Lotus Lake

I let a dejected sigh escape my lips. My warm breath mixed with the cold glass and it formed a mist. I sighed and wiped the condensation from the car window. I rested my forehead on the window, watching the world flit past in a blur of colours. I could see the array of of multi-coloured leaves, clinging to the branches in the autumn breeze. A desperate attempt to keep anchored in an ever changing world.

Much like myself.

I let another sigh escape my lips and this time it did not go unnoticed.

"Katara?" My brother's voice reached my ears. I was soft and cautious.

"Hmm?" Was my only reply.

My brother, Sokka, reached out and grabbed my hand. I did not turn form the window. Instead I listened to his words, giving him no recognition.

"Look, Katara, I know this seems scary, but it'll be alright. As long as we have each other, everything will be fine."

I smiled inwardly. I knew Sokka was afraid too and I appreciated his words. I briefly squeezed his hand, letting him know I'd heard him.

I let my eyes travel from the countryside scenery and settle on the car's interior. In the driver's seat in front of me sat Mae, our Social Worker. She glanced in the mirror and saw me watching her. She smiled warmly at me and I let the corners of my mouth lift briefly. Shifting my eyes I looked at my older brother.

Sokka was only a year older than me, but the sixteen year old still treated me like a baby. I knew that he was just being overprotective but I sometimes found it tiring.

I took in his appearance. My eyes scanned his half-shaven haircut, which had taken a while for everyone to get used to. His clothes had become slightly creased from sitting in the car for so long. He was staring at the roof of the car, his eyes not focusing on anything in particular. I gave the hand I still held another squeeze and he turned his blue eyes on me. He smiled at me but his expression soon changed to one of worry.

"Katara, your eyes are shot through! You haven't been sleeping have you?"

I sighed. No I hadn't been sleeping well for over the past week. It didn't help that most of my time had been spent crying either.

"I'm fine Sokka. You can't blame me for not sleeping like a baby." I looked down as my voice racked.

Sokka lent over and pulled me into a hug. "I know Katara. Things will get better from now on, don't worry. It's just going to take some time to get used to everything."

"I know Sokka, I will be fine, really. Like you said, we've still got each other."

I unlatched myself from my brother and looked out of he windshield. We were still travelling through tree lined lanes. He autumnal landscape was beautiful, but it brought me no pleasure.

I closed my eyes against the prickling of tears and rested my head on the widow next to me. The gentle swaying of the car was soothing and I soon felt my mind slipping into sleep.

- - - - - - - -

The dream came. The dream that was the reason I was afraid to sleep, it was so tormenting. I was with...them.

My mom and dad were standing with their arms open wide for me. I ran to them but they never seemed to get closer. Then I finally made it to them, and I reached out my hand to touch them. Before our fingertips could touch, my dad tuned and walked away, waving goodbye to me. I stood dumbstruck staring at his retreating figure. I turned and looked at my mother. She smiled at me and I took a step towards her. In that instant a wall of flames sprung up between us. I couldn't reach her, I couldn't breathe. I could only smell the acrid smell of smoke and I could hear my own sobs breaking through the roaring of the fire.

- - - - - - - - -

My eyes snapped open and I realised my breath was coming in short gasps. I blinked and looked around. Sokka was asleep in the seat next to me. Mae was still driving the car, apparently she hadn't noticed that I was in panic. I closed my eyes again, breathing in slowly and deeply.

'It was just a dream. A stupid dream, just forget about it!'

I kept my eyes shut tight, refusing to allow the tears behind my eyelids to fall. I do not know how long I sat there blindly, but I do know that I didn't fall asleep again. I wanted nothing less than to revisit that nightmare

"Wake up you two, we're here!" Mae chirped brightly from the front.

Sokka grunted awake and I opened my eyes, thankful my tears had dried. I looked through the windscreen and saw that we were driving up a sweeping driveway. It was very long and at the end of it stood a very large building. It was a three floored manor house and it seemed to have impressive gardens and grounds to match.

