Thank yous go out to guyw1tn0nam3, AvatarCat12, Emil C, and Kelev for the reviews. The concensus I'm getting from the group is that there's a balance problem with Ch. 1, so I shuffled some stuff around and added a scene into it. If you're dropping by again, please re-read that part so you can get a better sense of the story from the revised POV.
As for this chapter, there will be a bit of foreshadowing going on. We meet some fire benders for the first time, and everyone in the Kuruk family will have their first days. The pace in this chapter will be slow on purpose so you get a sense of what each person is going through, and how they end up supporting each other along the way. The pace will pick up later on, but for now it will remain at the lower gear.
Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own Avatar.
"Good morning, Katara," Aang greeted the girl clad in blue, waving at her from the front entrance of the junior high. It was the official first day of school, and Katara had mixed feelings about it. Last night she was quite sleepless, tossing and turning in her bed and shivering with uneasiness. Even as she ate breakfast this morning, there were butterflies going up and down her stomach, making it difficult for her to swallow any of her food.
However, seeing Aang excitedly waiting for her, it relaxed Katara a bit. When she was having her phone conversation with Kanna the night before, Kanna reminded Katara to not close her heart off to those around her. And so far, Katara had met a bunch of very intriguing people, courtesy of Aang. Seeing the energetic young air bender brought a smile to her face, seemingly relaxing her entirely. "Good morning, Aang," she returned the greeting, trotting up to the bald boy, "Looking forward to the new school year?" she asked.
Aang nodded. "For sure, and it's great that Toph is joining us as well. Speaking of which, there she is!" Aang exclaimed, pointing in the direction of the parking lot. Katara turned to the area in question, just in time to see a huge limousine pull in from the street. The sleek, black car caught everybody's attention, most likely to the chagrin of the blind earth bender. "I somehow don't think Toph was too pleased with this," Aang muttered to Katara.
Katara nodded, watching the vehicle screech to a halt in front of them. A driver in a tuxedo carefully stepped out, taking what Katara considered to be a condescending look around. The man literally strutted back to the back doors, causing the water bender to nearly choke in holding back a giggle. Then, with an almost exaggerated flair, the driver yanked the door open like revealing the ultimate prize at a lucky draw. "Is all that flamboyance really necessary?" Katara leaned over and whispered into Aang's ear.
Indeed, a woman in her forties dressed in the latest fashion trend stepped out of the limo in the haughtiest way, followed by a petite girl who seriously looked like she wanted to just disappear. She still had on her green T-shirt, yellow vest, cargo pants, and sandals, but the look on her face was downright miserable. The taller woman took two steps towards the school and acted like she was sniffing the air. What was she, a Platypus Bear on a hunt? "You know, if you just accepted the suggestion your father and I gave, and just attended the private school, we wouldn't be in this rundown place," she snorted in a sickening patronizing tone to her daughter.
"Mom," Toph hissed through clenched teeth, her shoulders and arms both shaking in anger, "We had this discussion back in the summer, and I really don't want to get started on it right now. So if you don't mind, I'd like to go to my classes without causing a scene. Even though I can't see them, I know there are students around staring at me like I'm some freak at the circus. So do us both a favour and just cut it out, okay?" she requested.
Toph's mother softened her stance just a little, tugging nervously on her purse while kneeling down to Toph's height. "Look, your father and I just want the best for you," she pointed out, "You know that public schools probably don't have very good programs, and with so many students running around campus, it's not safe anyway…"
Fortunately for Toph, the bell went off just in time, giving the signal that it was time for her to go. "I have an opening assembly to attend, so if you don't mind, I have to be going now," Toph informed her mother in a forced civil tone. She moved around the kneeling woman without giving her a hug or kiss, leaving the limo behind and moving straight at Aang and Katara. "Meet my mother, Poppy Bei Fong," she grumbled, tilted her head in the opposite direction.
Katara rolled her eyes at Poppy, who carefully got back into the limo. If Toph's parents were like this all the time, Hakoda would have a hard time at company functions, especially if Lao brought his wife. Hakoda was an informal man, not really caring for status symbols and was quite egalitarian in his treatment of others. But if this was how Hakoda's supervisor acted daily, Katara truly hoped there wouldn't be a homicide in that company. "Promise me you'll keep it in the house, otherwise it's a boulder on your feet," Toph spat, heading straight for the doors.
"It's kind of hard to keep it a secret, given how many eyes saw that," Aang replied, sticking a finger into his collar, "But Katara and I won't say any more about this. Right, Katara?"
Katara nodded. They made a right turn at the first door, leading them into the gym, where the principal was to address the student body for the new school year. "You just try to blend in with the crowd, and then your mother sends you to school in a stretch limo," Katara commented, "I don't pretend to know what's going on, but I don't think you're too fond of that."
"It's just frustrating how my parents keep thinking I'm this delicate flower that requires protection wherever she goes," Toph grunted, throwing her hands in the air, "Just this morning, both of them were trying to get me all dressed up like I'm attending some banquet. Please, it's just school! As long as I follow dress code and I'm not wearing revealing clothes, I'm fine!"
Aang brought them over to the bleachers, climbing up a few rows before taking a seat. "I think maybe they just don't want you to look too casual," he suggested, removing his backpack and placing it at his feet, "Like I always say, if you approach it from a different angle…"
"Twinkle Toes, there is no different angle!" Toph ranted, jabbing a finger in Aang's direction. Katara nearly had to duck to avoid having Toph plug her right index finger into the water bender's left ear, given she sat right between the two younger students. "You know as well as I do that with my parents, it's all or nothing. Besides, what do you know about wearing more casual clothes? You wear dress shoes everywhere, for crying out loud!"
