Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, sadly
Chp. 11: It's Out of Control
Zuko walked to the group with Mai for the last time until after Christmas break, which started right after school. Toph sat slouched on a bench as she carelessly ate her food and Katara watched a little disgusted with how Toph could be so careless. Zuko sighed as he approached them, holding onto Mai's content hand. Aang waved at them with a big cheesy smile, and Sokka acted unimpressed as he spoke. "He's acting like Mr. Carter, our Chemistry teacher. He smiles like he had just won the lottery," he rolled his oh-so sarcastic eyes. Zuko didn't respond to this, though Mai did.
"Ugh, I'm having Mr. Carter next. I hate him; he's a big lump of Mr. Happy-Bag!"
"Oh! Mr. Happy-Bag, from the commercials! Don't be a big lump of rags; be like Mr. Happy-Bag!" Sokka imitated, gaining a quick smirk from oh-so unhappy Mai.
"That's the one."
"What are you guys talking about?" Oh-so cheery Katara asked.
"Mr. Carter acting like Mr. Happy-Bag."
"Oh, from the commercials? I love the rainbow right before they show Mr. Happy-Bag!" Mai and Sokka giggled, but Toph scrunched her face.
"You're weird, Sugar Queen," and she resumed eating her lunch.
"Are you all having a good day?" asked Ms. Cole as she popped in.
"Not just good, Ms. Cole, we're having a happy-bag day!" Sokka responds ironically. Oh-so angst-y Zuko rolled his eyes as oh-so oblivious Ms. Cole nodded.
"That's good. Well, I'll see you all later!" and she left. Oh-so proud Toph got up and threw away her food in pale gray trash can next to her, almost missing. The bell rung and they said their byes, and scattered on their way.
The next period came, the last before school ended. Everybody had each other for the same class, Sokka, Katara, Aang, Toph, Zuko, and Azula. They had it for English. Their teacher, Mr. Hendricks was sick, so he had a substitute come in for him. He walked into the class and headed towards his desk. He was a man of his 30's that had brunette hair and a white and blue vertically striped shirt. "Welcome, welcome. Settle down. My name is Mr. Harper. I'm your substitute," he reached his desk and turned to the class. Sokka sat on the second to last row, sitting in the middle of his row. Katara sat in the row before Sokka's, one desk away. Toph sat on the right of Katara, in the teacher's eye view. Aang sat in the row before Katara, across to her, and Zuko next to him. Who was across Toph, too. Azula sat in the row Sokka was, but she was about 2 desks away from him. Mr. Harper observed the class carefully, taking seconds away from the class. "Alright, I'm new, so I'm not sure where everything is at. So none of you have homework for English, but…," he put a finger to his lip "; you are all an odd group." People looked around and giggled. "… So," she added sharply, then left his spot from un-back his desk. His stood in front of his desk, leaning on it. "So, we're going to talk," everyone turned and chatted with their friends "; No, no, no! Shush, everyone!" Everyone faced him and stayed silent. "We're going to discuss things, as a class. Now, I want to know some of your future dream job." Everybody stayed silent and still. A hesitant girl raised her hand shyly. "Yes?"
"I want to be a photographer when I grow up."
"Photographer, that's good! Anyone else?" A boy raised his hand this time. The teacher nodded.
"I want to work in construction." Mr. Harper's eyes flew bigger, interested.
"Hm, construction! Yes, very cool. How about you?" he pointed to a girl whose hand was raised.
"I want to work in cosmetics."
"In what, nails- or…"
"I'm… not sure yet."
"Mhm…," he nodded, finger to his lips. Katara raised her hand.
"Yes, you?"
"I want to work as a nurse," the teacher removed the finger from his lips.
"Ah, yes. The joy to heal." Zuko looked over at Katara, but somehow his eyes wandered off to Toph. Seconds later he snapped out of it and turned his gaze back to the teacher. Mr. Harper, who was apparently looking at Zuko, pointed at him. "You, what do you want to be when you grow up?" Zuko looked around and finally pointed at himself.
"Me?"
"Yes, you!"
"Uh… I don't know, I never put much thought into it."
"That's because you don't put much thought in anything," Azula says. Zuko shoots her a glare.
"Let me guess, siblings?"
"That's right," she says.
"… Funny… Anyway," he says louder, starting to walk again "; can any of you tell me what life (past, present, and future) is full of?"
"Ironic comments and wacky jobs," Sokka says without raising his hand. The teacher stopped in his steps.
"No," he shot a glare at Sokka "; life is full tragedy and woe, simplicity and modern, pleasant surprises and happy delirium.-"
"Mr. Happy-Bag, Mr. Happy-Bag," Sokka interrupts again.
"-Well… no. Nobody can possibly be that happy," his brows furrowed. "If they would, they'd be on pills or something," he murmured. His brows returned to normal, as did his voice. "No, life is sometimes even filled with insanity," Azula's eyes dropped a little, as did her heart "; paranoia, disturbing things. Very disturbing things. And sometimes there's so much happiness one second it can't even be described. Life- oh life- it's… it's- out of control!" Zuko glanced at Toph.
"Tell me about it," he muttered. Mr. Harper's hands moved as he spoke.
"I mean, one minute you're completely joyous, then all of a sudden, the next minute, you're all sad! You don't want to move, you don't want to do anything! Why, because you question yourself if it's even worth it! And it is! Let's say-" he pointed at Sokka.
"Sokka."
"-Let's say Sokka is in love with… uh… Katara!" He says, remembering Katara's name from somewhere.
"Ew, no, she's my sister!"
"Fine! Let's say this gentleman here," he puts a palm on Aang's black hair.
"Aang."
"Let's say Aang here, is in love with Katara. If you question yourself if it's worth it-," he gaped for words. "Tell me, Aang, would it be worth living for your, lets say, your sweetheart Katara?" Both Katara and Sang turned a shade of pink.
"Uh… Um… I guess," he says, sinking in his chair. Mr. Harper smiled at Aang.
"Oh, come on! Is that what you would say to a lady?"
"Uh…"
"Alright, alright. I'll get off your back. You all get the point, am I right?" Everybody nodded their heads. He looked up the clock. "Class is almost over. I'm sorry if that was awkward for some of you, but you all look like a bunch of slackers," his hands fell to his sides. The class stayed silent, and he smiled, then started laughing. "Ok, just because I'm a cool substitute, I'll let you all talk. Go on!" and he went back behind his desk. Toph began to laugh.
"What's so funny, Toph?"
"That dude is pretty cool, besides, he wasn't bothered by my bangs in my face. And he's one of the few people who really know that life is out of control. Like-seriously, though. It is."
"I guess you could say that," Katara frowned.
"Hey, Katara!" Katara turned to her brother. "Teacher is pretty wack, huh?"
"You're just jealous, Sokka, because he's better than you," Azula says, stealing somebody's chair to sit next to them.
"Talking about Sokka, everybody is better than him!" Toph says. The group laughs except for Sokka.
"Ha-ha, very funny!" he says ironically.
"Hey, you were right, Sokka," Toph says "; life is full of ironic comments!" She says ironically this time. He frowns and turns away.
"Oh, come on, Sokka!"
"Let it go."
"Hm… out of control…," Zuko observed.
"What, are you actually thinking?" Zuko didn't pay attention but thought of how true that was…
A/N: So I hope you are all happy with the… uh… long ness. More to come!