Ride or Die

Chapter 8: It's a Vibe

Hands planted firmly on the steering wheel, Katara let herself go to the music, belting out poorly remembered lyrics to Chris Brown's "Love Move." Eyes closed, she sung the lyrics, her wailing accompanied by Suki's out of tune voice.

"Will you two shut up? When are we gonna order?" Toph grumbled from the backseat, leaning towards the center console and turning the stereo down.

"There's still two cars ahead, Toph. Relax." Katara snapped back, turning the music back up to an ear-splitting volume.

Sinking back into the backseat, Toph pulled out her phone, opening the voice chat option. This was the first time she had hung out with Katara and Suki since Katara had arrived back to Harbor City, and the night was going just like any other night. Cheap fast food at one-thirty in the morning, Suki sparking a blunt in the front seat, and Katara signing along horribly to songs that hadn't been popular for years.

Approaching the speaker, Katara rolled down the window. "Hi! Can I get two orders of crispy tofu, three kebabs, and an order of fried wontons?"

"Oh, get some custard tarts!" Suki offered, pulling one of the credit cards out of her wallet to pay.

"No, I got this. You just supply the bud." Katara offered, pushing the card back into Suki's hands.

From the back seat of the SUV, Toph snickered. It was the first time in a long while that they had all hung out together without the guys. While she normally would have shrugged away from hanging out with just the two of them, she rather enjoyed the chaotic energy the young women in the front seat offered.

"So, I heard you and Twinkle Toes... reconnected?" Leaning forward into the front part of the SUV, Toph took hold of one of the paper bags and dragged it back with her.

As Katara pulled out of the fast-food restaurant's driveway, a small smile spread over her lips. They had indeed reconnected, she thought for a moment, memories of the previous morning filling her mind. It wasn't just that they had spent the better part of the morning making love that made her smile but for the fact that he was once again in her life. During her time away, Katara had felt lost and adrift without Aang. Between all the texts they exchanged and just the fact that he was now hanging out at her new apartment, she felt as if her life was finally coming back together.

"Oooh... details?" Suki nudged Katara's shoulder as she bit into one of the custard tarts, crumbs falling over her as she ate.

"No! No details! I wasn't asking about that! For fuck's sake, I just heard you two made up and are dating again."

Heat filled Katara's cheeks as she listened to her friend's banter. She would never provide any details of her love life, no matter how Suki teased her. "I wouldn't tell you anything, anyway. But yes, we're back together."

Katara's words fell over Toph as she listened to the young women in the front seat. In the back of her mind, Toph was hesitant about Katara's reunion with Aang. The young woman had just arrived back to Harbor City not more than a month ago after more than a semester away. Aang had just started to come around more, had seemed like his old self.

In that period Aang had broken up with Rika, and in the ensuing fallout, Meng had been recruited to Rika's side. Meng was trouble enough, but to know that now two of their former classmates had it out for Katara made Toph uneasy. She wasn't sure if she could or would put Aang back together for a second time if things ended badly for him.

She hoped Katara would heed her words from the party - to take it easy on Aang this time.

"So, what's on the agenda for tonight?" Suki asked, finishing the last of her tart.

"We could go back to my place and get stoned, that's always a good fallback. I think Zuko mentioned he was having a few people over. There's always just us hanging out, too." Katara offered, popping a few of the fried wontons into her mouth.

"Is Sokka busy?" Toph questioned, heat flooding her face.

"He went to Roundtree for the weekend with my dad, which is why Suki was free tonight."

"Oh, alright." Toph's voice was slightly sullen as she responded, tearing into her food.

Pulling down the overhead mirror, Suki looked back at Toph. Since when did Toph worry about what Sokka was up to? "You alright, Toph?"

Darkening the screen of her phone, Toph snorted slightly as she finished her food. "Yeah, I'm good. What's Aang up to?"

