of the shoulders cut off, and dark indigo jeans.  Not particularly interesting or unlike a normal school day, but the rule of dating was: make the focus on you, not your outfit.  

It’s not a date, Katara, not a date…

Her necklace, given to her from her mom, was around her neck, as usual.  It was a pearl, like the moon, over three wavy lines of blue sapphire chips, representing the ocean.  It was all delicately molded together with silver, and hung on a silver chain.  Gran-Gran said it brought out her eyes.  

By the time she had convinced Sokka that she was not meeting a boy, Jun, or a gang in the library, she was in the school hallway.  She saw Zuko leaning against his locker – number 34.  

“Hey, Katara,” Zuko said listlessly.   

“Zuko?  What’s up?”  She felt a sudden surge of curious sympathy.  

“Nothing,” he shrugged.  

“If you insist,” Katara said with a responding shrug.  She started haughtily towards Comp.  “Then I guess I won’t tell you.”  

“Won’t tell me what?”  

“Oh, nothing.  You wouldn’t mind.”  

“Wait!  Katara!”

“What?” she echoed in an innocent tone of voice.  

“Um… I’ll tell you why I’m depressed?”

Katara stopped walking dramatically.  “What was that?”

“I’ll… tell you why I’m acting depressed.”  He caught up with her and put a hand on the back of his neck.  “Um…” he took a sharp breath.  “Mai… is cheating.”  

“Ah,” Katara saw.  “That’s always hard.”  Their gazes locked for a few moments.  

“So,” said Zuko, quickly, uncomfortably, looking away, “what is it that you were not going to tell me?”

“Huh?  Oh.”  She smiled sheepishly.  “Actually, nothing.”  She grinned harder at his expression.  

“Hey, Katara!” said Aang, who had just approached the two.  

“Hi, Aang.”  Katara almost clapped a hand over her mouth realizing that she had just practically grunted in lieu of the real, chirpy ‘hello’ she usually gifted Aang with.  

He kept glancing nervously towards Zuko.  “Um… how’s it going?”  

Zuko walked off.

“Great,” she said brightly.  “How are your classes going?”  

“Boring,” Aang sighed.  “Especially English.  I keep getting the wrong answer, and then I have to go to Zhao’s office.”  

“Because you aren’t getting the right answer?”  Katara said disbelievingly.  “Well that’s idiotic.”  

“Tell me about it,” Aang sighed.  He looked down to his secondhand Nikes and shuffled his feet.  “Um… see you after class!”

“Okay,” Katara said, looking after him curiously.  

Zuko returned.  “What was that about?” he said, amused.

“I really can’t say,” she sighed.  “Sometimes he’s just a weird little dude.  But I don’t blame him… he’s at the foster home, you know.”  They started towards their classes, which were down the same end of the hallway.  

“So, do we know what happened to his parents?”  Zuko said, a soft prompt.  

“Actually, no,” Katara said in a half-lie.  “I don’t even know.  I think he’s trying to forget about the whole ordeal.”  

“I would,” Zuko stated.  “Poor little dude.”  

They split up to go to classes.  As Zuko turned into his class, a girl with long, glossy black hair pulled next to Katara and stuck a foot in black and red plaid flats in her path.  Katara went sprawling, spilling her books and blue messenger bag all over the floor.  Mai flipped her hair over her shoulder, a smirk spreading across her face.  She flicked her head back in front of her, missing the finger that Katara was waving at her.  
-------------------------
“Ready to go?” Katara asked Zuko.  

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” he sighed.  “Let’s go.”  They began walking towards the sad-looking beige library.  

Katara broke the silence.  “Are you regretting asking me out?” she said suddenly.  

“Huh?” Zuko said, on pure instinct.  He always said that when he didn’t know what else to say.  

“You know… I mean, are you regretting asking me… on something people might think of… as a… date?”  Damn you, subconscious!  

“Hell, no,” Zuko said with a soft smile.  

Katara grinned tentatively.  “Um…” she bit her lip uncomfortably.  “Are we… um…”

“What?” he prodded.  

“Uh… I shouldn’t really say this.  Forget I spoke.”  

“No,” Zuko insisted.  “Tell me.”  

“No,” she said playfully.  

Zuko looked at her with a ‘mom’ look.  

“Fine.  Well… don’t think I’m weird, all right?”  

“Sure I won’t,” he agreed.  “You already are.”  

Katara put on a fake-insulted look and slapped his arm lightly.  She took a breath.  “Well, uh… are we a ‘couple’?”

