Chapter 1

The five sat in a circle in a now empty classroom. Four of which were students, and the fifth person was a Guidance Counselor name Roku. He was a man in his mid sixties and has dealt with trouble students here in the Inner City (never mind the name of city), so he knew that most were of low income and troubled pasts. The only thing Roku seemed to get out of the four teens were their names; Zuko Yen, Aang Zheng, Toph Bei Fong, and Katara Ahote. They were, in Roku's opinion, the most troublesome students he's dealt with so far.

It was a Thursday afternoon and school had only ended five minutes prior. Earlier today two fights broke out between these four students and now they were currently serving detention. Principal Patik Guru, a long time friend, insisted that in this detention the four would meet up with the schools Guidance Counselor.

Roku mentally sighed, the students in here, much like the school, was divided into three. The nonbender from the Earth Kingdom Aang and Toph an Earthbender, Zuko a Firebender, and Katara a Waterbender. It sadden Roku that they represented the divided city, the only exception being that Airbenders live secluded in a temple up in the mountains. Honestly Roku was at a lost on where to start with these kids, he wondered what his friend was up to making all of them sit together in one classroom and were expected to talk about their feelings in front of their enemies and to a stranger. He wondered what his sneaky friend was up to with this.

"Can I leave now?" Toph asked, the girl was a junior and was a few inches shorter than Katara and for some reason always hid her eyes behind her ebony hair.

"No, we only started five minutes ago." Roku replied

"Well why are you here then, I thought this was a detention not some therapy session." Katara frowned.

"It's obvious that the school knows you have problems." Toph answered

Katara scoffed, and sat up straight while glaring at the other girl. "What's that suppose to mean?"

The other girl leaned back into her chair and had her hands behind her head. "Like I said, you have issues. You're always nosey and try to help over every little thing." She said calmly

"I just like to help people. You on the other hand act like a wild child; do you ever listen to your parents?"

Roku could tell that Katara hit a sore spot because Toph's entire demeanor changed. "Just shut up, you don't know anything about my life and I prefer to keep it that way." She faced Katara

"Why don't we let you two settle down for a little bit." The two were in detention for fighting in the school yard and destruction of property; as it turn out both were strong Benders. Roku turned to face Zuko "Zuko is there any particular reason why you dislike Aang so much?"

"I don't only hate Aang; I can't stand any of you guys here." Roku said nothing "He's too happy and preppy it should be illegal, Katara is too nosey and always wants to act like a Mother and Toph is this loud obnoxious girl that nobody can stand. Plus you're all not Firebenders." That made the atmosphere in the room tense up with uncomfortable silence.

Aang turned his head slightly to Zuko's direction. "Well I don't hate you." He said evenly, this caused Roku and Zuko to arch a brow "I don't particularly like you either." He muttered "As for you two, I hardly know any of you so I can't judge…honestly I think it corrupts the soul when you only find the flaws in people." He crossed his arms and went silent.

"I'm sure you four might be able to at least stand each other if you realize you have something in common." He said carefully

"I seriously doubt I have anything in common with you people." Zuko muttered

"I'm with Emo-Kid on this one." Toph chimed in

"I'm not Emo." He said impatiently

"Right, you're also a loner who thinks he's better than everyone else, and like to treat everybody like crap." She continued

"Do you enjoy making jabs at other people? No wonder guys refuse to date you."

Roku heard a low growl from Toph. "Watch it Emo-Kid! Besides, you can't get a girl because of your scar, Katara 'chooses' not to date, and everybody thinks Aang is gay!"

"They what!" Aang shouted

"Oh don't act surprised." Toph scoffed "Haven't you ever wonder why the guys would walk away from you like you have some sort of disease?"

"NO! Ugh this day couldn't get any worse. Am I the only one that didn't know this?" the other three nodded. Aang banged his head on the desk. "Every school…" he muttered

"Aang do you want to talk about it?" Roku asked

"Why?" he snapped "As you can see it only makes it worse. Once again everybody makes fun of me in school for some strange reason. I don't want to be here surrounded by these people." Aang spat out

"Wow he's now like Emo-Kid." Toph joked

"I'm still here." Said Zuko

"I know I'm not blind." She smiled

"Really? I'm surprised your eyes are always hidden behind your bangs. You don't let anyone see your eyes. Why?" Katara asked

"Oh here we go; you have to go be all mothering. Look baby doll we already have one shrink in here we don't need another."

Aang lifted his head from his arms and faced Toph. "You know they say when you look into someone's eyes you can read their soul, and can tell what kind of life they've had. Like I can tell Zuko's life is filled with pain, Katara experienced something traumatic and is still recovering from it. But I can't for you, is it because you don't want people to see you as someone other than a tomboy?"

Toph said nothing, only crossed her arms. The other two looked uncomfortable with their emotions red so easily. Zuko then spoke out "No one likes to be studied like that. I don't want you to put my personal business out there for everyone."

"I didn't reveal anything personal. Besides I only have one friend who's older than me so what else am I suppose to do when I get bored from studying? Sit there and let my bottled up emotions eat me up like you?"

"Shut up! You don't know what my life has been like." Zuko shouted

"You're right we don't, but you don't have to take it out on the rest of us." Said Katara "Besides it's not good to let your feelings bottle up like that."

"Why do you care?" Zuko snapped "Why do you feel the need to be in everybody's business?"

Katara took a deep breath and stared at him "When I was a little girl a Firebender broke into our house," she said evenly "My Mom caught him, my Dad was away at work, and my Mom was calling the police. That man, monster, shot her in the chest because he didn't want her to remember his face. I still remember her screaming…the blood." She took a shaky breath "Ever since then I acted like the Mom in the family, so I guess now when I see someone in pain I just have to help them. Regardless if they think I'm nosy or not."

