Katara looked up at the clock, just five more minutes. Her hand trembled as she took notes on the economy in ancient Omashu. Mr. Bumi took a bite from the crystal candy chalk and faced his students. "…And in that way, you could say King Maro had a rocky reign." The teacher laughed and snorted at his own joke while the class mumbled complaints at the teacher's lame sense of humor. One guy at the front of the class also began laughing uncontrollably. Katara rolled her eyes, why did she have to have such an idiot of a brother?

The bell rang and Katara jumped out of her seat and ran out the door. She zipped through the hallways, down the stairs, and into the school basement. Immediately, she stripped off her uncomfortable school skirt, unbuttoned the stiff collared shirt, peeled off the bright blue tights and ran for the pool, her bathing suit had been on the entire time.

She dived head on into the clear water and rushed down to the bottom. She blew out a bubble of air to surround her head and sat on the bottom of the pool. When the air in her bubble grew stale, she bended the water around to propel her up through the water and flipping into the air. In midair, she took a deep breath in and fell back into the water.

The pool was really only ten feet deep, not nearly enough for Katara. She floated her back on top of the water and looked up at the water's reflections on the ceiling. This was the only place she could just be herself, she couldn't let them find out… what she was. The basement pool door opened with a loud creak. "Katara!" Sokka came in with his backpack slung over his shoulder. "What did I tell you about coming down here alone?! What if someone came in?! They don't keep the place locked!"

Katara swam towards her brother slowly. "No one ever comes down here but me, there's nothing to worry about."

"Well what if someone did? Then what? Who'd protect you then?"

Katara climbed the ladder out of the water. Her skin shivered surrounded by cold air. "I'd protect myself, I'm not a kid anymore."

Sokka laughed sarcastically, "Yeah right! You've never even been taught to bend, you'd be no match for a firebender!"

"Why would a firebender come to a pool and surround themselves with water?"

Sokka threw up his arms in exasperation. "I don't know! Maybe even those hotheads need to cool off once in a while."

Katara threw a towel around her shoulders and walked to her usual locker. "Whatever. Aren't you going to be late for soccer tryouts?"

Sokka glared at her and started walking for the exit. "Get dressed and wait by the field. No more playing with magic water!"

Katara ran to the exit and yelled to her brother as he climbed the stairs. "It's not 'magic water' it's WATERBENDING!" She sighed when Sokka had left. He was right, she had never been trained, she was no match for anyone. She dried off her skin and changed back into her school uniform.

Sokka took a good look around at the applicants this season; all kids with no speed, no muscle, and no balls, and then there was … a girl? "Hey lady! Cheerleading tryouts are that way." The other boys laughed.

"I'm not trying out for cheerleading, I'm trying out for soccer."

Sokka shook his head. "Listen sweetie, I don't know what nonsense they poured into your head in middle school, but here at Elements we take sports very seriously and we don't need a little girl like you dragging this team down."

The girl furrowed her eyebrows and frowned to one side. "Little girl? Is that all you think of me? Then surely a gentleman like yourself would at least giving me a chance? In fact, since it is a man's sport, and you're obviously such a great athlete, how about you give me a little demonstration?"

Sokka straightened his back and puffed his chest out a bit with all this praise. "Okay, stand up." The girl stood up, she was taller than she looked sitting down. Her brown hair was bobbed and her eyes were dark blue.

Sokka took the soccer ball and placed it at his feet, confident in his ability as student captain of the soccer team. "Okay, now this may be difficult, but try to block me." He had barely moved two steps when the girl stole the ball and, as a result, Sokka fell face first.

The girl smiled mischievously, "What a fascinating lesson."

Sokka blushed from embarrassment, "That was pretty good, for a girl. I was going easy on you of course."

"Of course." She kicked the ball back to Sokka as he stood up. "Now, let's see if you can handle this!"

Katara watched from a distance as this girl stole the ball and ran towards the goal with Sokka tripping over himself running after her. She kicked the ball into the net with speed and accuracy. "What were you saying about girls 'dragging you down'?"

Sokka picked the ball up and looked this girl straight in the eye. "What's your name?"

"Kyoshi, Suki Kyoshi."

Sokka laughed. "Oh, so you're from that freaky family with fourteen girls."

Immediately, Sokka crumpled to the ground as Suki landed a kick right in his stomach.

He yelled, "What the hell was that for? You crazy bitch!"

"People like you only label us as freaks because you can't stand anyone being different from you! You're afraid of what you don't understand so you give it a bad rep and hope it goes away. But I'm not a freak and neither are my sisters! Forget it, I don't want to play on a team where the captain doesn't respect me." She walked away, her face hot and red after getting worked up.

"Thank you." Suki turned her head to look at Katara. "He needed that."

Suki furrowed her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"That guy you just made a fool of was my brother. He was asking for it."

"Oh. Um, you're welcome, I guess."

"Where'd you learn to play like that?"

"My mom taught me."

Katara smiled. "She taught you well, we could use some players like you. I fear my brother's been the reason our team lost the last two seasons."

Suki smiled, "He is kind of an idiot."

Katara laughed, "You have no idea."

Suki sat with Katara talking over stuff like boys, make up, and school celebrities.

"Mr. Bumi?"

Suki answered, "Crazy. Jet?"

Katara blushed. "Hot."

Suki laughed. "You like him? No way! That boy's nothing but trouble."

"He's not that bad."

"School's been open for three weeks and he's gotten four detentions!"

"I heard the one over the lunch meat was actually June's fault."

"Either way, he got blamed for it. Oh wow, my bus will be here soon. Well I guess I'll see you later, Katara."

"Okay, see ya!"

Sokka walked up to where Katara sat on the bleachers. "Who was that?"

"Suki Kyoshi. She thinks you're a real jerk you know. You should apologize."

Sokka's face went red, "Don't tell me what to do! Come on, tryouts are over let's go!"

Sokka became increasingly annoyed as it seemed his car keys wouldn't fit in the lock. "Gah! What's wrong with this stupid set of keys! Why won't it just …"

"Sokka calm down! You're putting it in the wrong way!" Katara grabbed the keys from him and smoothly inserted them into the lock.

"I knew it was the wrong way!"

"Sure you did."

Sokka stepped on the gas and recklessly drove out of the high school parking lot. "Slow down, Sokka! You're going to get us killed!" "Hey, I know what I'm doing!" Sokka always drove like this when he was angry.

They swerved around obstacles and honked at various cars. At one intersection, the car in front was somewhat slow to turn and Sokka lost it. He stuck his head out the window and began screaming obscene language at the idling car, completely losing focus on the task of driving.

Katara was so embarrassed, she hid her head under her jacket. When the car in front finally got around to making the turn, Sokka quickly stepped on the gas. Katara looked up just in time to see a small figure come into the crosswalk on the other side of the box.

"Left! Sokka, go left!" Sokka, at seeing the boy in the crosswalk, slammed on the brakes and tried to turn away from the kid, but it was all too late.

The car hit the boy and he crumpled to the ground.