Katara turned her eyes at Aang's feet, which were encased in black dress shoes. Even though this was only the second time she saw Aang, Katara realized he tended to dress semi-formally, opting to wear a light orange dress shirt that tucked neatly into dark brown dress pants. "Is Toph right? Do you really dress up like that everywhere you go?" she asked the air bender.
However, Aang never got to answer that question. Instead, the principal approached the microphone stand, which caused the crowd to quiet down. Katara saw a tall man, most likely in his fifties, with grey hair and a thin moustache. "My name is Mr. Kunming. I am the principal of the junior high campus. On behalf of my staff, welcome to another school year," he announced.
The crowd politely applauded, to which Mr. Kunming began his speech. It covered the usual administrative things, such as tardiness or accessing the school nurse, nothing that Katara hadn't heard before. She took a nonchalant look at the clock, wondering how much longer this man would drone on for. While only about ten to fifteen minutes had passed, Katara felt like she was on the bleachers for millennia. Why did explaining school procedures have to be so boring?
"I want to conclude that for all students, new and returning ones, this is a special chance for you to truly make your mark," Mr. Kunming stated, scanning the student body through his thick glasses, "Junior high means you have more than one teacher teaching your subjects, and it mirrors real life. Learning comes from more than one source, and it is another sign of your own progress. Be positive, help your fellow classmates along the way, and don't back down from a challenge. With that, I wish you all nothing but the best for this upcoming school year."
The crowd erupted into applause and cheers once more. Even Toph, who was in a foul mood earlier, grudgingly clapped her hands together. But for Katara, the principal's words got her thinking once more. Helping each other also meant allowing oneself to be helped, echoing her own grandmother's words to have Katara open her heart. Was this another sign that perhaps there were those around her at this very moment, ready to give her a hand?
Katara turned her head back and forth, getting a good look at Aang and Toph. For her, these two were different as night and day. Aang was soft-spoken, polite, but had a sense of maturity within him that indicated he was wise beyond his years. Toph, on the other hand, was hard-nosed, determined, and wouldn't conform to things that she disliked. Both had traits that Katara admired, but both had traits that conflicted with her own element of water. Katara always felt she was most comfortable in going with the flow and adapting whenever possible, but did taking the next step in her journey mean stepping outside of her comfort zone?
"Katara, you coming?" Aang's voice snapped the water bender out of her trance. The air bender already had his backpack back on, ready to take off for class. Looking around them, Katara could see the other students shuffling out as well. Even Toph was ready to go, slinging her bag diagonally across her body and tapping her sandaled foot impatiently. Shaking her head a few times, Katara cleared the last few thoughts out of her head and grabbed her own bag as well. If this was the beginning of the journey, then it was going to be one interesting ride.
"Hakoda, great to see you again," Bato greeted his old college roommate as they gathered in the company's main meeting room. One distinctive feature about Bato was that he was tall and thin, with his body shaped almost like a pencil. Unlike Hakoda, who had a goatee, Bato kept his face clean-shaven, making him look younger than his actual age.
But today, both men were starting work with the Gaoling Company, and their general manager was intent on calling a staff meeting to go over company policy and other issues. That was why all staff was requested to meet in the conference room. Today, both men were wearing navy blue suits, with Hakoda wearing a red tie while Bato's was light blue. "I heard you moved in just last week. Is everything going okay with settling in? How do the kids like it here so far?"
Hakoda took a seat in the back of the large table, furthest away from the speaker's podium. "Sokka's settling in okay. I took them to the Yee-Don Centre downtown, and he went on a shopping spree," Hakoda explained, recalling the ridiculous things Sokka ended up buying home, "But Katara is still a bit hesitant. I know she's very close to her mother, and even now she isn't totally willing to move on yet. I'll have to keep giving her my support, that's for sure."
"Katara and Sokka are both good kids, Hakoda," Bato commented, taking a seat directly to Hakoda's left, "It'll be natural for them to take a while to adjust to a new environment, but I have faith in them. If you want, maybe I can visit you guys over the weekend, just to spend some time with them. Are they free this weekend for me to drop by?" he asked.
Hakoda nodded thoughtfully, thinking about the situation at hand. Katara once accused him of going off on his own little adventure while they were still struggling to cope with Kya's death. While Hakoda always kept his children's best interests at heart, even he was hesitant in facing the future. Sure he thought it through and knew that a new beginning meant giving up a lot of the things he was used to, but in no way was he certain that things were all for the better. It was a huge gamble he was taking, one that he hoped wouldn't bite him back.
"Let's talk about this later," Bato whispered, pointing to the front, "Mr. Bei Fong's here." Hakoda lifted his head to see his employer, Lao Bei Fong, step to the front. Standing behind the general manager was another dark-haired individual with a similar thin moustache, but a strange smirk on his face. Hakoda couldn't quite put a finger on it, but he didn't like the man one bit.
"My name is Lao Bei Fong, and I'm the general manager of Gaoling's Republic City branch. It'll be a pleasure working with you," Lao announced to the applause of the people in the room. Hakoda and Bato clapped politely, but then stayed quiet throughout the rest of the speech. There probably wasn't much more to it then describing company policies and goals, right?