“Oh!  Well…” he paused, contemplating.  What about Mai?  

“I told you it was stupid,” she said, flushing madly.  She quickly pushed the library door open, trying to turn her blushing face away.  “I shouldn’t have said it in the first place.  I’m sorry, to you – and Mai.”  

“No, don’t be.  It was… unexpected,” he said suavely.  “I needed to process it. And yeah… I guess one might call us that.”  Damn it.  Should I have said that?  What will she think?

Zuko watched, dazed, as Katara’s face blossomed into a smile.  “Um… ladies first?” He held the door open for her.  She chuckled and walked through.  

“SSHHHHHHH!” hissed the librarian, Ms. Bay.  Her black-and-white parrot, Wan Shi Tong, squawked harshly from within its pewter-colored bars.  

Katara took a sharp breath.  “Sorry!” she whispered.  

“SSHHHHHHH!” Ms. Bay hissed louder.  

They found a table and thudded their backpacks down.  About ten minutes later, they returned with a dozen books about World War II.  

Zuko pulled a piece of paper from his backpack.  So, my lady.  He pushed it towards her.  

So, what?  And why are we writing?

Because Queen of Bitches will yell at us if we talk.  

Ha, ha!  Touché!  Okay… So what?

So, what’s our personal history?

Oh, act like you don’t know.

Remind me.  

I was a seventh grader, and you were a freshman.  You asked me out.  I said yeah.  Didn’t we have a pretty good relationship?

For a while, yeah.  I think.

Well, all was fairly good, and then it fell apart.  You know the rest – what happened then.

And then my scar happened.

Before that.

Our moms.  I do remember.  

Zuko saw a tear carve its path down Katara’s cheek.  

Don’t say anything if it’s too hard.

Then your mom… left.   Mine was diagnosed.

Zuko scooted his chair closer to Katara’s.  She leaned her head on his shoulder.  He was startled, but carefully put his arm around her.  She turned her face to his shoulder.  Her body shook with small, silent sobs.  

Zuko stood up, gently taking Katara with him.  She bravely wiped her eyes and sniffed back her tears, shaking her head, but he led her out the door and sat her down on the sidewalk, sitting with their backs against the building.  Tears began rolling down Katara’s cheeks again.  Her sobs were no louder than they had been inside.  

“No – I… ” she hiccupped.  Zuko wrapped both his arms around her comfortingly.  She stayed on his shoulder crying for a few more moments.  

He gently put his finger under her chin and lifted it up.  She stopped crying.  

What made him do it?  He could plead temporary insanity.  But what if he didn’t want to?  

They leaned closer towards each other.  He saw flecks of gray in her bright blue eyes as their faces drew nearer.  Their eyes closed…
----------------------
When Katara got home, Sokka was in hysterics.  “KATARA!” he yelled.  

“What?” she asked, rather scared.  

“Don’t ‘what’ me!” he yelled, a vein on his neck bulging.  “I saw you outside the library today!”

“What?  Sokka, it was nothing!”

“Yeah, ‘nothing’, of course.  But way too many ‘nothing’s have been happening lately, Katara!  And I don’t want ‘nothings’, I want answers!  What were you doing outside the library kissing Zuko?” He almost spat his name.  

“Sokka, he really isn’t that bad!  You are SO overreacting!”

“Me, overreacting,” he laughed mirthlessly.  “Yeah, Sokka, the over-protective brother.  That’s not how it is!”  

Katara would have laughed but Sokka was too mad.  “What, are you saying he’s going to come into my room at night and kill me?”  

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” he hissed.  “I mean, Jet, Teo, Haru, I can handle – even Aang,” he said, with a strangled accent on the last word.  “But not ZUKO!”

Gran-Gran entered the room.  “Katara, Sokka knows what he saw, and we both want to know what happened.”  

“Fine!  Zuko and I were doing American History!”

“You said you’d be with Toph!” Sokka howled.  

“Well, big surprise,” Katara yelled sarcastically.  “I lied!  What are you going to do about it?”  

“Just keep talking,” he ordered.  

“Okay.  Being with Zuko opened up some bad memories, for both of us!”

“What sort?” Sokka snapped.  “What happened?”  

“Well, we have a lot of bad stuff in common,” Katara said, trying to regain her cool.  

“Like what?” Sokka challenged.  

“Like, we both lost our MOMS at the same time!” she screamed.  “Bad enough memory for you?”  Gran-Gran and Sokka looked stunned as she ran into her room, crashing her door shut.  