Mae pulled the car to a stop in front of the stone steps leading to the imposing front door. I stepped out of the car, Sokka doing the same on the opposite side. His face was a picture of wonder, and I realised I must have looked the same. I turned and saw Mae beckoning us from where she stood in front of the large entrance doors.

I shuffled up to her and glanced at a plaque above the door. It read:

Lotus Lake

Temporary and Permanent Boarding School

Ages Eleven to Eighteen

Lotus Lake? It was a beautiful name for a boarding school, but for some reason I didn't think the school itself would live up to its names appeal. Mae turned to Sokka ad I and gave us a reassuring nod. She then rang the ornate brass doorbell to her left and I heard it echo throughout the inside of the building.

There was a few moments wait and then one of the double doors opened. There stood a grey haired man who, I was relieved to see, wore a bright smile.

He bowed to the three of us briefly and hen he was upright again he spread his arms wide. "Welcome, welcome! I am pleased you all arrived here safely. Katara and Sokka I presume? My name is Iroh. Not 'Sir' or 'Mister Iroh', just Iroh please." He looked at Sokka and I expectantly. I nodded mutely.

Iroh seemed happy nonetheless. "I am the philosophy teacher, I look forward to seeing the two of you in my classes. Please, follow me, your luggage will be brought in separately."

He turned and walked down the wide corridor. Th three of us followed. I was a little uncomfortable finding myself at the front of our small group, but I wouldn't risk loosing face by stepping back.

The house was immense. It twisted repeatedly and I didn't see how anyone could navigate them successfully. The walls were quite bare, with a window or painting breaking the monotony occasionally. Finally we stopped in front of a polished walnut door. Iroh knocked on it and entered. Sokka, Mae and I waited a few moments before Iroh returned and ushered us in. I walked into the room and looked around. Straight ahead of me was a large desk, a floor length window was behind the desk. There was a fire crackling in a intricate fireplace to my right. I winced as I looked into the flames I quickly averted my eyes to the man behind the desk. He had a hard face and cold black eyes. His brown hair was receding on his head, but he had large sideburns coming all the way to his jaw. He was well built however. All these factors came together and I was forcibly reminded of a monkey. I scolded myself silently and had I not been thoroughly depressed I probably would have burst out laughing at my own thoughts.

Mae prodded me slightly in the back and Sokka and I proceeded to the desk. I looked at the name plaque on the desk and read the man's name.

Headmaster Zhao.

Zhao gestured at the two chairs in front of his desk. Sokka and I both complied and I perched nervously on the edge of my seat.

Zhao turned to Mae. "Thank you for ensuring the Naora siblings got here safely. They are my charge now and I am sure you would like to get started on your journey home. It is a long trip, I believe."

I noted that his voice was quite drawling, as though he was slightly bored with the proceedings.

I turned and looked at Mae. She nodded. "Yes it is quite a long trip." She turned to look down at me and Sokka. "Master Zhao will fill you in on what you need to know. Behave yourselves alright? I'll be in touch soon, making sure every thing's as it should be. Keep safe."

I only nodded as Iroh escorted her from the room. Mae was only a Social Worker, but in the past week she had become solidly dependable.

The door clicked when they left and Zhao started speaking again. "At Lotus Lake we believe that as long as rules are obeyed, life should run smoothly for everyone. You will refer to me as 'Sir' or 'Professor' or 'Headmaster'. Weekends are free periods. You are permitted to go anywhere within the grounds during your free time. Inside the building there are certain places that you can not go. These places will usually be locked or a notice will be in place. Your lessons run from Monday to Friday, and from nine in the morning to three in the afternoon. You may find you have free periods sometimes, the same restrictions apply as to weekends. It is unacceptable to be out of your rooms past ten a night on a weekday. At weekends the curfew is extended to midnight."

He paused and my mind was reeling. He had only been speaking for half a minute, but there was already a barrage of rules to follow. Zhao picked up his line of speech again.

