"Hey Suki, look! It's a poster for that party I was talking about! It's tonight, wanna go with me?" Sokka exclaimed, pointing enthusiastically at a poster on a bulletin board.
"I don't know...I'm been kind of swamped lately. Professor Piandao hands out so many assignments these days that I've been seeing math equations in my sleep! I think I'll sit this one out," Suki complained, rubbing the bags under her eyes.
"Oh, come on! So what if you have a few late assignments, it'll be fun!"
"Sokka, not everyone is as lazy as you. Some people actually care about whether or not they pass their subjects. When was the last time you turned something in on time? Be honest," Suki lectured.
Sokka scratched his head nervously. "That's not really important. I did them, shouldn't that count for something?"
She sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. "I'm not going, and if you're smart, you'll do the same." She hurried off, meeting up with Yue in the distance.
"Sheesh. When did she start sounding like Katara?" Sokka muttered to himself, heading back to his dorm.
...............................
Back in the dorm, Zuko was hunched over his desk, scribbling furiously at a worksheet. His usual A in Algebra had dropped all the way down to a B-minus, so he'd begged Professor Pakku for as many extra credit worksheets that he could allow. He was going to finish all of it tonight, so it wouldn't be on his mind the next day.
Suddenly, the door swung open loudly, followed by the sound of someone humming the Captain Boomerang theme song. Zuko knew instantly who it was.
"Hey, Sokka."
"Hey, Zuko."
After their pact a few weeks ago, they had decided to be civil with one another, but that didn't mean they had to be friends. Sokka didn't bother him, and Zuko returned the favor.
A few hours later, Sokka burst into his room. "Hey, Zuko...so, there's this party going on tonight and Suki doesn't want to come, and I was wondering if you want-"
"No."
Sokka spluttered in surprise. "What? Why? You don't have any schoolwork due tomorrow!"
"I do, actually. My grade slipped down to a B, so I asked Professor Pakku for a bunch of extra credit work. I need to finish it by tomorrow."
"Seriously? You're freaking out over a B? That's a really good grade, why do you need extra credit?"
"Because I need an A. This is the only class that doesn't have one, and I need to mantain my GPA."
Sokka rubbed his face in exasperation. "You really need to get your priorities straight, Zuko. What's the point of going to college if you're not going to live a little?"
"Um, to succeed in all of my classes to earn a degree which will enable me to determine my entire future?"
"Are you even listening to yourself? That just sounds wrong. Come on, it'll be fun, I promise! We'll go over there for an hour, and if you hate it, you can head straight back. Deal?" Sokka compromised, extending his hand.
"I'm guessing if I say no you're going to pester me for the rest of the night?" Zuko replied, rolling his eyes in disbelief.
"Yup!"
Zuko sighed. There was no getting out of this one. "Fine. One hour, and I guarantee you, I'll be counting the seconds until then."
"That's the spirit!"
..............................
Zuko instantly regretted his decision. When Sokka had said a party, he had imagined about twenty people or so.
Try one hundred.
The party was taking place in one of the spare auditoriums. Nobody was using it, so the place was marked as a prime hang out area. Music poured out of every window, lights in every color blinded him, and everyone was screaming and talking obnoxiously loud. They were also drinking selectively from red plastic cups, and Zuko had seen enough movies to know that there probably wasn't soda in there.
He bashfully tugged on Sokka's sleeve. "Is it too late to call the deal off?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Just follow me, it'll be a blast!" Sokka grabbed his arm and started pulling him through the crowd, dragging him to who knows where.
Eventually, they arrived in front of the snack and beverage tables, Sokka surveying the area. He handed Zuko a red cup filled with a mysterious liquid. He took a quick whiff of it, and instantly gagged.
"Ugh, what is this?"
"Beer, what did you think it was?"
"I don't know...apple juice?" Zuko said weakly.
Sokka laughed hysterically, then stopped abruptly. "Oh, you're serious. Haven't you had beer before?"
"No, I don't drink."
"Yeeesh, no wonder you're so uptight. Just try it, I know you'll like it." Suddenly someone called Sokka's name, causing him to grin.
"Sorry, I just have to tell one of my buddies something. I'll be right back, okay?" Sokka handed Zuko his red cup, and ran off without waiting for him to answer.
"B-but Sokka..." he protested, but he was already long gone. He sighed in irritation, wishing the hour could pass by faster.
.....................
Zuko stood up against the wall, looking at his phone. He'd been standing there for a little over an hour, and Sokka still hadn't come back yet. He'd considered just getting up and leaving, but he couldn't find Sokka for the life of him, and he didn't to leave without telling him. So there he was, crouched up against the wall, sticking out like a sore thumb in the crowd of partying students.
