In Another World by Taiyo-chan
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything associated with it. I'm just a fan suffering from AWS and writing to pass time by.
Shippings in this chapter: Sukka, Tokka, slight poke at Toko, slight Yukka, Taang, Kataang, and Zutara (kind of), poke at former Tyru, slight Jetara, poke at Azukka, a little Tetoph, slight Zujin, slight Soko, and a tiny bit of Maang
Week One: Moving on and Gotta Move On
Sokka was busy doodling on his spare notebook cover. It was a doodle of a boomerang. Morning announcements were mostly a waste of time. Something he should know being a senior and all. He heard someone sit next to him. It was weird seeing that he had always sat by himself at the desk that could fit two people.
"Interesting doodle," a female voice said with a smiling tone.
Sokka looked up to see a girl his age with short brown hair and lilac eyes. He smiled. "By interesting, do you mean nice or weird?"
"Just what I meant," she replied. "Interesting. I see you're a fan of weapons. That's something we have in common."
"Really?" Sokka smiled. "The name's Sokka. What yours?"
"Suki."
"Nice to meet you. So what weapons are you interested in?"
Suki was about to reply but the morning announcements ended and The Mechanist, Teo's father, began Honors Chemistry class. He started off by calling Suki to the front so she could be introduced. The class smiled at the girl's laid back attitude. She was allowed to sit down and The Mechanist began to review the compounds to make freezing solution.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toph was working in her Braille notebook with haste as the two boys watched her in amusement.
"You should have done your homework last night, Toph," Teo teased. "Or else you wouldn't be in this situation."
Toph looked up and growled at him. "Oh shut up, Goggles!"
"Goggles?" Aang repeated with eyebrows raised up.
"I took her gliding on my wheelchair Sunday," Teo explained. He grinned. "I finally have a nickname."
"She called you "T" a couple of times," Aang pointed out. "That's a nickname."
"Finished!" Toph exclaimed. "Thank God!" Then she pulled out what appeared to be a choker in construction, and other supplies that appeared necessary for the task. She began placing the unidentifiable chunk of bead into the thread. It had one hole close to the end and another one across from it. Toph worked vigorously to get it lined up.
"Jewelry class?" Teo asked.
Toph nodded. Aang studied the necklace. "How did you know which beads were the same?"
The blind girl smirked. "You don't see beads as big as your finger lying around everyday. I'm just one of the lucky ones to find these."
Aang blinked and looked to Teo and said in a really low voice, "Good thing they're all the same color."
"Heard that, Twinkle Toes."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So, how fans help you in combat?" Sokka asked dubiously during study hall. "I mean, I know how the shields help. Who doesn't? Still, how does a girly fan make its use?"
Suki smiled a knowing smile. "Fans are more than they seem. Instead of "girly fans" as you put them, they're more like extended arms. The more length, the more you can take. I'll have to show you sometime."
Sokka, not really convinced, replied, "Please do."
Suki, knowing he wasn't convinced, replied with a devious grin. "Oh, I will."
Katara walked in. "Hey, Sokka. The Mechanist said you dropped this at his class." She handed him his notebook. She looked at Suki. "Who's your friend?"
"Katara, this is Suki," Sokka introduced. "Suki, this is my bossy little sister, Katara."
Eye twitching, Katara whacked him across the head. "Yes, I'm his little sister but I am not bossy. At least not all the time."
Suki chuckled. "Either way it was nice to meet you."
Katara was done smirking at the damage she did to her brother's head and smiled sincerely at Suki. "Likewise, Suki."
To be even more vindictive, she patted her brother on the sore spot, causing him to wince. "I'll see you later, Big Brother." She walked off with pride.
Suki shook her head with a smile. "Nothing cuter than siblings with deep love for each other fighting."
"Yeah," Sokka said as he rubbed his head, "that's us for you."
Suki took out her Honor's Chemistry book and got a piece of paper to start homework. "Wanna do the homework together?"
"Sure," Sokka said. He pulled out his Honors Chemistry stuff as well.
"When would ever be a good time for me to show you how fans can kick butt?" Suki teased as she read the first question.
"My dad is going to be home for once and he wanted to train me on more fighting skills," Sokka replied. "Maybe today, if that's OK. It would be neat if my dad got to meet you."
"Today would be great," Suki beamed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Toph, you're taking the project just a little too seriously," Aang stated. "That's not like you."
Toph ignored him. She was trying to tie the knot in right to hold all of the beads into place.
"Don't you get it, Aang?" Teo scolded him. "It's for Zuko."
Toph looked up. "WHAT?!"
Aang stifled his laughing. "I agree...pfft...with her. We all haven't seen Zuko and Haru since last month."
"They say distance makes the heart fonder," Teo teased.
Toph was obviously not amused. "That is sick, Teo. He's a frickin' college student."
"Calm down. We all know you like So-"
Toph threw one of the extra beads at him; one that Teo barely dodged seeing that she threw it really fast. Aang had ignored them to drink some flavored water but spat it out on Teo in surprise. "What?! Toph, you like Sokka!"
Toph turned red and continued with her choker. "What gave you two that idea?"
"One, I've seen you around him with those dreamy, sea foam green eyes," Teo stated as he cleaned himself, "Not to mention you just chunked one of those large beads to shut me up."
"And what other guy you know whose name has "So" in it?" Aang concluded. "No offense, but isn't Sokka just a little old for you."
Toph narrowed her sightless eyes at the bald Airbender. "That's funny coming from someone whose crush is two years older than him!"
It was Aang's turn to blush. "Well...that's closer than the age difference between you and Sokka!"
"It's still an age difference!" Toph argued back. "Just like me, it's best you wait until your marrying age, which is eighteen. Me."
Toph smiled deviously. "I only have one more year."
Aang rolled his eyes. "Why do the girls get to marry younger than guys?"
"Because we're more mature than you, that's why."
"That's a bunch of stuff!"
The two continued to argue over such a petty issue. Teo found it amusing and ate his popcorn as the bashing went on.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sokka was driving Suki to his home from school. For the first time today, there was awkward silence between the two.
"So, what's your dad like?" Suki asked in hopes to break the ice.
"He works for the Water Tribe enforcements," Sokka explained somewhat awkwardly. "So we tend to not see him a lot."
"It's something how they overwork men for something that's not happening," Suki commented.
Sokka chuckled. "You can never be too careful. It's best to be prepared for anything."
"I agree," Suki defended slightly, "it's just that families might not be necessarily close because of all the work their parents have to do."
Sokka was silent but then he sighed. "Katara and I don't mind. It's good for Dad."
Suki raised her eyebrow at Sokka. He didn't look at her.
"See, our mother died from a car accident and working seemed to take his mind off her," Sokka replied. "He's finally moved on with his life but-"
"A habit that can't be erased?"
Sokka actually shook his head. "He got promoted from his hard work during his grieving and just when he was ready to bond with us again, they took it away by giving him the promotion. He only took it because they promised good money and assistance in enrolling me and Katara for college."
"Oh," Suki said in a low voice.
She looked away.
"It's OK," Sokka said, sensing her tension. "I'm glad I told you."
Suki looked at him with a small smile on her face. "You just met me and you already can trust me?"
Sokka shrugged. "I confided with my buds from college, Zuko and Haru, about it. So, it's nothing new. It's just great to have a friend the same age as you, ya know?"
"I understand what you mean. Actually I live with it. Having ten sisters at my home." (A/N: Why so many siblings? It's to honor the Kyoshi warriors.)
Sokka whistled. "I'd die if there was ten Kataras living at home."
Suki laughed. "Sure you would."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"It doesn't matter," Toph retorted on the bus. "I'll kick your butt during training!"
"I don't need you for training, remember?" Aang argued back. "I'm doing just fine in Sophomore Earthbending Class."
"It's hard to remember after training with you for the past month," Toph snarled. "Both way, they're both too old for us and girls own guys any day."
The first bus stop on the way home was Toph's signal to leave. She gathered her belongings. She smirked at Aang. "Case closed, Twinkle Toes."
Before Aang could argue back, Toph was already walking down the steps. He blew air at his forehead. "Girls do not own guys."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hakoda smiled as he watched his son and his friend training with each other. He shook his head at the metal fans she possessed. "What an interesting young lady."