That was a very good question, Katara thought as she turned the SUV into her apartment complex. Aang had mentioned that he wouldn't be free that night, wanting to prepare for upcoming classes for the next semester. With all of their friends occupied, she figured it would be an opportunity for them to just hang out like girlfriends.

"He's working on a paper for the fall term. He'll come over in the morning."

"We'll be sure to be long gone by the time." Suki teased, biting into a second tart.

"Are you going to finish all of those?" Katara questioned, pulling the paper container from Suki's hands as she exited the vehicle.

"Hey!" Suki laughed, launching the uneaten half of the tart at Katara.

"Stop wasting food! What are you gonna eat when you have the munchies later?" Toph grumbled, following the pair up the stairs towards the apartment.

Stumbling into the apartment, the girls giggled, spilling food as they went. "Suki, open the back door?"

Nodding her head, Suki deposited the remains of the fast-food onto the counter and headed towards the patio. Pulling the sliding door open, a cool breeze swept in off of the marina, the smell of saltwater overtaking her. The early morning hour on that summer night seemed almost perfect. While the temperature outside had been unbearably humid during the day, the night had cooled off wonderfully, especially so near the marina.

"I'm sparking it now, the breeze feels great."

For a moment she was alone on the patio, luxuriating in the feel of the night breeze. As she was joined by other young women, the group settled into the plastic chairs Katara had spread over the small patio. They sat in silence as Suki sparked the blunt, taking a few small drags before passing it to Katara. They passed the blunt, each taking their draws.

"Should we call Zuko and Mai?" Suki questioned, snuffing the smoldering end of the blunt.

Pulling out her phone, a smile spread across Katara's lips as seeing a new message from Aang on the notifications list. Unlocking the screen, she opened the message, heat flooding her as she looked at the pictures. In the expertly posed selfie, he stood in his bathroom mirror, completely bare except for a pair of boxers. The studied the sculpted plains of his body, eyes trailing over the dull blue tattoos curling over his arms. A faint need to be with him tugged at her as she read his message.

Aang
Can I come over?

Considering her response, she ignored Suki's previous question. "Katara, hello?"

Pulling her head up from the phone, Katara looked over at her friends. "Yeah?"

"Should we invite Zuko and Mai over? He just texted saying they're back from the club."

"Yeah, yeah. Have any weed left them?"

Nodding her head, Suki smiled as she sent him a quick text. She hadn't seen Mai for a while and was happy to have another woman join them. While wasn't the most talkative person, once they got enough weed or alcohol into the young woman, Mai let her walls down and was one of the more interesting people they'd hung out with.

"Oh, goody. Zuko and Lady Death." Toph offered, senses dulled from the blunt. Leaning into a plastic chair, she pulled her legs under her and finished what remained of the kebabs.

"What's wrong with Mai?" Katara asked, darkening her phone.

"Nothing. She never talks, only mopes all night and follows Zuko around like goldfish poop."

"Goldfish poop?" Suki asked, voice low as she went in for another custard tart.

"Yeah, goldfish poop. The trail of poop that follows the fish around the tank. She lurks around Zuko like a ghost, never talks. Depressing as hell." Toph remarked, mouth full of food.

"She's not that bad, Toph. Give her a chance." Katara offered, taking a sip of her soda.

"Whatever you say, sweetness."

Standing from the patio chair, Katara retreaded inside. While she enjoyed hanging out Suki and Toph, she felt a need to be with Aang. But it wouldn't be right to leave her friends hanging. It was the first time they hung out, just the three of them, since her return. For the moment, Katara figured she'd sneak off to the bathroom and return Aang's photo. Closing the bathroom door behind her, she stripped down to her underwear, posing on the counter. Arching her back and pressing her chest out, she snapped an expertly posed photo and sent it to him. If he was going to thirst trap, then so was she.

Come over? Suki and Toph are here, Zuko and Mai will be over soon.

Sending the text, she quickly redressed and returned to the patio. During her absence, the pair had gotten into a debate over who the best plug for weed was. Not wanting to interrupt them, Katara retreated to the living room and flipped on the TV. Sinking into the sofa, she pulled on of the blankets over her and melted into the cushions.

