Put Your All Into It Chap 7

DISCLAIMER: Why do we always have to do these? I don't own A:TLA nor do I own any of the songs used in this story. But I do own this plot. I wish I made a profit but noooooo…

READ ON!

IMORTANT: (Well not really.) The song Katara wrote is Fighter by Christina Aguilera so if you wanna play it while you read that part of the story by all means go ahead. I did and it made it better.

Previous:

Toph glared at her. "That's ridiculous, Sugar Queen. What's the point of writing a song if it's never gonna be heard?" Katara kept silent. "Exactly. Plus, you have us here. We can play the music while you sing. Sokka has a bunch of equipment in the basement right? For when his band comes over?" Katara nodded. "Well, there you go. I'll play lead guitar, Suki'll be on drums and you can play the keyboard or something."

"Hey, what about me?" Ty Lee pouted.

"You play an instrument?"

"Yep! I play piano and keyboard and the flute."

Toph nodded and turned back to Katara. "See, now all you have to do is sing or whatever."

Katara huffed. "Fine." She led them to the basement where they warmed up on the instruments for a little while.

When no one was looking, Suki pulled out her phone.

Suki: Ok, come downstairs. I left the door 2 the basement open so u guys can peek in. U brought Zuko wit u right?

A few minutes later a reply came.

Sokka: Yep. It's me, Haru, Aang and Zuko. They just think we're gonna catch yall playing around on our instruments. They don't know ur actually playing a song.

Suki: Perfect.

Now:

    The guys crouched outside the basement door trying to peek in. They were going to bust the girls any minute now for playing around on their instruments. Yes, they had a band. Besides three of the four being sports stars and one (Aang) being a braniac didn't mean they couldn't be musicians. They loved music. So, besides painting classes, Aang decided to learn to play the keyboard/piano. Sokka had always been interested in music so when he went to Ba Sing Se High School he was able to play soccer, his favorite sport, and continue with his music. (He plays several instruments.) On the other hand, Haru had been playing soccer for years but had just started learning to play the drums in his Freshmen year of high school. Zuko had been playing guitar for quite some time and started playing football as a freshman.

    "What're they doing?" Aang asked.

    "Shhh!" The other three glared at him.

    Sokka whispered low enough making sure the girls couldn't hear. "Talk quieter. We're trying to catch them, remember?"

    "Real mature, Sokka." Zuko grumbled. "Two seniors, a junior and a sophomore crouched in a very confining, very uncomfortable space, spying on our friends trying to catch them in the act of playing around on our instruments. What are we, five year-olds trying to keep from sharing our toys? Why don't we just go in there and stop them?"

    Sokka rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Zuko. I just wanna see if they're actually gonna do anything or if they're just checking out the instruments. No use in barging in if they're not gonna do anything with them."

    Haru looked at Sokka. "Well, I don't care. That's not my drum set anyway. And my drumsticks are upstairs in your room."

    Sokka nodded and gestured to Haru while looking at Zuko. "See? He's not worried."

    "Of course not! Nothing of his is down here!" Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. "Whatev-Why is Toph picking up my guitar!" He scream-whispered. He watched as Toph grabbed his Les Paul and began tuning it. "She's gonna break my strings! That's it! I'm going in there!"

    Sokka pulled the Fire Nation teen back down. "Relax. No she's not-" Just then Sokka's phone vibrated. Zuko continued ranting.

New Message: Suki

He flipped his phone up.

Suki: Perfect

    "Who's texting you?" Haru asked.

    "Huh? Oh uh just...a friend...from my math class. No big deal."

    Haru just nodded. He didn't really care; he just wanted to change the subject so Zuko would stop spazzing out.

    Just then, Sokka motioned for them all to look at what the girls were doing because they had started talking.

    "Kay, Tara, let's warm up a bit." Ty Lee asked.

    "Warm up for what?" Aang questioned in a whisper. The other guys shrugged. They watched as Katara plugged in the microphone and set it on the mic stand. She picked up Sokka's bass guitar and tuned it. That's when they noticed the other three girls. Toph had strapped Zuko's guitar to herself and was playing a little tune. Sokka recognized it as the lead guitar part in the song he had helped Katara write that past weekend.

    "What's that song she's playing? She's pretty good." Zuko said with wide eyes. "I didn't know she played...but that still doesn't mean she can use my stuff!"