How wrong Hakoda and Bato were on that regard. For the next who knew how many minutes, Lao droned on about how he envisioned the company doing great, and saw it as a dream of his to serve the community and whatnot. Hakoda literally had to pinch himself on the thigh just to stay awake, the smug man's superficial words really getting the best of him. Hakoda had never seen someone that in love with hearing himself talk about himself. Hakoda made a mental note to himself that if this would happen every day, then he would bring earplugs to work.
"In conclusion, I wish everyone can dedicate themselves to contributing to the family we have here in the Gaoling Company. Remember that it's not all for money or fame, but for the fact that we can make a difference. Thank you very much!" Lao finally ended his speech, and Hakoda did nothing more than give a perfunctory and uninterested round of applause. Things were not like that in his previous workplace, where people had a more egalitarian and personal feel in relating to others. With an employer that seemed more like he was interested in shoving his gaudy style down the throats of his employees, Hakoda did not feel this was a good start.
Hakoda was the last to leave the room, opting to wait for the rest of the crowd to file out first. There were still some other things he had to do, such as organizing his cubicle in a way that suited his tastes best. As he picked up his folders, a voice stopped him. "Hakoda Kuruk, right?"
Hakoda glanced up just in time to see Lao Bei Fong and his assistant still standing before him. Hakoda also got a better look at Lao's assistant, realizing that he had on a dark suit jacket, piercing eyes, and a balding head. "I ran across your children the other day, when they were there to pick up their schedules," Lao began, inspecting Hakoda like he was a specimen under a microscope, "They do seem to be good kids, although I'm not sure if…"
Hakoda sucked in a huge breath while Lao droned on. Between comments about wanting his daughter to attend a private school and the disadvantages of a public school, Hakoda didn't know why he was asked to hear Lao go off on another tangent. From beside Lao, the assistant wasn't making Hakoda feel any better, those emotionless and intimidating dark eyes sending shivers up Hakoda's spine. "I hope my daughter won't be negatively influenced, and your kids will follow the good example a lady like Toph will set for them. Do you agree?" Lao asked.
Hakoda stopped for a moment, letting his supervisor's words go right over his head. He didn't care for the storytelling session about Lao's daughter being a great example for Katara and Sokka. Personally, Hakoda was insulted by Lao's nose-thumbing attitude, almost like Lao was proclaiming he and his family were better than Hakoda's family. Either way, Hakoda knew the only thing he could do was to keep working hard and not let these things distract him. Giving a small smile and nod, he tried to end the conversation by gesturing at the files he held.
Luckily, both Lao and his assistant ended the talk short, with the general manager leading the balding man out the conference room. Hakoda let out a hiss, both in frustration and in relief, before lumbering back into his cubicle. He casually placed the files in a corner before plopping down on his chair, leaning back a bit and rubbing his face. It was only the first day at work, and already Hakoda was encountering unneeded stress. Silently, he could only wish Katara and Sokka were having better luck than he was in dealing with their first days.
"Alright class, since you'll be in grade ten this year, it means gym has just become that much more rigorous. You won't be pampered like you were in junior high, so you better come prepared or you're out!" the head gym teacher, a man with fuzzy white hair called. Sokka, like all others in class, was changed into his gym strip of white shirt and dark shorts, hearing this eccentric man with the even stranger looking thin moustache and beard bark orders at him. It wasn't quite what he expected for his first day in a high school gym class, loitering around the soccer field behind the school. But for what it was worth, it would have to do for now.
"We set up this obstacle course to see if your abilities are up to high school level. For some of you, this should go well," the teacher, Mr. Jeong, continued ranting, "To pass this obstacle course, which I consider your first test this year, you must have discipline. Size, speed, and strength are required to do the run, but alone they mean nothing." From the crowd of teens, Sokka could only roll his eyes. Was this gym or "listen to the fire bending drill sergeant" class?
"For this obstacle run, you will run in pairs," Mr. Jeong declared, his eyes boring into the students. His instructions continued blaring out while his right index finger strongly jabbing into the air. Sokka immediately turned to his right, where Suki stood a few bodies away. Ever since the school tour, Sokka had wanted to know Suki a bit better. Part of it was gratitude for the tour, but also because he wanted to show Suki his mettle. Even though he never joined a sports team in his old school, Sokka could keep up with the best of them in his former gym class. Maybe he could do the same here, and showed Suki a thing or two about running this obstacle course!
"So pair yourselves up, and get stretching! We'll meet back here in five minutes for the actual run, where Mr. Chey will time you!" Mr. Jeong gestured to the other side of the field, where a younger man stood with two stopwatches. When the drill sergeant marched away from the field, it was like a wall of intimidation was just lifted from the class.
As the crowd dispersed, Sokka approached Suki, who was now on the ground stretching her legs. Sokka noticed the serious expression on Suki's face, and figured to lighten the mood. "So, Suki," he began, squatting down next to the girl, "You realize I was one of the best at these courses in my old school, right? Have I told you how I breezed through these before?"
Suki lifted her head, giving a quick blink of surprise before refocusing once more. "Is that true? I don't think you ever told me that story before, at least not during the school tour I gave you," she replied, now stretching her arms as well, "But then again, this is the first time I'm seeing one of these obstacle courses, so all this is new to me."
