The Radio The Radio

Summary: We spent every summer at this camp as kids, and now we're counselors. Nothing entertaining, except a radio and each other. Warning: Epic-ness shall occur. Modern day AU, Tokka, Zutara

A/N: So, just a note: Toph is colorblind not "I can't see anything" blind, so don't be like 'how'd she see that?' …It's acuz she can see now!

Yay! New Story!

(My inner mind is saying, Gah! WTF is wrong with you! New story?! We've already got three others in progress!)

Yes…what am I thinking? Chapter 1: The Beginning: Friends Are Made

Age reference: Aang, Toph, Katara- 10, Sokka, Zuko-11.

The girl leaned back onto the wet, grassy hill. Her skin was pale, her hair dark. She'd snuck away from her cabin and it was now past lights-out, but she didn't really care. It was the last night of camp and dang it; she was going to enjoy it. She scanned the sky, noticing the big dipper was nowhere in sight.

At the bottom of the same hill, a boy pressed a button on his watch, making the numbers glow a neon blue-green. 11:41, he checked behind him once more. Sure that no one had followed him; he started up the hill. It was a tradition of sorts for him, to come to this hill on the last night of camp. As he struggled with his hike up the steep incline, he titled his head back. He noticed that, oddly, the moon wasn't out tonight. He turned and continued walking, but backwards. He examined the stars, noticing Orion's belt.

And suddenly he found himself on the ground.

He rubbed his backside and saw what he'd tripped over. It was a girl.

She didn't seem to be phased at the fact that he'd just tripped over her.

He opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. "Uh…"

She sat up slightly, leaning on her elbows. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah?"

"I…"

She smiled vaguely, "I think you mean "I'm Sorry"."

"I…uhm, Erk." He sighed. "Yeah, I think your right. Sorry."

She leaned back again. "It's fine."

He began to walk away.

She stood up abruptly and went after him, "Hey, where you goin'?"
He turned, motioning his thumb over his shoulder. "Back…"

"Oh. Fine. Nice meeting you." She punched him on the shoulder and they both went their separate ways.

He smiled and rubbed his arm contently as he walked away.

XXXX

The next day of Camp, (Ehm Last.)

A girl dipped her paintbrush into the thick, goopy blue. She pulled her paintbrush across the construction paper in long, fluent strokes. She slowly spelled out her name, one letter at a time. K-a-t-a-r-a.

"Hi!" She glanced up to see a bright smile on a pale kid's face. He had a short, black haircut and a rather gloomy looking boy was standing next to him. His hair was also black, but it was long and covered his eyes. "I'm Aang! And this is my buddy, Zuko! Can we paint with you?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, Sure."

The gloomy kid, Zuko, plopped into the chair and placed his head in his hands. "I don't really like painting, Aang. Or art. Why're we here?"

Aang, the smiley one, laughed. "You're funny, Zuko. I wanted to paint and you said you'd come. Silly."
"And," Zuko said scowling, "When. Was that?"

"Last night!" Aang beamed him. " 'member?"

Zuko's only response was a groan as he put his head down onto the table, thunking as it made contact with the paint and glitter covered wood.

Katara, witnessing this situation, couldn't help but laugh right along side Aang.

When their painting session was over, Aang turned to Katara, "Wanna go play capture the flag with Me, Zuko and one-a Zuko's friends from home?"
"Sure…but, can I bring my brother too?"

Aang looked at Zuko, who shrugged kicking at a rock. "Okay! The more the merri-ey. Right?"

Katara nodded and skipped away to fetch her brother, while Zuko's face twisted up. "Isn't it merri-er?"

But no one seemed to listen to him.

Like always.

XXXX

"It kinda looks like a platypus…"

"But it also looks like a bear mixed in with it."

"So…it's a platypus-…bear?"

"You guys are morons."

The pre-teens were cloud watching, waiting for the girl, Katara, and her brother to show.

Aang and Zuko were having their 5th argument over what animal a cloud looked like, while Zuko's friend, couldn't stand them.

Aang sat up and stared at her, frowning. "Well gee, Toph. It's not like you're even trying to find animals, so it's none-a your beeswax."

