Toph woke up to an annoying sound. It took her a moment to realize it was her cell phone. "Ugh…hello?" she asked groggily.
"Hey Toph, I want you to come for a ride with me and Suki," Katara said. Toph could hear some ner ridiculous pop song in the background. "No, Sugar Queen. Its too early," Toph protested. "Do you even know what time it is? Get up!" Katara said. "Let me get some sleep. Its not even noon yet. Come on Katara. I'm exhausted." Toph begged.
"Well no one told you to stay up till three A.M on Xbox, now did they? Please come with me? We're shopping for dresses for the spring dance. You should come too."
"Let me think for a minute…NO." Toph said pressing the end button. She buried herself beneath her pillows and tried to go back to sleep. She got in a few extra minutes of dozing before she heard her mother calling.
"Toph, your friends are downstairs waiting for you!" Poppy yelled. What the hell do they think they're doing? Toph thought angrily. If those silly little princesses think they're going to drag me all around that damned mall just to gush all about boys and dumb stuff then they can forget it.
She marched down the stairs too see her mother talking to Katara and Suki. She knew her mother liked Katara and Suki because they were so well mannered. And polite, unlike Sokka, or Aang if he got nervous.
"Mom, I'm not going to the mall with them, Its too early." Toph said eyeing her two only female friends with an angry expression. "Toph, sweetheart, its almost one thirty. Go get dressed. Pick out something pretty for the dance. Maybe you'll meet a nice boy," Poppy said. Katara and Suki giggled. "Not likely," Toph muttered marching back up the stairs. She got into her own private shower and turned the water on as cold as it would go trying to wake herself up. Today is going to be a long one. She thought.
XXXXXXX
"So I was thinking, we should get something to eat when we're done" Katara said stepping out of her light blue volkswaggon beetle. "Yeah, I know a spot that sells killer salad." Suki continued. "I want pizza," Toph complained, digging wax out of her ear. She had been forced to go to the mall by her overly perky mother, but she was not going to eat salad. If she was in for a day of shopping, then she needed something greasy.
"How will you fit into your dress?" Katara asked as they walked into Macy's. "I'm not like you guys, all centered about your stupid weight. I've got better stuff to grow grey hair about," she said. "Yeah, well, we all can't be a size zero. Don't you want to wear something nice?" Suki asked. She started ooking through dresses from the rack, debating on which color Sokka would like better.
"I'm not going to that stupid dance with over priced tickets, the worlds worst DJ, and crappy decorations where everyone thinks that the love of their lives will just come up and confess their feelings and but ends up dry humping on the dancefloor with some one else," Toph said peeling the price stickers off the dresses and sticking them on the mannequins foreheads.
"Why aren't you going with Aang?" Katara asked. "What?" Toph said, confused.
"We thought you and Aang would go together." Katara and Suki were silent for a moment before Toph exploded into a fit of laughter. "You…think….Me and… twinkle toes are…." She couldn't finish her sentence because she was rolling around on the floor with tears beginning to stream out of her eyes.
"Okay Toph, its not that funny." Katara said, picking a deep blue dress. "Ooh, Suki, how about this one? I love this color." She said. "I don't know. Lets try them on first. Toph, try to compose yourself. We're in public." Suki said. She and Katara picked up a coulpe of dresses and headed for the dressing rooms. Toph picked herself off the floor and dusted off her jeans.
"Aw man," she said wiping the tears from her eyes. "That was priceless." She didn't want to go to the stupid dance at all. It made her stomach churn to think about all the love sick teenagers who would slow dance with each other and stare into their partners eyes with passion. "Sick," Toph said to no one. She stared at the dresses on the rack and picked up the first one she saw before going into the dressing rooms. Maybe one wouldn't hurt. She thought to herself. She snuck to the rooms before Katara and Suki could question her on what she was doing. They were in deep conversation.
"So, I totally thought he would ask me" she heard katara say. "Well the dance is a couple weeks away. Maybe he's waiting for the right time." Suki replied. "Zuko's just a little shy. Don't worry Katara. Do you see how he stares at you in Spanish class? He's totally into you."
Ugh, not this shit again, Toph thought. Just when I thought I could keep down my breakfast. Toph quietly put the dress on. She zipped it up and turned to look in the mirror. The dress was pale green, it brought out the color of her eyes. She twirled in the mirror. It was strapless, and stopped above her knee. I flowed when whe moved and felt like silk. It had padding on the inside that gave her cleavage an extra boost.
"You know, I actually thought Aang was going to ask Toph," Katara said. Toph froze in mid twirl, her eyes widened at the topic change. "I know," Suki said. "For a while, I thought they were dating. Especially last night, you know, with the whole driving home thing."
But that was just a joke! Toph wanted to shout. Damn it! What part of Aang and I are just friends don't you people understand? Its driving me nuts!
"Yeah, but they would look so cute together. I think they might be secretly dating." Katara added. "I mean, she sits next to him all the time, at lunch, when we go out, she and Aang are always together."
"They're just friends Katara. Don't go jumping to conclusions. Remember, that's how Sokka and I were when we first met." Suki said.
"Yeah, you right. But do you think that maybe someday….."Katara trailed off. "Nah!"Suki said. But Toph had heard enough. She put her clothes back on and ran out of the dressing room. "Did you find everything okay?" the sales woman asked her. "Yup." Toph said fidgeting. She smacked a credit card on the counter. After her dress was paid for, she stashed it in the back of Katara's car and ran back in time to see them leaving the dressing rooms. "Hey Toph, did you find a dress?" Suki asked. "Pft, no. I told you. Dances are for losers." Toph said.
XXXXXXX
Toph sat on a bean bag in Aang's room sctatching his big white dog, Appa. Aang was typing on his computer. "Done. Finally." He said pressing save as he printed his paper. "You are such a dork," Toph said. "The damn paper was assigned yesterday and you're already done." She said standing up. "Come on. Lets go get something to eat." She said making her way out of Aang's neat, tiny square bedroom.
"Fine. But not McDonalds." He said turning off his computer. Toph froze. "What?Why? What kind of crack are you smoking? Aang, we have to get McDonalds. Its like, the best food ever! " she protested. "We just watched Super Size Me in health class. McDonalds is really bad for you." Aang said. "Why don't we go to subway?" He suggested. "Because I want something drowned in grease, that's why." She said, marching down the stairs. Aang sighed. He swore to get her off junk food by summer.