Sokka aimed a blow for Suki. Smirking, she extended her arm with the fan and blocked the blow. While he was distracted by the block, she swirled the blocking arm to fully disable his attack, knelt down quickly and tripped him.
"AH!" he screamed.
Suki stood up, lending him a hand. "And that's how fans are good for weapons."
Sokka smiled. "I am deeply humbled."
"You should be."
He accepted her lending hand. She hoisted him up. When she did, he was only inches away from her face. Both young adults blinked, with a hint of pink on their cheeks. She quickly let go of his hand and took a few steps back. Hakoda was still watching from the kitchen window. He took his focus off them and stared at two pictures sitting on the stand. One was of a beautiful woman with brunette hair, looking almost like Katara. The other picture was also a beautiful young lady with unusual white hair. Both had sweet smiles on their faces.
"He's finally moving on, girls," he told the pictures. "Just as you would want him to."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toph finished her homework and continued trying to get the hook ons at the ends of the choker right. When she did, she collapsed on her bed. "At last!"
She felt around her little jewelry work and smiled. "I'll have to see what Ai-sensei thinks." She laughed to herself. "The boys don't know I already finished my project for jewelry. This is..."
She paused and sighed warmly. "Just extra."
She lied there and fell asleep within minutes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So, someone's got a girlfriend," Katara said half-teasingly. "And you only knew her for a day! What is up with you dating girls you only met for a day?"
It was the next day and Katara was in the kitchen, making breakfast. Sokka gave her a dull look from the dining room.
"The last girl I even dated was Yue," he pointed out.
Katara decided it was time to be serious. "It was just light teasing, Sokka. When you met Yue, both of you agreed to date on that same day."
Sokka only nodded. "I know."
Katara blinked, shook her head, and gave him his bowl of oatmeal. Sokka looked disgusted.
"Oatmeal again? Where's the meat?!"
"Oatmeal is good for you."
"So is meat!"
"Not as good as oatmeal."
"Katara!"
"Sokka!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the bus, Aang stifled his laughter when he saw Toph coming in holding a complete choker. She plopped herself next to him.
"I bet someone slept well after finishing that," he teased.
"As a matter of fact I did, thanks for caring," Toph replied lightly.
He watched her play with it. He smiled. "You did a great job on it."
Toph stopped playing with the choker and turned her head towards Aang's general direction and smiled. "Thanks, Twinkle Toes."
Aang merely nodded and looked to the windows. "Maybe I should make a necklace for Katara."
Toph then rolled her eyes. "Oh brother."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey, Sokka!" Suki greeted him during Honors Chemistry.
"Hey, Suki!"
They smiled at each other.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Sokka asked.
Suki looked to the ceiling in thought and shrugged. "I guess so, you?"
"So-so. All I thought about was you."
Suki blushed but still gave her new boyfriend a teasing grin. "You fall quick and hard, don't ya?"
Sokka chuckled nervously at the truth. "You make me sound pitiful putting it like that."
Suki kissed him on the cheek. "Never pitiful, Sokka, never pitiful."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toph waited anxiously as Ai-sensei looked at it. She smiled.
"Excellent job, Bei Fong," she said as she handed it to her. "Who's it for?"
Toph pretended to act clueless in a polite way to say "Nonya". "Huh?"
"You put effort in the actual project but you did just a little extra on this one," the teacher pointed out. "Even if it is just thread and bead."
Toph cocked her head to her left. "Did I? I just thought I'd do something since I actually got done before anyone else."
Now how did a blind girl beat everyone in doing her project? Two words: No buddies. At least not in that class, thus no one could distract her. Ai-sensei knew Toph was keeping it to herself and got the point.
"Just chill for the rest of the period as everyone wraps up, OK?"
"Alright."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"He has study hall while we have lunch," Katara told Toph during lunchtime. "Why?"
"No reason," Toph lied.
Katara raised an eyebrow. "Right. Just waste breath on a question."
"Ha ha," Toph replied dryly. She dashed out of the cafeteria. "See you guys later!"
Jin and Song blinked at Toph's behavior. Katara saw Teo and Aang shaking their heads. She placed a hand on her chin.
"Excuse me," she told Song and Jin.
She left their table and walked over to the boys. Aang blushed when she sat next to him.
"Hey guys," she casually greeted. "Call me nosy but do you guys have any idea why Toph is heading for Sokka's study hall?"
The boys looked at each other and looked back at Katara with a dubious expression.
"Does she have something for him or something?" Katara pressed on.
That, the boys felt it was safe to answer based on Katara's tone. They nodded. Katara blinked. "Oh. Just making sure. Thanks."
She left them alone and returned to her table.
"What was that about?" Jin asked.
Katara faced her. "I just had a sinking feeling as to what Toph was up to." She sighed. "I still do for some reason."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toph felt like she could've kicked herself. She forgot to ask Katara exactly where his study hall is. She couldn't go back. Katara was already suspicious when she first asked. She sighed. She couldn't actually try to look for his study hall. She only had x amount of minutes for lunch. "I guess I'll just go back and eat lunch."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So more training?" Suki asked. It was the afternoon and Sokka was taking her to his place again by car.
"Not unless you want to," he replied. "I was thinking something wholesome. Doing our homework together, you know?"
Suki rested her head on his shoulder. "Sure. Why not?"
Sokka smiled. "Great."
When they got there, he made them some tea while Suki read through their textbook for Honors Chemistry. Suki shook her head. "I don't know why I let Oyajii convince me to take Honors Chem. I don't get half of this stuff."
"So that's why we're destined to meet," Sokka joked. "You were destined to have a hot boyfriend to help you with it."
Suki smirked. "You said that yesterday, but it never gets old."
"Good," he said as he came with the tray. "What do you need help with?"
"Everything under this whole chapter," she muttered. "The Mechanist made it sound a little easier than the crap I'm reading here."
Sokka laughed. "That's what makes him a great teacher. Let me help you out."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toph told her parents that she had to drop off "something important" at Katara's house. Lao raised an eyebrow at his daughter. Toph remained stern. Inside, she was hoping he wouldn't see through her 'cause he had done so before. Lao sighed. "I'll drive you."
Toph preferred to walk but she didn't want to press her luck. "OK."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suki nodded intently as Sokka explained to her the different chemical compounds. She smiled warmly.
"And for this, there's-Oh man!"
Sokka had accidentally knocked over the note papers. Suki chuckled.
"You were a little too passionate about this weren't ya?"
"Heh. Heh."
They crouched down to get the papers. Just like the same ol' classics, their hands touched. The two paused and looked at each other in the eyes. Without knowing it, they both leaned towards each other.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toph hopped out of the car and ran for their door. She paused when she felt vibrations go past the Water Tribe siblings' house. Sokka and someone were crouched down on the floor...and their faces weren't far apart. Toph refrained from knocking on the door, waiting.
"Aren't you knocking or what?" Lao asked impatiently.
Toph snapped out of it and faced her dad. "Sorry. I just zoned out." She would regret saying that as her father never understood figurative language.
She snapped back to the door. Her heart sunk. Sokka and whoever he was with, their lips met. Toph bit her lower lip and reluctantly knocked on the door. Part of her felt satisfied when the knocking interrupted their kiss but she still felt unexpectedly crestfallen. She felt Sokka opened the door. She took a deep breath.
"Toph?!" Sokka said. "Hey, I, um, didn't know you were coming. Katara went to Jin's house so if-"
"I came to drop this off," Toph interrupted bitterly. She handed him the small box containing the choker. "It's for you."
"Oh," Sokka said. "Thanks...Are you OK?"
Suki watched from the dining room. She saw it in the girls' eyes. She knew how she was feeling just from her blind eyes.
"I'm fine," Toph lied. "What gave you that idea?"
"You just didn't sound too happy," Sokka replied.
Toph shook her head, placing her cut off gloved hands into her pockets. "I'm good. I just wanted to give that to you. Now if you excuse me, Dad's waiting on me."
Before Sokka could say anything, Toph turned around and ran for the car. The farther away from him the better. "I'll see you later!"
Sokka stood dumbfounded. "OK." Toph and Lao were gone. Sokka closed the door and faced Suki with a troubled look on his face. Suki shook her head.
