Avatar: Modern Days
Chapter 1, Part 1.
Katara shut the door behind her as she opened up her umbrella. She didn't bother locking up as her brother was still inside in bed ill, and her grandmother was taking care of him. It was pouring with rain. It had been like it for at least 3 days now. Probably why Sokka had caught the flu virus, she thought to herself while shaking her head. He was so stupid the other day; he'd taken some of his father's alcohol from the fridge and drank at least 3 cans. He was so drunk he went outside when it was pouring down with rain and just staggered about singing and dancing. Gosh he got drunk easily! It made Katara laugh a bit when she thought about it.
She shut the gate behind her and set off for her first day back at Element Institute. Year 10 now, Katara thought. Gosh time flies! She continued walking down the street. She was in her usual daydreaming world, when she didn't notice the step for the end of the curb just in front of her. She took a normal step and went flying into the middle of the road. She managed to keep hold of her bag, but dropped her umbrella which rolled to the other side of the road. She got up and brushed herself off, when she realised she was stood in the middle of the road...
The next thing Katara knew, she was about to get her umbrella, when the sound of screeching tyres made its way to her ears. She gasped and looked round, to see a speeding car racing towards her, with tyres skidding to try and stop. Suddenly, hands grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back with such force, that she and her rescuer went flying backwards. The car didn't stop.
Dazed and soaked, Katara sat up and rubbed her head. She looked up to see her rescuer already back on his feet. He was a boy, who looked not much older than she was. He's kinda cute! Katara thought to herself. Oh my gosh. what am I thinking? He was brushing his baggy blue jeans of any dirt, while Katara studied him. Awww he IS cute! Scruffy brown hair and grey eyes...Wait...Grey eyes? I didn't know you could have grey eyes...Katara thought to herself. She noticed she was still staring at him so she looked away. She looked down at her now soaking purple top. Oh great. This is gonna look so good on my first day back, she thought.
The boy pulled his shirt straight and looked at Katara who looked back. "Hey, you okay?" The boy offered his hand. Katara took it and the guy helped her up. He studied her for any signs of hurt or injury. "Oh! No, I'm fine thanks to you!" Katara smiled and the guy returned it warmly. "Well that's good! Oh, yeah, here! Although, you might not need it now..." The boy gave Katara back her umbrella, while looking at her dripping top. "Oh, thanks!" Katara took it from him and put it over their heads again. "No problem! Ummm...I'm Aang!" Aang stretched out his hand and Katara shook it. "Nice! I'm Katara!" "Nice name!" Aang said shyly. "Thanks. You too!" Katara started to walk again, and Aang followed beside her. Katara let him under her umbrella too.
"Umm...You're pretty soaked. You want to borrow my raincoat?" Aang asked Katara who shook her head. "No it's okay, but thanks!" Katara smiled and continued walking. She's pretty...Aang found himself thinking. Oh my gosh Aang! You've only just met her! I know, but she is pretty! She's really nice as well! Maybe it is true, what they say about love at first sight...Oh for goodness sake Aang! Aang argued with his thoughts for a while, when he realised he was staring at Katara. And he had been since they set off from the incident! Aang looked away, and blushed slightly. Oh my gosh! Now I've made myself blush! "Sooo, you go to Element Institute too then?" Katara turned to him. Aang nodded his head. "Yep." "Cool! But, I haven't seen you before...Me and my brother walk to school and back every day, and I haven't seen you at school or outside of school...?" "Well, I was home tutored, but I kinda didn't have any friends, which is quite sad, so I told Gyatso-my carer, or guardian, and he said he'll try and get me in for Element Institute, and he did, so here I am!" Aang smiled. "Aww! Well, I suppose you wouldn't really have many or even any friends if you were home schooled..., but that's nice of your guardian!" Katara smiled back.
"Yeah, Gyatso's nice..." "Aww...So what year you gonna be in?" Katara asked. "Year 9. I'm 13. 14 next month!" Aang asked with a big grin on his face. "Nice! I'm gonna be in year 10...Haha, I'm 15! 16 next year" Katara winked at Aang. "Cool! So, you say you have a brother?" Aang asked. "Yeahhh...He's not at school today though. He's got the flu. He got drunk the other day and he was staggering about out in the garden while it was pouring it down with rain!" Aang started laughing and Katara joined him when she remembered Sokka that evening. "Seriously...It was sooo funny! He was just singing and dancing round the garden and staggering in the rain! You should have seen him! He made me laugh so much!" They were both laughing really hard, until Aang looked up in front of them and saw the school gates. "Oh well. We're here now, and with 15 minutes to spare." Aang stopped laughing and looked at his watch. Katara looked too. "Oh...must've set off a bit earlier than I thought! Haha! Oh well, I'll have time to show you around your new school!" Katara grabbed Aang's arm and they ran across the road and into the school, for the start of a new year.