    Aang nodded. "Yeah, guitar's her favorite thing. She practices all the time." He pointedly ignored Zuko's ending comment. He loved listening to Toph play; she was fantastic.

    Suki had set herself on the drum set in the back and was hitting out a beat. Sokka also recognized that beat as the one he had made for Katara's song.

    Sokka smiled at the guys' expressions. They didn't know that the girls played instruments. It was kind of funny that he was the only one who did. "Yep, that's my girl right there." He said.

    Ty Lee was standing at the keyboard playing around with the different sounds. But no matter what kind of sound she used, the tune she would play sounded awesome. When she switched back to normal Grand Piano, she began playing the melody to Katara's new song.

    "I didn't even know Ty Lee played an instrument." Haru exclaimed in a whisper as he watched his girlfriend. "I thought she was just into fashion and cheer-leading but I guess not!" He smiled. He would have to ask her about this later.

    Their gazes flew to Katara who had started warming up her voice a little bit. Though it was hard to hear her over the other girls warming up, she still sounded decent to them.

    Haru and Zuko looked at each other. "She's alright." They said in unison. Aang and Sokka snapped their eyes at each other and gave each other knowing smirks.

    Haru started whining. "Okay, can we go in there and stop them now? My legs are cramping and we have a game tomorrow, Sokka!"

    Sokka waved his hand dismissively and then pointed back to their girlfriends...well the three girlfriends and the soon-to-be girlfriend.

    Are they actually gonna play? Zuko thought.

    "Ready, girls?" Katara asked her friends.

    Yup. He shifted the slightest bit so he could get a better view of his love. She looks like she's made to be in front of that mic stand. Like she does it everyday or something.

    Suki smirked and her gaze briefly flitted to the cracked door. "Ready when you are." She said looking back at her blue-eyed friend.

    Sokka pulled out his phone to videotape them. The person this song was dedicated to should get to hear it, right?

    Katara took a deep breath. "Alright, so I wrote this over the weekend with help from Sokka. It's a song inspired by the whole Jet and Mai incident and this is my take on it. And...I guess it also shows that I'm not some weak little girl who cries over boys." But there is one I've cried over... "Okay on my count. Five, six, seven, eight."

(A/N: the stuff in bold is what Katara ad-libs. Like "oh!" and "Whooahh!" You know what I mean. Bold italic is Toph, Suki and Ty Lee sort of echoing her/backup)

    Ty Lee began playing the intro while Katara spoke the first lyrics. "After all you put me through, you'd think I'd despise you. But in the end, I wanna thank you. Cause you made me that much stronger."

    All the girls started playing their respective parts when Katara began singing.

"When I, thought I knew you

Thinking, that you were true

I guess I, I couldn't trust

'Cause your bluff time is up

'Cause I've had enough

You were, there by my side

Always, down for the ride

But your joy ride just came down in flames

'Cause your greed sold me out of shame, mhmm"

    If the music wasn't so loud, a group "Whoa!" could've been heard from behind the basement door. Sokka smirked at his friends. Even Aang was surprised because he really hadn't heard Katara sing for a couple of years. Of the ones who knew about Katara's talents only Sokka really saw her perform. The others just knew but never really experienced. The guys opened the door just a tiny bit wider so Sokka could have a better angle to record them from.

"After all of the stealing and cheating

You probably think that I hold resentment for you."

    The guys looked to Toph who was handling her guitar parts very well. In fact, all four of the girls were handling their parts well. Sokka knew this was the girls' first time hearing this song too and he didn't think they'd be that good playing it on the first try.

"But, uh uh, oh no, you're wrong

'Cause if it wasn't for all that you tried to do

I wouldn't know just how capable

I am to pull through

So I wanna say thank you"

    Zuko couldn't keep his eyes off of Katara. Her voice was amazing and she looked so good being the lead singer of their little makeshift girl band. It looked like where she belonged. He saw Katara give a little smirk when she began singing the chorus. Toph, Suki and Ty Lee sang backup.

"'Cause it makes me that much stronger

Makes me work a little bit harder

It makes me that much wiser

So thanks for making me a fighter"

    Zuko knew these lyrics came from Katara's heart and he laughed out loud when he pictured how Jet's face would look if he ever heard this. She certainly was a fighter.

