“ So, just like that, you say its over?” Jet closed his eyes, not wanting to look at his girlfrie—no, ex-girlfriend that sat on the small twin bed against the white wall decorated with posters and print outs of her favorite things. For some reason, her dorm room was feeling very small, as if he was trapped in a box with no way out.

She bites her lip, looking down at her bare feet, and nods slowly; silky brown hair falling into her face with the jester. Jet pushes himself off of the wall across from her walks over to the door.

“ I come to visit you. A five hour trip from where I am at to spend time with you; time that is a rare occurrence, time so rare, its like a precious gift… and you simply tell me that it’s over?”

“ … Yes.”

“ And because that he’s back? Because you finally realized, after ten plus years, you love him? The guy who didn’t return a single call or write back to any of the letters you’ve sent him? The same guy who thought of you as ‘one of the guys’ and didn’t think twice? The same guy who left us all and never considered your feelings or any of ours? That guy?”

“ Yes! That guy!” She was now looking at him, eyes brimming with tears, hands clutching the bed, her legs shaking. Anger? Nervousness? Shame? Who knew?

Jet had wished… he had wished that he would be angry. That he would have blown up, thrown a fit. Call her a few names, throw a few things, and storm out… But he couldn’t. And that’s what scared him. He couldn’t drive himself to do it because he felt like he had already lost; that he had already lost to him the moment he was shipped off after that fire.

So he laughed. He laughed as if he had not a care in the world; he slid down against the door, laughing insanely… as if he heard the funniest thing in his entire life. He covered his head in his hands and continued to laugh until his laughter turned into tears and Katara couldn’t do anything but stare, not knowing whether to go and embrace him or to look away and hide her face in shame.

“ It was… a fun three years, wasn’t it, Katara?” He choked out, looking up at her with his trademark smile, eyes and nose red from his tears. She simply nodded, trying earnestly not to cry. “ I really did love you, you know. Hell, I still do.” He chuckled. “ I really had hoped that I would have won this time, you know. That I would have won and you would be my wife and we would live together in this nice house near the water… but… I guess that, no matter what, I’ll always lose to him.”

Standing up, he walked over to Katara and hugged her. She returned the embrace and he pulled away before he got too comfortable; before she could find solace in him and bury herself into his built frame. Before it would hurt him beyond recognition.

“ At least we’re still friends? I mean, I haven’t screwed up that much, have I?” Smiling, and wiping away some of the tears that managed to escape, Katara nodded.

“ Yeah,” she laughed. “ We’re still friends.”

“ Can we be friends with some little benefits on the side?”

“ Sorry, can’t do that.”

“ Damn.”