After the tour of the school which took about 10 minutes, which was way too quick for Aang, as he'd already forgotten where half the school rooms were, Katara took Aang to student reception, where he got his week schedule. "Sooooo...we have to go to our form rooms first, and yours is...Ah! Just around the corner from mine! An English room-29! Haha! Mines room 32!-A maths room!" Katara gave him a little friend hit on the arm. "Haha! Okay! What have I got after that? My first lesson?" Aang took the paper back and looked. "Room 57?" Aang studied the schedule confused. "Yeah, Hmmm...Ooooh! You have science for your first lesson! Lucky you! I have stupid Maths!" Katara said annoyed. "Wait, you have your schedule?" Aang asked. "Yeah, we got ours on the last day of last year." "Oh okay cool!"
Katara showed Aang to his new form room. Aang studied her again on the way there. Gyatso taught me how to read a person's emotions. Maybe it worked? Katara seems really happy, but something seems to be holding her back. She seems pretty depressed underneath it all? Nah I'm just being stupid.
The bell rang just as they arrived at room 29. "Oh. I'll meet you at the cafeteria at lunch? You should know where it is now. If you get lost though, ask someone in your class or a teacher. Hope you make new friends Aang! Seeyaaaa!" Katara waved and walked down the corridor and round the corner. Aang watched her go. Yes. There's something up. I can sense it. She doesn't seem like it, but there's definitely something upsetting her deep down. I just know it, and I'm going to find out, whatever it takes. And make new friends? Hah. Something I can't do. But I will try Katara. I promise you, I will try. And holding that thought, Aang turned and walked into room 29, ready to face his new class.
At Lunchtime, Katara walked into the cafeteria. She joined the queue for the dinners, and looked for any sign of Suki or Aang. Katara had been friends with Suki since she started at Element Institute. She used to go into the cafeteria by herself, as she didn't have any friends, but one day, Suki saw her sat by herself and went over to her. Katara and Suki have been best friends ever since.
With no such luck of finding them, Katara got her lunch and went to sit in her, Suki and her brother's usual dinnertime eating spot, in the lower area of the cafeteria by the window. I wonder where Suki is, Katara wondered. I haven't seen her all day. She began to daydream out of the window and chew on a piece of beef on her fork. "Heyy sleepyyheaddd! Hey! Kat! Wake up!" Suki snapped her fingers in front of Katara's face and caused her to jump.
"Suki! Hey! Oh my gosh! Sorry I was in a trance again...How have you been?" Suki put her dinner on the table and pulled her best friend into a bear hug. "Ohhh its okay and I've been great thankyou! What about you?" "Can't-breathe!" Katara managed to say. "Haha sorry!" Suki loosened the hug.
At about the same time, Aang entered the cafeteria. He headed down the steps and joined the queue for dinner. It smelt delicious...Aang thought. He looked round and tried to spot Katara. No such luck at first. He got his dinner and spotted Katara. She was sat down chatting and laughing with another girl. She looked a little older than Katara. Has she forgotten about me already? Aang thought sadly. Oh don't be so stupid Aang! She's bound to have other friends! Go over and sit with her! But Aang ignored his thoughts and walked up the steps to the back corner of the cafeteria.
"Soooo, who's this guy you met then?" Suki asked with a cheeky grin on her face. "He's just a friend Suki. Okay? And he's in the year below me. His names Aang. He saved my life this morning..." "Ooooh dramatic!" Suki winked at Katara who sighed and ate a forkful of peas. "Seriously Suki. I tripped over and landed in the middle of the road! I went to pick my umbrella up and nearly got run over! Aang pulled me out of the way in the nick of time!" "Awww! Well, what a hero! So is he cute? Where does he live? Is he new? Do you like him?" Suki winked but Katara was looking the other way. "Uhh...Kat?" Suki raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you ask him yourself? I'll be right back, 'kay?" Katara got up from the dinner table and peeked round the corner towards the back of the cafeteria. "Ahaa!" Katara said as she spotted a familiar boy with brown hair sitting alone on a table at the back of the cafeteria.