"Oh, then you're talking to the right person!" Sokka exclaimed, puffing out his chest in an exaggerated fashion, "I did obstacle courses in my old school, and I could keep up with the best of them. If you want, we can pair up and I'll show you how it's done. Come on, a girl like you can use a smart, talented, and athletic guy like me to help you out, right?"
Suki glanced up at Sokka, her face slightly flushing with anger. Sokka's tone was just a bit too patronizing for her taste, making her sound like a weakling that required a big strong man to defend her. They were both in high school now, so shouldn't Sokka at least lay off the act? In an attempt to stay civil, Suki took a deep breath and lifted herself off the ground. She had other ways of getting even with Sokka, and that involved knowing how well Sokka knew this course. "Since they're giving us a few minutes, why don't we take a look at how the course is set up? That way, you can tell me how you'll do it," Suki suggested, a huge grin plastered on her face.
Sokka strutted down the course with Suki, bragging about how he would approach each element. Suki, on the other hand, only pretended to pay attention to Sokka, opting to check out each obstacle and thought about how she would approach that herself. The course itself was just a lap around the field, but every set distance apart there was an obstacle station. The first portion was a net crawl, where runners would go under a low net and crawled through the grass. Suki felt it should work to her advantage, as she was smaller and slimmer than Sokka. The next portion also seemed to benefit her as well, given it was a set of balance beams. Suki did gymnastics when she was younger, and could control her centre of gravity better than most people. With Sokka mouthing off rather than focusing on the course, Suki knew she had the upper hand now.
"Hey, are you listening?" Sokka's voice sliced into Suki's concentration. The teenage girl looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun's glare to see Sokka before her with his arms crossed. "I was explaining how we should approach the next obstacle. Are you with me so far?"
Suki only smiled and nodded, further egging Sokka on by claiming she appreciated all the advice by a "big strong guy" like him. With Sokka still blabbing on, Suki kept her eyes on the third set of obstacles. It was a set of tires thrown onto the ground, and the runner had to step through them one by one before moving onto the fourth obstacle of hurdles. Suki felt she could handle both well, given she had quick feet and considerable jumping ability. It was the final obstacle that would bother her, and that was a climbing wall. The only thing available for her in scaling the steep wall was a single rope, and Suki was the first to admit that her upper body strength wasn't the best in the world. That would be the most challenging part, that's for sure.
"Alright, warm-up time is over! Everybody, get to the start line with your partners!" the loud order from Mr. Jeong echoed through the field, causing Sokka and Suki to turn back. Sokka still had that big grin on his face, flexing his arm and proclaiming how it would be a piece of cake for him. Suki quickly smiled, but then rolled her eyes after Sokka's back was turned. If there was a time to put her new classmate in his place, this would be it.
"Runners take your marks, get set, and go!" Mr. Jeong called. Instantly, two runners shot out from their positions and charged straight at the first obstacle. While Sokka kept his arms crossed and made snide remarks about how he could do better, Suki kept her eyes peeled for each runner's techniques, especially when they got to the climbing wall. When the runners made their approach to the wall, Suki could see them try to use their speed as a way to get as high as they could, grabbing onto the rope while already taken a few steps up. Noting the difficult move, Suki went over the ways in which she could perfect it in her head.
It would be several more pairs before Sokka and Suki were up. At the finish line, Mr. Chey had a list of people's names drawn up, with the times being placed in order from fastest to slowest. Stepping up to the line, Suki was only intent on two things: getting into the top ten, and beating Sokka. Giving the arrogant teen to her left one more glance, she took a runner's stance and waited for further instruction from Mr. Jeong.
"Runners take your marks," Mr. Jeong called, to which Suki's vision just narrowed to the obstacle course before her. She couldn't tell what Sokka was thinking at the time, and right now she couldn't care less. "Get set," Mr. Jeong continued, causing Suki to lower more weight onto her legs, digging her sneakers deeper into the grass, "Go!" Mr. Jeong shouted.
Both Sokka and Suki shot out from their positions, taking long strides and aiming right at the net crawl. Sokka, with his longer legs, managed to get to the net first, but immediately found himself in trouble. "Ugh, why's the netting hooked all over me?" he groaned, trying to flick the strings out from his hair, shirt, and shorts.
Suki, on the other hand, had fewer problems. She pressed her body extra low to the ground, taking her time through while still maintaining a quick pace. By the time she was done, she had already passed Sokka and was onto the balance beam. She turned back just in time to see Sokka struggle out of the netting, face red and lips sputtering the whole time. Taking a deep breath, she scaled the beam and slowly tiptoed her way across its full length.
Suki nearly lost her concentration halfway when Sokka's sputtering got even worse. Stretching out her arms, she clenched every muscle on them as a way to not fall off. She took a quick peek over her shoulder to see Sokka waving his arms like a maniac, barely getting two steps before taking a tumble. The rule that Mr. Jeong set out was that one had to cross the beam entirely, and anyone who fell off in the middle must start it again. Blocking out the noise coming out from Sokka's mouth, Suki regained her balanced and hurried through the rest of the beam.
It took Sokka a third try before finally getting through the beam, and by then Suki was already through the third obstacle. Indeed, Suki's quick feet came in handy, slipping in and out of the tires effortlessly and taking off for the hurdles. One thing Suki picked up from observing other runners was that they would rather take slower steps, making sure their feet got in and out of each tire smoothly, than to hurry through but ended up slipping or tripping. With that pattern, Suki kept it in mind when she approached the tires, and luckily it worked out well. Making the turn around the lap, she raced towards the hurdles, the wind flapping at her hair around her face. From the corner of her eye, she could see Sokka grumbling and slipping several times through the tires. What happened to the big tough man who could breeze through this course again?