"Made me learn a little bit faster

Made my skin a little bit thicker

Makes me that much smarter

So thanks for making me a fighter.

Ohh, ohh, ohh, oh oh oh. Oooh ooh ooh yeah-ayyy yeah-yay yea uuhh uhh"

    "Damn!" the guys chorused. Even Sokka was impressed. But not just with Katara; with all the girls. And Toph rocked the mini guitar solo he wrote for that part of the song. They had to have practiced this before we came down here...

    Toph smirked when she heard the guys. This was her, Suki and Sokka's little plan to get Zuko and Katara together so Zuko could ask her to the dance. Hopefully it would all work out.

    Toph turned her attention back to the music when Katara began singing the second verse. The three other girls sang harmony and backup wherever Katara had written it in the lyrics.

"Never, saw it coming

All of, your backstabbing

Just so, you could cash in

On a good thing before I realized your game

I heard, you're going round

Playing, the victim now

But don't, even begin

Feeling I'm the one to blame

'Cause you dug your own grave,"

    Zuko turned to Sokka. "I didn't know Tara could sing like that!"

    Haru agreed with the scarred teen. "Seriously, are we the only ones that didn't know?"

    Aang nodded and they scowled. Sokka merely told them to shut up and keep watching.

"After all of the fights and the lies

Yes you wanted to harm me, but that won't work anymore

Uh, no more, oh no, it's over

'Cause if it wasn't for all of your torture

I wouldn't know how to be this way now, and never back down

So I wanna say thank you

'Cause it makes me that much stronger

Makes me work a little bit harder

Makes me that much wiser

So thanks for making me a fighter.

Made me learn a little bit faster

Made my skin a little bit thicker

It makes me that much smarter

So thanks for making me a fighter."

    All four girls began singing in a softer tone while Ty Lee took over on the main piano part for the bridge.

"How could this man

I thought I knew,

Turn out to be

Unjust, so cruel?"

    Haru shook his head. "I honestly didn't know Ty could play an instrument, let alone know that she was this good."

"Could only see

The good in you.

Pretended not to see the truth.

You tried to hide your lies,

Disguise yourself

Through living in denial.

But in the end, you'll see..."

    Katara's face adorned a smug look when she sang the next part.

"You. Wont. Stop. Me!"

    Zuko groaned and couldn't stop the words that came out of his mouth at that point. "She's so sexy." His golden eyes widened and he smacked a hand to his mouth when he realized he'd voiced his thoughts.

    Haru and Aang doubled over laughing while Sokka glared at the eighteen year old Fire Nation teen, ready to beat the shit out of him. He may want to end the nonsense between Zuko and his little sister, but that didn't mean he liked the thought of her being with a guy. Even if that guy happened to be one of his best friends.

    Zuko scooted away from Sokka and turned back to the scene before them. All the girls kicked it up a notch. Knowing her boyfriend was there, Toph tried really hard to nail the guitar solos. She did an awesome job to say the least.

"I am a Fighter!

(I'm a fighter!)

I ain't gonna stop!

(I ain't gonna stop!)

There is no turnin' back!

I've had enough!

Yeahhhh!"

(A/N: Katara isn't singing the chorus now. She's doing the ad-libbed stuff which is bold.) The other three girls started singing the chorus.

"It makes me that much stronger

Makes me work a little bit harder.

(Oh!)

Makes me that much wiser

(Ooh Yeah! Ooh Yeah!)

So thanks for making me a fighter.

(Fighter!)

Made me learn a little bit faster.

(Whoo ooh ooh. Yeah-ay...)

Made my skin a little bit thicker.

(...Ohhh Yeay yeay yeay yeay...)

Makes me that much smarter.

(...yeah yeaahhhy...)

So thanks for making me a fighter!"

(Oh! ...Fighter!)"

    Haru, Sokka, Aang, and Zuko's eyes were all wide open with shock. And one thought was going through their minds: Since when could Katara sing like that?

    Sokka opened the door more to videotape them but was careful and hidden enough that his sister wouldn't spot them. This was his and Suki's little plan. He couldn't wait to see what Jet's reaction would be. Whatever it was, he knew it'd be worth all the meat in the world...okay, maybe a step below that. But still.

"Thought I would forget.

(Thought I...)

I remember.

(Oooohhhhhh.)

Yes, I remember.

