What I Learned at SRU
Chapter 55 - Recovery


Dust. Heat beats down. He adjusts his brim to block the burning rays.

"Think we kin take 'em?" her raspy voice inquires with caution.

He spits. Wad of cheap tobacco splatters in the dried earth below his boot.

"Ah ain't a quitter," he replies through grit teeth. "Yer bounty ta collect, Darlin'."

Sour frown underneath a field of freckles.

"Toldja stop callin' me that," she grumbles. The streaks of blood - makeshift facepaint - across her cheeks are beginning to crack apart from the heat. Bony fingers flex around her holster. "Fair 'nuff, though..."

"Ya'll lovebirds done sayin' yer prayers?" roars the dark stranger's voice from down the dirt street.
BLAM...
The couple is left unfazed by the warning shot in the distance.

He chuckles to himself. Tightens his cowskin gloves, arrows carved into the hide over his knuckles.

"The Spirits are on our side today, Miss Bee," he assures his companion. "Yer 'bout to put an end to 'im, once n' fer all."

"Long time comin'," she huffs. Spurs rattle as they slowly approach the silhouette in the distance. She walks faster than he does, pulls up ahead. Slender, muscular legs in such short denim.
Er, whoop...Not the time to go meanderin'.

"It ends tuhday," he threatens in a shout to the criminal across the way. "Yer a wild animal needs tuh be put down."

"Ya reckon so?" taunts the blonde man. His face is shrouded in the shadow from his ten-gallon hat As they draw near, the opposing figure before them stretches out his arms. "My, my. The Killerbee Kid and the Wind o' the West. Well, ain't yoo two been gunnin' holes across the state? Fine work, ah hear."

"'Bout to stick some lead right between yer eyes, Nils," hisses the girl with the flaming orange hair. Olive eyes pierce with hostility.

"Now, what in tarnation you blowhards come 'round mah town fer? What I done to you?"

"Quit beatin' the devil 'round the stump," commands Killerbee. "We all know yer a hard case. Me n' mah boy come heeled with a notion to put ya under fer yer crimes."

"All this work, jus' for lil' ol' me? I'm dreadfully flattered."

"Hobble your lip, damnit!" She seems quite impatient. Her hand whips up her pistol and pulls back the hammer, aimed for her enemy.

"Whoa, pull in yer horns, ma'am!" Nils pleads, arms up. "I ain't meanin' ya no harm..."

Ranks pour into the road from the alleyways. A flurry of clicks as guns are cocked.

"But...If ya be meanin' me some, ahm afraid I can't keep the peace."

"Ah, shut yer big bazoo!" Killerbee cries in defiance, her arms quivering as she steps back, pulling her hand away from her gun. She bumps into him, and he holds her from tripping back.

"Hey, uh...Miss Bee, maybe it's time we oughtta skedaddle, rethink our-"
"Ah don' care a continental!" she whispers back at him with fury. "It's time tuh shoot, or give up the gun!"

"Now, then!" Nils interrupts. "Ya'll best throw up the sponge now. Had yer fun, chil'un. But ya belong to me, Bee. Always have. Always will. Ya know that good n' well by now. So put 'em up, n' come quietly."

His teeth grind at the mysterious man's words.

"There ya go, shootin' yer mouth off," he scolds. "Miss Bee ain't belong to no man..."

"Gheh," Nils bursts out a laugh. "This sack o' bones ain't never been a 'Miss', and that's a fact." He turns his attention to the girl with the facepaint. "Now, what's with this nonsense, Whore? Yer partner in crime's right as a trivet. Ain't yer style at all."

"I'm proud to know 'im," she declares, tightening the cloth band around her forehead. She clasps his hand in her own. His stomach lurches, light and queasy. "More n' anyone kin say 'bout you, Nils."

"'How come we ain't been shot dead yet?" he cautiously inquires underneath his breath. Seems too convenient to be truth.

"Don't copper yer damn bets," she expresses her disapproval of his lack of confidence. "He jus' plays to the gallery."

"Now set yer guns down good n' slow so we kin sort this all out," Nils suggests.

BANG.

Chaos. One of the ambushers is struck in the skull. He collapses as all barrels point skyward in search of the sniper.

BANG. BAM. POP-POP. BANG.

Hell breaks loose. Bullets fly.

