Chapter Text
It’s only the second week of school and Zuko is already failing AP Calc.
Okay, maybe he isn’t technically failing, but a B on his first test might as well be an F, in the eyes of both his GPA and his father. Zuko absolutely cannot get a B in AP Calc. He can’t even get an A-minus. If he doesn’t keep his perfect GPA (a 4.56, to be exact) and become valedictorian (or at least salutatorian), Zuko knows he can kiss any chance of ever proving himself goodbye. That isn’t an option.
What is an option, Zuko decides, is asking Mr. Piandao if he can do anything to make up the missed points on the exam. Even getting half-credit would be better than this.
Unfortunately for him, Mr. Piandao doesn’t quite understand why he needs an A so badly and Zuko doesn’t really want to explain what happened to him last time he got a B. Well, he supposes Piandao has already heard it. At least, he’s heard the watered-down, fabricated version that CPS and all of his teachers did about why Zuko started living with his uncle and, more noticeably, why he came back to school after summer break with a scar covering his eye and a less-than-sunny disposition.
But he can’t explain what really happened. He’s not sure Mr. Piandao would even believe him if he did. Not that he wants anyone to know about it anyways. The last thing he wants is more pity.
Forcing himself to snap out of his own head, Zuko refocuses on Mr. Piandao.
“Zuko, you’re an excellent student. Getting a B on the first test is amazing! In fact, you got the second-highest score in the class on this test. You should be proud of yourself.” Mr. Piandao is encouraging, but Zuko doesn’t feel very reassured. The word second is ringing in his ears, as if it’s mocking him. Second isn’t good enough.
“Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do? Could I come here for tutoring during lunch or after school?” Zuko is practically pleading with him at this point, which would normally be embarrassing but Zuko is too stressed about his life potentially being ruined to care very much. If a little pleading saves his grade, that’s a price he’s willing to pay. Mr. Piandao taps his pen to his chin thoughtfully. He then goes to his computer and begins typing.
“I’m always happy to help, Zuko,” Mr. Piandao clicks his mouse a few times, squinting at the screen ever-so-slightly. “The only problem seems to be our schedules. You have C lunch and I teach a class during that period, and I wouldn’t want you to skip your zero hour to come.” Mr. Piandao must sense how much this is causing Zuko to internally panic, looking up from his computer screen and giving Zuko a sympathetic smile. “So there are two things we can do,”
Zuko perks up.
“Either we can try to meet a couple times after school each week, or I can connect you with a student who could tutor you during C lunch.” Mr. Piandao says. Zuko is so relieved he might cry. Or scream. Or both. Both sound nice, actually.
At first, meeting with Mr. Piandao seems like the obvious choice, but then Zuko remembers all his after school commitments (Drama Club, Mock Trial, Model UN, in that order of priority). He also can’t forget working at the Jasmine Dragon, which his uncle would certainly let him cut back on if he asked, but that Zuko doesn’t want to stop doing. Or the fact that he’d feel awful keeping Piandao here even later. So it looks like he doesn’t have much of a choice.
“I’ll-uh, I’m pretty busy after school, so I’ll try the lunch tutoring first, if that’s okay.” Piandao smiles at him.
“Of course that’s okay Zuko. And you’re always welcome to email me if you’re having issues.” Zuko attempts to say thanks, but instead of words a shuddering breath comes out, as the tension in his shoulders slightly eases. He settles for a nod. “I’ll let Sokka know and have him give you an email!” Zuko freezes for a second, but forces himself out of it.
“Great...uh...great, thank you.” He ducks his head and gives Piandao an awkward half-wave as he all but scrambles out of the classroom. Once he’s in the hallway, Zuko slumps back against a row of lockers, hanging his head as he groans. He’s glad everyone else has cleared out of the school by now (save the freshmen making out near the bathroom, but they’re far too, uh, consumed , with each other to notice his dramatics).
Of course his new math tutor is Sokka.
Sokka who is captain of the soccer team and one of the most well-liked people in school. Sokka who runs a martial arts club with his girlfriend(?) and wears tank tops to school without getting dress coded. Sokka, who is Zuko’s only competition for the number one class rank.
He should’ve known it would be Sokka. Mr. Piandao loves him, partially due to his almost-supernatural abilities at math and partially because he’s just, likable. Everyone likes him. That’s one of the many ways they couldn’t be more different.
There’s no way this won’t be an absolute disaster. So Zuko allows himself to be absolutely overdramatic in the math hallway because it’s his Agni-given right. Because Sokka also happens to hate his guts.
Zuko sighs.
It’s going to be a long year.
Sokka isn’t sure what to think when Mr. Piandao asks him if he can tutor one of his AP Calc students.
He had just finished at soccer practice when he got the email notification, momentarily pausing as he packed up his things to click on the pop-up.
