"Good morning Zuko!" Katara waved the next day as Zuko walked in the class with his hood up and sat down, he put his head down and turned away from her.

"You okay?" She asked keeping a smile for him.

"Not enough sleep?"

He stayed silent as he seemed tense and exhausted while jet walked in and sat in front of Katara. He glanced at Zuko and scoffed with a smirk.

"Morning you two," he smiled sarcastically.

"Someone looks down in the dumps," jet teased at Zuko with a baby voice.

But the other boy wasn't having it.

"Will you shut the fuck up?" Zuko slammed his hands on the desk as he looked at him with a snarl.

"If you have something to say then say it," he growled in a low tone as jet and Katara seemed surprised by the out burst. But then the tan girl saw he had a cut on his nose and a busted lip. Someone attacked him...

"Wow," jet blinked almost like he was impressed. Katara inhaled deeply, did jet...?

"Come on," she grabbed Zuko by the hoodie and practically dragged him out of the room ignoring his curses and the stares.

"What happened?" She asked as he fell to the ground unable to catch his footing.

"Fuck off," he barked up at her as he braced himself on the ground.

Katara got on a knee and grabbed him by the jaw to inspect what other wounds he had, there was a bruise on the side of his head that was well hidden by his shaggy hair. She saw his knuckles were scrapped up as well.

"When was this?" She asked sternly.

"You should see the other guys," Zuko rolled his eyes as he kept his sneer on his face.

"Zuko," she hissed.

"Did someone jump you this morning?" Katara sighed a little letting go of his face and he fell back.

"Yea just some other students," he grunted standing back up as she stood as well. She noticed he flinched and hugged his torso a little as he rose.

"Where you think your going rich bitch?" A few boys walked up to Zuko as he turned the corner with the school in view, barely sleeping the night before he dragged himself anyways. "Um, school?" He blinked confused as he carried his tea in the usual cup. One of them slapped the tea out of his hands.

Zuko looked at the spilt tea with a tired sigh. To early.

"It was cold anyways," he shrugged and picked up the cup, dumping the rest out so he could put it in his bag. But while he knelt to pick up the cup a knee slammed into his nose and he fell back a little to his bum.

"Great? I'm getting jumped aren't I? Just what I needed," He looked up at the boys unamused.

A foot came at him but he caught it and threw the boy back.

"I got only three hours of sleep, I'm not in the mood," he narrowed his eyes annoyed.

"I know I definitely sent one of you to the hospital before," Zuko sighed again as he got to his feet, putting his fists up.

"And I'll do it again," he growled as he sent a fist straight at the kids throat and grabbed the other one to bring his head down to his knee.

"I know I won," he smiled the slightest.

"That's awful though," she covered her mouth.

"Honestly I'm surprised this is the first time someone's tried to jump me so far," Zuko rubbed the back of his head frowning.

"Revenge and karma are a bitch," he sighed looking down.

"Maybe you should go home for the day?" Katara quirked a brow concerned.

"No! My uncle will kill me if I'm causing trouble already," zukos eyes widen as he waved it off quickly.

He saw his phone began to ring but he quickly denied the call and Katara saw he blocked the number as well.

"You know who it was?" She asked confused crossing her arms.

"It's my father," he mumbled. "H..he called me yesterday too,"

Katara pursed her lips and nodded, there was obviously an issue between them, besides that Zuko doesn't live with him or addresses him as his own father. It's almost like Zuko was afraid of him more than angry at him now. A lot of boys she know don't like their fathers and just are angry at them but he..

"Are you afraid of your dad?" She asked quietly and Zuko crossed his arms frowning.

"No! He's just a dick," he huffed not looking at her.

"Your lying?" She asked, more surprised how obvious it was.

"Just leave it Katara," he hissed at her.

"Zuko-" she was cut off seeing Aang and Sokka walking down the hall on the side together talking. Zuko looked down at her friends and pursed his lips. It was all to familiar.

"I get it if it was just out of a good deed to get your fuzzy feelings to be nice to me, but I really don't need someone to pity me enough to fake a friendship for fun," he sighed looking at her, almost like he was sad.

"I'm not faking with you I swear," her jaw dropped surprised as heat rose around her face. He noticed her expressions and sighed softly.

"There's a difference when you come around me and when your friends are close by, I'm not stupid," he shrugged and left the school as Katara was speechless when the bell rung for class to start. He flinched at the noise a little.

"You're right, I'm going home, I gotta disinfect the cuts and I'm getting a migraine," Zuko shoved his hands in his pockets turning his head away.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he mumbled walking away to leave the school.

Katara gulped as Aang and Sokka called for her, she swung her head around and forced a smile and a wave at them before she went back into the classroom as Sokka started to tease her for skipping classes.