A/N – I have a new favorite; Madigan Keen first… anything related to my story. GO YOU!

-Beach-

"Toph, come on," Aang moaned, trying to coax me into Aapa. "You already promised you'd go to the beach with me!"

I sighed, walking in the direction of all of the big houses in town, where Zuko and I (and all of the other wealthy people of Ba Sing Se) live.

He was driving slowly next to me.

"TOPH!" he yelled.

"Fine!" I grumbled. That's all it took for me to cave. One pained or panicked scream from Aang, and I was doing whatever he asked. It was creepy and unfortunate that he had all of that power against me.

I hopped into Aapa, "One day, I'll be able to ignore the scream," I threatened.

"Yeah, that'll be the day Aapa flies!" (A/N – Flying bison humor).

We drove downtown, to where the beach was. It was also five minutes from where The Phoenix King was.

"Is my bathing suit still in the trunk?" I asked him as we drove through the afternoon traffic.

"I didn't move it," he said, "If you didn't, it's still there."

"Good," I said, "and are we racing to the buoy?"

"Why else would we be going to the beach?" he grinned.

"Nothing else comes to mind."

When we got to the beach the first think I did was change and then sped past Aang and then into the water. It was freezing, like, hypothermia freezing. I got out of the water and rushed over to Aang, "Aa-Aa-Aang, we can't swim today—"

His face clouded over with concern. "You went into the water? I was going to tell you that it's freezing cold!"

I shivered, "Well, why didn't you?"

"You were changing, what did you want me to do? Go in there and tell you?"

Then, I noticed who was behind Aang, the Eskimos."

"Hey Toph," Katara said.

"Hey," Sokka said.

"I see you've lost your usual seal fur coats," I said.

"Yeah," Sokka laughed, "We traded it in for cooler clothes."

I didn't laugh at his joke, "I'm going to get towel from Aapa."

"Who's Aapa?" Sokka asked, following me. "Is he like, a towel vendor?"

"A what?" I asked. "No, Aapa is Aangs van." I popped the already open trunk and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around myself. When I did so, Sokka looked away, like he was done looking.

I glared at him for staring, "So, why are you stalking us? Aang and I."

"Oh, we're not stalking. We talked to Zuko and he said he would take us to see the city and stuff—"

"Zuko?" I asked. "Why the hell would he do something like that?"

"Oh, the teacher told Zuko he had to show us around campus—"

"—The beach isn't campus—"

"And, I think he has a crush on my sister, so he took us around town too."

"Oh," I said, "not really up for talking, since, you know, I'm freezing cold."

He wrapped his arms around me, "Oh yeah! I forgot, here I'll help you! This kind of thing happened a lot at home."

My eyes were wide and I pulled back, walking defiantly back to Aang, rubbing my hair down with the towel.

He looked at me; I was red faced (because of the Eskimo boy) and towel clad and he yelled, "Toph that towel is soaking wet!"

I looked at him, slightly sheepish, "I dried my hair first."

He took the towel, "Toph this' not going to help."

Zuko came out of nowhere and said, "Toph, why are you wearing a bathing suit? It's October."

I glared at him, "Aang, give me your shirt."

"No! Why?"

I turned to look at him, "Why do you think?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry," he said, removing his shirt and giving it to me.

I took it from him and winced at how cold it was.

"What happened to Toph?" Zuko asked.

"We were going to race to the buoy like we usually do, but the water was too cold, and I didn't have time to tell her, because she was changing, and she dove in."

Zuko laughed loudly and didn't stop.

I gave Aang his freezing cold shirt back. "I think I'm going to go to work now."

"Oh, I'll drive you," he offered.

"No," I said blatantly.

He looked hurt.

"I mean, it's four blocks."

"You're going to walk there in a bikini?" Zuko asked.

I gave him the finger, "I have other clothes, moron."

He looked condescendingly up and down my body, I don't even think he cared; he just wanted to make me uncomfortable. I stared at his scar until he looked away.

I put my back on in the changing tent and told Aang, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye Toph," Katara said sweetly.

"Bye!" Sokka said enthusiastically.

"Bye," I growled.

Right before I turned my iPod up at full blast and listened to my KISS collection, I heard Aang.

"Can you walk her?" he asked.

"No," Zuko responded.

"But you know where it is!"

"Fine," he growled, getting his stuff. "Bye guys, bye Katara."

I almost hurled at the grossness that is his affection.

"Toph!" Zuko yelled.

I turned my back, and just as I saw him, my iPod played 'Calling Doctor Love' thank you whatever demon picks out the shuffle in my iPod. I ripped the ear buds out of my ears, mad.

I glared at him, like he did this to my iPod.

"Aang told me to—"

"I heard, I'm not deaf, you know."

"But you are cranky."

I glared at him again.

"Aren't you cold?" he asked me. I was wearing a green camisole and green Bermuda shorts.

I glared at him again, again.

He hugged me, just like Sokka did, but this time I didn't pull away. Or at least, so fast.

After a minute, however, I pulled away. "Why are you so warm you freak?"

He laughed.

"I was being serious, but whatever. They probably can't see us anymore, so you can go now."

"No, it's okay, I want to go to the shop anyways. And, I wouldn't want you to be lonely," he lightly shoved me to the side.

"Great," I said, punching him hard in the arm.

When we entered the tea shop, fifteen minutes early, there were only a few people in the skinny and narrow shop.

Zuko walked behind the counter and into the kitchen, and I followed him.

"Hey Uncle," he said.

"Hello Zuko," his uncle said, putting down his tea.

"Hi, Mr. Iroh," I said, stepping out of Zuko's shadow. (I was 5 feet 4, and he was 6 feet 1).

"Hello Toph! Are you early?"

"Yeah, we were at the beach and we walked over."

I was so happy the kitchen was warm and it smelt of tea.

"You were at the beach? On a day like today? You didn't go into the water, did you?" he asked, fixing us some tea.

I was about to say, "No, of course not!"

When Zuko said, "She did."

I glared up at him.

"Well," he said, handing me a cup, "drink this."

I smiled at him and sipped the tea, "Wow! It's making me warmer!"

He smiled, "Zuko, can you get Toph a shirt from the back?"

He put his book bag down, "Sure Uncle." And disappeared through a back door.

"So, are you ready for your first day?"