At first, Sokka thinks, there’s no way he’s going to do it. It’s his senior year ! And giving up one of his precious, precious C lunches with all of his best friends is not something he particularly wants to do. Besides, Sokka’s sure Piandao will understand, even if he feels a bit guilty about saying no after Piandao wrote so many recommendation letters for him. Okay, maybe a bit more than a bit. Great, Sokka thinks, he’s officially thought himself into feeling supremely guilty.
By the time he gets home, Sokka finds himself extremely conflicted about the decision for no apparent reason. Granted, extremely conflicted is his default state of being a lot of the time, but still.
He’s still ruminating on his bed about an hour later, when Katara barges into his room in a huff.
“Sokka!” At the sound of his sister’s irritated voice, he snaps out of his reverie.
“Katara!” He mimics her tone playfully. Katara rolls her eyes at him, clearly unimpressed. “What’s up?”
“I should be asking you that considering I can hear you blasting Adele from my room.”
“Hey, don’t come for Adele! It’s my thinking music.”
“Can you think a little quieter?” Katara’s scowl softens. She crosses the room, leaving the doorway to plop down on the edge of Sokka’s bed. “What’s got you all wound up anyways?”
Sokka shrugs. “Piandao asked me if I could tutor a student during lunch, and I don’t want to miss time with you guys, but I kinda owe him one.” Katara raises an eyebrow.
“Weren’t you just saying that you needed more volunteer hours? If you can get it to count then you won’t feel as bad about missing lunch.” Sokka feels a surge of love for his sister’s ability to put everything in perspective. Normally he’s the designated “idea guy” of the group, which somehow always translates to being designated advice-giver. But when it comes to Sokka’s own life, no one gives better advice than Katara.
“Katara, this is why you’re my favorite sister!” Sokka can feel himself visibly brightening.
“I’m your only sister!” Sokka grins, ignoring her reply. They both know it’s lighthearted anyways.
“Now you can go back to being disgustingly in-love with Aang in peace, no more Adele! I’m switching the tunes immediately!”
“I’m not--ugh! Whatever! You’re the disgusting one!” Katara throws her hands up in indignation as she leaves Sokka’s room. The air around him feels lighter now that he’s solved his moral quandary for the day. As he types his reply to Piandao, Sokka hopes that whoever he’s assigned to tutor isn’t completely useless. He hopes he isn’t completely useless as a tutor. Oh god, what if he can’t help them learn. Or worse, that they don’t appreciate his math puns. Or they hate his music.
If they do, Sokka might have to resign. He’s not sure he could work with someone so uncultured.
Humming along to the new selection of music (a curation of hyperpop introduced to him by the one and only Toph Beifong), Sokka falls back on his bed in temporary contentment.
Who knows? Maybe it’ll be someone he knows. Or, better yet, someone new to befriend. As long as it isn’t Zuko , it’ll be fine.
Sokka snorts audibly at that thought. That’s about as likely as badgermoles flying.
Zuko doesn’t tell his father about the tutoring. He can’t. There’s absolutely no way that Ozai Sozin would take that information in stride, and Zuko is not particularly in the mood to face his father’s wrath. It’s not like he’s talking to his father anyways.
When Mr. Piandao emails him to let him know that Sokka agreed to tutor him during lunch, Zuko audibly sighs in relief.
This relief lasts all of five seconds, until Zuko reminds himself that him and Sokka don’t exactly get along.
Okay, that's an understatement: they don’t get along at all.
This is almost entirely Zuko’s doing and he’s well aware of it. He just doesn’t have time for friends. Or even acquaintances. Although now he’s wishing he’d made at least one. Then maybe he wouldn’t have to get tutored by a guy who hates him. Well, to be honest, he isn’t sure that Sokka hates him but Zuko knows that his sister does. Ever since Zuko was an asshole to Aang and also probably because of his father’s company, Katara has made it well-known that she hates him. Sokka is, at the very least, content to go along with it. Who is he kidding, Sokka definitely hates him.
Zuko never bothered to explain why he was such an asshole for the first few years of high school. Partly because he’s still kind of an asshole (but now with added self-awareness and less unwarranted vitriol towards others) and partly because doing so would require him to actually tell people about all the ways his life fell apart, about his scar, about his father—
No, Zuko thinks, there’s no way he’s going to do that. He especially doesn’t want to explain himself to Sokka . Sokka, who is the only person competing with Zuko for valedictorian. Sokka, who could potentially be the reason Zuko gets kicked out before he can even get back in.
Okay, maybe that wouldn’t actually be Sokka’s fault, but it wouldn’t matter. Because, at best, Zuko would be out on the streets and at worst, he wouldn’t be anywhere but a wooden box in the ground.
