Just another hell of a week. . .

That was an understatement. Even teachers were looking at Aang weird. No one really trusted him anymore. He had Katara, Suki, Sokka and Zuko behind him, they believed him. Toph wasn't getting along with them too well either. Any time Aang tried to talk to Toph she would storm off or yell at him. She came pretty close to hitting him once in the hallway. But today was Friday, and with no homework (which was unusual), Aang was looking forward to it.

It was freezing now, being the beginning of December. Aang was crossing the courtyard in order to get to the bus lines, which were thankfully indoors. He was nearly hallway across when he saw Toph.

She was standing in the center of the courtyard, next to the flag pole. Rin was standing next to her with his arm around her. It was odd seeing them together. He was so tall and muscel-y and Toph hardly reached his shoulders. They were part of a ring of people, all smiling and laughing at some secret joke.

Aang averted his eyes. He didn't need to talk to Toph with him around.

"Hey, Avatar!"

Aang winced.

Rin was strutting towards him, swinging his large fists back and forward. Aang almost reached his nose. Toph and the group of people watched from the flag pole, some smiling and others looking as if they wanted to disappear.

Aang glared up at him as Rin smirked.

"There's a party this weekend." Rin waited for Aang to say something and when he didn't, he continued. "Toph's going to be there. With me. So don't even think-"

"That's all you came to say? Trying to look tough in front of your fans back there?" Despite the cold, frigid air, Aang felt like he was standing over an open fire. His hands balled into fists in his pockets and all he wanted at the moment was to get across the courtyard- not to fight with Rin or talk to Toph, his only ambitions for the past week.

"I think you're safe."

Rin's jaw tightened. "Don't be talking to me like I'm dumb!"

"Well, how else am I supposed to talk to you?" Aang's demeanor remained calm, while Rin's became more fierce. His nostrils flared and his tan face gradually turned red.

He leaned in. "Stay away from Toph. She's mine." Aang's face contorted. Rin smirked. He jabbed Aang sharply in the shoulder.

"Wrong choice," Aang hissed. He grabbed Rin's wrist before he could withdraw. He stomped his foot and raised his hand and chopped it through the air. The earth bent itself to his will and smashed itself against Rin's chest.

Rin was forced backwards and he collided with a stone bench. The group by the flag poll stared in astonishment. Then, some darted for the cover of the building, others stayed where they were and others ran to the aid of Rin. Toph was one of the people to stay in their spot.

Rin forced the small crowd around him do back away. He stood, shrugging off pieces concrete from his crimson football jersey. Aang was breathing heavily, just a few yards away.

Rin planted his feet into the ground. He dropped one knee to the ground and a large rock erupted from the frozen ground. Rin punched it and it split in two. He kicked one horizontally and it cracked. He punched outward, and the rock flew at Aang. Aang easily countered it with air bending.

Rin continued to punch at the mound. Aang easily deflected each blow. I was when the mound got too small that Aang realized what Rin was doing. He turned to the left and saw the building. He turned to his right just in time to see Rin's clawed hand, shrouded by rock.

The thick, numb pain shot through Aang's cheek as the fist made contact with his skin. He rolled backwards. He stopped rolling as the earth shot up underneath him and suddenly, he was in the air. Aang airbent himself up onto the roof.

Aang crossed his forearms in front of him and slashed them forward, until his hands were parallel with his hips. The wind ripped leaved off the trees and shredded them. The flag billowed furiously. Rin's arms shielded his face and Toph clung to the flag pole. The remained kids were blown backwards.

Aang leapt back to the ground. Rin steadied his elbows at his sides. He thrust his arms to the side and swung them forward until his knuckles collided. The earth separated into two columns in front of him and darted to the side. The two columns sped towards Aang. The two crossed in midair and spiraled towards the ground but a sphere of air blocked them from reaching their target.

The ball of air spun into raging fire, cracking the earth with its intense heat. The fire twirled around itself like ribbons before throwing itself at the boy opposite its controller.

Rin's shield of rock cracked and shattered as the fire collided with it and Rin was thrown backwards once more. Rin leapt to his feet and ran forward. He wavered off to the side and a smooth wall of earth appeared as Rin leapt off the ground. He skidded around the wall that continued to build itself. He slid behind Aang and back into his view. The earth-road turned in front of Aang and built itself into a ramp over him. Rin met the earth behind Aang. He drew his fist back and slammed it into the back of Aang's face just as he turned around.