"Get a wiggle on!" Killerbee cries, grasping his arm by the wrist and dashing into an alleyway, blasting a thug in the face with her magnum as they pass. "Heehee!" she giggles with triumph. "They don' call 'im Longshot fer nothin', eh?" Their backup is the perfect distraction to kick up dust and make for a good getaway.

In the madness, he caps three. One in the shin, another in the shoulder, a third in the knee. More are gunned down from the rooftops.

Suddenly, they are cut at the pass by Nils. Killerbee, gun at the ready, fires one off without a second's delay, straight through his heart.
Thump.

"There's the kit n' caboodle," she shouts with triumph. "Not so hard as we thunk!"

Horse. Poor, scared animal is nearby, kicking and neighing. He hops aboard as Miss Bee spits on the corpse. He slips out his knife from his boot, cuts the horse's rope, swings by and catches her, pulling her on. Slender arms around his waist.

"Not quite as ah expected," he admits. She chuckles.

"Forgot the plan, didja? Ain't no matter. Yer still someone to ride the river with."

A kiss on his cheek. His face is hot. He considers what to-
BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!

With a gasp, Aang snapped awake, bumping the back of his skull against the wooden heading to his bed. He rolled over, rubbing his tendered spot, and groans at his alarm clock. He groggily reaches for the {Snooze}.

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!

Urgh, what the...?

Across the room, Sokka moaned out in anguish as he acknowledged that the alarm was for him on this Saturday morning. The beeping was put to rest at last and Aang sighed out peacefully.

"Why're you waking up on Saturday morning?" he wondered warily, closing his eyes and readjusting himself.

"Friggin'...gotta fill in at work," Sokka whined. "Someone quit, needed me to cover 'em today..."

"Sucks, man," Aang sympathized through a yawn. There were no more words as Aang began drifting back to sleep. His nether region was tightened, and as he realized this, he sighed through his nose. He was half-asleep, sure, but awake enough to realize what he'd just been dreaming about. Another awkward, embarrassing dream...The girl in question seemed to vary by the day. What was wrong with him? He had only just broken up with Toph the night prior. He wasn't ready for anything with anyone else. And besides...Jane? She was way too different...Right? Argh, no, didn't matter either way, because he wasn't looking into anything like that with anyone else right now. At all. Whatsoever. Period.


- Saturday, January 20th, 2011 -

~. ~-~-~. ~-~-~-=! ~-~-=-=-_!

"Urgh..." Toph huffed at her fingers' sluggish performance. The strings weren't bending to her will the way they usually did. Her touch was off.

Creek.

Gentle footsteps crawled across the room to the opposing desk chair. Toph could hear her roommate begin crunching into a bowl of cereal. She drummed her fingers impatiently along her guitar.

"You hungry?" Katara asked politely.

A moment's hesitation passed before Toph sputtered out a 'Nah.'

"You sure?" Katara saw through. "I've still got some cereal left, I could go make you a bowl..."

Toph sucked in a deep breath through her nostrils. Katara had been extra sugary-sweet since yesterday. She had known all along about it. Probably knew before the fact, didn't she? How come she wasn't saying anything? Just...being all super nice and shit?

"Sure..." Toph sighed out, adjusting her strings. Maybe that was the problem.

"OK!" Katara sounded all peppy and enthused to be of some service.

Creek.

She opened the door and scampered off down the hall - the supplies to prepare cereal were tucked in the floor's community kitchen space. Toph took her moments of peace to pluck some more at the stubborn instrument with unsuccessful results.

"Are you...all right?" came Katara's sympathy. Toph hadn't even noticed her re-entry.

"Huh? Why, do I look...not...all right?"

"W-well, you just...look pretty...-"
"Let's cut the bullshit and just call it like it is."

Clok. Plastic cupl set down on the desk nearby. The bed shifted slightly at Katara's weight to her right.

"I'm sorry, Toph..."

"Me, too..."

That familiar, tender hand rubbed at Toph's back as she could feel her insides squirm with dissatisfaction. She set her guitar on the mattress behind her and cautiously reached out for the cup. Katara knew how Toph liked her cereal - mixed with milk in a tall cup to make it easy to consume. The gentle massage continued while Toph took a large gulp.

"You guys really tried," Katara acknowledged. "But...you've both been so miserable lately..."

"Yea," Toph admitted with some resentment.

"Things will get better, though," Katara encouraged.