Suki managed the hurdles just fine as well, leaving her with the most difficult part of the course. Trying to scale the wall, she mimicked the others before her, picking up speed and going up the steps while grabbing the rope. Unfortunately, Suki missed the rope two steps up the wall, causing her to slide back down the slope. Turning around, she tried again, only to find that she couldn't bend low enough to grab the rope while running. Behind her, Suki could hear a couple of the hurdles falling, followed by Sokka cursing at the universe again. Staring at the rope dangling from the top to the ground, Suki came up with a new strategy.
Suki kept her body low while maintaining her speed, letting her hands follow the rope as she leaped up the wall. It worked like a charm, with the rope now firmly in her hands, allowing her to haul herself up the rest of the way. Step by step, she felt herself creeping closer to the top, and the endpoint was in sight just as she slid off. Taking another deep breath, Suki yanked up the final steps. It was all about willpower now, and nothing was going to stop her.
Just then, several thuds got her attention. Looking down, Suki saw Sokka struggling up the wall, gripping onto the rope like it was a lifeline. It was almost comical how Sokka, despite all the complaints, managed to catch up to her. But for Suki, it wasn't over until she crossed the finish line, and she was intent to do so before Sokka did. Seeing Sokka slip off the rope once more, Suki turned back to the task at hand and climbed over the wall. Keeping herself close to the wall, she slid off like it was a slide in the playground, landing on her feet before springing back up. Pumping her legs once more, she shot through the finish line, punching her fist in the air in victory. "How's my time, Mr. Chey?" she asked the younger teacher.
Before the brown-haired teacher could announce the time, a huge crash could be heard. Both Mr. Chey and Suki raised their heads, and saw Sokka crumpled to a heap at the bottom of the wall. Wheezing for air, Sokka literally crawled his way across the finish line, much to the amusement of everyone around. Sokka struggled with every step, collapsing once more before those who already finished the race, lifting one hand and tapping it helplessly at the finish line. Amidst the laughter and incredulous stares, Mr. Chey could only shake his head. "I'll give you top marks for originality. You're probably the most dramatic person to ever do this run," Mr. Chey commented dryly, "But time-wise, I say you're one of the slowest."
Suki's eyes alternated between Sokka, who was still on his stomach, and Mr. Chey, who was looking through the names on the clipboard. "Congratulations, Suki," he announced, looking up from the list, "Unless every runner from now beats your time, you will be among the top five fastest times for the drill. Not bad at all, especially with how you improvised at the wall."
"Yes!" Suki cheered, pumping her fist once more. Turning her eyes back at Sokka, she squatted down and whispered into his ear, "So did some big strong man say he'll show me how to do the track? How did that big strong man do now? Is he willing to concede to this girl jwho ust beat him?" she pointed out, giggling like a little girl.
Sokka muttered something inaudible, turning his body over with great difficulty. His eyes rolled a couple of times before he collapsed once more. Suki frowned at his actions, opting to shake Sokka a couple of times. Oddly enough, there was no response, and a quick inspection by Suki made her realize that Sokka was cut and scraped on his arms and legs. "Uh, Mr. Chey," she called, "I think there's something wrong with Sokka. Can you come help him?"
"How in the name of all things sacred did you get yourself in this mess?" Katara muttered at her brother, who was in the high school infirmary. Even though school was over, Sokka was far from ready to go. During the final period of the day, Sokka ran an obstacle race against Suki, and lost miserably. But in the process, he overly exerted himself, leading to muscle spasms in his legs and general dehydration. He had to be taken to the nurse's office for treatment, while Suki was kind enough to escort him and called Katara when she got out from junior high.
"Well, it's what you get when you try to show off before a race, only to find that it's not what you expected," Suki lectured, hands on her hips and a frown on her face, "Your brother told me he ran plenty of obstacle races before in his old school, and offered to show me how to do it. Well, he succeeded alright, in showing me how not to do it." Suki shook her head, almost feeling sorry for the teen lying on the bed with icepacks to his legs and struggling to sip his water.
"While Snoozles is snoozing over there, my mother did all that she could to embarrass me in front of the student body," Toph complained, leaning her back against the wall adjacent to the infirmary door, "I know she told the chauffeur to pick me up again, but I told the chauffeur to wait outside. I don't care if my mom would freak out over me coming home late, because I'm not leaving without checking on my friend." Turning her face into the room, she tilted her milky eyes at Sokka and grinned. "So were you running like a little old lady out there?" Toph asked.
Sokka fumed at that statement. He placed down his drink and struggled to sit up, and Katara had to step forth to help him. "I've done obstacle courses before," Sokka whined, his voice cracking as usual, "It's just I misjudged some of the obstacles in this one."
Suki, on the other hand, shook her head once more. "Even if we assume you really are the big strong man that you claim to be, you forgot the most important thing when it comes to doing anything," Suki pointed out, sliding into a chair next to the bed, "When I suggested we scouted out the course before we ran, it's not so that you could show off in front of me. I did it so that we could figure out how to best approach each obstacle. While you were busy mouthing off, I already thought about how to best apply my skills to each one. That's why I finished the course that well, having a time in the top ten, while you struggled to get through each one."
