Hey everyone! I realized that I forgot to add a disclaimer last time, so here it is:
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in Avatar: the Last Airbender. I also do not own AƩropostale.
Also, if you have an opinion about my story, or some tips, or anything to say - anything at all! - feel free to review. Thanks!
Chapter Two:
The group walked down the street for a while. Everyone they passed gave them strange looks.
"Maybe they don't like outsiders here," Zuko said, laughing nervously.
"I feel weird walking around in my bikini," Katara muttered, crossing her arms over her stomach.
"Don't be silly, Katara, you look great!" Aang smiled.
"Aw, thanks Aang, but I still feel weird," Katara said, a blush creeping up her cheeks.
A toddler took one look at Aang's head and shouted, "Mommy, why can't I get a tattoo like him?"
They found a clothing store eventually.
Aang stared at the sign bearing the store's name. "How do you even say that?" he wondered aloud. "Ai-roo-pas-tay-lee?"
"Maybe it's Ay-roo-pows-tayle," Katara said.
"What are you guys talking about? Are you speaking a different language?" Toph
asked.
A bell jingled as Sokka opened the door to the clothes shop. Loud music was playing inside. It was unlike any music they had heard in the four nations. The people's voices sounded strangely fake, and the lyrics didn't make sense at all.
"Hi, welcome to AƩropostale, how may I help you?" a bored looking, slightly heavy woman asked.
"So that's how you say it," Aang whispered.
"Whoa... are you all models or something? Why are you in swimsuits?" the woman said. "You are gonna need some new clothes."
"I know, right?" Sokka said excitedly. "I could totally use some new clothes!"
The woman raised an eyebrow in Sokka's direction, then shook her head disapprovingly.
"Well, let's get started!" Suki smiled.
"Katara, come with me!" Toph said. "I need someone with eyes."
"Sure thing, Toph," Katara said, taking Toph's arm and leading her through the store.
"I hate shopping," Zuko grumbled.
"Same here," replied Aang, in the same dejected tone.
"Are you guys kidding? Shopping is great!" Sokka yelled from behind a clothing rack. "Just look at these! Aang, this one would look great on you! And, um, Zuko, there's a nice red shirt here that you might like..."
The other two boys rolled their eyes as Sokka kept blabbering about the clothes.
Toph and Katara were having trouble finding clothes.
"I've never seen clothing with words on it before," Katara mused.
"I've never seen any clothing before," Toph said. "Any that you think I would like?"
"It depends... what kind of look are you going for?" Katara said. "Tough, like when you were the Blind Bandit? Or girly, like that time I took you for a spa day in the Earth Kingdom?"
"You know me, I'm all about tough," Toph smirked. Then, making her voice low and gravelly, she said, "They call me 'Toph" because it sounds like 'tough!' And that's just what I am."
It was a perfect impression of the actor who had represented her in the terrible Ember Island play.
"Okay," Katara laughed. "No flowers, then?"
"Definitely not," Toph said.
"Well, here's a black shirt, a few blue shirts, a grey shirt, some hooded sweaters, and a few tank tops," Katara said, piling an assortment of tops on Toph's arms.
"They feel comfy enough," Toph said with a smile. "Now what about the pants?"
Katara and Toph roamed the store, grabbing jeans, sweatpants, and shorts off of the shelves for the blind earthbender to try on.
"Okay, here are the changing rooms," Katara said as she lead Toph into one of the cubicles. "I'm going to look around the store for some clothes for myself, but if you need anything, just yell for me, okay?"
"Okay, Katara," Toph said.
"I don't want to change out of my monk's robes," Aang said, looking at the orange and red clothes he was wearing. He was the only one not in his bathing suit.
"I can understand that," Zuko said.
The chubby sales-lady appeared in front of Aang and Zuko and studied their faces, her eyes narrowing to slits. "Are you some kind of Buddhist monk or something?" she asked Aang.
"Um... Buddhist? What's that?" Aang said nervously.
"Never mind," the woman said. "And that girl over there, is she blind?"
"Yeah, why do you ask?" Zuko answered, his voice taking on a wary tone.
"No reason," the woman said. "Forget I asked." She walked away from a very confused Aang and Zuko.
"I don't like her," the Firelord said. "People should just mind their own business. I mean, why does she care if Toph's blind?"
"Zuko, calm down," Aang said. "It was just an honest question. No need to get so angry."