Toph didn't agree with this notion. Things would be worse. Now everything would be all awkward. And now she was the bad guy. She was the one who'd fucked things up, after all. Regardless of any mistakes Aang had made, this was how the group would see it. And fuck it, maybe that was how it should be, anyway. She had screwed things up pretty hardcore...

"Toph?" Katara checked, nudging her roommate gently. "Talk to me..."

"What's there to talk about?" Toph groaned, thrashing up her shoulder to shake Katara off. "I'm not some fuckin' broken heart you can fix, ya know?"

Katara was speechless for a moment, which clued Toph in to the notion that she had left the right impression.

"Patch me back up with some duct tape?" she ranted on. "I don't think so."

"Toph..."

"I wasn't happy. I messed up. Then he wasn't happy. The end. Nothin' else to say." Toph drank more cereal. Ech. Honeycombs? Really, Katara? Lame...

"O-OK, I'm sorry, I didn't...mean to get you upset, I was-"
"HA! Get me upset, huh? Little late, Sugar-Queen. Nothing you have to say or do can affect me right now. I am how I am, and...that's how it is. I'm dealing with it, so...you should, too."

"You're...sure there's nothing I can do?"

"You can shut up and drop it. That would make things a bit easier for us both."

"Right," Katara squeaked, getting up off the mattress. "Sure thing. I'm sorry."

"Whatever, it's no big. Breakups happen. I don't remember you needing therapy when you and that spic broke it off. And I mean, hell, he died, and shit. You seemed to get by pretty OK. I think I can manage."

Katara shuffled across the room, back to her desk, spilling out a frustrated sigh. Heh. There it was, pressed a button. Now she'd back off for a while.


[From: Sucka]
[Yo, Freckles. You're still looking for work, right?]
[Sent: 10:42am]

[Reply]
[To: Sucka]
[uh yea. i guess. why?]
[Sent: 11:30am]

[From: Sucka]
[There's an opening down here at Appa's. Told my manager I knew someone who needed a job and could start this week.]
[Sent: 12:04pm]

[From: Sucka]
[You interested?]
[Sent: 12:05pm]

[Reply]
[To: Sucka]
[yea. frycook or somthin?]
[Sent: 12:07pm]

[From: Sucka]
[You got it. Cool. I'll have you come meet the manager tomorrow. Sound good?]
[Sent: 12:10pm]

[Reply]
[To: Sucka]
[sure.]
[Sent: 12:11pm]


"Augh!" Aang cried out, his body tightening as he clutched his controls with white knuckles. The slicing sound of a piercing pitchfork made him flinch as he was attacked from behind. A distant chainsaw was revving from somewhere off screen.

"Jeez, just...shoot him," Sokka sighed.

"I'm trying!" Aang whimpered, as his character on screen pulled out a knife.

"No, other button."

"What other button?"

"The 'R' button, man!"

The character on screen pointed a pistol with a red laser sight and after a moment started popping bullets haphazardly into the small crowd of creepy farmers before him.

"Might wanna try hitting them, Bud."

"I am trying!"

"Chainsaw Guy's gonna get you."

"Where is he?"

"Probably behind you."

Aang spun his character 180 and yelped out in surprise at the large man with the burlap sack over his head who was charging his way, running chainsaw held in the air.

"Poop-dangit-aagghh..." Aang panted out as he shot a few ineffectual pistol shots into the enemy's large gut before his character's head was sawed off.

[{You Are Dead}] displayed across the screen in large, bloody letters. Sokka nodded slowly, staring at the screen as he slapped Aang on the back.

"Monkey-feathers..."

"Good effort," Sokka patronized. "Good effort..."

Aang groaned and set the controller down before Sokka's entertainment setup.

"Ugh, I don't think I wanna play any more of this game..."

"It is kinda hard."

"It's...not even that, it's...really violent"

"It's Resident Evil, Bro, what'd you expect?"

"I...I don't know. But...Why'd you have me play it? You know I don't like this stuff..."

"Aww, c'mon, do you need to go back to your kiddie games? This too intense for ya?"

Aang frowned at Sokka's teasing comment and rolled his eyes, huffing out a sigh as he clicked off the electronics and stuck his feet into his hiking boots.

"Whoa-whoa, hey, where ya goin'?" Sokka pressed, now regretting his efforts at humor.