"Workplace, again? Really?" Toph questioned as the cheery intro music for the show started up.

"It's my favorite." Katara offered, pulling the blanket up to her neck. Her toes buzzed with soft energy as her limbs relaxed, the indica strain taking hold over her.

Next to her, Suki dropped down onto the sofa and pulled part of the fleece blanket over her. "I love Yui and Masaki."

"You guys are gonna be asleep by the time Zuko and Mai show up."

Before Toph got any sort of response from the pair on the sofa, Katara and Suki drifted off, eyes closed as they both fell into a contented sleep. Rolling her eyes, Toph retreated to the patio. The sound of tires on concrete pulling into the complex drew her attention. It sounded like Zuko and Mai had just arrived.

A soft knock sounded at the door. Moving through the patio entrance and to the front door, Toph pulled the door open, letting in the guests. "Hey Zuko, Mai. They passed out just before you guys got here."

"Did they smoke without us?" Zuko asked, setting a bottle of cinnamon whisky onto the kitchen counter.

Silently, Mai followed him, lips turned down into a frown as she looked at the pair of young women snoring on the sofa. "Well, this is going to be an exciting night."

There were several things Toph wanted to say to Mai. Holding back her thoughts, Toph stopped herself and motioned towards the patio. "There's a fresh one out here if you guys wanna smoke."

Following her onto the patio, Zuko and Mai sat in the patio chairs opposite Toph. The conversation was slightly stunted as Zuko sparked the blunt Suki has rolled before falling asleep next to Katara. Taking a few drags, he passed it to Mai, who took a single draw before handing it back to Toph.

"Did you hear about Katara and Aang?" Toph asked, voice rough as she stifled a cough.

Nodding his head, Zuko leaned back into the patio chair and looked out towards the marina. He and Toph had a long talk about Katara's arrival back to Harbor City a few weeks back. They had agreed that Katara had deserved another chance, that she left for reasons her own.

But the fallout of her departure had done a number on Aang, and they both had been left to pick up the broken pieces left behind. During their long talk, both Zuko and Toph had been hesitant about Katara and Aang getting back together. But they'd agreed to stay out of it, only watch to see how things unfolded.

It wasn't their place to butt in on the relationship, but they could only watch so much drama before they'd have to step in.

"Yeah, he told me they're back together. He's pretty happy." Zuko offered, clearing his throat. "I hope it goes better for them this time."

Grunting, Toph snuffed the blunt. "I think it's too soon. He just broke up with Rika, and that bitch is nasty. Have you heard what she and Meng have been saying?"

"Rika and Meng are grimey. Who cares about them?" Mai asked, tone low as she scooted closer to Zuko.

"Meng has hated Katara since freshman year of high school. Do you not remember the New Year's Party? She's accused Katara of fucking around with Jai for years." Toph questioned, hands folded on her lap.

It was true, Zuko thought as he listened to the young women speak. As a group, they had all known about Jai's obsession with Katara for a while. But the magnitude of Jai's obsession had gone unknown until the party when Jai had tried to force himself on Katara in his bedroom. He'd found Katara and Jai in the room, Jai hovering over Katara as he cornered her against his desk and bookshelf.

The memories haunted him. What had started as a great party and devolved into the night his house was trashed and the cops called. After that night, Katara had left the city without a word to any of them. To say that party had created divisions within their group of friends was an understatement.

"We all know Meng is a liar. Jai stalked Katara for a long time. It's too bad things ended up as they did." He offered, pulling his arms over his chest.

"Meng can get fucked." Toph snorted.

"Can we go inside? It's drafty out here." Mai winced as she pulled her arms around herself.

Rolling her eyes, Toph stood and retreated into the small apartment, followed by Zuko and Mai. Still asleep on the sofa, Katara and Suki had managed to wrap themselves around each other, cuddling in a small pile of blankets. Zuko snorted as he held back a laugh.

