Don't Turn Your Back
1.
Introduction
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Sure, I could admit to myself that I was head over heels for Sokka, but would I ever admit it to him? Not in a lifetime. I always thought that he might like me back; while Aang and Katara went off supposedly 'training' Sokka and I would be left to our own devices; my favourite time of day. Sokka and I would talk for hours whether is be in the freezing rain, scorching hot sun (only his torso showing, me being able to brush my fingers over it, only in my wildest fantasies of course) or beside a small pond where Sokka would swim and I would dangle my feet in the water, close to the edge but not close enough to surrender to the water completely.
Even now I think he kind of liked me to, not the way I liked him, but like the way a brother loves his little sister. It was a nice feeling, we'd be sitting there, most likely around a campfire, listening to the forest around us as the night creatures filled the air with swoops and cries which were easy to hear even with the crackling of the fire and our gentle banter. Sokka would most likely be talking, his heart beating fast as he recounted one of his many stories of his homeland. Katara would be nodding and occasionally correcting him. Aang was rapt in the stories, gasping like a little boy when Sokka would get to the exciting parts. Sokka didn't just tell the story; it was filled with arm gestures, different voices and sometimes even a little role-playing. Of course Sokka would be the only one participating. We would just watch, laughing at his antics. Occasionally someone else would talk, Aang would recount stories of the old days, before the war and Katara would fill me in with all the details of their prior travels or 'Pre-Toph Days' as she called them.
My stories would always be about my life as the Blind Bandit. I never told them about my personal life, the fights between my parents, the lengths they went to stop my Earthbending, and of course the numerous doctors that came claming they could cure my blindness. It was easier just to tell them I had a boring childhood.
It was hard describing my fights to them. They saw with their eyes, they only saw what was on the surface, and they never saw the power needed to command the earth. I couldn't describe how every bead of sweat dropping from my enemy's face was perfectly audible by my feet or how the cheering of the crowd almost made it impossible to concentrate on the fight. So my stories were filled with random nonsense I had made up so that their unseeing minds could understand.
It was perfect, sitting around the fire, keeping each other amused with our life stories. Sokka would always listen to my stories even after Aang and Katara had long forsaken us for their beds. I would always listen to his. I felt at home sitting beside him, savouring his smell; it was like the ocean spit him up into a field of flowers. Fresh from the water and sweet from the blossoms, that was how he smelt as we told each other our stories, learning more and more with each passing word.
Then Suki had to come along. She was beautiful, talented, and already involved with Sokka. She completely ruined all I had worked so hard for; every blush, punch, quip and touching moment, vanished from Sokka's memory like an old piece of meat that was too mouldy to eat. Was this all because of some girl?
Yeah right. I didn't believe Katara right away when she assured me that Sokka and Suki were more than just friends with privileges. Sometimes my stubborn personality gets the better of me. At this point, I subconsciously began comparing myself to her. I was twelve. She was fifteen. I was tiny. She was elegant. I was brash. She was kind. I was blind. She could see.
In a sick, bizarre way, it made perfect sense. She was everything I wasn't. Was it my fault I was blind? Was it my fault I didn't like wasting time? Was it my fault I picked on people? Was it my fault that I was only twelve?
Normally I'm not into the whole self-pity scene, but that night when Sokka wandered off, Suki hot on his heels, I couldn't help but wallow in it. I sat in my stone tent, sending out vibrations every few seconds, desperate to know what was going on. The ocean was crashing against the stone every few seconds sending vibrations to my body and mixing with Suki and Sokka's racing heartbeats. Then Suki leaned in, Sokka mimicked the movement, a crash of waves blocked the next few seconds and the next thing I knew, Sokka was returning to camp and Suki's heart was still pumping madly. I poked my head out of my tent and made a wall of rock appear just far enough for him to not run into it.
It stopped him, "Are you alright?" I asked innocently, the way a friend would ask a friend, definitely not the way a girl would ask her crush. At least I hoped.
"No." he said simply and, sidestepping the wall, he kept walking. When he flopped into his sleeping bag I drew back into my tent, and laid my head back on the earth. Having my ear so close to the ground made it easy to hear what was going on. Sokka's heart was beating steadily while Suki's was still pounding as she stood by the sea. All I could think about was Sokka thinking about me. What was going through that little mind of his? Was it Suki? Was it me? Or was he merely sitting there, thinking nothing at all, and just simply being? I reached the conclusion that he was probably daydreaming about his boomerang or meat or whatever goes though his head.
The next day, I woke early and completely forced last night's close encounter out of my mind. Sokka was already up, which was abnormal. Normally he was last awake; that fact had gained him the nickname Snoozles. It was surprising to not hear his snores, which were easily heard over the smash of the ocean. That particular morning, he was sitting on the edge of the cliff, his feet swinging back and forth sending vibrations through the earth. I walked over and sat down beside him. His breathing was normal but his hands were fidgeting, giving away his restless mind. The ocean was still throwing itself against the cliff. After each crash a small cloud of mist floated up with the breeze and would sprinkle the bottom of my feet sending shivers up my spine.
"Still not alright?" I asked after settling myself.
"No." His voice carried the same bluntness from the night before. He sighed, the warm breath tickling my leg as it sped towards the ocean below. "Why do you care?"
I could feel the sun just creeping over the ocean and a light wind mess around my bangs. Back at the camp I could feel Aang and Katara getting up, murmuring hellos and getting breakfast ready. His hand was close to mine, fingers drumming on the ground as he waited for an answer. The urge to grab it crept up my arm.
"Is it really that bad? Me, caring?"