She skipped towards him and sat down on the seat opposite him on the table, causing him to jump. "Oh, hey Katara! I didn't see you in here, sorry."Aang looked up at Katara. "Oh, it's fine! Come on, sit with me and Suki!" Katara got up and walked back to her table; Aang picked up his tray and followed her. "So you must be Aang then?" Suki asked as Aang sat down. Katara sat down next to him. "Yep! And you must be Suki?" Aang replied smiling friendly. "Haha yeahh!" Suki smiled at Aang. "So Kat, you and him like best buds already?" Suki winked at Katara. Kat? Is that what I should be calling her? Maybe I shouldn't, maybe it's just Suki who calls her that? I'll just stick to Katara for now...Aang wondered.
"Yeah! Aang and you are my best friends!" Awww...I'm one of her best friends already...Aang thought happily to himself. "Haha nice!" Suki winked at Katara who rolled her eyes and looked at Aang. "So Aang, make any new friends today?" "No such luck" Aang said biting off a piece of carrot from his fork. "You saved my life." Katara suddenly blurted out. "Yeah..!" And Katara gave Aang a hug "thankyou!" and Aang nearly fell off the seat. "Hey, no problem! I couldn't just let you...You know...die..." Katara looked at him and smiled. She turned to eat her dinner and began to daydream again. Aang watched her. She hugged me...He thought.
They ate their dinner in silence. Katara was still daydreaming but she'd finished too. Aang looked at her and saw her eyes were a little watery. "Katara...?" Aang said quietly as Suki went to take her tray to be cleaned at the counter. Katara snapped out of it and looked at Aang. "Are you okay? Your eyes..." He said looking into her eyes. Katara wiped them. "Oh. Sorry! Yeah they sometimes do that when I daydream. I daydream alot! Haha!" Aang nodded and took his tray back also. Katara stayed in her seat and stared into her plate. Why were my eyes watering? That's strange. I didn't feel them watering...She thought. Aang and Suki came back. "Hey sleepy! You need to take you tray to the counter!" Katara looked up sleepily and got up "Oh, yeah right sorry. I'm just pretty tired." Katara walked over and put her tray on the counter. She looked back to see Aang and Suki who were talking. She found herself walking out of the cafeteria.
"Katara seems a little different somehow. I dunno how, she just does..." Suki said narrow eyed suddenly. "I've only just met her, but she seems...I don't know...sad somehow. Has anything happened recently that you know about?" Aang replied. "Not that I can think of." Suki said. Aang turned and saw no sign of Katara. "Hey, where is she?" Aang wondered out loud. "She's gone to take-"And Suki also saw the absence of Katara. "Ah. Umm...C'mon lets go look for her. She might have just popped to the loo." Suki said getting up. "But she would have said wouldn't she?" Aang also got up. "True. We need to find her. Something's definitely up..." Suki and Aang walked down out of the cafeteria.
Katara shut the cubicle door behind her and locked it. She'd found herself in the girls restroom in the maths corridor. She must've walked there in a trance, because when she got there, she realised she'd forgotten her schoolbag in the bag holders outside the cafeteria. Something she'd never do, or did 'till just now. Oh great. I don't wanna stay in here, but I can't go...But what about my bag? Oh I'll get it at the end of the day. So Katara sat on the toilet seat and brought her legs up to her chest so the cubicle looked empty and out of order. What is wrong with me...? Why am I doing this? Why did I ditch my friends at the cafeteria, leave my bag and end up in the girl's restroom? I really have problems...Katara rested her head on her knees.
"Hey, isn't that Katara's bag?" Asked Aang, pointing to a schoolbag in one of the bag holders. "Yeah..." replied Suki. "Then why-?" "I dunno. She'd never leave her bag." Aang took Katara's bag and Suki took it off him, putting it on her shoulder with her other bag. Aang was about to question her. "Trust me. A girl's bag won't look good on you." Suki winked at him and Aang nodded. They continued their search.
"Any luck?" Asked Aang when he saw Suki running towards him. "Nope and I can see you haven't either..." Suki replied sadly. "Where could she be? You don't think she ran out of school do you?" Asked Aang. "No for one, Katara would never do that, and two, she wouldn't wanna get into trouble. There's no way she'd run away from school. She'd have to be like, really, and I mean, reallyyyy depressed if she did that, and I'm sure what's upsetting her isn't that bad." Replied Suki. "Yeah I suppose. She's in school then somewhere. We have to find her-"And the bell rang. "Well looks like we can't. Wait for her afterschool. Make sure you keep a close eye on her, and after about an hour, go to her house okay? I would, but I have to be back early tonight. Mum's orders. Sorry, I'll see you tomorrow 'kay?" Aang nodded and Suki walked to her form room. Aang headed to his.
