Do I Have To Tell You?
Dear Diary,
Hi, my name's Aang. I am thirteen years old. When I was ten, I got initiated as an adult in my family, which means I got tattoos all over my arms, legs, and a thin stripe down my back, and on top of my head.
I am the last person alive in my entire family after the mafia shot them dead. This massacre was one of the reasons was why bending was outlawed in this country. I've been in foster care for two years, and already been in twenty-five homes. I gave up trying to get close to anyone, since all the adults do is just give me back. It was just too much for me to keep losing friends, including my sheep dog, Appa.
I have a secret that I have never told anyone. Not even the people I have gotten close to in the short time I have been at one home, but that was long ago. I still carry that secret. I still do the thing that keeps me sane. I am going to confess this to you, diary. I… cut myself. I admit it. I finally admit it. For a whole two years to the day, I've been cutting since I found out something that I'm not yet ready to confess just quite yet. Maybe next time I write in you.
From,
Aang Skiburn.
"Aang, wake your sorry ass up before I have to for you!" said caretaker number twenty-six by the name of Mr. Espier.
"I'm awake you won't have to do that," I replied to the man. I sighed and looked out the window to see the sun already up. That's unusual; I usually wake up before the sun rose. "I'm going to have a bad day today, aren't I?" I thought to myself.
After getting dressed in my loose cut up jeans, blue hat, orange shirt, and an orange sweatshirt, I walked out the door with a Styrofoam bowl full of Lucky Charms © and a piece of toast. Walking towards the school was hard for me because of the sun blaring in my eyes. I fumble around for my sunglasses and finally retrieved them from my hoodie's pocket and put them onto my face. "I hope this school isn't like the last one," I thought, remembering the bullying I got from that school. I hated it there. I'm glad I got transferred away from that place. Although I don't like this place so far either. When I first got into the foster care system, I thought everybody was all sunshine and rainbows, but I was dead wrong.
"I can't take this anymore!" I yelled after a long tiring day at school. It was the second week of school for the people in this town. I hate it. For once, I want to go to a school at the beginning of the year, were they have the entrance ceremonies. At least I think they have those.
"Kid, I don't want you here anymore. Get the fuck out of my house," Mr. Espier ordered drunkenly.
I sighed and started to gather my stuff. I only had one medium sized box and backpack full of stuff. I couldn't handle everything else that I had to carry since I didn't have a cell phone or a mode of transportation. I walked to the nearest bus stop and waited about thirteen minutes and the bus arrived.
I sat down next to a man in his twenties with black shaggy hair. He reminded me of someone, but I ignored the feeling since it was not nice to judge people. I smiled, remembering Gyotso, my first guardian, saying that to me when I was six years old. Those were the better times.
I plug my headphones into my iPod, put the buds in my ears, and played Your Favorite Martian's "Alien" which is my favorite song because it explains just how I feel most of the time, except I don't get the girl in the end.
After thirty plus minutes riding the bus, I got off in front of the agency. Once in, my social worker, Ken Millison spotted me immediately and sighed. Ken said to me, "You just can't keep one home for more than a month, can you?" He was a kind man of forty-three years old; he had short light brown hair, green eyes, and a mustache that oddly suited him.
"Hey, it's not my fault that the people I always get are the following: druggies, drunkards, trust their kids too much, and or have anger management problems," I replied to him, giving him a smile.
Ken sighed and turned his head slightly away from me. "I guess this can't be avoided then," he said mostly to himself, but then turned to me and stated, "We're going to have to transfer you to another country."
My mouth hung open, almost catching a fly in the process. "S-seriously? That's awesome!" I shouted, actually excited to go to another home.
"Yes, I guess it's a good thing that every country in this world talks the same language, or else we'll all be screwed," Ken laughed out, hoping to make me laugh, which I give out a little giggle to make him happy.
For once in a long time I felt happy. It felt nice.
A few days later I arrived in southern India, I wander around the train station after having to switch from one mode transportation to another.
"Excuse me sir," I ask one of the workers in the train station. "Do you know which bus will be able to take me nearest to 1579 South Wave Street?"
"The bus that's pulling up, actually, will help you get to your destination fastest. Just get off near the BP gas station, take a left, and a walk a couple of blocks down. Hurry, the bus will leave in a couple of seconds," the worker replied to me.
Running as fast as I could, I made it to the bus just before the doors closed. I was out of breath, but managed to thank the bus driver. I put the money in the container and the bus left the station.
I got off where the worker told me too and I followed her directions. I walked up to a grand house. Bigger than any other the other houses I've ever seen. This place was too delicate to be a house; it must be one of those rich, government houses I've read about.
I walked up to the door, and rang the doorbell. The door was opened by a female servant with a long, black dress on. She asked me, "Hello, do you have an appointment?"