"I've only seen her for a couple of minutes and already know," Suki told him. "You're clueless, Sokka."
"About what?"
"Let her tell you that."
"She's not OK, is she?"
"No, Sokka. She's not."
"Well...I got that much."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toph didn't talk on the way back. She didn't talk entering the house. She went straight to her room as if her parents had sent her there. She closed the door behind her. She needed a place to think. Her private bathroom was a great place. She wasn't about to cry. She just desperately felt the need to think. She sat alone in her bathroom.
Why are you even upset? You already knew he didn't like you in that way. Not to mention he's three years older than you. I guess you want him to get in trouble with the law.
No. I don't know why I'm upset, OK? You're right. I knew all of this from Jump Street. Maybe it was because I didn't care. Perhaps I didn't care because he wasn't with anyone at the time. Like I had all the time in the world.
Well, that's sure not the case now is it?
No. It's not.
Toph only sat there and said as if dead, "I have no right to be feeling this way."
I guess it's understandable. I mean, you did like the guy.
Toph waved her thoughts aside and exited the bathroom. She lied down on her bed and buried her face in her pillow. It, the pillow, had never been so welcoming. She fell asleep that way and it worried her parents because it wasn't even past dinnertime.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sokka didn't complain that Katara made oatmeal again for breakfast. He ate it silently. He was in thought.
"Did Toph talk to you the other day?" Katara asked.
Sokka looked up. "Yeah. Why?"
"She looked for you during lunchtime yesterday and you seem to have something on your mind," she said.
Sokka sighed. "She stopped yesterday and-"
He moved the choker around his neck. (A.N. 'Pose to be the same one he wears on the regular show.) Katara examined it.
"Nicely made," she commented. "It looks like something a guy from the Water Tribe would wear."
Sokka nodded in agreement. "But you weren't there. Toph, she seemed...troubled by something. Even Suki noticed the bitterness in her voice."
Katara frowned. "Weird."
"I know."
"Maybe one of us should talk to her...preferably you."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toph sipped her drink soda quietly. The boys watched her. Teo was especially worried.
"You're prone to being quiet at times but this kind of quiet is tripping me out," Teo said.
"I agree," Aang pointed out worriedly. "What happened?"
Toph stopped sipping. "Guys, quit worrying. It's nothing major."
They blinked at this response. Sokka walked in and immediately found her.
"Toph."
She cringed at the sound of his voice but looked up at him. "Yeah?"
"Can I talk to you?"
Both boys noticed he was wearing Toph's choker that she made for him. They were even more confused. Aang grunted. "And she said girls own boys."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When they were outside of the cafeteria, Sokka pulled Toph into a hug. Toph tried to control it, but she couldn't. She was blushing.
"W-wh-wha-"
"Thanks for the gift, Toph," Sokka interrupted. "It means a lot that you made it yourself."
He let her go. Toph didn't face him and allowed her head to hang to the floor. Not only because she was red in the face but also because she had an uncharacteristically goofy grin on her face.
"N-no problem."
"I hope I didn't have anything to do with whatever offended you," Sokka continued. "That's the last thing I would want to do to one of my little sisters."
Toph looked up, her blushing gone. "Huh?"
Sokka nodded. "I see you as one of my little sisters. Along with Jin and Song."
He patted her on the head. "If you don't want to tell me, it's OK. I just-"
"Sokka," Toph interrupted.
He stopped. She smiled mischievously. "I'll tell you." She motioned for him to kneel down so she could whisper into his ear. After she was done, Sokka jumped a mile. "WHAT?!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So, what made your friend upset?" Suki asked when Sokka returned, who was looking dazed.
"It's...it's..."
"What?"
"It's her time of the month."
Week Two: A Step from Numbness
There was a knock on the door at six in the evening. Poppy Bei Fong answered it to find an average-height, bald-headed kid with Airbending tattoos clad in a yellow T-shirt, red jacket, and beige, baggy pants standing at her doorway. The mother raised an eyebrow at him. Not the same way Lao would do Sokka when he sees him but more of curiosity.
"Hi," Aang said sheepishly. "'I'm a friend of Toph's. Is she home?"
"Twinkle Toes?" Poppy asked. "I've been meaning to ask if your parents were drunk when they named you."
Aang laughed. "No, my name is Aang. That's just her nickname for me because "I'm light on my feet"."
"Stay right there."
Poppy left the door open but she walked upstairs to get her daughter. She knocked on the door.
"Yes?" Toph asked. She was lying down reading a Braille fiction.
"A boy named Aang is here to see you," Poppy answered. "I thought his name was Twinkle Toes. Thank God I was wrong."
Toph shook her head with little energy. "Just a nickname. I'm on my way down."
Poppy rushed back downstairs and confirmed this to Aang. "Why don't you come in?"
Aang reluctantly took a step in. Not everyone had privilege to take a step into the Bei Fong's house. Poppy smiled at him sincerely. Aang returned the gesture. Both were silent. Aang looked away; silently wishing Toph would hurry and come down. Thankfully for him she did.
"Hey," Toph greeted him impassively. "What brings you here?"
Aang seem like he didn't want to say what he wanted to say in front of Poppy. "I was wondering if you would want to take a walk with me...if it's OK with your mom as well."
The second Aang said "mom", Poppy ran to get Toph's jacket and practically shot it at her daughter's face. Toph removed it out of her sightless view and laughed. "It's definitely OK with her. Sure."
He smiled at her. They both walked out of the door while Toph closed it.
"So, why did...hey!"
Aang had scooped Toph up in his arms. She frowned at him, but didn't thrash.
"What's the big idea?!" she scolded.
"I don't want you to see the place with your feet until we get there," he replied unabashed.
Toph frowned and said, "Whatever. You get a sore back it's not my fault."
Aang laughed. "You're not heavy...but you'll want to hang on tight."
Hearing the alertness in his voice, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and buried her face into it. "OK."
The Avatar took a deep breath and ran faster than the wind, causing Toph to scream.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toph was slightly dizzy by the time they arrived where Aang wanted to take her. He slowly let him down. Toph stood there reading the vibrations with her feet. She folded her arms.
"Aang," she said. "We're at your place."
"You've never been outside of the yard," Aang replied. He pointed towards a peaceful field up ahead. Toph raised an eyebrow.
"Did you find something there?"
Aang shook his head. "I just thought it would be a nice place to clear the mind."
"Oh." She scratched the top of her head. Aang cocked his head to the left. "What's wrong?"
Toph blinked, and then sighed. "I thought you'd want to share open space with Sugar Queen or something. Why me? Not that I mind, it's just...I don't know."
"Well, ever since last week, you seemed like you were more down than usual," Aang answered. "Even after you talked to Sokka about whatever it is you talked about."
Toph stifled her snickering at the mention of the last time she talked to Sokka. "Let's just say I purposely scared him off so I wouldn't make him feel bad."
She walked closer to Aang and forced a smile. "I'll just walk around. You do what you want."
She then walked past him, heading into the fields. Aang followed after her. Toph placed a hand over her forehead and groaned. Aang didn't know what that meant.
"Am I bugging you?"
"No," she replied.
He continued to walk at her side. "Maybe I will let you walk by yourself."
Toph sighed. "OK."
Aang walked back to his place. Toph was all alone and she didn't have any feelings about it. She stopped when she was on top of a small hill. She sat down as the wind blew her bangs and downward bun with hair already sticking out of it. She closed her eyes.
"I feel... numb."
She felt something land on her left shoulder and lick her on the cheek. She blinked until she remembered it was the lemur she won during that arm wrestling match. She hadn't seen it since then until now. With her right hand, she scratched its head. "Aren't you suppose to be with your master?" she said.
The lemur only purred and continued licking her face. She didn't giggle at the feeling of it licking her cheek; she only smiled. "At this rate my face will be clean," she commented.
She heard Aang laughing from a not too far distance. She had been preoccupied with his lemur to have noticed him.
"He does everyone like that," he chuckled. "You should have seen him when Sokka had a peach with him and he stole it. Katara and I found it hilarious."
Toph smiled. "So the little rascal's a fruit thief."
"I guess you can say that. I named him Momo for that."
Momo flew from Toph to Aang, licking his bald head. The blind girl shook her head in amusement. Aang sat down next to her. He watched the sun settling down. Toph merely played with the grass.
