After Five

Chapter 6

Sugar Queen

-Zuko-

The show was a complete success.

The next day at school it was all they heard about. No one was talking about anything else. Ty Lee's eyes were very red that day and she had worn a very baggy sweater as opposed to her normally skin tight clothes.

Of course, Azula was in a temper. Her little empire was uprising, even though they didn't know it but she knew that with new ideas came talking and with talking came bonding and with bonding came power. Power was the one thing Azula wasn't going to give up just because five idiot kids started a radio show.

She called a meeting at lunchtime. Her four friends sat around her, looking abnormally serious. Even I played along. Azula sat at the head of the table, her fingers intertwined as she stared intently at every single one of us. Without so much as a warning she said, "One of us is a spy."

I almost snorted. Azula interrogated everyone about their whereabouts last night and soon it was down to Mai and myself. "So." She said, now standing and circling them. "You both don't have an alibi for last night."

Mai, unimpressed as usual, replied, "Yes, I do. I was at home babysitting Tom-Tom."

"But I called your house last night and no one picked up the phone."

"Was it at 5:45?"

Azula blinked. "Yes. It was."

"Yeah, I had the phone on low so it wouldn't wake up Tom-Tom. When I checked the messages at ten o'clock but I thought you could wait until lunch, a.k.a, today to tell me why you called last night." She finished and took a sip of her coffee filled thermos.

Azula seemed satisfied and turned to me. I didn't lower my gaze at all. "So Zuko, where were you last night?"

You might know that I am a terrible liar. Before I could even fabricate my whereabouts the bell rang. I scooped up my bag and left.

As the saying goes, saved by the bell.

During my study hall my phone rings and ignoring the glares from "concentrating" students I open it.

Zuko, meet us at the Black Cup after school. Boar and Stripes want to have a meeting.

Paints

I flip the phone shut and look at the clock, there's only five minutes left of school. Pushing away from the table I scoop up my bag and walk out of the room. As the door swing shuts I can hear murmurs of "concentrating" students.

The Black Cup is the local coffee shop. Plopped right on the corner of main streets it attracts quite a few people. As I push the door open a bell overhead jingles. I hang up my coat on the small coat rack beside the door and glance around the low tables and beanbag chairs for familiar faces.

There, relaxed around a table are Katara, Sokka, Toph and Aang though Sokka and Toph seemed to be locked in a fight, trying to flick the other person's forehead. I make my way over to them; Katara was the first to notice me and waves. Sokka turns and Toph managed to flick him in the forehead.

"I win!" She shouts, holding her hands high while Aang laughs.

I take the seat beside Katara, a tiny waitress comes up and smiles at me. "What can I get for you today?"

"Just a coffee please." She nods and walks away. Everyone pulls their chairs a bit closer and we all lower our head conspiratorially. "This is going well, almost too well, my sister is already on my trail."

"Do a better job of covering your tracks then." Toph suggests.

I give her a sceptical look. "Are you kidding? Have you met my sister? She's got tabs on the whole school and I'm her brother for crying out loud, she knows what degree I leave my toothbrush tilted at every night."

"Toph's right." Katara says, pulling her head out of our group. "Just do a better job."

I glare at her while she reaches for the sugar bowl and begins shovelling the white grains into her cup. We all watch as spoonful after spoonful is poured and stirred in.

"Geez," Toph says after a good thirty seconds, "Want a little coffee with your sugar? Hey, I've got it!"

"What?" We all turn to her, expecting a brilliant plan.

"Katara's nickname! It's Sugar Queen!" She crosses her arms and sticks her chin out proudly. We are silent as Katara glares at Toph.

Sokka begins clapping very slowly, as though applauding a good preformace. "Bravo Toph. Even after seventeen years I haven't been able to find the perfect name and yet you do it in barely a month." He gets on his hands and knees. "Ohhh great Toph, teach me your ways."

By now their antics have attracted the attention of the coffee shop. Katara is running her fingers through her hair nervously while Aang seems torn between laughing and acting like he didn't know them.

"Training begins when the next morning rises."

"You mean tomorrow?" I say. Toph and Sokka turn to me, staring imperiously. "Sorry, I'll stop being the voice of logic." I raise my hands in a placating gesture.

Sokka and Toph high-five, Katara stands up, pulling her bad over her shoulder. "I've got better things to do. I'll see you around, Zuko. Aang." She struts away.

"Don't be so bitter Sugar Queen!" Toph yells after her.

"Episode next week then?" Aang asks me as Toph and Sokka high-five again.

"Yeah." I say, watching Toph give Sokka noogie. "Next week."

Author's Note

YES. NEW CHAPTER.

I wish I had a coffee shop called "Black Cup" I would so be there.

So there.