Sokka is quite possibly the most annoying person to be competing with for the excessively-coveted class rank 1, Zuko thinks. He’s annoyingly good at math and science, and even worse, genuinely seems to enjoy them . Really, Zuko thinks, Sokka is good at pretty much everything. In AP Lit last year he would come up with the most obscure theories and analysis of whatever book they were reading and still somehow find a way to make it make sense, offering Ms. Kyoshi a grin and some stupid pun about the book that would make the whole class laugh. Well, the whole class except for Zuko. (Okay, so maybe he laughed once , but that’s no one’s business but his own). (Okay maybe it was more than once. The jokes were funny. Sue him).
“Why do you know so much about him anyways?” Mai asks him when he calls her to complain. Her tone has little inflection, but Zuko knows her well enough to know she isn’t being accusatory. Mai is one of his oldest friends. Honestly she’s probably his best friend (and also his ex-girlfriend, but that’s neither here nor there).
“Because he’s the one thing standing between me and not getting permanently disowned,” Zuko grumbles. The “or worse” goes unsaid. He can practically hear Mai rolling her eyes through the phone.
“You’re so dramatic. Besides, Sokka isn’t horrible, you’ll be fine.” With Mai, that’s practically a glowing endorsement, but it does little to make Zuko feel better.
“I can’t just be “fine” I have to be perfect! You know how my father is,” Zuko’s voice grows quiet at the end, the line going dead. Mai doesn’t say anything because she does, in fact, know how his father is. And she isn’t one to give him false hope or platitudes of reassurance that get Zuko nowhere. “I’m basically just biding my time,” Zuko says bitterly. “There’s no way Sokka will get anything other than perfect grades and I can’t even get an A on a math test.”
“Maybe he’ll be a great tutor. If he’s as smart as you say then he must be, right?” Mai offers. Zuko highly doubts that. Even more than that, he highly doubts Sokka will still want to help after he realizes it’s Zuko he’s tutoring. But for the moment, he allows himself to pretend the comfort he feels isn’t inevitably going to get ripped out from underneath him.
“I wish you could just tutor me,” Zuko sighs. The sharp sound of Mai’s laughter crackles through his phone speaker.
“Oh please, I’m just as useless at math as you are. Ty Lee still has to teach me everything.” The fondness in Mai’s voice as she says Ty Lee’s name is not lost on Zuko, but he knows better than to bring it up. Besides, he’ll have plenty of time to annoy Mai about her crush after he stops being an abject failure at life. If he ever stops. More pressingly, he has a shift to get to, bidding Mai goodbye as he heads downstairs.
Zuko is noticeably on autopilot throughout his entire shift. He’s sure his uncle can tell, but he doesn’t say anything. So Zuko continues to ruminate as he serves the tea, mentally going over all the possible ways Sokka could tell him, in more or less words, to go fuck himself. Hopefully it’ll be quick and painless.
That thought leaves as soon as it comes. Zuko knows he’d never be that lucky.
It’s 6:15 the next morning when Sokka’s beat-up, 2000 Honda CR-V rolls up to Suki’s house, Aang and Katara already giving each other annoyingly-in-like glances in the backseat. Sokka can barely keep his eyes open. Not only is it objectively too early for any normal human being to function, but a lost bet to Suki means he now owes her rides to and from school for the next week and has to sacrifice an extra 15 minutes of precious, precious sleep each morning to add her house to their normal pickup commute.
Suki has both a car and a driver’s license, but also possesses the same inherent sleepiness that seems to plague all seniors, Sokka especially.
Of course, the fact that both of them have to get to school early for morning practice doesn’t help. But at least eighty percent of the time, soccer is enough fun to make up for it. Especially morning practices, when the boys and girls teams run drills together. Which, for Sokka, means getting his ass kicked by Suki in drills.
This isn’t exactly a rare phenomenon, since Suki also kicks his ass during Kyoshi Warriors’ practices, the martial arts group Suki and some of her friends started at school. But Sokka doesn’t mind. Honestly, Suki’s general badassery is what made Sokka fall head over heels for her back in freshman year. And even still, 2 years after they decided they’d be better as friends, Sokka can feel himself giving Suki visible heart eyes everytime she scores a particularly awesome goal or wins a sparring match. She’s just amazing.
Sokka tells her as much when she slides into the passenger seat, which Suki responds to by handing him a coffee and rolling her eyes.
“I’ll say it again Suki, you’re the best!” Sokka’s tone is theatrical but his compliment is sincere.
“Oh, I know,” Suki smirks back at him “Now get your head out of the clouds and start driving! Captains can’t be late!”
“Ay ay, captain! Full steam ahead to the Beifong residence!” Sokka gives her a lazy mock-salute before pressing the gas, beginning the final stint of their morning commute. He can feel Katara rolling her eyes at him from the backseat. Not everyone can be this entertaining early in the morning, Sokka reminds himself.
