So yeah, the last chapter. Sorry, but I'm just not feeling this set of loosely connected drabbles anymore.Still, I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar

Looks and Insults

The end of the school year was nearing and tension was running high. Pressure was high, tempers were short and even best friends were in each others hair. And to top it of the area was hit by the first heat wave of the year making everyone even angrier because they had to stay in school (even though there was nothing more to learn) instead of being outside. The atmosphere was, in short, not-very-good.

Class was something only a few students bothered with anymore. As the heat increased brain activity sunk proportionally to it. What was the point, most of them reasoned with their consciousness; it wasn't that much longer till the end of the year. A couple of missing lessons couldn't possibly affect their grades that much. Or so they thought.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Katara whispered as she ducked behind the wall with Toph.

"Relax," the smaller girl told her leaning against the same wall, "we won't get caught. I can sense anyone coming and we'll hide."

"It's not that," the Waterbender murmured, "we shouldn't be out of class in the first place."

Toph made an impatient huffing noise, "you can go back you know."

Katara looked at her, "don't give me that look."

"What look?" Toph was incredulous, "I'm blind, remember."

"You can still give looks," Katara hissed, "and right now you're giving me the you're-such-a-wuss-go-back-to-where-you-came-from-if-you're-scared-I'll-do-this-alone look. Stop."

"Yeah well you're being all I'm-miss-perfect-who-never-does-anything-fun," Toph retorted then her head snapped to the side and she appeared to be listening, "quick, someone's coming." Without a seconds hesitation she began hurrying down the corridor. Katara struggled with herself for a moment, then she followed her. Even if she went to class now she's never be able to explain why she was so late. What exactly had Toph said that had made skipping politics look like a good idea?

Even the best, most precious students of the Academy were not unmoved by the strong atmosphere in the school but the student who seemed to be affected the most was none other than Prince Zuko. Always on the short tempered side of the field it was now reaching a critical point. The whole world (or at least everyone in school) it seemed to him was battling to make him angry in some way. And most of the time they succeeded too, no thanks to Azula.

"God Zuko, you suck," she sneered at him (wearing a look that screamed nothing-you-do-will-ever-be-sucessful-bow-to-me-queen-of-the-world) after she had just beaten him in one of the 'friendly' sparring matches that now erupted so frequently in the hallways.

"Yeah, well, you swallow," the dark haired prince snapped back rudely before he could stop himself.

Azula stared at him opened mouthed for a moment one because of his crudeness and two because he had dared answer back to her. Then it hit her, "That make absolutely no sense. If you suck, you swallow."

Now the students standing around gaped at her as she turned and flaunted off (still wearing the look) leaving them to wonder at her incredible logic and why the hell she had followed up on the vulgarity.

Logic however, was not the preferred way of most students to counter their arguments. One prominent comeback was 'so is your face' used at every proper and improper occasion. Even the young Avatar and his philosophy of peacefulness were not safe from it.

"Aang your stance is off," Toph, who was helping him with his Earthbending, shouted, "don't slouch! You're like a rock, unmovable and steady!"

"I'm trying," Aang answered, screwing up his face in the I'm-doing-the-best-I-can-leave-me-alone-already look.

"You're acting like a marshmallow," Toph bellowed, "You're all soft and squishy!"

"Well so is your face!" it burst out of the young monk before he could stop himself and in truth he didn't really want to. Everything was getting on his nerves and right on top of the list was bending practice, school and the heat. These were not his days.

Finally the long awaited last day had arrived. A useless day in every way, except that it was here you received your grades. There was short assembly and afterwards the teachers handed out the papers of doom. Emotions were running high; there were shouts of joy, moans of despair, screams of anger and sighs of practiced acceptance, then everyone ran out of the building as fast as they could.

Somehow the new students of the year had found themselves together at the front of the building. Aang, Toph, Meng and the twins stood together and looked at the building they had grown so used to over the year. It was almost a moment of awe.

"Well," Toph stomped on the ground, breaking the spell, "that wasn't all that bad was it?"

"Yeah," Aang grinned, "and I'm glad it's over."

They all laughed, then the twins nodded to them. "Have a nice summer," said Mirok. "See you next year," Misant followed up.

They moved away and the group of five broke up. Yes, next year they would find themselves here again. There would be more horrors to face, greater challenges to overcome and new students to torture. But until then: summer time!

The End