Second Best

A/N: Okay, I might continue this. It came to me when I was sleeping, but If you don't agree about what Toph and Sokka think, no flames! This is Taang, but has Tokka in it, more like friendship than romance. Takes Place during The Runaway.

"Um, Sokka…" Toph asked quietly, "I have to talk to you…"

Sokka turned around from the map he was looking at. "Yes?"

"It's kinda something I need to discuss with you privately."

Sokka folded up the map and followed Toph to the edge of a cliff where they were camping. She plopped down and he did too. "So….What's up?"

"Do you ever feel…second best here?" she asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" Sokka was confused.

"I mean…not as important as Katara or Aang." she mumbled.

"Um….."

"I do. I feel like I'm just the Avatar's sifu."

Sokka paused and looked at her. Her face was tilted down as If she was looking at the water below.

"I guess. Yea, I feel like…comic relief and the guy who makes plans."

She nodded. "That's all I feel like to Aang. I mean, Katara's his whole world."

Sokka nodded, understanding the young girl's pain.

Her face brightened. "If I got a bit of a…makeover done…do you thing I'd be more noticed? Not just for my handicap also? Like in town?"

Sokka looked toward the bag of money Toph had won. "We have money to spare…let's go! I need to get Hawky some food!"

Toph and Sokka headed out. On the way….

"Hey Sokka! Toph! Where you going?" Aang asked, landing in front of them.

"….Away…for now." Toph said. "Don't be surprised If I seem different."

She laughed lightly before pushing Sokka towards the town.

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"Aang, where are Sokka and Toph?" Katara asked nervously.

"They went into town a few hours ago." he replied.

"Ah." Katara murmured.

A few minutes later, Aang heard laughing. He scrambled toward the path toward the town and saw Sokka and a girl with a long ponytail and 2 shopping bags.

"Hehe! Oh, we're almost there!" the girl giggled. Her nose crinkled. "Oh, he's here." She paused to trail behind Sokka.

"Um…Sokka…who's that?" Aang asked.

Sokka rolled his eyes. "DUH! IT'S TOPH!"

The girl, now proved to be Toph, stared unemotionally into space.

"Wow… You look good Toph." Aang stammered.

"Tell me something I don't know." she said angrily and stormed away, pausing to put her bags in her tent.

"What's her problem?" Aang asked Sokka.

"Stuff…"

"She looks…pretty."

"Yeah. I guess. The ponytail looks nice. The lady who did it said it looks sporty and feminine. And it won't get in her face."

"Oh…cool!"

"It was so awesome though! We went shopping and she got some clothes and I got Hawky food! People kept stopping her and smiling at her and one guy said she was prettier than a lotus blossom!"

"Uh huh…"

"She's kinda mad at you though Aang." Sokka said suddenly.

"Um…why?"

"Second Best." he replied. "That's how she feels."

"What?"

"Oh, never mind, but I have to tell you something she told me. But don't tell her I told you!" Sokka said.

"Ok." Aang was eager to know.

"She said, and I quote, 'If he and Sweetness treat me like I'm just free Earthbending lessons and a kid to boss around, I'll make his life a living hell.'"

Aang paused. She really said that?

"She's going to make my life a living hell?"

"Evidently. We both feel like we're second best to Katara, in a way."

"How do you feel?"

"Like the guy who makes plans and comic relief."

"Oh…"

"She's hurting a lot more though," Sokka pointed out. "But you should wait until she calms down to talk to her."

"Al-Alright."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

A dinner, around the campfire, Katara (apparently hearing "the news" from Aang) was trying to be nice to Toph but getting the same 2 replies.

"Your hair looks nice! And a new headband? Red with a gold dragon? That's so pretty!"

Toph rolled her eyes. "Thanks…"

"You look so girly now!"

"I'm aware, thanks for clearing that issue up."

Katara was getting angry. Mainly because Toph was angry at her.

"Um…"

"Listen Katara, if you don't have anything intelligent to say, do me a favor and keep your mouth shut." Toph made a motion to go along with her words.

Katara made an indignant huffing noise.

Toph got up and walked away, only it seemed more like she was sashaying.

When she was out of earshot, Katara began speaking.

"She looks pretty…like she did at her house."

"Uh huh." Aang replied.

"People kept stopping her in town!" Sokka said "They were saying she was really pretty and asked If I was her brother!"