"Art building. To work on...stuff..."

"Hey, wait, man, I was just...-"

"I'm not in the mood, Sokka," Aang grumbled out, zipping up his vest. "I'm just now trying to get over all the stuff Toph used to say, I don't need you picking on me, too..."

Sokka blinked at this comment as Aang headed out the door.

"Dude, I didn't mean to-"
Click.

Aang closed the door behind him before Sokka could finish his sentence. With a shrug, Sokka rearranged things and began shuffling through the digital store on his PS3. After he'd queued up a few downloads, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Sokka called with flowery whimsy, expecting his girlfriend. He turned his head and puckered his lips, only to see his sister come through the door. She raised her brow at him and he immediately reverted his expression. "You're not Suki," he mumbled sheepishly.

"Definitely not," Katara replied with amusement. "Where's Aang?"

"He got all whiny and stormed off to the art building."

"Whiny...?" Katara wondered with some concern.

"I dunno, he's all bent outta shape from the breakup and junk. Nothing I do cheers him up. I tried giving him nachos, getting him root beer, watching some UFC, playing some video games...Man. Nothin'. Still mopey."

"Umm...Did you...maybe try talking with him about it?"

Sokka stared at his sister with narrowed eyes.

"No?" He snorted through his nostrils. "Do I look like a friggin' therapist? Besides, he doesn't exactly seem in the mood to talk."

Katara sighed, twirling a finger around some strands of air as she lamented the situation.

"Yea, Toph...hasn't been very receptive, either..."

"Maybe because she feels like you're trying to choke her with attention when she just wants to chill out?"

"Well...M-maybe," Katara conceded, "But trying to drown Aang in junk food isn't really good for him, either."

"If you're so worried about him, why don't you try cheering him up?" Sokka jibed. Katara's eyes darted downward, away from his snarky gaze, and she nodded.

"Y-yea, you're right. Maybe I should. He's really hurting right now - and Toph is, too. I know she is. I'm really worried about those two..."

"Ya can't fix everything, Katara," Sokka huffed, turning back to his TV screen.

"You should try spending some time with Toph, then."

"Say what?"

"You're right, Sokka. Toph doesn't want me to try helping her feel better right now, but she usually gets along well with you."

"I get along with everyone," Sokka concluded.

"I'm just saying, you could make a little effort to try to take her mind off things, make sure she still feels cared about. I don't want her thinking that...just because they broke up, we don't want her around...You know?"

"I guess," Sokka muttered, not too keen on the prospect of trying to keep Toph of all people in a good mood. "Why not have Freckles do it? She's...a girl. And stuff. And they get along."

"Sokka, Jane's...not exactly the best at comforting others, especially stubborn people like Toph. Those two get along, but they also...totally flip out on each other."

"Ugh," grunted Sokka, acknowledging Katara's point. "OK, OK...I'll...have lunch with her tomorrow or something. If she wants to."

"Great."

"Only if she wants to," Sokka specified. "And I'm not making her talk about her feelings or anything like that."

"No, that's...that's good," Katara assured with a hurried nod. "I think that's what she needs right now."

"If you know so well, how come I'm doin' it?" whined Sokka with a shrug.

"I told you, she gets along better with you."

"Yea, yea..." He waved a hand in dismissal. "I'll see what I can do."

"About what?" inquired Suki as she slid into the doorway past Katara.

"About Toph," Katara sighed, crossing her hands thoughtfully.

"Oh," puffed out Suki warily. "Yea, she-...Well, she's been...Toph...lately..."

"Do you have any ideas, Suki?"

Suki's eyes rolled around slowly as she considered Katara's question, then snapped back as she raised an index.

"Actually, I've been thinking about it today, and...Maybe she just needs more music."

"Huh?"

"Maybe we should try getting the band back to practicing now that we're all settled into school, and...I dunno, try and get The Kyoshi Warriors to play more. Maybe give Toph a little freedom in deciding some stuff, you know?"

"Really? You'd do that?" said Sokka with some skepticism.

"Sure," said Suki with a shrug. She didn't look thrilled at the idea, but she did look sincere. "Toph's had a lot of crazy stuff happening lately...And, while a most of it is probably her fault...she still needs us to be there. Right?"

"Exactly," said Katara. "I think that's a good idea, Suki. Let's try that."

"Wooooo!" cheered Sokka with relief. "So I'm off the hook."

