Too Close

panic

Zuko walked down the sidewalk with a bruise on his cheek with a small claw mark, he sipped his tea calmly as his friends were waiting for him in front of the school. He still didn't realize he had people that liked him as a human... that none of them wanted anything from him but enjoyed his company. It didn't feel real, like at any moment one of them might turn out exactly what he feared. At least he knew Katara wouldn't. But that voice in his head always told him maybe he was wrong.

"What happened to your face?" Kataras voice reached his ears and that voice melted away like a bad taste in his mouth when he drank a nice drink.

"Did you get in another fight?" Suki asked with a small smile. A girl that hated him now was concerned.

"Uh yes, another fight," Zuko pursed his lips touching the scratches on his face and the bruise.

"Nope, you admitted that to easy, what happened?" Katara crossed her arms. Nervous his father made a stop by Zuko again.

"A fight," he lied again but cried out when Toph pinched his arm.

"Terrible liar," she laughed a little at his scream.

"... durk fell off the fridge and I tried catching him..."

Everyone was silent for a moment.

"It was your cat?" Aang covered his mouth hiding his smile.

"Shut up, he's gotten fatter," Zuko snapped as Katara turned away trying to hold in her laugh.

"It was your cat?!" Sokka was the first to break into a loud laugh making Zukos face flush in embarrassment.

"Shut up!" Zuko covered his face.

They walked inside as Zuko sped walked ahead as all five of them were teasing the poor emo boy but there was a blond waiting for him by his locker.

"Oh fuck no," suki saw her and already knew this girl made her best friend cry. The red head pulled her short hair half up as she caught up with Zuko.

"Hey Zuko," Olivia waved with a smile but suki stood in front of Zuko with a glare.

"Walk the fuck away," suki put her hand up to stop the blond as Zuko was shocked.

"I'm just saying hi to my friend, jeez," Olivia snorted a little. "Can't the two new kids be friends?"

"No, he can't hit you or scream at you because he's a softy but I sure as hell can," suki spat but Zuko pulled her back as the short red head tried fighting back.

"Sokka help!" Zuko called as the two tall boys had suki by each arm.

"Wow Zuzu you need new friends," Olivia made a face.

"Don't call me that!" Zuko snapped at her.

"Oh my god if you want a friend that bad go find Azula and ty Lee and Mai, they definitely match your vibe," he groaned as Sokka had his girlfriend in a bit of a head lock as she bit him.

"I'll see you guys around," Olivia winked at Katara as she went to class.

"Don't bite me you animal!" Sokka yelled.

"You say the word Katara and she's gone," suki pulled away and looked at her friend.

"She's just doing it to get under our skin, she's a tease that likes getting people upset, it's easy to see she's playing a game," Katara shrugged a little.

"She feels dangerous," Zuko rubbed his arm.

"What does that even mean?" Aang asked confused.

"I don't know, just a bad feeling I've gotten before, it's hard to explain, it's like an instinct feeling," Zuko tried to explain.