Sokka opened his mouth, but nothing came out of it. Even though he hated to admit it, he knew Suki had a point. Perhaps if he swallowed his pride and just observed better, he would not be sitting in the nurse's room right now. "You're right, Suki. I'm sorry for my remarks earlier," he stated apologetically, "I take them all back, and I concede the point to you."
Suki nodded in appreciation while Toph snickered from the door. If there was one thing Katara was most impressed with, it was how Suki managed to put Sokka in his place without having to get into a heated argument. Katara found too often that Sokka put his mouth in motion before his brain. Sure Sokka was the schemer of the family, but there were times that he let his intellects get to his head, thinking there was no way his gut instinct would be wrong. So far, the only person who managed to keep Sokka in check on this was Yue, who passed away with Kya. If Suki could put Sokka back on the right path, then Katara was more than willing to let her help.
"Hey, speaking of which, where did Aang go?" Sokka asked Katara, readjusting the icepack on his calves, "Wasn't he with you and Toph at the junior high campus?"
"Twinkle Toes left early to do his training or whatever," Toph responded from the door, "He's trying out for some big race, but I never asked him about it. I'm just glad he won't be around when my mom starts ranting at the chauffeur demanding to know what I'm still doing in this place. The guy's too much of a jelly-knee to face confrontations, that's for sure."
Sokka cocked an eyebrow at Toph. He recalled meeting Toph's father a few days back, and the man did not leave a good impression on Katara and Sokka. He figured Toph would have trouble relating to her parents, but never would he imagine confrontations like that at home. Before he could inquire more, a cellphone sounded off, with Toph's throwing up her hands in the air. "Speak of the devil, there's the call," she murmured, fishing through her pockets for the offending object, "I'll catch you later, Snoozles. I'm leaving before my mom blows a gasket."
The threesome watched Toph stalk off out the doors, wondering what the sequence would be like when Toph met up with Poppy at home. Chugging down the rest of his water, Sokka took hold of his belongings from the desk next to the bed. "I'm feeling better now, so I'll just check out with the school nurse, and I'll be on my way," he described, making sure he got everything, "If you want, you can just wait for me outside, and I'll be there in a minute."
Katara nodded, heading out of the infirmary. Suki stayed behind to help Sokka, leaving the water bender alone to her thoughts. Other than getting her timetable at the main office, Katara never really got a chance to see the high school campus. The physical education offices were all in the basement, with a long aisle of trainer's rooms present before one could turn back up the stairs for the main floor. Heading through the doors and up the stairs, Katara figured that Toph already exited out the side door, one that led to the parking lot where her limousine was waiting for her. Katara could only hope things wouldn't get too ugly in the Bei Fong home.
Slowly ascending the stairs, Katara went onto the main floor. The cafeteria was past the next hall, but there was a long hallway to her right at the moment. The water bender tilted her head to see a line of lockers, with one just about ten metres from her position opened. There was a teenage boy there, standing slightly taller than Sokka, packing some books into his bag. Beside him, two girls wearing uniforms were waiting patiently. Katara figured that those girls were probably not from this school, given there was no uniform here. One girl had jet black hair and was nearly expressionless, crossing her arms over her burgundy jacket and leaning against the lockers in boredom. The other girl, on the other hand, was the polar opposite, talking excitedly to her two friends and had a huge smile on her face. "Wonder who they are?" Katara wondered.
Katara slowly moved off, heading for the cafeteria. The main hallway that led back to the front doors were in that direction, and Katara was intent getting home soon. Just as she pivoted her body, Katara bumped into someone coming her way. The two bodies collided, but it was Katara who ended up teetering back. "Oh, sorry," she eked out, trying to see who she ran into.
Standing before Katara was a girl, about her age and size, but had a rather unfriendly expression on her face. Like the other two girls from earlier, this girl also had on a school uniform. The burgundy blazer buttoned up to her chest, and underneath that was a beige dress shirt. She had a navy blue skirt that ended at the knees, with knee-high socks and dark dress shoes completing the outfit. But for Katara, the most shocking thing of them all was the girl's gold eyes, which looked like they could pierce through her soul. "Uh, I'm sorry for running into you," Katara murmured, regaining her balance and brushing off her clothes.
The girl across from Katara snorted. "Typical, isn't it? Public school people are always like this, with no sense of order and control. They can't even walk in the hallways properly," she haughtily commented, arrogantly tilting her eyes sideways, "You're lucky that this uniform isn't damaged because of your incompetence in watching where you're going."
Katara nearly choked on her breath. What was with that attitude? She did apologize to the private school student, so what more should she say? Shaking her head a few times, Katara took a deep breath and calmed her nerves. "Look, if I did mess up your uniform in any way, then I'm willing to clean it up for you," she assured, giving the girl's clothes a quick glance.
"Save it! I don't want you to get your filthy hands all over my clothes," the other girl snapped, her golden eyes flashing in anger. It chilled Katara to the bones, making her feel like she was being cornered by a predator. Glancing around, she silently wondered why Sokka and Suki were taking so long. She could really use their help right now, if things got nasty. "What's some miserable lowlife like you doing here anyway?" the girl further demanded.