"No," scolded his sister. "You still need to do it."

"Do what?"

"Take Toph to lunch," Sokka mumbled, as if this idea made no sense.

"Oh. Hey, yea, that's a good idea. You could probably help cheer her up," said Suki. "She gets along pretty well with you.

"Why does everyone think that, again?" groaned Sokka, cocking back his head with some disbelief. "She's crazy and stubborn and-"
"She laughs at your idiotic jokes, at least," Katara interrupted his negativity. "Just...be stupid and make her laugh. Come on, Sokka," Katara pleaded.

"Yea, yea..."

"It's nice to know you can be obedient when needed," Suki teased, patting Sokka on the head while he frowned.


"What do you think it means, then?" Aang wondered with a tint of exasperation.

"I think...-" Mai tapped her bony chin carefully as she studied the splotchy image of a flock of crows she had created. She began dabbing some gray around their bodies to create feathered effects. "-...that you've been through a complicated relationship, with a bit too much drama, and...now you're just wanting something to fill that gap. Something...simple."

"Mm-hm," Aang hummed out in agreement, pretending to focus on his drawing in his chair behind her, but finding himself unable to. That sounded about right, at least - what she was saying.

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Aang. It's pretty natural."

"It is?" He wasn't so sure of that.

"Definitely. But...don't read too much into your dreams. That's all they are - just weird thoughts you have while you sleep."

"Y-yea, but...don't they, like...express what my subconscious is...thinking? Or wanting?"

"Ffft, not necessarily," Mai was quick to express doubt. "Sure, maybe part of you might feel that way, but...you can't take that to mean you should act on every dream or whatever. Otherwise, you'd be dating, like, three girls at the same time."

"Th-that's not what I want..."

"Well, duh." Mai laughed through her nose. "The point is, stop letting all of these dreams and everything dictate what you want. Let reality decide that, Aang."

"Find an apple tree," Aang slyly referenced their recurring inside joke.

"Haha, right." Mai smiled a small smile through dull eyes. "Lemons are good and everything, but...Maybe Toph was a lemon tree, and lemons aren't your thing. So find an apple tree instead. You're not going to find one inside your imagination, my friend."

"Right..."

"Anyway, why are you so...eager about this?"

"About what?"

"I dunno, it sounds like you already want to start dating someone else and it's only been...what? A day?"

"B-but I don't!" Aang protested.

"Then stop worrying about it."

"OK..." Aang sighed to himself as he took his friend's advice, letting the conversation slide off as they both focused on their artwork.


- Sunday, January 21st, 2011 -

"It's not hard, Ginger. You just...cook stuff. Seriously. Easy-peasy. Don't sweat."

"Meh..." Jane shrugged begrudgingly.

"Don't gimme that," Sokka warned. "I gonna help land you a job, woman. Be a little grateful, eh?"

"Fff...Thanks, and shit," Jane lathered on more disinterest. "Naw, but really," she wiped it off, "thanks, man. I...could probably use a job."

"At least you'll be working with someone you know, right?"

"That's true..."

They popped open the door to the basement of the campus center and went in through a back door to the food preparation area of Appa's. The manager stood casually, back against a wall as another student grilled a lone burger. She was sipping at a milkshake, her eyes sharp and cunning. Her dark hair was tucked underneath a white cap with a blue arrow pointing down across the forehead - the uniform for the restaurant. She had dark eyeliner around her eyes. She wore a matching apron with a nametag: {June} She was yawning out of boredom as they entered, and Sokka smirked at her laziness.

"Oh," she sputtered dryly when she noticed their presence. "Sokka," she acknowledged his presence. "Brought your little friend, I see."

"Hey, June," Sokka greeted back. "Yea, this here's Jane." He pounded her on the back and pushed her forward a step. "Jane, meet June."

"Hey," said June, devoid of any enthusiasm.

"Hey," Jane replied in kind.

"So. You need a job." Slurrrp.

"Yea..."

"All right." Slrrp.

June shrugged and whirled off the wall, shake still in tow, and headed to a backroom. She came back with a cap matching her own and planted it firmly on Jane's head.

"You got it, then." Slrapp. "I'll need ya here on Tuesday to start."

Jane blinked, wide-eyed, at this pale-faced woman. That was it?

"Uhh..." She readjusted the hat so it fit better on her head.