Katara was scared.  She had just yelled at Sokka – and Gran-Gran.  You are really stupid, you know that?  First, you completely embarrass yourself by asking a ‘taken’ guy if you’re a couple, and then you yell at Gran-Gran!  

She locked the door of her bedroom.  Just for… to keep Sokka out, she convinced herself.  

Not being able to find her journal, she whipped a piece of paper out of her desk and a blue ball-point pen.  Today Zuko and I went to the library.  We had to do American History together, for our project.  I feel TERRIBLE for thinking so badly of him.  He had as rough a time as I did with his mom, and then he got his scar so soon afterward (how did he get that thing, anyway?  It looks like a big fireball – I shouldn’t be laughing at that, but I am all the same).  So, we went to the library, and I guess we started talking about our history.  Then we got to the part where our relationship had ended, and I burst into tears (not because it had ended, but because of the causes of the end).  He was so nice and comforting to me!  He led me outside where we sat down and let me cry my heart out.  
And then he kissed me!  It may not have been long, but it was a kiss!
Okay, so it was kind of long…
Okay, so we made out.  We just plain kissed first, but then we went to the back of the library… dude, I can hardly remember what happened.  That kiss is dominating my mind – I can hardly write straight.  But it was glorious.  I’ve kissed Haru (surprisingly immature in the kissing department), made out with Jet (he was a good kisser), kissed Aang in Spin the Bottle (someone was eating chili dogs!) – hell, I’ve even kissed TEO (it was a dare, but that didn’t make it any less horrendous)!  But Zuko was the best, by far.  (Mai’s real purpose XD) People don’t just do that if they just feel obligated – at least, some people do (like Hahn) but Zuko’s not one of those people.  Come on.  It’s not like he’d do that (while he’s still together with Mai) if he didn’t harbor some unusual feelings.  Shit.  What if I had bad breath?  It’s Tic-Tac Town from now on.  At least I don’t have braces.  Imagine two people with braces kissing, and their braces getting caught on each other!  *Evil laugh, snort*
Amazingly, though his mom died too, his eyes stayed dry.  I bet he was crying inside, though.  Didn’t want to ruin his reputation and look all sensitive.  But he is – really sweet and sensitive.  *Sniff* How adorable!  
We spent the rest of the library trip with his arm around my waist, and we sat outside with books and got a bunch of notes and stuff.  And as much as I hate to say it, it was fun (not just the kissing).  He is actually really funny.  And then as soon as I get home, Sokka absolutely blows up at me, like Zuko’s some sleaze-bag rapist bank robber convict!  I just don’t get brothers.  Now he AND Gran-Gran are mad at me.  I am SO not eating dinner with them – tonight will be a “Midnight Snack” night for me.  
Damn it.  Now I made it look like he’s two-timing with me and Mai.  Why the hell do I have to be so moody?  Damn my hormones.  God damn them.  He made out with me!  And I bet everyone in the school saw it out of their windows.  Everyone now probably thinks I’m a bitch who’s breaking up Zuko and his girlfriend.  That’s not good and that’s not what I’m trying to do.  Plus, if they do break up, everyone will think it was my fault even if, by some strange coincidence, it wasn’t.  Then Ty Lee, Azula, and Mai will be on my back every day, all the time.  Ai!  NOT GOOD! Queens of Bitches (whoops, stole Zuko’s phrase)will be at my neck.  
-------------------------------
When Zuko got home, he sat in the kitchen for a moment, still buzzing inside from what had happened at the library.  He heard a commotion from next door.  He didn’t mean to be eavesdropping – it just turned into listening without permission.  He heard an old lady’s voice (Katara’s grandma), and then Katara’s brother – “that basketball kid,” he had called Sokka the week before.  He pulled the curtains back gently and glanced through next door’s window.  He heard and saw Katara yelling agitatedly.  He decided he shouldn’t be listening anymore.  

Zuko walked up the stairs, pleasurably feeling the plush burgundy under his bare feet.  When he opened his door, he had almost yelped.  

Mai was sitting on his bed with a textbook in hand.  “Hi, Zu-zu,” she said in a low and dangerous voice.  

“Hey, Mai,” he said, his heart in his mouth.  “Um… when did you get here?”  

“An hour ago,” she scowled.  “You didn’t tell me you were on a date.”  

“What?”  Zuko gasped.  Are you regretting asking me on a date?  “It wasn’t a date, Mai!  It was… I mean…”  

“What do you mean?”  Mai said sarcastically.  “Or was it not a date?  Did you just kiss and go out with her out instead?”  