"Maybe we should get going. Looks like they'll be out for a while."

Finally, a chance to escape. "Can you drop me off at my house? I can't stay here with the snoozle twins."

Grinning, Zuko offered Toph a smile as he and Mai left the apartment. "Yeah, yeah. We'll drop you off."

"I think Zuko and Mai came over last night. I can't remember." Katara offered, holding the phone to her ear as she finished cleaning up the cafe.

"Sounds like you passed out before I could even respond to your text. Nice picture, by the way. Was that a new bra?" His voice sounded in her ear.

At his words, a pink flush spread across her face as she emptied the blenders. "Maybe..."

"What do you wanna do tonight? I finished my paper so I'm free."

Considering his question, Katara replaced the lid on the blender and pushed it up onto the shelf above the sink. They hadn't been on a real date since they got back together. While they had only been official again for a few days, they hadn't spent all that much time together. Between her job at the cafe and the extra classes he was taking over the summer, neither had all that much free time.

The thought of going out on a real date with Aang as an official couple left her feeling weightless and giddy. They hadn't been out in public together in months, and she was proud to be with him. A small part of her wanted to show the city and the friends that they were back together, and it wasn't just gossip.

"Dinner, maybe?" She asked, attention focused on the task of finishing up at the cafe. Katara wanted nothing more than clock out and lock up for the night.

"We could go to the Jasmine Dragon. Iroh's serving a new ramen dish. That sound good?"

The Jasmine Dragon, their favorite restaurant outside of takeout from Golden Bowl. The Jasmine Dragon was owned by Zuko's uncle and served the best tea, boba, and noodle dishes in town. They'd spent many hours at the restaurant with their friends and alone as a couple. Perhaps it would be worthy of paying a visit now that she could block out any negative memories.

"That sounds good. I'm gonna go home and change. Get me in about an hour?"

Hanging up the call, Katara shoved the phone into her pocket and quickly set about to finish up her day at the cafe. Within fifteen minutes she had cleaned the remainder of the coffee bar and had clocked out, locked up, and returned to her apartment.

Moving quicker than she had ever before, Katara unlocked her apartment and set her things down, racing to shower and change before Aang arrived. Surveying the contents of her closet, she pulled out a blush pink top and a pair of high-waisted jeggings. She normally didn't wear jeans but figured she could pair the ensemble with a pair of black strappy heels she'd just bought. Setting the clothing onto the bed, she removed her work uniform and slunk into the bathroom.

Quickly, she showered, making sure to shave her legs. Now that she officially back together with Aang, she wasn't going to miss another day of shaving. The thought of being together again left her feeling excited and giddy as she moved between the apartment and bedroom, pulling on her new clothes.

Pulling a thin gold chain from the top of her dresser, she clasped it around her neck, fingers grazing over the small charm that sat just above the crest of her cleavage. Aang had given her the small charm a few years back. The charm was of a small golden lemur, eyes inset with onyx. The charm was small enough so that it wasn't obvious, but rather made a small addition to her outfit.

She studied the charm for a moment, memories taking her back to a different time. Her heart ached to go back to those days, the early days of her relationship with Aang. Next to her, the phone buzzed on the bathroom counter, signaling an incoming text message. Unlocking the screen, a smile spread over her lips as she expected a message from Aang.

Unknown
That top makes your tits look great.

At that moment, it was as if the heart stopped in her chest, a coldness falling over her. Dread and fear carved through her heart as she looked at the number. The area code was local for Harbor City, but the number she did not recognize. Jai. It had to be Jai.

Darkening the screen, she shoved the phone into her pocket. Either someone was messing her with, or Jai was able to see into her apartment. Moving from the bathroom to the bedroom, Katara drew the blinds closed and sat on the bed, heart pounding in her chest.

Without hesitation, Katara pulled the phone from her pocket and dialed Aang's number. "Are you close? Please get me, now."