"Azula, stop!" a male voice called from behind Katara. The water bender whipped her head around to see the boy at the locker earlier approach. If Katara wasn't shocked by the girl's aggressive attitude, then she was downright scared now. The boy had on a black jacket, blue jeans, and dark sneakers, but the most distinctive mark was the huge scar on the left side of his face. The tissue was damaged around his left eye, and spread from it until it neared his temple on the top and his cheek on the bottom. It also caused him to have no left eyebrow, creating a very frightening atmosphere. "I told you to wait for me while I pick up my books, not to harass other people. I'm sure whatever happened was just an honest mistake, so can you just knock it off?"
"Oh Zuzu, what makes you think I'm harassing this poor girl?" the girl identified as Azula retorted, that tiled grin plastered on her face once more. Leaning dangerously close to Katara, she kept her eyes on the boy and continued, "I'm only getting to know this poor soul a bit better. Besides, if I do want to harass her, I'd be doing something like this." With that, she pulled up her right arm and held her fingers in the air. She wiggled them in slow motion before flames burst from each digit, the fire licking precariously close to Katara's hair and clothing.
Katara's heart was really pounding now as Azula physically threatened her, claiming if Katara did mess up her uniform, Azula would burn Katara's shirt on the spot as payback. With her eyes nervously darting around, Katara tried hard to locate the nearest water source, hoping it would be close enough for her to douse the flames. As long as she was within distance to bend the water, she should be safe. Seriously, who was this nutcase? Didn't she know that bending was strictly prohibited on school grounds and during school hours?
Then, just as suddenly as it began, it all stopped. Azula put the fire away and strolled off, brushing the boy's shoulder arrogantly. "Mai, Ty Lee, let's go," she called to the two girls that were at the boy's locker earlier, "No point in wasting our time with that piece of filth." Watching the three uniformed ladies march off, Katara nearly sagged to the ground, relieved that she barely escaped with her body intact. Clenching her hands a few times, Katara tried desperately to stop her body's tremors, and slowly wiped the cold sweat accumulating on her forehead.
"Hey," the boy called again. Katara glanced up to see the one who saved her and saw nearly identical golden eyes. But the main difference was that while the girl's eyes were cold and deadly, this set of eyes were softer and seemed caring. "Don't let my sister intimidate you, okay? She's a jerk to anyone she doesn't like, so just ignore her next time she tries something like that again." With that, the boy slung his bag over his shoulder and marched down the aisle. Katara didn't know what to think, other than that her first day was not what she expected it to be.
"She's an absolute lunatic, I tell you," Katara pointed out, taking a seat on the couch with Sokka and Hakoda. After dinner, Hakoda thought it was a good idea for them to share their first day experiences with each other. So after the dishes were done, Hakoda got them all into the living room just to spend some time talking, with Katara being asked to go first.
Unfortunately, Katara's story was a bit more exciting than anticipated. While her school day went well, it was what happened after school that things went sour. She informed Hakoda that she went to the high school after she was told Sokka suffered some type of injury in gym. While Sokka was being treated at the infirmary, Katara decided to head back to the main floor to wait. It was there that she bumped into someone by mistake, and the result was her nearly getting her clothes set on fire. "I even apologized and told her it was an accident, so what more does she want? Seriously, she's out of her mind," Katara ranted, shaking her head in disgust.
Hakoda scratched his chin in thought. "Well, if she doesn't attend that school, then it's not going to be much help going to school authorities," he explained, taking a seat between his two children, "And if it's from outside school time, then the admin staff will have even less control over who gets to visit as well. I'm not sure what other options you may have."
"Bend water at her, maybe," Katara replied, rubbing her arms up and down, "I was looking for the nearest fountain, but I couldn't find any close by." The water bender sighed, lifting her hands to her face and rubbing her cheeks anxiously. "It was a close call, that's for sure. For my first day, that's just too much excitement for me."
Hakoda clacked his tongue. Perhaps he should go to the police with this, given it was clearly intimidation. "So how did you manage to get away?" he asked, turning his eyes to the girl on his left, "Did you break free without having to use water?"
Katara shook her head. "This guy came up to her and called her out, telling her to back off," Katara replied. She told Hakoda how this strange teen with a scar on his face told the attacker to let her go, in which the attacker left with two other ladies wearing school uniforms. "They do look somewhat alike, so I think they may be related," Katara continued, "I'm just glad there is at least one person with some sense in that family, that's for sure."
"Did you say he has a scar on his face?" Sokka asked from Hakoda's right. Sokka was still icing his legs, as evident by the poorly-wrapped icepack he had around his calves. "I think I know who you're talking about. His name is Zuko Sozin, and he's a grade higher than me. He's pretty aloof and doesn't really hang out with anyone, although Suki says she's pretty close with him. I don't know, Katara. He seems more like an angry jerk than a shining white knight."
Katara exhaled sharply, shooting two blue daggers at her brother. "Sokka, why do you automatically assume that every guy who I run into will have some romantic connection with me?" she demanded, angrily crossing her arms, "First with Aang, now with this guy. Other than the fact that he prevented me from becoming barbequed, I know nothing about him. Besides, why don't you tell Dad what happened between you and your girlfriend in gym? You know, the incident that caused you to wrap the icepack around your legs?" she challenged.
Sokka's mouth opened and closed several times consecutively, resembling a fish out of water. Hakoda turned a set of curious eyes at his son, scanning the icepack threatening to spill its content on the carpet. "Did something unusual happen to you as well?" he queried.
Katara snickered. "The big tough man known as Sokka wanted to challenge the damsel in distress known as Suki to an obstacle race, and even offered to advise Suki on how to run it," she stated tauntingly, "But then Suki handed Sokka's rear end back to him on a silver platter, and Sokka ended up paying the school nurse an unexpected visit."