The bell made Katara jump. She opened her eyes wide, her head was leaning against the cubicle wall and she'd fallen asleep, with her feet on the disposal box next to the loo. I can't go to class. She thought. What If I see Aang or Suki? But I'll get found out anyway, and I'll get told off by the teachers. They'll find out if I skip lessons. So Katara waited until there was no more noise, and headed down to the cafeteria to get her bag. It wasn't there. Crap! Oh...Suki or Aang most likely...She sighed and headed to her form room for registration.
"And you are late because?" Katara's form tutor glared at Katara. "Sorry Miss. I couldn't find my bag..." "Ah, that reminds me-"Katara's teacher reached down behind her desk and came back up with Katara's bag. "A young boy in year 9 I think it was, came here just now and handed in your bag. He said you left it when you went to see your other teacher?" She handed Katara her bag. The room was silent apart from them. "Yes, thankyou miss, I went to see my art teacher, but she wasn't there, so I went back to get my bag and it wasn't there." Replied Katara as she sat down. "So who's this guy then?" Whispered Katara's friend and neighbour in form-Genene. Katara just shrugged. She couldn't be bothered to explain. She just felt so sleepy; even if she did just have a small nap in the girl's toilets.
When the bell finally went for the end of school, Katara packed her bag and waited for class to be dismissed. Her teacher finally let them go and she headed for the gates, when she remembered-Aang. He'd be waiting for her. I should wait for a while. Maybe Aang will just go home if I don't go soon. She thought. So Katara walked down to her form room and sat on the desk next to the lockers. She pulled out her reading book from her locker and read.
15 minutes later, Katara looked at the clock on the wall and decided to leave. She put her book back in the locker and walked out of the classroom and down the corridor out of school. I really don't understand myself sometimes. Especially like today. Why did I suddenly feel all depressed and down? Katara thought to herself. She got to the school gates and saw no-one there. Phew. She thought and continued walking.
Well, Katara told me to wait for her at the gate, but it's been ages and my legs ache, so I'm sure she won't mind if I wait here for her. Aang sat on the small stone wall down the street from the school and near their houses. Plus I can find out what's up with Katara, that is, unless she went home when she ran away at lunch. I'm pretty sure her would'nt do that though? Aang thought to himself and took off his bag and put it on the wall next to him. Katara crossed the road from the school, making sure she looked this time when she did. She walked down the path towards home. Aang looked up to see a familiar figure walking on the opposite side of the street. He picked up his bag and jumped off the wall but stayed where he was. "Katara!" he shouted and she looked up. Still walking, she racked her brain trying to think of something to say. Aang waved at her. Oohh crapp...what do I do? Oh I might as well just go and face him. She thought to herself. She walked over and stood next to him. "Hey Aang." She said. "Um, sorry about lunch. I remembered I needed to see my teacher and had to dash. Thanks for bringing my bag to my teacher though!" Katara smiled at Aang."You're lying." Aang said looking at the ground. "Aang?" Katara looked at him. "That's a lie Katara. You didn't go see your teacher, I just know you didn't. Why did you run away? What happened?" Aang looked at her now and she looked away. "Aang stop it." She said. "No! I'm sorry Katara but I just want to help! Why are you lying to me...? We're supposed to be friends!" "I said stop it!" Katara looked at him and shouted. She had tears running down her face. Aang looked at her, a little shocked. Oh no, why did I have to do that?
The next thing he knew, Katara had pushed past Aang and was running down the street home. Aang turned, grabbed his bag and ran after her. "Wait! Katara, I'm sorry! Please!" He caught up to her and grabbed her. He pulled her round and before Katara knew what she had done, she'd slapped him across the face. She gasped and looked shocked. Aang just grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug. Katara stood there shocked at everything that had just happened. Aang felt arms wrap around him tightly. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Katara sobbed into Aang's chest. Despite her being older than Aang, he was quite alot taller than her. "No. I'm sorry Katara." Aang buried his cheek in her soft hair.
They stood there for a while and Aang didn't let go until Katara had stopped crying. He saw her bag on the ground and picked it up and handed it to her. She rubbed her eyes and took it from him. They walked home together pretty much in silence. Aang kept looking at her to make sure she was ok. When they got to Katara's house, they stopped at the gate. "Aang, thankyou for everything. You're an awesome friend to have and I'm really lucky to have you as one. In fact, you're my best friend!" Katara blushed a little and kissed Aang gently on the cheek. "See you tomorrow!" She said, and went inside to her house. Aang just stood there with red cheeks, blushing like crazy. Finally he said quietly; "It was nothing..." He turned and started walking again. You still haven't told me what's upsetting you though. I will find out. I will! He thought, and Aang put his hands in his pockets and continued to walk home.
End of Chapter 1 Part 1.
Hope you liked this and please let me know what you think! And yes, I know, It's completely random...;)