"Thanks for wanting to help clear my head," Toph said to Aang.
He looked at her and smiled. "No problem."
Toph lied down with her leg crossed over the other. "Just so you and everyone else know, I'll be fine. When, I don't know."
"We're just worried-"
"I appreciate that you guys are concerned," Toph interrupted. "But like I said. I'll be fine."
Aang chuckled lightly. "You never do show your emotions that much."
"And I suppose that's a bad thing," Toph retorted.
Aang didn't reply. He stood up and held his hand out to his friend. Her head stared straight ahead. "What?"
"There's a lake," he replied.
"I can't swim, Twinkle Toes. Just go on without me."
Aang shook his head. "It's not for swimming."
Having saying that, she took his hand and allowed him to hoist her to her feet. She shifted them around to feel vibrations for the lake. It was down the hill on the other side. Aang smiled. "I bet I can beat you down there."
Toph folded her arms in defiance. "I'll bet it's a different story without your Airbending."
"Only one way to find out."
"You dare challenge me? You are on!"
The teens mounted themselves, ready for the race. Momo left Aang's shoulder to fly back to the stables.
"Three...two...one...GO!"
The teens were off down the hill. Toph laughed as Aang was ahead of her, despite losing.
"Dang, Twinkle Toes! You should be Track and Fields!"
Aang laughed and screamed, "Woah!" There was a splash. Toph couldn't slow down. "Oh crap!"
She fell in too. Aang was already swimming for the surface. Toph was oddly still as she descended down. Her eyes calm and blank. Aang wrapped his arm around her waist to let her know he got her. She calmly held on his collar as he swam them to the surface. They gasped for air. Toph began to laugh as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"You know that was real smart of us to race down a hill," she laughed.
Aang only chuckled in agreement. "Yeah, real smart."
He paddled them to the edge and made sure Toph got out before he did. After she was out, he climbed out. Toph squeezed the water out of her hair. Aang pressed his fists together and airbended the water off him...and Toph. Her bangs and downward bun were fluffy and sticking in the direction that Aang's wind sent them. Aang laughed at her shocked expression.
"Sorry."
Toph ignored him to see if she could comb down her hair with her fingers. She managed to, but it was still fluffy. She growled at Aang but wore a smile.
"You better be."
Aang watched her as she worked on her bangs. She stopped.
"What?"
"When we fell in the lake, you were calm," he pointed out with a hint of suspicion.
Toph laughed. "I'm not suicidal if that's what you were thinking."
"Then why were you calm and still?"
"Because you were with me." She smiled at him wryly. "And I knew you wouldn't let me drown so what was there to panic about?"
Aang returned the gesture. "Toph...you're smiling more. Did you notice that?"
Toph's face turned impassive. "Is that a fact?" She pretended to ponder this and smiled once more. "Well whaddya know, I have been smiling."
Aang narrowed his eyes. "You're cold, Toph."
"And how long did it take for you to find that out?" Toph teased.
Going along with the teasing flow, Aang rested his head on her shoulder. "Forever."
"Get off me, Twinkle Toes."
Aang laughed and obeyed. "Whatever you say."
He got a punch in the arm. "What did I do?!"
"That was a gratitude punch," Toph replied. "I thought you knew me a little better than that."
"There are other ways to be affectionate, you know."
Toph rolled her eyes. "I did say I'd try to go easy with the punches, didn't I?"
Aang forgot all about that. "Yes...yes, you did. Since I haven't lain off the hugging that gives you the right to punch me."
What did he say that for? She aimed for his arm and he dodged with swift Airbending. "Not now!"
Toph laughed. "OK...I'll wait ten seconds before trying again."
Before Aang could get a clever comeback, the natural wind brushed against them. Both teens shivered slightly.
"OK," Toph said loudly, "I think I better get home."
"Natural walk or Airbending ride?" he asked her.
Toph pondered this and her shoulders went limp. "Natural...I feel like talking more."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So that's what happened?" Aang asked. "What did you tell him when he asked to talk to you?"
At that, Toph grinned. "I told him it was my time of the month."
Aang's face was still as stone and Toph knew that. She laughed. "Well, you have any other clever ways to cover up the real thing?"
"You could've just told him."
"If I did that he would've been more troubled," she objected. "I can't stand it when people are feeling troubled because of me." She shivered. "I get enough of that at home. So I figured ignorance is bliss and once I get over my crush on him, it'll be as if this whole thing never happened."
Aang blinked and looked ahead. "Never thought of it like that. That's a really kind thing you're trying to do, Toph, but--I don't know."
"He told me he saw me as another little sister," Toph said.
She paused and shook her head. "I should be happy with that. I mean, I am, but it didn't feel like it was enough at the time. I still like him and I still hated seeing them kiss and all. But it's something that can't be helped. As long as he sees me as a friend or something special...I think I'm good."
Aang held his arm out for Toph. She shrugged and moved closer to him, placing her hands into her jacket pockets. He wrapped that arm around her shoulder. She platonically laid her head on his shoulder.
"Thanks for the walk," she said sincerely.
He rested his head on her head. "Your welcome."
"Remember to do this with Katara whenever she's down and you'll be lucky to have her in your arm as you have me right now," Toph teased.
Aang turned red. "Ha ha ha."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Poppy looked out the window and found her daughter side by side the bald Avatar and smiled sweetly. Not only because she was in his arm, but because she was smiling warmly and laughing with him. Something she wasn't doing the past week. Lao would be home from his errands so Toph was arriving back just in time. She saw him give her a quick hug, apparently saying bye to her. By the movement of Toph's head, she was saying the same thing. He headed for home and she headed for the door.
Poppy backed away from the window, whistling lightly. The door was open so Toph didn't have to knock. She immediately took her sneakers off when she got in and picked them up.
"How was the walk, sweetie?"
"It was good," Toph replied truthfully and sincerely.
She moved her bare feet around to feel for Lao. She smiled. "Just in time."
She gave her mom a quick hug. "Thanks for letting me go out."
Poppy, shocked since her daughter doesn't hug her that much, patted her on the top of her fluffy hair. "Your welcome, sweetie."
Toph gently broke away and headed for upstairs. She stopped with a knowing smile on her face and looked back to her mother. "Mom?"
"Yes?"
"I know you were watching us through the window."
Week Three: Homecoming
Katara groaned when her private phone rung. Who in their right mind would call at this time of night?
Someone better have been in an accident, she thought sleepily and grumpily.
She picked it up and said groggily, "Hello?"
"Hey, Katara," a male voice said. "It's me."
Katara lied down. "Zuko?"
"Who else would be crazy enough to call you at this time of night?"
"You got that right," Katara grumbled. "I was having a sweet dream about Jet and you destroyed it."
"Really?" Zuko said. There was fire in his voice but satisfaction that he destroyed her dream about Jet. "And you're telling me this because?"
"Maybe it'll make you hang up and let me get some sleep," Katara retorted.
She rubbed her head tiredly. "Seriously though, is everything OK?"
"Yeah," Zuko said. "Except for Haru."
"What's wrong with him?"
"He and Ty Lee broke up," Zuko said, he didn't sound sad or worried about him one bit.
Katara pointed that out.
"It's not that I didn't like her, she just bugged the heck outta me with her denseness," Zuko retorted. "Haru's working himself to death with his earthbending but he'll be OK."
"And I'll assume your sister is still in her precious asylum," Katara laughed. "You didn't mention her."
"That's because she has developed a weird obsession for your brother," he replied. He shivered. "That took a year off my life."
Katara grimaced. "Great. It just took one off mine too."
Zuko only laughed. "We're coming down tomorrow for you guys' Homecoming."
"You hinted that you guys were gonna do that," Katara said. She covered the speaker and let out the yawn she was holding in. She heard Haru's voice in the distance.
"I guess I don't want to use it," Haru commented with sarcasm.
"I'm talking to Katara!" Zuko roared at him.
"It's frickin' three in the morning!"
"You have another clever time when I can talk to her?" he snarled at him.
"Zuko, I'm hanging up on the count of three," Katara said sternly.
"OK..."
"One."
"I'll see-"
"Two."
"Ya."
"Three."
"Later."
"Bye."