She sat up, looking surly. "You're right, Aang. I'm not. I'm not as dumb as you two."

"Well-!"

"When are we gonna start playing anyways?" Toph stood up and brushed the grass off her back, "Does this 'Katara' even exist?"

"Yuh-huh! We met her, didn't we Zuko?"

"Whatever."

"See?"

Toph titled her head, glancing from Zuko to Aang. "What? We're you just trying to prove a point?"

-TOPH-

Aang opened his mouth to reply, but before he could a girl appeared through the trees. She raised both hands above her head and waved frantically, huge smiling covering her features. "Aang! AANG! HIIII!"

I rolled my eyes, addressing Zuko. "Katara?"

He nodded, struggling to his feet. "Katara."

-AANG-

I ran over to Katara. "Ready to play?"
I peered over her shoulder, noticing a boy who looked much like her. He had the same tanned skin and dark, textured hair. "Is that your brother?"

"Yeah! His name's-"

He placed a droopy hand over her mouth and scowled. "I'm Sokka, let's start the game."

"Uhh…Do you, uhm, want me to, ehh, introduce you to everyone else?"

He threw his head back, mindlessly looking at the sky and sighed. "Whatever."

As we headed to the middle of the field where Toph and Zuko were, Katara nudged me in the side. " 'Scuse my brother. He's all-"

I offered a word. "Rain cloudy?"

She cocked her head, "Uhm. Sure."

-Toph-

Greatttt. Miss Sunshine over there had brought her brother. And her brother just happened to be the dumb boy who tripped over me on the hill.

Ah, Dang.

Was he going to recognize me?

-

"Sokka, this is my pallie, Zuko. And this is his friend, Toph." Then Aang whispered, "But don't call her Tophie or she'll kick you in the shins."

Sokka stared Toph in the eyes for a moment, remembering. "Hey, aren't you-"

-

Yeah, of course he was. That was a stupid question.

Maybe I can play it off, never happened.

-

"No!" Toph jumped on the word, cutting him off.

He smiled slyly. "Yeah. Yeah, you are. You're that girl who-"

-

Uhuh. Play it off. Right.

Maybe I should just…tell him the truth?

Nah.

-

"Who what? Huh, meathead? Who what?"
"Um, well. …Geez, quick to get to the point?"

Toph smiled devilishly. "The point of what?"

-

Alright. New plan.

This ones gonna work.

-

"What do you mean, the point of what? The point of your answer."

"To?"

"To what I was gonna say, then you cut me off."

"What banana?"

"Banana?"

"What?"

"What?"

"Huh?"

"What're we talking about?"

-

Ha. Idiot.

-

Toph shrugged carelessly. "Dunno. Ready for Capture the Flag?"

Sokka scratched his head, trying to catch up. "Surrrrrre."

-

I'm. Awesome.

-XXXXXXXX-

Aang Ascal picked up his luggage and threw it into the back of his adopted Father's white hybrid.

He turned and looked at each of his newfound friends. "Bye guys!"

He hugged them each, Katara first. She nodded at him after their hug, "Can't wait."

Next, Toph. She struggled slightly, pushing him away after briefly returning the hug. "Yeah, Whatever."

Aang smiled at her, "I'll miss you too."

As he stood in front of Zuko, they did a knuckle touch. Zuko half-smiled, a slight dimple appearing on his right cheek. "See ya…next summer."

Aang hesitated for a moment, and then hugged his friend.

Lastly Aang came to a stop in front of Sokka.

As Aang trapped him in a hug, Sokka groaned. "Get off, you lame-o."

Aang smiled. "You, me and Zuko can be roomie-mates next year!"

An eyeroll. "Right."

-XXXXXXXX-

A/N:

Important:

The next chapter will begin with the start of their first summer as counselors. This was a backstory, a prologue is all.

I didn't go into detail of HOW they became friends. It just kinda happened during the Game… 'Kay?

Not as Important but still interesting:

Aang's last name, Ascal, means Preist. Like Monk. Sorta.

Yay! New story! Yay for Original Ideas and Yay for Tokka/Zutara!

Reviews would be nifteh.

-Mandi (Toruh)