"All residential rooms are found on the top floor. Girls and boys sleep on opposite sides of the schools. It is not permittable for girls to enter boy's rooms at any time and vice versa. During lessons you are to show your professors respect, or risk punishment. This school is well facilitated. There is a gym on this floor as well as a swimming pool. A library is found on the second floor and your classes will be spread between the ground floor and first floor. You may have noticed that the plaque over the front door said temporary and permanent boarding. This is because some students go home during the various holidays. Other students, like yourselves, who cannot go home for various reasons, remain in school all year round. For you this building will not just be your school, it will be your home until you are eighteen or until your situations change."

Zhao paused and looked at us. I really did not like this man, or the sound of this school. He was really rubbing it in that Sokka and I were virtually homeless.

"Well, I think that is everything. I will get Professor Iroh to take you both to your respective rooms. You have time to settle in before dinner, which runs from five until six thirty."

I heard the door open behind me and turned to see Iroh waiting at the door fr Sokka and I.

I stood and bowed my head slightly to Zhao. I turned and followed Iroh out of the room. He led us into a large hall that contained a magnificent staircase. The first floor was decorated in the same style as the ground floor. We followed Iroh through some more hallways until we reached the back of the building. I could see the hills behind the school through the large windows. There was another staircase in front of us, this time it twisted upwards.

We climbed the staircase quickly and we were stood in the residential hallway. It didn't contain and paintings or busts of unknown people. It seemed lighter, airier and there was a low hum of chatter coming from behind the closed doors.

Iroh stood at the top of the stairs. He motioned left and right. "The girl's rooms are on the left. Boy's are on the right. You are both quite lucky to have arrived on a Friday evening. You have two days to get used to the school before lessons start."

He walked over to the closest door to the left. "Katara, this is your room. You would have had a room mate, but they recently enrolled in a different school." He opened the door and I peered in. There were two beds in the room, although only one was made up. There was a small desk in one corner and a wardrobe in another My luggage had been placed against one wall. It seemed very bare.

Iroh chuckled. I must have looked disappointed. "I know it's empty but it is yours to do with as you wish. There are several electrical sockets for a stereo or whatever other appliances you may have. Now, the girl's bathrooms are at the far end of this corridor. Sokka, it is the same for you, only on the left. Now let me show you your room, it is the third door on the right."

Iroh and Sokka left, leaving me in the room alone. It was a reasonable size, especially as it was completely mine. I sighed and flopped down onto my bed. I was in a boarding school in the middle of nowhere. It may have been an orphanage, because that is what I was; an orphan.

'That isn't true. Yes mom's gone but you have no real proof dad is dead.'

I sighed and closed my eyes. I had no proof that my dad was dead, but I had no proof he was alive either.

- - - - - - - - -

I surveyed the room with a feeling of pleasure. I had spent just over the last hour customizing my room and it looked a lot better than it had previously. The small stereo I had was on my desk, along with a mirror I was glad I had brought with me. I had pinned various pictures and photographs on one wall and I had sorted out my luggage and put it away so the room was no longer cluttered.

I glanced at the clock on the desk. A quarter to five. I thought about going get Sokka now so I could go down to dinner with him. I appraised my appearance quickly and decided I looked alright. My blue eyes were still slightly red from my lack of sleep and my excess of tears. Other than that I looked fine, my hair was still neatly in its braid and I had changed out of my travel creased clothes.

I left the room and I saw a few people were hanging around in the hallway. Some of them shot me curious glances and I lowered my head shyly. I tried to remember what room Sokka was in. I recalled Iroh saying something about the third door n the right so I thought I'd give it a go.

I walked up to the aforementioned door and froze when I heard voices inside. One of them was definitely Sokka's; the other one I didn't recognise but neither voice sounded happy. I raised a fist and rapped smartly on the door. The conversation in the room ceased and I heard footsteps approach the door.

I smiled expectantly as the door opened. However, I didn't expect to be staring into a pair of golden eyes.

- - - - - - - - -

Hey, well there's chapter one. If any of you are reading 'Didn't See That Coming' don't worry, I haven't forgotten it, I just had this idea and decided to go with it. Let me know if you think this story has potential.

Review!