"Um, I guess I do," I replied, not knowing what to say to that. I sheepishly grin and rub the back of my head.
She glared at me slightly, but let me in. She eyed my outfit which was a pair of black skinny jeans, a blue shirt, my orange sweatshirt, and my blue hat. The lady led me to a study which was beautiful like the rest of the house. A man was sitting behind the desk, and he looked up when both of us came in the room. He smiled at me, and said to the woman, "Thank you, Rena. You may go back to work. Can you tell Lee to bring in Sokka and Katara?"
"Yes, sir, right away." Rena left swiftly and closed the door behind her.
"Hello, you must be Aang. I'm Hakota. I'm the chief of southern India. It's a pleasure to meet you," said Hokata, getting up to shake hands with me. I've always been nervous of handshakes. We shook hands and I noticed that he had on sweat pants and a sleeveless shirt, nothing like a chief of a big country, well half of a country.
Hakota laughed at me, knowing what I was thinking. "Aang let me tell you this: I might look a "laid-back" type of person, but I take matters very seriously. I just like to wear this around my house. I feel more comfortable in sweats and a shirt, instead of a tux the whole damn day. Don't tell my kids I said that." He smiled at me.
His smile was infectious and I smiled back at him. "I understand what you're saying, sir. Might I ask you something?"
"Go right ahead." He sat back in his chair slightly and looked at me with a sparkle in his eyes,
"Who are Sokka and Katara?" I wanted to know everyone and everything in this man's house. He was way nicer than any of the people I have come to known in my travels around the United States.
"They're my son and daughter," he replied, his smile growing even more. "You'll like them; you can trust me on that one."
Two minutes later a boy with a pony-tail, loose blue jeans, and a shirt similar to Hakota's came in with a scowl on his face. "Hello, father," he said curtly. I presume that's Sokka. "Who is this?"
"Hi, my name's Aang. I hope we can become friends while I stay here." I smiled at Sokka, but his frown deepened even more after hearing me say that.
"You're going to be staying here? Why is that? Dad, what is the meaning of this?" Sokka demanded of his father.
"Well, Sokka, I got a call from an old friend of mine, and he asked me to take care of Aang since he can't seem to find a home to settle into," Hakota replied to his son, not fazed by the anger coming off the boy.
"Well, he could have stayed over there longer, and found a home." Sokka glared at me. This is going to be troublesome.
"This is the twenty-seventh house I've been in. I've been in foster care for two years," I deadpanned, making Sokka feel guilty about yelling at me, and making his eyes soften slightly.
"I'm sorry," he replied meekly, he was ashamed so he turned around to look out the window on the side of the office.
"That's OK. So far, this is the nicest I've been treated." My statement made Sokka feel worse about himself. "Don't worry about it! I think we'll be able to be great friends." I walked over and held my hand out for him to shake. He grasped my hand in a tight grip and smiled.
"Thanks, Aang."
The doors opened again to reveal the most beautiful person I've ever seen. She had dark chocolate hair, with eyes like the ocean, so deep and mysterious. She had on a nice blue short sleeved dress on that went with her eyes. I blushed at her beauty.
"H-hi, my name's Aang," I told her trying to cover up my blush, which the whole family is oblivious of, thank God.
"Hi, my name's Katara. I heard you would be staying with us. How are you today?" the beauty asked.
"I'm-I'm good, and yeah, I hope we'll be able to become good friends." I smiled a genuine smile.
"I hope we do too! Dad, should I show him his room?"
"Sure, go ahead. I'm almost finished talking with him. Aang," I looked over toward Hakota and waited for him to continue, "tomorrow you'll be starting school with Katara and Sokka. It's the first day so I hope my kids will escort you around the high school. Now, you two may go."
"Thank you, Hakota!" I shouted back into the room before I closed the door.
Once Katara showed me to my room, I heard barking coming from it. "Um, is there a dog in there?" I asked her, confused because there was no mention of a dog.
"Oh, I totally forgot about him. Well, a couple years ago, one of dad's friends brought him here. He's a sheep dog named Appa," replied Katara with a giant smile on her face.
"Really? That sounds exactly like my dog Appa!" I flung the door open, and to my expectations, it was Appa! I start crying masses of tears while I hugged him. "Appa! I missed you so much buddy!" He gave my slobbery licks of happiness.
I heard a giggle from behind me, and I turned to see Katara covering her mouth trying to stop the giggles from escaping. "Looks like he missed you too," she commented, smiling.
"Yeah, sorry about that, I just haven't seen him in a year and a half." I smile widely at Appa, who was running around in circles around us.