He laughed, "No, I was just curious." He put a hand on my shoulder, my body tensed and the earth below me cracked as I gripped the ground. He put a momentary pressure on my shoulder and left. Then I was alone, the ocean still chipped away at the cliff.
The rest of the day was spent stomping around the Serpent's Pass, talking only occasionally to rip on Zuko or to come up with theories why it was called the Serpent's Pass. I was doing my best to keep Suki away from Sokka. A little Earthbending here and there, distracting Suki with witty repartee, anything to keep her as far away from Meathead as humanly possible. We stopped midmorning for a short water break and to give the pregnant lady time to rest her feet. I had found a small rock to sit on with enjoying the break. I sat, eyes closed for no particular reason, thinking of more plots to keep Sokka Suki-free. Hesitant footsteps interrupted my thoughts and a voice spoke. "Toph?"
"Suki? What do you want?" It was harsh but I wasn't feeling too kind to her presence at that moment.
She sat down, without invitation, and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly and deliberately. Suki sure knows how to waste a person's time.
"Well I was wondering," she moved her skirts, smoothing them nervously. "You're Sokka's best friend and I thought maybe he told you if anything was wrong. He seems kind of out of it."
"No, he didn't say anything." Even if he had I still wouldn't have told her.
"Oh…Okay." she stood up, "Well I'll just go then." She walked perilously close to the cliff. One Earthbending move and she would've been thrown into the sea and smashed up against the rocks. Self-restraint was the key to not doing what I so earnestly desired.
"Uh oh…" Katara's voice floated over our heads. We had been walking for just over an hour and Katara had already called a halt. I sent out a small vibration and was met with the edge of my safety zone.
"Where's the earth?" I asked aloud to the group.
"Across the gap…" Sokka's voice answered and he walked forward to join his sister by the edge of the earth. Katara's heartbeat quickened as her adrenaline started pumping, "Everyone single file Her arms started waving, the same actions she did whenever she waterbended.
I didn't feel like arguing when Katara was so moody but if I had I'm sure I wouldn't of ended up underwater, holding Twinkle Toes' staff, and with Momo chattering on my shoulder. He jumped off my shoulder and with a splash into the water surrounding us. After a few seconds he was back on my shoulder, his wet paws soaking my shirt and screaming madly in my ear. I had a faint idea of what was going on, a large 'swoosh' sound swam by us every few second. When my feet started getting wet and my sensitive ears were berated with screaming and yelling, the only answer was to Earthbend. The tiny island I made wasn't exactly a show of the world's most amazing Earthbending, but it was safe.
Except from giant sea monsters.
Katara made her little pansy ice pathway and everyone slowly made their way across. I on the other hand stayed on my little island, assuring Sokka and myself that I would be completely fine. I prepared to Earthbend another path and prove them that I didn't need a Waterbender to save me. A giant tail lashed down behind me, shaking me to my senses and forcing me to move forward onto the ice. Along with my feet, my mind froze. I couldn't react, everything was happening to fast. The ice was shaking and I was truly blind. No earth around the show me the way, not even a grain of sand. Something snapped me out of my state, a voice shouting, something was wrong, someone wasn't moving. I wasn't moving, Sokka was yelling at me to move. Sokka was telling me to follow to the sound of his voice. For a brief moment I imagined how romantic it would be if a giant sea monster weren't actively pursuing us. I was infatuated by the fantasy of Sokka calling out to me, and when I finally made it to the other side, him running forwards and gathering me in his arms whispering words of comfort and letting me drown in his sweet scent.
I think the serpent had it out for me.
The tail came crashing down, shattering the pathway, interrupting my daydream and plunging me into a freezing ocean. Water rushed into my mouth and the salt burned my eyes making tears pour out. I coughed and hacked while still screaming, natural instincts taking over.
Stay alive.
Don't die.
Over and over the mantra played in my mind, pulsing through my senses as I flailed above the water. Sokka was yelling again, something about saving me. Even Suki could've helped me and I would've accepted it. My head submerged and I lost all will as the water crushed every last fragment of life in me.
No instinct.
No self-restraint.
Just death's cold embrace.
The whole world shut down in the complete ethereal silence of the ocean, I floated there and for what seemed like eternity. I was insignificant in the pure, infinite, depth of the ocean.
Funny time to have deep thoughts. My lungs screamed for air and I took a gulp of water, letting the last few bubbles of life escape from my mouth. First I lost the feeling of my toes and in a flash couldn't feel anything except the heartbeat of the world's greatest Earthbender slowing. Just as the heart was reaching the last few pumps a strong arm grabbed me and pulled me back to the surface. Back to the above world, filled with noise, motion and air. Everything was thrown back into action my nostrils flaring in the salty air, my ears tuning into the epic battle between the serpent, Avatar, and Water Tribe girl, my heart pumping, and my lungs gasping for air. After taking a few gulps of saltwater and air I managed to wrap my head around what had just happened.
Sokka had saved me from the water. "Oh Sokka!" I said in, possibly, the girly-est voice to ever exit my mouth, "You saved me!" I placed my lips to his cheek, hoping that this could be the start of an amazing romance.
"Actually, it's me…"
That was how I learned about heartbreak: drowning, a giant sea serpent, and kissing a girl.
-A/N
I know this was on my poll but it was a mistake, I was going to always have it going and in case I got writer's block I could go and write a challenge.
Okay, this is the first Beta-d story/chapter thing that was fully edited. This is the 5th version at 2310 words. The original barely passed 500.
Tell me what you think! This is the first serious writing I've done.
Comments, reviews, criticisms and even just a 'good job' would be really appreciated.