She hung up and went limp on her bed. "Now Jet calls me in my dreams."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Katara, are you OK?" Aang asked. They were in the library before it was time to go to homeroom. Fifteen minutes of freedom.
"Just sleepy," she replied as she flipped a page in a romantic novel she was reading. She let out a big yawn. "Love Zuko to death but he was an idiot for calling at three in the morning."
Aang glared. "Zuko called you?!"
Katara looked up at Aang, confused at the tone of his voice. "Yeah. Something tells me he was bored. Haru's in a grumpy slump from his breakup."
"Oh." Aang relaxed.
"Why did that bother you?"
Aang felt himself turning red. "N-n-no reason. I just thought it was strange for someone to call you at three in the morning."
Katara blew a raspberry. "Tell me about it. I'm going to kill him when he comes. I went back to sleep and Jet didn't return to my dreams."
Boy, put an egg on Aang's head and the next person would be getting an omelet. "That was a little too much information."
Katara blinked at Aang's steaming head. "Are you sick or something? Your head is like redder than raw meat."
Aang took a deep breath and he immediately cooled down. "I'm fine."
Katara resumed to reading her novel. "So this year it's Earth. Toph ought to love it."
Aang nodded. "I heard The Boulder is coming to do the same stuff every famous bender do; talk about their life, and then stress out key points in the elements and then challenge students to a duel."
Katara slumped in her seat. "Wonderful. My brother is a huge fan of The Boulder."
Aang laughed. "Maybe he won't scream like a maniac like he did last year."
Katara blew another raspberry. "He screams at any action. I feel sorry for Suki."
"Well, she wanted the headache," Aang teased. "She can handle it."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toph was with her Sophomore Braille classmates when everyone was called up to the fields where Sophomore Earthbending class was usually held. The class was walking down the hallway heading for outside to get to the fields.
"I see Toph," she heard a voice say casually.
She recognized that voice, even though she hasn't heard it for over a month. She turned to the direction to where the voice came from.
"She sees us."
"Hey, Zuko, hey Haru," she greeted casually. "If you're looking for Katara--"
"We're coming with your class to the fields," Zuko cut off. "Then we'll look for her from there."
"Alright," Toph replied.
The men followed her class.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"After a month we are finally going to see Zuko!" Jin squealed to Song.
Song giggled. "Yes, it seem like it took forever for Homecoming to come."
"You two better find him before I do," Katara muttered under her breath.
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aang looked around. They were at the bottom of the bleachers since Teo can't sit in regular chairs. Practically all the bleachers were filled. He sighed.
"Do you see her?" Teo asked.
Aang shook his head. "We might not find her. We do have a lot of kids at this school you know."
Teo blew at his bangs. Aang laughed. "It's OK. We'll see her at lunch...why are you obsessed with being with Toph?"
Teo lied against his seat in his wheelchair, grinning. "What can I say? I just love being around her."
Aang cocked his head to the side. "I love hanging out with her too but the way you said it is setting off a different vibe."
Before Teo could respond, the speakers squeaked. People moaned at the sound and quieted down. While that was going on, Toph used her earthbending to find Katara. Another rush from Zuko and everyone would've been seeing him singing for the sky. She was ecstatic when she found Katara. In fact, she even hugged her.
"Your boyfriend was getting on my last nerves," Toph muttered to her friend.
"Not my boyfriend," Katara replied truthfully. She laughed. "He's just excited to see us again."
Toph broke away from Katara and folded her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Define "us" because all I heard was Katara this and Katara that."
Katara ruffled Toph's hair. "You'd probably wanna stay with us. Where's your class?"
"They're across the whole dang field," Toph replied. "I'll take your offer."
Zuko and Haru gave Katara, Jin, and Song a hug before sitting down. Toph didn't care that they excluded her out. She had enough of Zuko pushing her to find Katara and she was sick of Haru's grieving. Of course, currently recovering from heartbreak herself, she wasn't going to complain. She felt Aang and Teo far a little far off but definitely closer to her than her Braille class. Sokka and Suki were kind of close by. She smiled when she felt no negative feelings welling up inside her.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Kuei-sama, the principal, called out in the middle of the field. "This year for Homecoming is in honor of Earth!"
Toph sat straight when she heard this.
"Our guest this year is the famous Boulder from Earth Rumble."
The students cheered and screamed. Toph covered her ears at the sound of over a thousand students screaming their heads off. Even with her ears covered, she could swear she heard Sokka screaming like a crazed fan. Wait, he already was one but Toph didn't know that. Suki was only shaking her head.
"I'm gonna hear this for weeks," she commented.
The speakers squeaked again, causing the kids to groan but quiet down. Toph released her pressing on her ears with satisfaction. "Thank you, speakers."
Principal Kuei gave The Boulder the microphone so he can begin his speech. Toph narrowed her eyes the second he started his speech.
"Narcissist," she muttered.
"Quiet!" Sokka scolded her from above.
Toph shot him a death glare. He had already focused his attention on The Boulder to even see her death glare. At the end of the speech, everyone cheered. Toph merely clapped.
"Now that that's aside," The Boulder announced, "Who here wants to challenge The Boulder to a duel?"
The field was silent. Toph couldn't believe her ears. A duel. She stood up enthusiastically. "You're on!"
Those close to her looked at her horrorstricken, especially Katara. "Toph...no! Have you ever seen this man in action? You'll get killed!"
Toph smiled. "You haven't seen me in action, Sugar Queen."
She waited for The Boulder's reply. He frowned at her, obviously conflicted.
"You're blind, little girl," he replied.
Toph shrugged. "That doesn't mean anything."
Teo watched them exchange words. "I've only seen her earthbend for small task. How is she in combat?"
"I've never seen her in combat, only training," Aang replied. "She's pretty good especially since I had to learn the basics from her...Teo...are you worried?"
Teo glared at Aang. "Who isn't? The man is practically on steroids!"
Toph moved her feet around to see if anyone else was gonna challenge him. "I'm being fair by waiting for someone else to challenge you... Seems like I'm your girl."
The Boulder folded his arms. "Alright since you want to fight so badly."
Toph walked to the arena as everyone continued to talk among themselves.
"It was nice knowing her."
"Dead girl walking."
Katara was in thought. Zuko looked at her. "Maybe she has a chance."
Katara nodded her head slowly. "I remembered her saying during the days we first met that she would sneak out to duel local earthbenders. So she definitely had some experience. But can she beat The Boulder?"
"Get his autograph for me, Toph!" Sokka screamed.
Toph shook her head in amusement and replied, "Sure, along with his bruises."
Suki looked at him in bewilderment. "How can you encourage her to her death bed?"
"Sure he'll kick her butt but he won't kill her," Sokka replied confidently.
In the field, two earthbenders standing across from one another.
"Are you ready, Squirt?" The Boulder asked. "I'll go easy on you."
Toph raised an eyebrow in indignation. She got in her horse stance. "Screw going easy on me. Do your worst, The Pebble."
Veins rising from annoyance, The Boulder did the same gesture. "The Boulder will."
He stomped his foot and a huge boulder shot up. He kicked it towards her way. Toph stood firm and placed her arms in front of her. The boulder made contact with her hands and she stepped forth with agility, slicing through it. At the end of it, she had spread her arms to show she had divided it with her own hands. Everyone were silent, stunned. Toph rolled her eyes at this. If they had seen her during last nine years of her life, this wouldn't be new to them. Of course, it wasn't their fault.
Glaring, The Boulder shifted his weight back to stomp the ground. Toph cocked her head to the side as she listened. The second his feet touches that ground, she will be launched high into the air. Not if she could help it. She stomped the ground lightly, making the earth crawl towards The Boulder's foot. He saw it coming a little too late. His foot met the crawling earth and made him slide, doing a complete split. He screamed in pain as everyone was still stunned.
Toph didn't hesitate to send a boulder crashing into his back, smashing his face into the earth. She folded her arms in defiance and waited for him to get up, if he could. He was shaking from the splitting pain. He couldn't get up. Toph then earthbended herself a transportation to get to his side. She forced the boulder off him with ease.
"What's she doing?" Katara commented.
"Showing him some...mercy," Zuko answered, being shocked himself. "I thought you said..."
"That she has no remorse?" Katara finished. "I was joking. She just doesn't open up a lot."
