Anyone Else But You

Chapter 4

Day 1

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I stared at the blackboard. Written in large letter were the words “Egg Partners” and below that a list of names. Right beside Zuko Jiang was Katara Kirima.

“Each pair will be given one egg.” Mrs. Wu says, walking in between the rows of desks, handing out eggs to the ‘parents’, “If you look closely, you’ll see that they have a special symbol on the bottom. This is so cheating doesn’t happen.” She placed an egg in front of Azula and Jet. “Mr. Feng.” The class laughed.

Katara picked up our egg, holding it between her fingers and examining it. “Makes you kinda feel guilty about eating eggs, doesn’t it?”

“Great,” I roll my eyes. “We’ve had it for thirty seconds and you’re already attached to it.”

She glares at me and makes a ‘shushing’ gesture as Mrs. Wu returns to the front of the classroom, an empty egg carton in hand. “The project is easy, keep your egg whole for seven days. If you break it, you get a fail grade. Keep it uncracked and you get a perfect mark. Any questions?”

Sokka raised his hand. “Will we be able to eat the egg after?” Toph, his ‘wife’, punched his shoulder as the class laughed again.

“No.” Aunt Wu said, unable to keep a smile from her lips. “You may take the last five minutes of class to decide on a name for you egg.”

Carefully, I take the egg from her hand and place it in my palm. “So, what do you want to call it?”

“It is not an it.”

“Katara. It’s an egg. It is not a he or a she or a he-she for that matter. It is an it.”

She snatches it from my hand. “No, she is a Jamie.”

My eyebrow rises unconsciously, my temper and ego getting the better of me “Since when is he a she?”

“Look,” she says, firing up at once, “Just be you’re the ‘husband’ of this family doesn’t mean you get to decide her gender!”

Oh great, Katara’s in feminist mode. “I’m not trying anything like that. I just want to call it Tybalt.”

“Like, from Romeo and Juliet?” She asks. I nod and she giggles slightly. “You’re such an English nerd.” Her tone is playful but still manages to get a rise out of me.

“Am not.” Is the best argument I can come up with.

Katara examines the egg. “Okay, we’ll flip a coin, heads it’s boy, tails it’s a girl.”

“Deal,” I pull a quarter out of my pocket, “But will let Sokka flip it so there’s no chance of cheating.”

Sokka perks up at his name and walks over. “So I shall decide the gender of your egg. Will it be a dashing young lad or a beautiful young lady? Only I can decide! I AM THE MASTER OF YOUR FATE!” He cackles evilly and by now the whole class is staring at us. Katara is grinning up at me while I can feel a flush burn on my face.

“Just flip the coin already.” Toph said, head lolling back and feet kicked up on her desk.

“Drum roll please!” The surrounding kids banged their hands on the desk. Sokka carefully placed the coin on his thumb. Flicking it the coin arced up, twirling in the air before sailing right out the window.

We all rush to the windows. Haru is glaring up at us, rubbing his head, a quarter sitting in his hand. “Is this yours?”

“WAS IT HEADS OR TAILS!?” Sokka shouts. Haru raises an eyebrow. I don’t think Sokka realized that we were on the ground floor and Haru could hear us perfectly fine.

“I wouldn’t know.” He smoothes his moustache, pockets the coin and walks off.

We all turn to Sokka and glare. He rubs his neck nervously. “I never said I was a good shot.”

Toph walks over and clubs him over the head and bell rings. We pack up, Katara hands me the egg. I begin to protest but she says, “I’ve got a twelve minute run today. I’d hate for it to get cracked.” She walks away and I tuck the egg into an inner pocket.

Sokka’s blunder really should’ve been my first red flag that this was going to be one of the oddest weeks of my life.

Author's Note

I LIIIIIVE for reals this time you guys!