"Yeah…" Katara mumbled.

"We should all go to town tomorrow!" Aang piped cheerfully. "We can use the money Toph won!"

"Yeah!" Sokka exclaimed. "Let's blow money!"

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The next morning, the gaang got ready to go to town. Katara seemed to view it as competition to look better than her blind companion, but already Toph looked better.

Katara's hair was in it's usual Fire Nation bun with her red frame fitting dress. Toph had her hair in a ponytail with her headband and a crimson Fire Lily clip holding the ponytail together. She was also wearing a red day dress (perfect for still being her active self!, Sokka boasted) with a golden sash around the middle. She looked like Fire Nation Upper Class.

As Sokka had said the day before, it was true. They did keep getting stopped because of Toph.

"Prettier than a lotus blossom!"

"My depression has cleared up!"

"You are like radiating sunshine!"

*Whistle*

"My, you pretty little thing!"

"You have are the most darling thing!"

"You look like Princess Azula~ you're so beautiful!"

Some people even handed her flowers, money, and one gave her a necklace.

"You should be one of the Fire Lord's children!" a lady had squealed. "You look just like him!"

"Thank you!" Toph beamed as the lady handed her some money.

"Toph! We should have you walk around and have people give you money!" Sokka exclaimed. "Easy money and we're not gambling!"

"Yeah!"

Katara huffed, since only one man had stopped her asking for directions to the butcher.

"Well, Toph, hope you're enjoying all this unneeded attention!" Katara chided.

Toph's hazy jade eyes tilted up toward her. "I need this attention more than you know." Then she sauntered off, getting stopped, and clearly enjoying this attention.

Sokka ran after her, seemingly, just to collect money and possibly boast that he was her 'older brother'. Aang started to catch up, but Katara grabbed him by the collar. "Know why Toph is acting so weird?" she asked.

Aang knew…but refused to tell, still a bit worried about entering a living hell.

"Um…no."

"Hormones maybe!" Katara sniffed. "She shouldn't act like this though!" Katara grabbed Aang and towed him toward Sokka and Toph.

"A Little Angel!" an old man smiled and handed Toph another flower for her bouquet of Fire Lilies and Star Daisies.

Katara threw herself at the man. "I'm so cute!" she cried, clasping her hands together.

"Get a job." he replied before hobbling off.

"You little devil!" Katara hissed at Toph. "You little devil!"

"I will ruin your life and I'm not afraid to do it!" Toph spat.

"How? How can an innocent little face do that?" Katara smiled coldly.

"Like this…" Toph sucked in her gut and began to cry, wail to be more precise.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! You wicked girl! Hardly older than I" she blubbered.

A small crowd had gathered. Toph smiled under her tears, proud of her success.

"How could you hit me? I'm blind! I cannot see you!"

Katara looked shocked. People were looking at her angrily and they began throwing rocks and bones at her.

"Stop Toph!" she hissed at the little blind girl.

"Okay." she muttered back. She stopped, wiped her tears and flashed a winning smile. "Thank you for viewing my acting tutorial!"

She adjusted her headband and walked away, with Sokka in tow, begging for money.

"Atlas!"

"No!"

"Map!"

"No!"

"Food!"

"Alright"

From farther behind, Katara had nothing pleasant to saw. "Little runt!"

Acute hearing picked up Katara's voice and Toph shot her an 'I'm not afraid of you, and I will hold another 'acting tutorial' again' look, which made Katara shush her yap.

When Sokka emerged from a Fire Flakes booth, the others had caught up, with nosy faces peering between them to see the little blind girl.

Katara ultimately decided it was time to go. She grabbed Sokka's hand and pulled him away, through the crowd with Toph and Aang in tow.

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Sokka was looking at a map (again) when Aang walked toward him slowly, blushing.

"Um…Sokka…how do you tell an…indignant girl you really like her?"

"Is it…Toph?" he tried.

Aang nodded slowly.

"Um…to tell the truth Aang, I think you only like her for her looks at the moment, I mean, you were gaga all over Katara just yesterday and she might not take it too well, I mean, have you displayed any other signs of affection toward her?"

Aang stared down. No, he hadn't…

"No…"

"Well, than, I don't know buddy…" Sokka said.

Aang left, but then…he though of a plan.

A/N: Yeah…I felt like writing more of it. Anyway R&R!