Zuko smiled warmly. "You must be rubbing off on her."
Katara looked at him, curious about the warmth in his voice. Jin and Song looked over his shoulder at her, pretending they were going to gang up on her after this. Katara rolled her eyes at them, leaving Zuko confused. He looked behind him and the two girls resumed their seating position adding whistles to it.
If it were possible, Teo's jaw could've hit the ground. "She...just...wounded...The Boulder."
Aang was torn in between. Having trained with her, he wasn't surprised. But he never saw her in combat so at the same time he was.
Toph waited for him to get up calmly. He still didn't rise. His eyes were filled with resentment towards her.
"Seems like...you beat...The Boulder, kiddo," he said through gritted teeth. It was because of the pain, not the resentment.
Toph grinned. "Nine years of earthbending, nine years of dueling."
She sighed. She earthbended him up from the ground, making the pillar under him like a bed. "Someone needs to get the dude some ice pack. Nothing major."
She walked off the field and headed back for her seat. Slowly as Sifu Xin Fu came to get the man to the nurse, people began to cheer. Toph acted as if the crowd didn't exist, she just wanted to sit down. But a thought crossed her. She ran for where they were taking The Boulder.
"Where's she going?" Teo asked.
Aang raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "I don't know."
When the crowd stopped, there was crying. Those close to the person crying looked at him. His girlfriend patted him on the shoulder. Katara slid into her seat. Zuko and even Haru were trying their best not to laugh at their grieving friend. It was the way he was sobbing that tickled him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Boulder was starting to recover from the strain in his upper legs from the split, with the help of ice packs.
"You have a visitor," the nurse said.
He looked up and grew puzzled when he saw Toph. "What are you doing here?"
He noticed she had a piece of paper and a permanent marker. She handed it to him. "It's for a friend. Apparently he's a really big fan or yours."
He smirked to himself, thinking it was really for her. "What's his name?"
"Sokka."
He signed it in English and then in classic Chinese and handed it to her. "Tell him, I said no problem." He winked at her, causing her to frown. After letting it sink in, she had to cover her mouth from laughing.
What an idiot, she thought, I don't know what the heck he even wrote on here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Sure, you can stay with us for the weekend, Haru," Sokka said as everyone was leaving for class. "Come on, there's more foxes in the forest."
Haru sighed in appreciation. "Thanks bud."
Zuko rolled his eyes. Song and Jin stood by and watched the long-haired Earthbender with sympathy. Katara was off looking for Toph. When she found her returning to the field, she ran and hugged her.
"Why did you keep your skills a secret?" Katara asked in disbelief. "Everybody can't believe you took down The Boulder!"
Toph shrugged. "I told you before; I secretly dueled with local earthbenders for nine years. I've stopped recently though."
Katara shook her head. "Come on, everyone is leaving and we need to get back to Sokka and co."
Toph merely nodded. "I got a surprise for the Screaming Maniac."
Boy, if he wasn't a happy camper when he got his autograph. That earned Toph a kiss on the cheek. She rubbed it off. "Dang, Sokka, it's just an autograph."
"FROM THE BOULDER!" Sokka exclaimed.
He ruffled her hair. "I owe you one."
Toph shrugged, looking away. "Suit yourself."
Zuko tapped Katara lightly on the shoulders. She turned around to be greeted with a friendly smile. "It was nice seeing you again, but I'm going back to my dorm."
Katara folded her arms. "To get away from Haru's grieving? What kind of friend are you?"
"One who appreciates his hearing," Zuko replied.
He realized Jin and Song were watching him expectantly so he bowed politely to them. "I'll see you guys later."
Both girls, for the first time, calmly bowed back to him. "Yeah," Jin said solemnly.
"We'll see you later," Song finished.
With a smile he ran to get to his car. Katara shook his head. "Hopefully Haru isn't that bad, seeing how he's staying the night with us during the weekend."
"And your dad won't mind?" Jin asked with laughter in her voice.
Katara sighed. "He has to leave for the weekend, remember? Sokka's in charge of the house." She rolled her eyes. "Again."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was three in the morning and Katara opened her eyes with indignation. The phone was ringing again. She roughly picked up the phone and started her ranting, "Zuko, I swear, you call me again one more time and not only will I kill you, I'll hack you into little pieces!"
"Dang, it's just me," Jin said. She paused. "Wait...Zuko called you?!"
Week Four: The Juniors Haunted House
"So how's the haunted house project going?" Toph asked Katara.
They were at Katara's house. Katara sighed.
"We're almost done. Based on the theme that we've been doing, we just wish we could've cut off with the decorations," she replied.
Toph raised an eyebrow.
"We're going to be playing with the lights," Jin explained as she looked through some magazines. "We'd figured everyone would be scared if they can't see."
Toph was sipped her orange juice and stopped. "Yep, that's a living nightmare."
"Tell me about it," Jin agreed. She paused.
Toph laughed. Song was lost until she replayed the scene in her head. She gasped in amusement.
"Toph!"
"Jin started it!"
Katara shook her head. "Well, you won't get scared easily."
Toph shrugged. "Maybe I can help out. Be one of the guides, you know."
The girls brightened and glomped the Earthbender. "You'd do that?!"
"Yeah!" Toph replied alarmed. "Now get off me. I just can handle one glomping!"
They laughed and let her go.
"We can tell everyone tomorrow and ask Koh-sama," Katara stated.
Toph raised an eyebrow at the mention of Koh-sama. She didn't know him personally but she knew from students talking about him. He was the school's creepiest teacher. He wore different masks to school each day and had an eerie voice that could send chills up your spine. Toph, surprised herself, had a tiny bit of chills thinking about his voice. "Koh-sama, huh?"
The girls nodded as they shivered.
"He scares the crap outta me," Jin said. "The worst thing about him is that, to him, everyday is a time to celebrate...Halloween."
"So what's Halloween itself like for him?" Toph asked in disbelief. "Christmas?"
"Exactly," Jin replied.
Toph shook her head. "That's just freaky and sad."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So are you dressing up for Halloween?" Aang asked Teo at lunch. It was the next day.
Teo nodded. "More of masquerade, really."
"I'm just dressing up as a pirate," Aang replied.
"That's cool," he replied.
His eyes shifted from Aang to Toph, who was sitting across the cafeteria with Katara, Jin, and Song. They all seem to be in a serious conversation. Aang followed his gaze. "What caught your eye? Toph?"
"For once, no," Teo answered. "Just seeing them in a deep conversation reminded me about the haunted house that the juniors are supposed to plan."
"Hmmmm...are you going?" he asked Teo.
Teo nodded. "You."
"Katara's part of the juniors making it so you know I'm going," Aang responded.
Teo rolled his eyes but still wore a smile. "I wonder if Toph is going?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Toph Bei Fong," Koh-sama said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
He bowed politely to her. Toph bowed back awkwardly. The girls were in Koh-sama's classroom after school for the haunted house decorations. More juniors would be coming soon.
"Likewise, Koh-sama," Toph replied impassively.
Koh cocked his baboon-masked face to his left. "Impassive tone. Very intriguing."
Toph shifted her eyes. "Uh, thanks?"
Katara and the two bit their lower lip as he cross examined their sophomore friend.
"I'm glad you've volunteered to be one of the guides for this project," Koh-sama said as his voice eerily echoed through the room. "All of our juniors are busy working hard on the junior wing. We need someone with...your vibe for the job."
Toph frowned. "My vibe?"
"Your impassiveness and dry sense of speech," Koh-sama explained. "It'll only make your role more intriguing."
Toph nodded as she listened intently. "OK. So what do I do? Do I have to know where everything decorated is?"
Koh-sama chuckled. "No you don't. You just need to practice the way you walk because you'll guide the first coming people."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"This robe is just too long," Toph commented. She was in a completely black robe that covered every part of her body except for her hands and face; obligated to wear a faceless white mask and hold an axle in her left hand.
She walked down the hallway slowly. Jin chuckled. "You're doing fine. All you have to do is walk around and show people through. Remember, you can't talk."
"Right," Toph said low and slowly.
She pretended to zip her lip and continued her slow walking. She got it down packed by the time it was time for the students to go home. As an after school assignment, Koh-sama wanted Toph to go a day without saying anything.