"Neato," Sokka said with light triumph.

"'Neato' for you, maybe," June scoffed. "Now I gotta do paperwork."

"You hate paperwork," Sokka recalled.

"I hate paperwork," June coldly repeated.

Slrruup.

"Well." Sokka cleared his throat through the silence. "Cool beans. Told ya I'd find someone."

"You did. I'll give ya a damned medal. Pin it to your hat, look real pretty, Sokka."

"Haha. We'll see you Tuesday, June."

"Yep," June sighed out a dull breath. "Have fun, kiddies." Slurrpp.


The two sat down at the small, square lunch table, and Toph immediately dove into her food without a word.

"How ya holdin' up, Dead-Eyes?" Sokka asked calmly, smooshing his tuna melt down with his palm. He wiped his palms together, brushing the crumbs off to the floor. "I heard things have been a bit rough."

Toph chewed her food without a word. She was wearing that snooty, self-righteous look Sokka was familiar with, her head tucked into the hood of her green Terra house hoodie.

"Guess it's been a bit crazy for everybody," Sokka went on. "We all need to hang out again, am I right? Been a few days..."

He took a bite of his meal and the two enjoyed some silence for a minute or so.

"I fucked things up pretty bad, huh?" Toph mumbled with some contempt, pausing in the middle of her binge.

Sokka took a hit of his Mountain Dew.

"Tch. Yea," he bluntly agreed. "Sure did."

"Everybody hate me now?"

"Uh, no?"

"How come I haven't heard from anyone since Thursday night?"

"Everyone's been busy with stuff, Toph."

"Sure..."

"Seriously. C'mon, Toph, cut the grumpy act."

"I'm not grumpy."

"Like hell you're not."

"Whatever, like you're some fuckin' expert. You're just doing this because Katara made you."

"How'd you know about that?"

"'Cuz you just told me just now."

"You sly, sneaky little bastard."

"Pff. Like you give a damn enough to go outta your way and put up with me."

"Hey, hey...Sure I do."

"You don't care about anyone lately. You just sit in your room and play your video games, and when there's an issue you write it off, like...it's all just PMS and you won't hear any of it."

Wow. Lotta hostility. Katara hadn't been kidding.

"That's because it is all PMS," Sokka pressed humor onto the situation. "But that's not the point, Toph. I care about you. We all do. You and Aang are dealing with a lot from this whole situation, and-"
"Can't even make up your fucking mind."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Ya gonna be a sarcastic ass and joke me to death one minute, and then be all super analytical and shit the next."

Sokka frowned, folding his arm up on the table and putting his chin in his palm. He stared at her icy white eyes for a moment to reflect.

"I knew this wouldn't be a good idea," he sighed.

"Me, too," Toph huffed.

"Why can't you calm the hell down, Toph? You just make things worse for yourself."

"You say it like I give a fuck."

"Because I know you do. Obviously, you weren't happy about how things were going with you and Aang. That's why you cheated. But now that it's over, you don't know how to deal with it. Things are rough with your parents, and now things are rough in your social circle. I get it, Toph. You don't know where to go."

"Since when did you start psycho-analyzing me, Sokka?" Toph growled, pounding her fist into the table. "I don't need your fuckin' psychiatry. Not like you're good at it, anyway."

"I'm trying to explain that I get where you're coming from, and help you figure out what you need."

Why was he even saying all this? Hadn't he decided from the start he was not going to do exactly this? What he was doing?

"Whoop-dee-fuckin'-doo. I'm fine. What I need is for everyone else to stop acting like they know what's best for me."

"Ah. Well." Sokka rose from his seat and scooped up his untouched food. "Don't gotta tell me twice..."

"H-hey, wait a sec," Toph grunted. "Where ya goin'?"

"Not up for the theatrics, Toph," Sokka flatly explained. He walked past her, grabbed her hood, and pulled it off - she was indoors, after all, and it was making her look pretty emo, especially with her hair over her eyes. "Lemme know when you're ready to grow up a bit, huh?"

Toph's face burned with indignation, her fists balled in her lap.

"Ya know what? Good, leave me alone."

"Will do," Sokka called back with enthusiasm.


A/N: Hope you had fun with the first section of this chapter. And yes, there are parts that don't quite logically add up. It's a dream. =P Dreams often do that. June is of course referential to the bounty hunter from the show.