The Beifong Estate is surprisingly close to school, the gate that grants entry to the property lying only five minutes from the parking lot where Sokka has his assigned spot.
Of course, Toph doesn’t actually need to get a ride with Sokka and Co. In fact, her parents would probably prefer if she didn’t. But Tui and La help anyone who tried to tell Toph Beifong what to do, her parents included.
So Toph rode with them, a little bit out of spite for the fact that her parents constantly attempted to send her with a driver, but mostly for the fact that she wanted to see them. Even if she’d die before admitting it.
She’s already waiting outside the gate when Sokka pulls up to it, a scowl fixed on her face as she kicks at the loose gravel on the pathway. As soon as Sokka presses the horn, leading Aang and Katara to groan, Toph starts bounding over towards them, hopping in the door that Aang opens for her.
“You’re late Snoozles.” She says as she enters.
“I had to get my beauty sleep, Toph! This magic doesn’t happen on its own!” He gestures to himself. She scoffs.
“I don’t have to see to know you’re full of shit.” Sokka gasps in mock offense. “I bet you have the worst bags under your eyes right now.”
“You should’ve seen him last night,” Katara chimes in. Sokka has never more wished his sister was born with a mute button. Or at least volume control. Maybe an emoji-only option where she would just make facial expressions and not recount his moral quandaries to the car full of all their friends.
“Katara!” He chimes, but it’s too late. Suki is already giving him a questioning look, Aang’s eyes are full of sympathy and Toph is cackling. Sokka groans. “You’re officially disowned. Better hope Aang will take you in because you’ve forsaken your own brother!” He throws his hand to his chest dramatically, acting as if he’s been stabbed in the heart.,,
“Oh please,” Katara rolls her eyes. “Sokka was laying on his floor listening to Adele for at least two hours yesterday before I intervened.” Sokka scoffs at this.
“It wasn’t two hours! It was more like one and a half.”
“Right, because two would be ridiculous.” Suki muses.
“Yes! Thank you, Suki!” His eyes are on the road but he can tell everyone is rolling their eyes at him. Well, everyone except Aang. He’s pretty sure Aang couldn’t be mean if his life depended on it. That kid is sunshine personified.
As Sokka pulls into his assigned parking space, absent-mindely discussing the merits of different crisis music (Aang agrees with him that Adele is ideal for pondering your life choices, while Toph swears by some heavy-metal band he’s unfamiliar with, Suki’s go-to is Phoebe Bridgers, and Katara thinks Taylor Swift is by far the best breakdown music).
After waving goodbye to the rest of their friends, Sokka and Suki head towards the soccer fields, which sit a little ways behind the school. They’re early, despite running late, since they’re both in charge of setting up drills for the teams.
The two of them have practically got morning drills down to a science: Suki gets the soccer balls from the shed while Sokka sets up the orange cones at four different stations. After they finish this, they usually have enough time to run a couple laps around the track that surrounds the field. Today is no exception.
“So,” Suki says, knowingly. “You wanna tell me about this crisis of yours?” Sokka scowls.
“It wasn’t actually a crisis, Katara was just being dramatic.”
“Uh-huh, it must run in the family,” Suki deadpans. Sokka gasps in mock offense.
“You wound me, Suki. I’ve never been dramatic a day in my life,” They’re on their third lap by now, jogging in effortless unison with each other. They run another half-lap in comfortable silence before Suki speaks again.
“If there is something bothering you, you know you can talk to me about it, right?” Suki’s voice is genuine.
Sokka nods. “Of course I know, Suks,” He smiles at her. “And the same goes for you!” There’s a pause as they finish up their fourth lap, coming to a slow stop. They make their way over to the middle of the field to start stretching. “Piandao asked me to help tutor one of his students, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it or not,” Suki nods thoughtfully.
“Wasn’t sure if you wanted to or wasn’t sure if you could?” She asks. Sokka has to think for a moment.
“Both, I guess. I’m not sure I’ll be any good at teaching someone, but I wanted to help Piandao out since he’s helped me so much, ya know?” Sokka rambles. Suki pauses her stretching to come over to Sokka, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Sokka, you’ll be great. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself.” Sokka smiles back at her.
“I-yeah, I hope so,” He attempts to turn his tone casual again as he goes on. “I wonder who the student is,”
“Hopefully whoever it is likes your math puns,” Suki jokes. Sokka gives her an overly-dramatic, solemn look.
“If they don’t, I might have to resign.” The air around Sokka feels a lot lighter as the teams start filing into the field and practice begins. His aura of confidence (while sometimes faked) exudes itself easily as he guides his teammates through drills. Suki is probably right. He’ll probably be okay during tutoring. He’ll probably not be incompetent or embarass himself or disappoint Piandao. It probably won’t be a dumpster fire of epic proportions.
And if it is, Sokka figures, at least it’ll be a funny story.