(Oooohhhhhh.)

I remember!

Thought I would forget.

(Ooooohh!)

I remember!

(Oooh!)

Yes, I remember!

(Ho oooh!)

Makes me that much stronger.

(Ooh Ooh)

Makes me work a little bit harder.

(Ooh ooooh)

It makes me that much wiser

So thanks for makin me a Fighter."

    Katara began to sing with the rest of the girls again.

"Made me learn a little bit faster.

Made my skin a little bit thicker.

Makes me that much smarter.

So thanks for makin me a Fighter."

    Zuko, Haru and Aang were about to get up and go into the room but Sokka stopped them. They gave him questioning looks but he simply stopped recording the girls, put the video into a message and sent it to Jet. Then he stood up and burst through the doors cheering with the other guys rolling their eyes behind him.

    Ty Lee and Katara stopped in shock while Toph and Suki just walked over to their boyfriends.

    "You were awesome!" Aang exclaimed as he embraced Toph and gave her a light peck on the lips.

    Toph blushed because she wasn't used to showing affection in public but kissed him back anyway. "Thanks, Twinkle Toes."

    Sokka smiled at the girl in his arms and kissed her too. "You were great, Suki." Suki giggled and murmured a thank you.

    Katara turned away from everyone to clean up. Ty Lee had gotten over her surprise and bounded toward Haru. "Hi, teddy bear!" Everyone snickered at Haru's pet name and he blushed a bright pink. "Aww! You're cheeks turned my favorite color!" Ty Lee teased him and pecked his cheek.

    Haru's face reddened a bit more but he kissed her back. "I didn't know you could play piano, Ty! Why didn't you ever tell me?"

    "Well, I-" Zuko who had been watching Katara and only half listening to the others, completely tuned them out. He walked over to where she was picking up the instruments and putting them away. "Hey." Zuko casually greeted her.

    Silence. Not this again. He never understood why she had walked away earlier at lunch either. Why would she care if he got back with Mai anyway? It's not like I even want to. The others were angry, for lack of a better word, but they hadn't up and left the table like Katara had. Unless she...No, she can't feel the same.

    He tried again. "Hi, Tara."

    She looked up at him and he was surprised to see the anger and hurt burning in her eyes. His heart broke.

    "Katara, are you okay?"

    She turned away again and he saw a single tear slowly roll down her cheek. Neither of them had noticed the others leave the room.

    She's crying? Why is she crying? He thought to the song she just sang. Maybe she wrote that just to be tough. Maybe she really is hurting about the whole Jet and Mai incident. Was she still in love with Jet? Was all this a lie? Was all the strength and toughness she'd been showing since that day in the lunchroom just a front she'd been putting up? If it was possible, his heart cracked even more. He didn't stand a chance with her. Not if she still loved that bastard.

    Anger and sorrow filled him and his eyes narrowed. "I know you're not gonna listen to me anyway, but I just wanted to say I thought you were great. I had no idea you could sing. And the song was awesome."

    More silence.

    "Fine!" Zuko yelled. She looked up again and stared at him hard, her eyes like blue flames. "Give me the cold shoulder! The silent treatment! Whatever the hell you want, but just know that I honestly don't know what the hell I did! But whatever it is, I'm sorry, okay?"

    She snapped. "Sorry? You're sorry? After everything that happened, all you can say is sorry? After what you did?"

    Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and then glared at her. "I don't know what I did!" He yelled again.

    Katara huffed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Why the hell were you here spying on us anyway? Ya know what? Never mind! Just leave! I don't want to talk to you!"

    "Fine!"

    "Fine!"

    Zuko stomped over to the basement door and flung it open. "Just know that when he cheats on you again, I won't be there to comfort you." With that he slammed the door with a loud bang and marched out of the house.

    Katara screamed in frustration and a few tears streamed from her eyes. "What does that even mean? What are you talking about?" But she knew he had already left. She sat down on the amp her bass was plugged into and she cried silently into her hand. "Why do you still love her, Zuko?"

UPSTAIRS:

    "Alright, whose brilliant idea was it to leave those pigheaded idiots and their issues alone in the same room?" Haru asked looking around at his remaining friends.

END OF CHAP!

I tried to fix any mistakes i had. I think i got most of em. Thanks for reading!

~Fuzzy Ninja Assassin~