Imagine a world, your world, your home and life, everything you ever knew. Now picture it fading away. Your whole world going dark so you couldn't see. You're blind. I know someone who was born this way. Her name is Toph Bei Fong. She is apart of the Avatars group. Although I suppose now, so am I. My name is Zuko. Or Prince Zuko. Crowned prince of the fire nation. I sit at camp watching everyone work. Suddenly wood dropped at my feet. I looked up to see Toph's blank, visionless stare.
"What?" I asked her. It sounded ruder then I intended but even I could hear the bitterness in my voice.
"Calm down princess I'm just fallowing Katara's orders."
"And these orders being?"
"Start a fire! What else?"
"Sorry…" Toph walked over by my side and sat on the ground next to me and watched me make a fire.
"Zuko?"
"Yes?"
"Why do you get so angry?"
"I could ask you the same question"
"I have my reasons, but id like to know yours" to be honest I don't think Toph really knew much about me and I knew nearly nothing about her.
"My life has been hard"
"How hard? On a scale from one to ten, ten being the highest and one being the lowest."
"Ten. How about you?"
"9.5" she smiled. I also laughed. Toph had this sarcastic yet positive sort of attitude when it came to the way she is and her life. Actually Toph and I had grown extremely close. I think I'm closer to her than anyone else here. It came with one disadvantage though; everyone seemed to think there was something going on between her and I. Toph seemed to be oblivious to the whispers of our fellow campers. Then a question came to my mind. I began to wonder if maybe Toph did like me like that.
"Toph?"
"yeah?"
"Who do you…like?"
"What do you mean?"
"I just was wonder if there are any guys out there that you maybe have a…um…crush on?"
"Why…?"
"Well everyone else here seems to think you and I are-"
"Whoa there princess I don't like you like that. Do you like me?"
"Not a chance Bei Fong!" I teased giving her a gentle nudge. "Besides I had a girlfriend and I love her very much."
"What's her name?"
"Mai" thinking of Mai made my heart sink a little. I missed her so much.
"Do I know her?"
"She's that girl who fallows my sister around."
"Wait the gloomy, depressed one or the happy, perky one?"
"The first one"
"You're in love with the gloomy girl"
"Yep. What about you? Is there anyone that you love?"
"Shane Le…" Toph said. Id never heard of him or heard her mention him or anything.
"Have I met him?"
"No"
"Have the others met him?"
"No"
"Have you told them about him?"
"No"
"What is he like?"
"He was the only one back at home who treated me like I wasn't helpless…we had fun together and he believed in me…" I detected the sadness in her voice and felt sorry for her."
"What happened?"
"We were together for almost two years…I left. Before I did I went to him and told him I was leaving to teach the Avatar earth bending. He didn't buy it. 'To get away from your parents too?' He had asked me. I told him yes but he was the one thing keeping me here. I asked him to come with me. He wouldn't leave his family…he said 'I love you like the desert loves the rain. Even though I wont be able to see you for a long time. I will still love you and be with no one else. After all the sun never gets to see the moon but he still loves her.' I almost stayed…but couldn't."
"I'm sorry."
"I would write to him but…I cant write or read…he sent me this" She pulled out an envelope.
"I haven't opened it, but I got it yesterday…he knows I cant read…so why would he send it to me?"
"Let me read it to you."
"NO! Its personal!"
"How else will you know what it says?" She reluctantly handed me the envelope. I opened it and when I saw what it said I was devastated. I couldn't let Toph hear what was really on the page…I would lie…
"Dear Toph,
If you're hearing this you found someone to read it to you. Toph, I love you very much. You are my world. Please have the person reading this write a reply so I may know how you are. I love you my moon, my desert, my Toph.
Love, Shane Le"
"Liar…" Toph sighed. Id forgotten shed be able to tell if I wasn't telling the truth.
"Sorry."
"Read what it really says."
"…Toph,
I cannot stand this any longer…not seeing you or being with you. Its been driving me insane. I'm sorry…I found someone else. Goodbye.
Your friend, Shane Le" Toph was quite. She gently took the letter from my hands and with shaky legs she stood. "Toph?" I took her hand. She fell in my lap holding onto me crying.
"I will always be here for you Toph if you ever need to talk." And that's how Toph Bei Fong and I became best friends. For the next few days we were inseparable. I told her how Id broken up with Mai and how I thought she would never forgive me.
"Everything happens for a reason" she said "If you two are meant to be together it will happen." I didn't want to admit it but I thought I was slowly falling in love with Toph. I was fascinated by her strength and attitude. After a couple days I had chosen to tell her how I felt. We told the others we were going to go collect fire wood. We then walked through the woods together. She was picking up pieces of wood as we walked.
"Toph?"
"Yes Zuko?"
"Would you call me crazy if I told you I loved you?"
"I would if I didn't love you too." I sudden burst of happiness filled me. I turned to her and kissed her gently. She then dropped the wood at my feet and I smiled because it reminded me of how I first started to love a blind, strong, incredible girl named Toph.