Aang was sent flying backwards. Warm blood spilled from his nose and stars appeared before him as he tried to stand up. He stood unsteadily and look at Rin. The earthbender looked as if he might breathe fire.

Rin's left fist was clenched tightly across his stomach, as if we was about to pistol-whip Aang without a gun.

"Will you two stop it!" Rin's face contorted and his shoulders hunched as he swung his fist at the source of the noise instead.

Toph fell with her knees bent, one hand flying to her mouth. The way Rin looked at her was completely different from the way he had only minutes before, when he had his arm around her, surrounded by people. Toph removed her hand from her mouth- it was red with blood. She spit the metallic taste from her mouth and stood. Both guy's waited motionless to see what would happen next.

Toph's hand shot out so fast that neither of them would have caught it, had it not met it's mark. The force of her punch set Rin reeling.

"Hold it, hold it right there!" Three heads turned towards the source of the voice. Roku, their principle was marching towards them. He eyed Aang, with the heavily bruised cheek and the blood that flowed freely from his nose and off his chin, then Toph, who was spitting out more gobs of blood before turning his eye on Rin who was still laying on the ground, looking up at Roku with innocent eyes.

"What has hap-"

"He started it!"

"He threatened me!"

"She punched me!"

Toph's jaw dropped slightly as Rin pointed at her. "And Aang hit me for no good reason! He started. . . patronizing me, trying to look cool in front of the others!"

Aang's jaw dropped as well. Professor Roku studied the three students expressions.

"Detention for all of you. Further punishment will be given once we sort this out. Your detention will be tomorrow, eight o'clock sharp."

"What? Detention on a Saturday?" Toph exclaimed.

Roku's eyes narrowed at her. "Yes, Saturday! Would you like me to extend it to Sunday as well?"

Toph shook her head.

"Eight o'clock. And clean this mess up!" With that, Roku marched off. Aang's hand flew threw his hair, realizing that his cap had been knocked off. Toph was frozen in place and Rin was climbing to his feet.

Rin approached Toph. "Hey, baby, you ok-"

"Don't touch me," Toph spat, throwing his approaching arm away. "And don't call me 'baby', you cocky, son of a bitch!"

Aang tried blocking them out. He really did. He busied himself with finding his cap as the only other people in the courtyard argued.

"How dare you! My father is-"

"I don't give a damn who your father is! My dads probably the boss of him and according to my dad, I'm a perfect angel and a jackass like you isn't going to change his mind!"

Aang leapt up onto the roof, thinking that was the only place they wouldn't see him smile. She was using her special word- jackass. She never uses that word!

Aang sat on the roof's edge and felt something soft underneath his hand. Well, he found his cap. . .

He leapt back down to the floor and started gathering up pieces of concrete.

It was a couple minutes before the fighting stopped. Aang turned to see Rin's retreating back and Toph standing still. She looked at him. Her expression couldn't really be described. If you only saw her eyes, then you would think she was sad or even scared. Seeing her mouth you would think she's nervous, yet determined.

She didn't saw anything as she approached him or afterwards either. Aang excepted it. It was better than yelling or running away. she went to a janitor for bags to put the concrete in. They smooth out the dirt and fixed up the side walk the best they could. Toph rebuilt a column with rock. and still, she didn't say anything.

Aang said goodbye to her about three hours after the fight. She looked at him with that strange expression again, but this time it looked softer and almost. . . apologetic.

"Have you talked to her?"

Aang was home, through with the lectures of his parents and the discussion of what had happened with them and his other friends. He was now talking to Katara.

"Yep."

"Did she say anything?"

Katara sighed. "Yep."

Aang waited. "Aren't you going to tell me?"

"Are you crazy? Of course I'm not!"

"Why not!"

"'Cause. . . Just no, Aang! I can't do that!"

"Why?"

"I promised! I don't break promises."

". . . Can't you make an exception?"

"No! She's just. . . Leave her be Aang. She'll be alright just right now, It would be best if you stayed away."

Just so's you know. . . theres only a couple chapters left! i'd say 3 maybe 4 chapters at the most. detention will be one short chapter in preparation for the one to follow

its nice to know that some of you are actually still looking forward to the next chapter in this story! thank you!

and i think there are saturday detentions. . . not sure though.

i think i may finish this story real quick. It may be done before spring break is over! no promises though :)