“It wasn’t like that,” he protested.  

Are we a couple?  

Yeah, I guess you could call us that.  

“Me and Katara had to study for American History!  It was entirely school-related!”  

“Yeah.  Is that what you call kissing some girl and having her cry on your shoulder?  Or was that part of your dramatic production?  It sure was dramatic enough!”

“Mai, calm down!  We… I mean, me and her… we’ve got some bad stuff in common!”  

“Like what?”  Mai said threateningly.  

“I guess it’s personal, but… uh… it’s got to do with our moms,” he said truthfully.  “Don’t worry, Mai.  You’re still my girlfriend.  It’s all good.”  

“So two dead moms dig up a kiss?  How does that work?”  

Zuko winced at her term.  She didn’t notice.  He shrugged and tried to snake an arm around her waist.  

She slapped his hand.  “Not yet.  I may inevitably take you back, but earn it first.”  

“Um… I plead temporary insanity,” Zuko insisted.  “I know, I’m dumb.  And you can yell at me.  But you’re still my number 1.  It’s okay now.  My wave of insanity is over – I guarantee it.”  Mai seemed to accept this admission as reasonable.  She leaned her head against his shoulder.  

“Sorry for being so late,” Zuko said softly.  “I didn’t even know you were coming over.”  

“No offense, Zuko,” Mai responded, “but you really should have known.  It’s a school day, and there is homework, and your sister and I are, like, best friends.”  

“All right, all right,” he said with a ‘hm-hm’ laugh.  

“I’m not done,” Mai protested.  “What was Monday all about?  It was like you just froze.  You come over for five minutes, act totally awkward, and then you leave!  What was up?”  

“You know, I really don’t remember what was up,” he shammed.  

“‘You know’ - that’s a good excuse, and I accept it.  But you’d better stay away from that little bitch Katara in the future,” Mai warned, sounding almost drunk.  

Zuko nearly went rigid, but his brain warned him against it.  Mai would know what he actually felt if he did.  “Yeah,” he agreed.  “I will, Mai.”  

“Good,” she murmured, and closed her eyes, dozing off on his chest.  

Once she had started her nap, Zuko contemplated his current situation.  

Two weeks ago: I was in (gag) Ohio, popping water balloons on Azula.  

First day of school: Katara is my enemy – again.  

This week: I tried to break up with Mai.  

Now: Mai forgave me – how clueless.  There’s something weird going on with Katara.  

He shifted his position, gently arranging Mai next to him on her back.  Usually, when he saw her napping, he felt a tiny static shock in his back.  But today, even with her black hair splayed on the pillow, her chest rising and falling softly, he didn’t feel any jolt.  Did familiarity breed contempt?  No, not if it’s your girlfriend who’s familiar.  

Zuko lay down next to her, his fingers laced on his stomach.  Oh, what a tangled web we weave.  

His phone was missing, and he was too lazy to get up and find a spare CD, so he just wrote in the back of last year’s math notebook.  Why did I just do that?  I misled Katara – both of us.  I don’t know how she feels, and I don’t know how I feel.  Absolutely unbelievably corny but true.  It doesn’t sound confusing, but it is.  There’s Mai.  And then there’s Katara.  

Looking back, it seems so awkward.  She probably thinks I like her now.  

Do I like her?  

Why did I do what I did, anyway?  I MADE OUT with her, for God’s sake!   Did I just conveniently forget that I have a girlfriend?  I could be the typical dick-head and say that a kiss was nothing, but I don’t think that, and I’d bet my ass Katara doesn’t think that either.  She’d be heartbroken, and I don’t want to do that to her – again.  

Why am I the one beating myself up?  It’s not like I’ll conveniently forget that Mai is two-timing.  

Damn.  I’ll bet Katara thinks I’m some escaped rapist and just stayed under my arm to make me feel good.  I bet now I’m some pervert to her.  But when we were at the library, it felt like we were meant to be there together.  What is wrong with my head?  I almost want to ask her if she still cares about me.  

Am I supposed to care about what her answer would be?  

Later, Mai left, Zuko, Azula, and Ozai ate dinner, he did homework, screwed around on his computer, and crawled into bed near midnight.  When he did get to bed, he tilled these questions over and over in his head.  Eventually, he thought about them so much he couldn’t remember just what they were.  

Then he heard something.  His eyes snapped open and roved around his dark room, looking for the source of the sound.  

It was a girl laughing.  Through his grogginess, it was barely familiar.  But he still recognized it.  

Katara kept giggling in his head until he dropped off to sleep.