Hakoda cocked an eyebrow at Sokka. If there was one thing Sokka should have known by now, it was to not underestimate how strong some females could be, given there were three in their family alone. "Your grandmother Kanna, your mother Kya, and your sister Katara are all strong in their own rights, so what makes you think you can beat someone just because they're a girl?" Hakoda added, "I have to say I am a bit disappointed in you, Sokka."
Sokka sighed in defeat. "Yeah, you're right. The whole thing was my fault, and I did apologize to Suki afterwards," he responded, "But just because she beat me this time doesn't mean she won't beat me again. I'll get her back, I promise you," he stated defiantly.
"Well, nothing wrong with a bit of friendly competition, but just don't judge people so quickly, okay?" Hakoda lectured his son, "As for this Zuko you're talking about, maybe he's aloof because he doesn't have a lot of friends. Instead of calling him an angry jerk, maybe you two should try reaching out to him. If Suki already knows him well, it's an opportunity for you two to do the same as well. Other than the burning clothes incident, have you guys met?"
"Suki told me Zuko's uncle runs a café not far from the school," Sokka pointed out, his eyes flashing in excitement, "She said the café's specialty is in teas, but there are some pretty unique snacks there as well. Maybe we should taste their food sometime soon, right Katara?"
Katara rolled her eyes. "You and your obsession with food," she muttered, shaking her head helplessly, "Alright, maybe we can go this weekend. I'll ask Toph and Aang if they want to tag along, and you make the arrangements with Suki," she suggested.
"Ah, speaking of Aang, he's the boy who showed you around the school, correct?" Hakoda asked, turning his head left to face his daughter once more, "You told me a bit about him before, so I do remember some details. Did you manage to see him today?"
Katara nodded. "He didn't come with me to see Sokka though. He said something about having to train for a race of sorts," she recalled, tapping her chin thoughtfully, "Do they even have a track team in the fall? I don't recall seeing something like that at school." After the car accident, Katara hadn't been as active as before. While she did do some physical rehabilitation, she wasn't as involved in athletics as she was before. Even when she was doing her usual sport of swimming, she couldn't regain her former speed or endurance. While the idea of a race was tempting, Katara wasn't sure if it was something she should pick up any time soon.
"If Aang plans to run an obstacle race, then the only way I'll attend is if I get to stay safely on the sidelines," Sokka interjected, waving an annoyed hand across the couch. Turning to his father, he asked Hakoda how his day went. "Did you have a good first day at work?"
Hakoda winced slightly. "I got to hear my boss talk, and found out how much he likes to hear himself talk," he replied. His tone was neither patronizing nor annoyed, but both Katara and Sokka could tell he said that with some discomfort. "Apparently, he told me he met you guys before, having seen you when he dropped his daughter off for schedules."
Katara and Sokka listened on intently, forgetting their sibling rivalry from earlier. Hakoda went on to say that Lao Bei Fong originally wanted Toph to attend a private school, but ended up sending her to a public school. But the most uncomfortable statement was when Hakoda talked about how Lao saw his daughter as setting an example for how children should truly behave, making remarks about how Katara and Sokka ought to learn from Toph and that they shouldn't negatively influence her. "I didn't really respond to that, but I did find it off-putting," Hakoda concluded, "He hasn't even met you, so who is he to judge?"
Katara snorted. "Well, if it makes you feel better, Toph isn't too happy with her parents' attitudes either," she responded, telling Hakoda and Sokka the story of how Toph arrived in a stretch limo. Katara still recalled the shocked expressions on each student's face as Poppy came out of that vehicle like a model on the catwalk. Behind her mother, Toph had to literally drag her feet, wishing that she could just disappear thanks to the embarrassment Poppy put her through. "Aang and I didn't judge her, but we could tell Toph hated it," Katara ended.
Sokka could only hiss under his breath, while Hakoda just nodded emotionlessly. "It's not our place to judge what goes on in the Bei Fong household," he replied, keeping his arms crossed, "But for Toph's sake, I think you two should reach out to her as well. I think, just like Zuko, she's a misunderstood person, and really wants a friend."
Hakoda decided to end the talk for the night, letting his two children go to their rooms to finish their homework. As Katara plopped herself before her desk, thoughts swirled through her mind like a hurricane. It was without a doubt a strange day, to say the least, but she also gained a lot of insight. There were people out there who also had their own problems, and perhaps they could understand what she was going through. There was only one way to find out how things would go, and was to open her heart, just like Kanna had instructed her. Emitting a helpless sigh, Katara turned on her computer and rifled through her school notes, wondering why life was throwing her another curveball. Right now, only time could tell what would happen next.
Quick note on the characters, Mr. Kunming is an OC based on my former junior high principal, and Kunming itself is the name of a city in China. Mr. Jeong and Mr. Chey are, if you haven't guessed already, Jeong Jeong and Chey from "The Deserter" in Season 1. I personally think Jeong Jeong makes a great gym teacher, with his drill sergeant attitude. Lao Bei Fong's assistant will stay unnamed for now, but there is a twist coming with that person. And lastly, it is my intention to make Toph's parents a bit arrogant, given that's the attitude I kind of got from them in the show. It'll be through this story that they learn to mellow out a bit and learn to accept things that are truly important to them, like family. Thank you for reading!