"I'm sorry…I-I didn't know." Zuko said quietly

"You weren't suppose to." She muttered "I'm just tired of everyone jumping on my back for caring too much."

The room reverted back to silence, and for once Roku didn't push the others to speak. Since this is the most they've said anything he wanted to give them room to talk to one another and if it meant him being ignored than that was fine by him.

"You guys are being way too overdramatic." Toph threw out there.

"Oh?" said Katara "I just opened up a little and then you're gonna criticize me about it?" she shouted

"No. I know it's painful losing your Mom and all but you do have to move on. It happened years ago."

"Gee thanks for the pep talk." Katara said sarcastically

"As for the other two well it's obvious." She pointed to Aang "You're in denial of being gay and Emo-Kid has anger issues, we all know this."

"I'm not in denial of anything! I'm not gay!" Aang shouted "Why does everybody assume that I'm gay?"

"You're more in touch with your feminine side more than every other guy here at school." Said Zuko "You rather sit around and gossip with girls, than play sports like all the other guys. I mean what does your Father think?"

Aang lifted his beanie and glared at Zuko "I don't have a Dad." He said through clenched teeth. Oops Zuko thought "Really you should stop talking."

"Did…did he die?" Katara asked tentatively

"No...He left. When I was six years old he left me and my Mom."

"Why?" Toph asked

"Why do you care? You wanna use it against me like you did with Zuko and Katara? I know you only do that so we won't focus on your problems. It doesn't take a genius to know that you have extreme trust issues and you're insecure." Katara's and Zuko's eyes widen in surprised while Roku sat there undisturbed.

"Whatever." She faced the windows

"See I am right." Aang said with a smirk on his face.

"Zip it Homo!" Toph snapped

"Call me all the names you want Toph. You're like Zuko afraid to face your own feelings."

"Don't compare me to him/her!" they both shouted

Aang only smiled and sat back in the chair feeling successful.

Toph looked up "Well then Mr. Guru's apprentice if you're so good at reading people why are you in such denial of sexuality?" It was another defense move Roku noted as the girl felt cornered once more.

"I'm not gay Toph." Aang replied calmly "Besides I forgave you anyway. I know you're hurt and use violence to make up for it."

"No I don't. I use violence because that's the only way people listen." Replied Toph

"Even I know that's a lie." Zuko muttered

"Well you're one to talk; you haven't shared anything to us." Said Aang

"Yeah it's only been me and Aang." Katara replied

"Oh c'mon Aang only said his Dad left. That doesn't count." Said Zuko "Besides other than that your life seems perfect the only thing you're stressing over is people calling you gay, and even then you're already over it."

"Is that why you also hate me? You think my life is perfect?"

"Well…Aang you are always happy." Katara spoke up.

"I'm with Sugar Queen over there." Toph said

"My life isn't perfect. It never was, even when my Dad was living with us. He always hit my Mom and never spent a lot of time with me because there was always something on TV. When he left, he took his money and all of Mom's money. He even took my allowance money that I was saving up. Mom couldn't afford the house by herself so we had to move, a lot. Every place we left I always left a note for him telling where we were moving to. Up until I was twelve I always asked Mom if he was ever coming back." Everyone looked at Aang seeing tears he was forcing to hold back. "I never made too many friends because I knew we would have to move soon. Finally we found a place here in the middle of freshman year. That's why I look happy, so nobody can see and make fun of my pain." The tears spilled over and slowly rolled down his cheeks. "So Toph are you going to make fun of me now?"

"No." she said quietly then faced the wall. Maybe she too knows the pain of a negligent parent. Roku thought

"Well I'm surprised." Zuko muttered

"Shut it Emo-Kid!" Toph snapped "Don't for one second think I've gone soft, 'cause I'll jump across this room and bury you to the ground!"

"So that's it then." Katara spoke up

"What?" Toph inclined her head slightly

"You're afraid of letting people past your tough exterior; you don't want to feel vulnerable."

"And you don't want the risk of getting your feelings hurt." Aang concluded

"Butt out of my business. I didn't exactly ask to be in this place you know."

"Well none of us did." Said Zuko "We were forced here because the school thinks we have issues. They think we're weak-minded and unstable…like he does." Zuko whispered the last part.

"Like who does?" Aang asked

"Why do you care? Just because you don't hate me doesn't mean I trust you or anyone else in this room. I'm not stupid enough to share my life story." Besides trusts are for fools, everyone will stab you in the back eventually. Zuko thought

"So it is to my understanding that you and Toph prefer to have your feelings bottled up, rather than talk it out. You're both afraid of the others to use it against you." Said Roku

"I'm not afraid." Toph and Zuko said simultaneously

"Well then tell us something." Said Katara

Toph and Zuko were quiet for a few minutes; Toph sighed heavily "My parents treat me like a porcelain doll." She muttered "Everyday Dad picks me up immediately after school ends and drops me off home. I'm not allowed to bring friends over unless they approve of them. They never approved, so I stop making them…I can tell that they really care for me and resent me." she said quietly.

"Why?" Zuko asked, suddenly interested

"I don't want to talk anymore." Toph hung her head, her hair blocking her eyes.

"My…Dad resents me too." Zuko replied "He constantly reminds me that I was lucky to be born."

Roku looked around and saw that no one was willing to speak again. "I think I'll end it early for today. You may leave." Everyone stood up and left the room quietly. Roku sighed heavily; at least he was finally getting through to these young adults.