"So talk like a parrot lizard before midnight tonight," he instructed, he lowered his voice. "I will have my eye on you."
Toph made a face. Katara wrapped an arm around Toph. "Come on, I'll drive you home."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toph rushing through her homework as Lao checked on her every few minutes. He shook his head disapprovingly.
"I don't like how this is cutting into your homework time," he stated firmly.
"I'm almost done," Toph replied truthfully. "Besides, it's only for the rest of the week. After that I'm a free teen again."
Lao sighed. "If you say so."
He closed her bedroom door behind him and headed for bed. Toph only had to write another paragraph and she collapsed on her bed; her face buried in the pillow.
"Tomorrow I lose my voice," she muffled. "Just like that red haired half fish in the sea."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The girls watched as Toph ate her lunch in silence.
"You're doing great, Toph," Jin complimented. "That would've been impossible for me."
Song stifled her giggles. "We know."
That caused Jin to flick a piece of cantaloupe at her with a spoon. Song dodged as Katara laughed at them. "We're in high school, girls, not elementary!"
Toph rolled her eyes, actually in amusement. She felt the urge to make a comment but determination stopped her.
Aang and Teo watched them from across.
"She's not talking," Teo observed. "I wonder why?"
Aang grabbed for his backpack and gave Teo a note. It was written in Braille.
"She gave it to me on the bus this morning," Aang explained.
Teo nodded intently as he read through it. He shrugged. "Weird school assignment."
"Why do I get the impression that Koh-sama might have been the one to have given her that assignment?" Aang said as he shivered.
"Maybe 'cause we saw her go to his classroom after school?" Teo suggested. "I hope she doesn't have to skip tomorrow talking. I miss her voice."
Aang looked at Teo. "And why am I getting the impression that-"
"You're delusional," Teo interrupted with a grin.
"Right," he replied slowly.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Koh-sama nodded in satisfaction as he looked at Toph. This afternoon, he was wearing mask of one of the other teachers in the school.
I wish he would stop staring, Toph thought.
She stood her ground. This time she was alone with him for the girls were needed to test out the music for their haunted house. Behind the mask, he smiled.
She's good, he thought. That's a shame. I was hoping she would slip.
He left her alone. She stood still. She didn't even sigh.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was Friday Halloween evening and Katara, Song, and Jin picked Toph up from the house in Jin's car. Toph was already dressed in her costume. Katara was dressed as a vampire, and so were Song and Jin. They still looked pretty.
"Let's scare some suckers," Jin said as she drove.
Song shook her head and looked over at Toph. "Teo and Aang are coming to the haunted house."
"Aang told me," Toph replied.
"Did you tell them that you were helping us out?"
"Nope."
"You weren't obligated to keep it secret, except for when you couldn't talk. How come?"
Behind her faceless, white mask, Toph smiled. "I just thought it would be interesting."
Song smiled wryly. "I see."
Fifteen minutes later they were at the school. Toph only had to stand at the door to wait for the costumers. Katara gave Toph a quick hug. "We'll see you inside."
Toph patted her on the back but still in a sisterly way. "See you then."
As soon as they went inside to start, Toph held her axle tight and resumed her role. Slowly, cars were pulling in the driveway. She didn't move; it was as if she didn't feel them coming in. She felt The Mechanist coming out of his car and going for the trunk. He was getting Teo's wheelchair. Aang was with him too. Toph could've smiled to herself. Even though she was with Aang during Sophomore Earthbending class and the bus rides, she still missed him and Teo at lunch.
She could tell they were in costumes but she was never too good with discerning the exact detail of clothing. She assumed Aang was a pirate based on the hat, sac pants, and fake swords. Teo...she had no idea what he was. He just seemed to have a mask over his face. It felt, based on her vibrations, like it was heavy for a mask. As soon as Teo was seated into his wheelchair, The Mechanist drove off and the boys approached Toph, of course not knowing it was her. She didn't face them.
"Hi," Aang said awkwardly. "Are you one of the guides?"
Toph turned her head slowly at Aang and nodded her head in the same fashion. He looked at Teo dubiously. Teo nodded as if mentally being tagged to ask the next question.
"Can we go inside or do we have to wait?" Teo asked. His voice was a little more firm than Aang's but there was still some hints of awkwardness.
Toph raised her left arm holding the axle to signal they were not to go any further.
"So when do we go in?" Aang asked.
She pointed behind them. Some more people, seven to be exact, were finally getting out of their cars. When they arrived at the door, she lowered her axle and signaled for everyone to follow her. Teo and Aang were right behind her. The hallway lights were dimming in and out. The school was already dead looking throughout the week because of the juniors working on it, but it looked like a graveyard on top of a graveyard. The lights went out for a split second, causing someone in the crowd to yelp.
People started murmuring. Aang was holding on to the back of Teo's wheelchair.
"The Juniors put a little too much effort into this," he murmured.
"No kidding," Teo said as he stared at the guide, Toph of course, leading them around the school.
Aang saw that he had his eye on her and was about to ask him a question until he saw Katara. She was standing there, apparently supposed to be playing dead He turned red because even as a vampire, she still looked pretty. She had her hair down, obviously newly washed. She wore a black dress that had knee high slits at the sides. He smiled dreamily at her until she turned her head toward his way. He snapped out of it and waved to her.
She smiled slightly, because she's not supposed to be showing positive emotions, and waved back.
"Welcome to the Demonic World," she said in an eerie voice. She smiled evilly. "Enjoy your eternal stay here."
"Uh...I wanna live," Teo objected, teasing.
She gave him a playfully evil look. "Of course you do. We serve food here. Does anyone want something to eat?"
She pulled out a small notebook. Toph found it funny that Katara had scared the folks from wanting to eat. Aang gulped before taking a stand.
"I'll order," he said. "What would you recommend?"
Katara pondered and smiled maliciously. "We have the eyeballs and intestine special. And for snacks, the grave dirt." (A.N. Suppose to be spooky version of spaghetti and meatballs and chocolate pudding with some crumbled chocolate graham crackers in it. That's all.)
If she were allowed to, she would've laughed at Aang's face. He looked as if he was going to throw up. Then she mentally wanted to kick herself. She had momentarily forgotten he was a vegetarian.
"I'll have that," Teo and several other people spoke up. Teo added, "But anything for the veggie pirate?"
"Again, the grave dirt," Katara replied, not losing character, "and there's the dead garden special."
Aang sighed in relief. "Then I'll get dead garden special."
Katara nodded intently as she wrote this down. She turned to Toph with an evil smile. "Make them feel at home in the Deathly Sanctuary."
Toph merely nodded and motioned for the nine people to follow her.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Song and Jin were lurking in the dark, waiting for rebellious victims to come their way. The visitors are supposed to be with the guides and if they break away from the group, they will pay the consequences. They heard someone coming. By the sound of the footsteps, they were alone. The two stifled their giggles, nodded to each other, and surprised the person by wrapping around him/her and dragging him/her to a dark photo room. Jin covered his mouth. She could tell it was a guy because of his muffling voice.
They closed the door, locked it, and Song grabbed a camera.
"Smile!" Jin said loudly. Her face fell into shock as she quickly made it lighter in the room and Song snapped the picture.
Zuko blinked from the camera's light flash. Song's face fell too. They looked at each other in horror.
"Uh," Jin said. "We can explain, it's part-"
"I just gathered that," he interrupted. He smiled to show he was lightening up. "That's what I get for wandering on my own, huh?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aang ate his dead garden special with no problem. Teo didn't eat all of his food. He stared at their guide, or as we know her, Toph. Aang saw him looking at her.
"You've been staring at him since we got here," Aang said, there was suspicion in his voice.
Teo looked at Aang and made a face. "First, I don't stare at guys. Second, that's not a guy. She has a chest."
Aang looked at her again and turned red at Teo's broadness. "Perv."
"I wasn't looking to be perv!" Teo protested. "And besides, you just looked so that makes you one. I feel as if we know her."
"Well, it's not Toph," Aang said. "She's at home."
Teo sighed. "I guess not then."
The music played eerily throughout the school as the lights continued to dim. Aang ignored that and continued to eat his salad until he felt someone cling onto him. He knew it wasn't Teo because one, Teo doesn't scare that easily, and two, Teo was on his right not left. When the lights brightened slight, he looked to see a girl two years younger than him with two pigtails clinging to his arm.