"Fine, but still. That just burns me up," Zuko said, crossing his arms.
"Haha, it burns you up. Nice one, Zuko!" Aang smiled. Then he saw his friend's expression. "Oh, that wasn't a joke. Speaking of bending, though, can we do that here?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen anyone bending yet," Zuko said. "We should probably lie low until we know for sure that we can."
"Sounds good to me," Aang said.
"Hey, Aang!" a girl's voice called from the other side of the shop. "How do you think this outfit looks?"
Aang turned around and saw Katara dressed in a simple T-shirt and denim mini-shorts. His eyes bulged out of his head and his jaw dropped wide open. Though her clothes were plain, she looked amazing, just like she always did to Aang.
"Um... Aang? How do I look?" Katara asked worriedly. He still hadn't said anything, which could only mean one thing for Katara: she looked too horrible for words.
Zuko realized what was happening to Aang - the same thing had happened to him a few times with Mai - and decided to help his friend out.
"He thinks you look great," Zuko smiled.
"Yeah, Katara, you look awesome," Aang said, coming out of his daze and giving her a thumbs up.
"Thanks guys," Katara said happily and went in search of more clothes.
"Aang," Zuko said, a half-smiling half-serious expression on his face.
"What?" the airbender said.
"I noticed the way you were staring at Katara. Why don't you just ask her out?" Zuko said.
"What are you talking about?" Aang said. "She only likes me as a friend."
"Are you kidding? You kissed after the war was over. That's a sign! It's been a long time since then, Aang, and I think she's been waiting for you to make your move," Zuko told him.
"Really?" Aang said, his eyes glossing over for a second.
"Of course! Plus, you're taller than her now," Zuko said.
"Ha, you're right," Aang laughed. "But how do I get my feelings out without seeming creepy? What if I mess up? What if I get rejected? She ran away from me once before, after I kissed her on Ember Island."
"You won't sound creepy, just tell her the truth. As for messing up, she won't care. I bet she'll like you even more for being brave enough to tell her how you feel," Zuko said. "And as for rejection, it won't happen. Trust me. Besides, you're the Avatar! You saved the world. How can that not be attractive?"
"Thanks for the encouragement, Zuko," Aang said, smiling a little. "But I think I'll wait a little while longer, just because we're in a new place and she might want to get used to everything before making decisions like this."
"That's thoughtful of you, Aang, and you're probably right," Zuko said. "Just remember, the longer you wait, the farther she drifts from you. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to get a shirt." The Firelord left, leaving Aang to mull over everything that had been said.
Katara found Suki in the accessories section.
"Can you believe it?" the Kyoshi Warrior said in annoyance. "They don't sell fans here."
"Suki, this may sound a little awkward but, can I ask you a personal question?" Katara said, feeling embarrassed.
"Sure, Katara," Suki smiled. "What's this about?"
"Well, after you and Sokka kissed on Kyoshi Island, how long was it until he asked you to be his girlfriend?" Katara said.
"Are we counting the time you were on your journey without you or are we starting from when we met at the Ba Sing Se train station?" Suki said.
"Since Ba Sing Se," the waterbender replied.
"Well, I think it was a few months, but I don't know. Three, maybe four?" Suki guessed.
"Oh," Katara said gloomily. It had been way longer than four months since she and Aang had kissed after he defeated Ozai.
"Is this about Aang?" Suki asked. "Because, compared to Sokka, he doesn't talk that much. And he's got way more responsibilities than Sokka, who just has to sharpen his boomerang and bathe."
"I guess I'm pretty easy to read, huh," Katara muttered.
"I can understand why he hasn't told you about his feelings though. He's a shy kid," Suki said.
"I guess you're right, but what if he doesn't even like me, and that's why he hasn't done anything?" Katara asked.
"Katara, trust me when I say that boy has huge feelings for you," Suki said.
"How do you know?" Katara said.
"I notice things," Suki said nonchalantly. "He's probably just trying to pluck up the courage to ask you out."
Katara wanted to ask what the things Suki had noticed were, but the Kyoshi Warrior kept talking.
"Maybe you should just tell him yourself," Suki said.
"W-what?" Katara stammered.
"The guy doesn't always have to be the one to share their feelings first. It's perfectly acceptable for a girl to ask a guy out, too," Suki said. "I bet it even makes the guy like her even more, because of the fearlessness a girl has to have to do something like that."
"Hmm, maybe I will tell him," Katara whispered to herself.