"That's perfectly fine with me. Well this is your room. You get your own bathroom, and if you need anything, ask a servant, dad, or myself. Any other questions for me?" she inquired.
At that moment, my stomach growled ferociously, and I blushed in embarrassment. "Um, what time's dinner?"
"In an hour, Aang. You won't starve, will you? Because if so I have a stash of candy in here when I would come and play with Appa. See you soon." She waved to me and then closed the door behind her.
I sighed and flopped onto the bed, and Appa flopped down next to me. "Oh, Appa, I think I'm in love, but how can I be when she is my caretaker's daughter? What am I going to do?"
Appa just wagged his tale at me, seeming like he was the happiest person in the world. This made me giggle and I scratched him behind the ears.
I put my head phones in my ears and blasted Panic!at the Disco's "Lying is the Most Fun a Woman Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off." It's a long name for a song, but it's amazing. All of their songs have long titles, well their old songs do. Their newer ones are shorter.
An hour later, someone knocked on my door, and I opened it to reveal a male servant in his fifties with graying black hair.
"Dinner is ready, Master Aang," the man's detached voice ringing through my ears. "If you would so kindly follow me, I will show you to the dining hall."
"Oh. My. God. THIS is their dining hall?!" I shouted, looking at the hall that could hold a hundred people. My jaw dropped at the magnificent sight.
A giggle sounded behind me and I turned around to see Katara in a long sleeved shirt and poufy type pants. "Yes, it is. Glad to see you like it." She gave me a wide smile, her eyes gleaming. I couldn't resist smiling back at her.
"Y-yeah, it's really cool. Thank you for showing me my room earlier."
She shook her head and replied, "It's no problem. I'll just ask for a favor later, maybe." She took a seat on the right side of the table near the far end, and patted the seat next to her. "This is where you will sit from now on. Is that OK?"
"That's perfectly fine," I told her as I sat in the seat next to her.
Hakota came in, sat down at the head of the table nearest us, and stated, "Well, let's eat up."
After stuffing myself with the best food I ever had in a long time, minus the sea prunes, I lean back in my chair and give a long, grateful sigh of happiness.
"I'm glad you enjoyed the meal, Aang," commented Hakota, laughing slightly.
"Oh, I enjoyed it very much. Thank you for the meal, sir," I replied, smiling at him.
"Please call me Dad; you are a part of our family, after all now."
"OK, Dad. What do we do now that we finished eating?"
"We talk about our day. Sokka goes first."
"Well, today I went shopping for a new sword, but I couldn't find a good one. It was rather disappointing, really. Afterwards I went to the ice cream shop with Suki, my girlfriend, and then we went to see a movie. That was it," Sokka explained to his family.
"Katara, please explain your day."
"I went to the market with one of the servants, then I practiced my waterbending, and helped Gran Gran with Sokka's stinky socks," Katara finished with a giggle. Sokka glared at her, but made no comment on the matter.
"You're a waterbender?" I asked loudly. "Woops, sorry."
"That's OK and yes I am a waterbender," she replied with a big smile, and Sokka glared at me.
"Can you teach me sometime?" I asked with hope glinting in my eye.
"Sure, have you not been taught at were you lived before?" she asked with confusion.
"No, bendings outlawed in the United States because of gangs," I replied trying not to cry, in rememberance of what happened.
"That's so tragic, I'm sorry. I'm the only waterbender here anyway, so we can learn together. I have been teaching myself, so it might not be all that good."
"I bet you'll be a great teacher! And why are you the only waterbender?"
"Well, long ago, the firebenders started wiping out benders, starting with the airbenders. Next they came after our people," Katara said taking a breath, holding back her tears. "My… mom was killed trying to protect me. She saved my life, and I am forever grateful to this day. I hope she is resting in peace."
"I hope so too, the firebenders took my family away as well," I said with understanding the pain of losing family members. Tears started to fall down my face. "It hurts so bad."
"I'm so sorry, Aang," Katara whispered and hugged me. "It's OK now, you have Sokka, Dad, and me. You'll be fine now."
"Thanks, Katara."
"I'm sorry too, Aang," Sokka said looking away trying not to cry. I can see the tears forming on the corners of his eyes.
"It's OK guys." I wipe my tears on the sleeve of my hoodie.
"OK, Aang. What was your day like?" asked Dad sadness in his eyes.
"Well, I flew in a plane over here, tried to find this place, got lost a couple a times, and found you guys," I replied smiling softly.
"My day was easy going today! I was so happy," Hakota said getting the mood up.
"That's great!" replied Katara smiling widely at her dad.
"I know, well off to bed all of you. Goodnight."
"Night," we all said.
"Man, am I tired," I thought to myself. "I can't keep my eyes open anymore." I plopped onto my bed and instantly fell asleep.