"Uh, it's just the lights," Aang said, but he asked sincerely, "Are you OK?"
"I just hate darkness," she said. "I shouldn't have let my sister convince me to come here."
"Where's she at?"
"With her Panda lily boyfriend," she replied with bitterness.
She buried her face into his shoulder. Teo looked around Aang to see the girl and stopped himself from laughing. He knew her because she lived next door to him.
"Hey, Meng," Teo said. "I thought you said you weren't coming."
Meng looked up to see him and replied impassively, "Thanks to Onee-chan, I did."
Teo shook his head. "Aang, the girl clinging onto your arm is Meng. Meng, the dude you're clinging on is Aang."
She looked up in Aang's face and smiled. "Hmm...our names rhyme. Cool!"
Aang smiled politely. "Yeah, that's really something."
Toph had been watching her guests, particularly Aang and Teo, during the whole thing. Katara came from the senior wing, smiling.
"We may not be getting the screams but everyone sure is satisfied," she told Toph.
Toph gave her a sincere thumb up. Katara smiled at that. "Thanks. Watching the guys, huh?"
She cocked her head to the side the second she saw Aang talking with Meng. "Aw, she's cute."
Toph scratched her head, or hood rather. She felt as if she was connected with that girl. It was weird since she never met her. She shrugged. (A.N. Sad attempt at referring to Jessie Flower). Katara yawned a little bit.
"I'm thirsty," she said out loud. "You want anything?"
Toph handed Katara her axle and dug for her wallet under her robe. Katara stopped her. "Everything's free, remember?"
She ceased her searching and gently took her axle back. She nodded to Katara.
"I'll be right back then," she told her. "Blood and guts, here I come!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jin and Song were finishing on developing the pictures.
"How's Haru?" Song asked Zuko sincerely.
"He's doing a little better," he replied. "He's still driving me crazy with the silence and staring at her picture. I might burn it when I go back."
Jin smiled thinly. "You'll be a wreck if you keep driving up and down from town just to stay for a couple of hours with Katara."
Zuko blinked and squirmed a little. "I come for you guys. Especially since all three of you worked on this place."
He whistled. "You guys did a great job."
Song looked over Jin's shoulders and saw the pictures fully developed. She grabbed them and gave them to Zuko. "Thanks."
Zuko nodded. He stood up. "I am getting hungry. Are you guys serving food?"
"Yep," Jin replied. "Want one of us to go with you?"
He shook his head. "I'm fine."
Song smiled lightly. "OK, but you'll only be getting dragged again. Nami and Iwa are more than glad to give you a heart attack."
Zuko chuckled. "I think I can handle them."
"Suit yourself."
He nodded and closed the door behind him. Both girls sighed.
"He likes Katara, doesn't he?" Song asked sadly.
Jin nodded. "Yeah, I think he does."
Song was silent. Jin gave her a pat on the back. "Come on, we'll scare some more people into their pictures."
Song smiled. "Yeah, we go out there like this and we'll be hearing it from Koh-sama."
Jin shivered. "I don't wanna think about it!"
They both laughed at this and resumed their occupation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toph turned her back on everyone in the cafeteria to get her last sip of the Blood and Guts, also known as cherry slushy. When she was finished and readjusted her mask, everyone seemed to be ready. She nodded to Katara and bowed for the slushy. Katara smiled and patted her on the head.
"No problem," she told her "little sister".
They followed Toph out of the Deathly Sanctuary. Aang and Teo were right behind Toph. Meng went back to her sister and her boyfriend but all she looked at was the Airbender. Aang knew she was staring at him and...it scared him.
"I wish Toph was here," Aang grumbled.
Teo snickered. "Who misses her now?"
Before Aang could reply, Toph in front of what looked like black rags hanging from the ceiling. With her axle, she pulled part of the rags away. She grabbed Aang's hand and motioned with her hand that everyone else does the same. Aang, with his free hand, grabbed the arm on Teo's wheelchair while Meng got the other arm. Everyone was linked. Toph nodded in approval and she pulled Aang with her, starting to make the line move.
They moved through the rags and it was pitch black dark. Alarmed, Aang squeezed Toph's hand and the arm on Teo's wheelchair. Everyone was whispering in the dark.
"How does that guide know how to get around here?" someone whispered. "It's darker than black in here!!!"
The question hit Aang. He leaned forward, close to resting his chin on her shoulder.
"Toph?" he whispered only low enough for her to hear him.
She ignored him altogether. There was a loud creak and everyone jumped, except Toph.
"Something better not pop out at me," a girl said, "or I'll scream."
Nothing did. Instead, they heard sounds of electric waves. It was straight ahead and it was purple. Everyone held their breath as they inched closer to the purple shock waves. If they had it their way, they would've taken their time getting there. Toph, however, was the leader of the line and she was walking with normal pace. Aang held Toph's hand firmly. It wasn't out of fear. He was simply following.
Smoke began to rise from the corners at the end of the hallway. Footsteps approached. The figure appeared from the smoke and revealed, Koh-sama. He had on what looked like a woman's face with beautiful brown hair. He included a costume that made him look like a centipede.
"Good evening, everyone," Koh-sama said in a low voice. An eerie music began to play as the purple shock waves faded in and out. "I hope you enjoyed the first session of the night and we shall enter the second half. You are free to travel on your own to any room you like. You no longer need your guide."
The people murmured in relief and they followed on out. Aang and Teo remained with Toph. She loosened her grip on Aang's hand to signal for him to let go of her hand. Koh-sama headed back for the dark and done so in a creepy way that sent chills up the guys' spines. They looked over to Toph, who bowed to them and prepared to leave.
"Toph," Teo called out.
For the first time, she stopped. She faced them again. Aang folded his arms. "So, when Teo points you out you acknowledge him but when I did-"
She lifted her mask up, sweating slightly from being under it for almost two hours. "We were with too many people for me to respond, Twinkle Toes. Sorry. And what? You're jealous about that or something?"
Aang raised his eyebrow at her to see if she was kidding. Teo shook his head in amusement. "Come on, Aang. We can't disturb her job."
Aang grinned mischievously. "Wanna bet?"
Toph returned his grin with the same fashion. "Try it, Twinkle Toes, and see what happens to you."
Teo watched his two friends jokingly rant at each other. He shook his head. "You guys love to argue with each other."
They stopped and shouted, "We do not!"
Teo rolled his eyes. "Sure, I'll repeat that on Monday if Toph sits with us." He looked at her directly. "We missed you."
Toph folded her arms this time. "I was only away from the lunch table for five days, Teo." She gave his shoulder a squeeze. "But I missed you guys too."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Katara was getting more food until she saw Zuko.
"Zuko!" she said in surprised. "What are you doing here? Where's Haru?"
"I came to see you guys' work," Zuko replied. "And Haru is back at the dorm room still to himself a little bit."
"Oh," Katara replied. "Did you see Jin and Song yet?"
Zuko laughed. "I got abducted first."
Katara blinked at first and then grinned. "You were wandering by yourself before it was time."
He showed her the pictures. "If it weren't for the scar I have, they would've been nice."
Katara sighed. "Zuko, it already looks nice."
He looked at Katara. "You really think so?"
Katara nodded. He smiled. "Thanks."
She nodded again. "And trust me; Song and Jin think the same."
Zuko looked kind of shocked. Katara grinned. "See? The scar doesn't hinder anything. Do you want anything to eat?"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the rest of the program, there was only half an hour left, everyone just started socializing. Toph, for reasons unknown, insisted on wearing her mask. The boys shook their heads at her.
"Well, I'm looking forward to next year's haunted house with Toph around," Teo laughed.
Aang laughed. "Yeah, me too."
That was one time that Toph was glad she had put the mask back on for no reason. She looked down and muttered to herself, "I might not even be here next year."
The End
A.N. OK, I would like to thank Bittersugar and Ayami Lee for reviewing Chapter 1. Even though I was going to continue this story without reviews that touched me, and motivated me even more to write this. Thanks you two. Overall, I personally like Chapter 1 better but this will do. Again, constructive criticism is most welcomed. Thanks for reading.