He still held the red cup Sokka had given him, but he hadn't taken a single sip. Zuko supposed it was worth a shot, so he pressed it up to lips and gingerly took a sip. The liquid had barely entered his mouth when he spat it out all over the floor.
"Ugh, who drinks this stuff?" Zuko gagged, still trying to get the flavor out of his mouth.
"First taste, huh?"
Zuko whipped his head around like lightning, searching for the owner of the voice. His eyes eventually landed on a boy drinking a few feet away. He was a few inches taller than he was, with olive skin and a mess of chocolate hair He had piercing charcoal eyes, and a devilish smirk. A leather jacket hung loosely around his shoulders, almost covering his band logo t-shirt.
"Uh, yeah. I don't really drink," Zuko replied flatly, uncertain of whether or not he trusted him.
"The first sip is always the worst, but you'll get used to it in a hurry. Don't worry about the mess, I'm sure it's not the only one," the stranger said casually, gesturing to his cup. Zuko took another tentative sip, and winced.
"It's not as bad, I suppose."
"So...you don't look like the party animal type. What are you doing in a place like this?"
"My roommate dragged me here, and now I can't find him anywhere. I've been here for an hour, and he still hasn't come back," Zuko grumbled.
The boy laughed heartily. "That's tough luck, that is. I'm Jet, by the way."
"Zuko." He pressed the cup to his mouth again, this time taking a swallow rather than a sip. In a few minutes, he'd drained it down.
"Hey, let me get you another one," Jet offered, already on his way over to the tables.
And he did. He got him another, and then another, and another, until Zuko was too discombobulated to refuse. He didn't mind though, he liked talking to Jet. Apparently, Jet liked talking to him too, because he kept wrapping his arm around his waist.
"It's been a long while, I don't think your roommate's coming back. Tell you what-how about you crash over at my place, and then we check back in with your dorm in the morning?" he asked, smirking.
Zuko swayed on his feet, finding it difficult to think about what Jet had just said. He didn't see any problem with it, and Sokka probably wouldn't mind. He nodded in agreement, and let Jet steer him towards the exit.
.........................
"And then I said, Aang, do you have any meat?" Sokka joked, the circle around him cracking up.
"Sokka, your stories are something else! Remember that time when you were four, you accidentally took a sip of beer thinking it was apple juice?"
"Hahaha, yeah! I was really young though. If I was an adult, I'd think know the difference. Or better yet, smell the difference!" he exclaimed. He smiled, remembering when Zuko first smelled beer and looked like he'd taken a whiff of his cat's litterbox. Zuko...
Zuko.
Sokka cursed loudly, startling his group of listeners. "Sorry guys, I really need to find someone!" He pushed past the dense crowd, ignoring the questions and hollers from behind him. He'd completely forgotten about Zuko. He'd promised an hour, and who knew how late it was now. He was such a jerk!
He looked around frantically, hoping to spot his introverted roommate. He cursed rapidly under his breath. He could be anywhere. What if he'd already left? It's what he would probably do. Then, in a beacon of light, he spotted a familiar scar. Sokka raced over, desperately trying to get a hold on him, but apparently someone had already beaten him to it.
"C'mon Zuko, just a little further. My car's just outside."
"JET!"
Jet turned around, smiling broadly at him. "Oh, Sokka! It's been a while, hasn't it? What can I do for you?"
"Let him go. Now."
"Well, isn't that something? You're probably his roommate! From what he tells me, you've been gone for quite some time. Poor Zuko drank a little too much, he needs some fresh air and well...plenty of range, let's say."
"Oh yeah? Then why are you taking him to your car?" Sokka demanded.
"I have a towel in my car. I was going to get it, then get it cold for him. The water's exceptionally cold he-aaauggh!" Jet was never to able to finish his sentence, as Sokka's fist to his face had knocked him onto the floor.
"Save it, playboy. Do I look like an idiot to you?"
"I don't know, maybe. What kind of genius ditches the person they practically dragged to a party?"
"What kind of person gives someone five drinks? That's right, I've seen you do this before. Don't mess with Zuko again, or you'll regret it." He scooped Zuko up from the ground, balancing his weight on his shoulders.
"I'd like to see you try!" Jet crowed, but Sokka didn't look backas he took Zuko back to the dormitory.
"Y'know, he wasn't that actually that nice," Zuko slurred, nearly falling over.
"Yeah, you said it."