Because I have to build up suspense for Jet's party, here is a Zuko chapter!

I'm going to update a little bit less frequently. More like twice a week instead of every other day.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own ATLA or any of its characters!

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It was 8 A.M. Zuko groaned, dismissed his alarm, and rolled out of bed. He got dressed. Jeans, a black t-shirt, and his red and gold letterman jacket, a gift from his mother before she left. He grabbed his car keys and an energy bar from his side table. Then, as an afterthought, the slip of paper that he found on the floor of the hallway the day before. Party on October 27, come in costume. An address was written below it. I should probably tell Azula, Zuko thought, she would want to destroy a party she wasn't invited to. Zuko thought about this as he went downstairs. He and lived above his uncle's tea shop, The Jasmine Dragon. Iroh was also the guidance counselor at Four Elements High School.

"Zuko!" his uncle ran to him and handed him a green mug, "I made you some black tea. Extra caffeine, just how you like it."

"Thanks, Uncle," said Zuko, although was still going to stop by Starbucks on his way to school.

"Hey Zuko!"

"Agh! Oh, Hey Jin." The college girl smiled widely and adjusted the two braids in her hair.

"I'm taking care of the shop today, so your uncle can do an assembly at school."

"Oh! Yes," Iroh turned to Zuko, "Can you give me a ride to Four Elements?"

"Sure," said Zuko. No Starbucks today, he thought internally.

Thank you, Zuko!" his uncle said, before running into the counselor's office for the free donuts. Zuko parked the gray Audi, threw his bag over his shoulder, and headed to his first class, Math with the mechanist. Thankfully, Azula wasn't in that class, but her friend and on again off again girlfriend Ty Lee was.

"Hey Zuko," the bright, bubbly girl sat next to him, and Zuko pretended to be looking at his textbook. Ty Lee's long brown hair was styled in a braid, and she wore a pink halter top and a pleated skirt, "Well, are you going to ask how I'm doing today?" He frowned.

"No," he said. Ty Lee pouted.

"Well," she said defiantly, "I guess I'll tell you anyway. I was thinking about trying out for the soccer team in spring, since I didn't get to for the fall season, but Azula said she'd break up with me if I did." Zuko looked up from the book.

"Look, Ty Lee, Azula's not the most stable person. You need to take anything she says with a grain of salt," he paused, "And stopped venting about your problems to me. It gets annoying sometimes. Scratch that. All the time." Ty Lee harrumphed and was silent for the rest of the hour.

Zuko's next two classes went by quickly. His sister wasn't in either of them, but he was still under the constant, fearsome stares of his classmates. Azula had built an image for herself, and the image had extended to Zuko as well. It wasn't the worst thing, but he would often think about how things could've ended up differently.

Next was lunch. Zuko walked outside and into the courtyard. He saw his girlfriend Mai sitting at one of the stone benches and went to join her. Mai was dressed more conservatively then Ty Lee and Azula. She wore dark ripped jeans and a T-shirt with the name of her favorite band on it. As Zuko sat down, they sighed in unison.

"What's awful about the world today?" he asked.

Mai sighed, "Everything." She kissed Zuko on the cheek, "Except for you. You aren't bad." Zuko laughed. Then he pulled out the slip of paper.

"Azula doesn't know about this party. Should I tell her?"

"Zuko, you know I couldn't care less." she took the slip of paper, "It's a costume party. You could wear a mask and no one would know it was you." Zuko hadn't thought of actually going to the party, but now that Mai had brought it up...

"Hello, Zuzu." Azula and Ty Lee sat across Zuko and Mai, "Girls, we're meeting at my place to discuss my re-election campaign, although I doubt anyone would dare to oppose me as student body president. Zuko, the offer still stands to come live with me and Dad."

"I told you, Azula, I need to help Uncle with the tea shop." Zuko looked away. After his mother left, he had been sent to help Iroh. In the three years that had passed since then, Zuko had been invited back to live with his father and sister, but there was always something keeping him from going.

The second half of the day was no different than the first. More lies, more terrified stares, and more second thoughts about the party, and at the end of the day, he decided that he wasn't going to tell Azula. It'll just be making a big deal out of nothing, he thought.

"How was the assembly?" he asked Iroh as they drove back to the tea shop.

"I would say it went pretty well," he replied, "this year's freshman seem very talented." When they got to the Jasmine Dragon, Jin waved to Zuko as he walked up to his room. Whenever he'd gone to his sister's parties before, it had never actually been 'fun.' He opened his closet and grabbed from the top shelf, a blue mask. It was an antique, with intricate carvings, and it was once used on stage in the play, Love Amongst the Dragons. It was his mother's, back when she was an actress, before their family had fallen apart, but it was his now.

No one will know who I am, he thought, no one think twice about me. I'll have fun at the party, and then I'll leave. It's that simple. He put on the mask and secured it in place. He didn't even recognize himself in the mirror.

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