"Aang, breakfast." Sokka jostled my shoulder, roughly shaking me from sleep. "Wha-!" I jolted upright, rubbing my eyes.
"Breakfast." Sokka said again. "Oh." I said, grabbing his extended hand. As I was pulled to my feet, I stretched stiffly. Sleeping on the the ground had never bothered me before, but when I was reliving every living nightmare I'd ever had..well, that was different.
"Smells good." I said to no one in particular. I seated myself on a log, the scent of warm bread wafting towards me.
I glanced at Katara. It hurt to not be talking. She was my friend. I was willing to remain that way, if it just meant the end of this verbal winter. I would have to talk with Sokka.
Snapping up the last bit of my food, I began packing up our things. Ten minutes before departure, I pulled Sokka aside.
"I need some advice." I said casually.
"Yeah?" Sokka said. "What about?"
I stared at the ground, as if it were unusually interesting. " A girl."
Sokka raised his eyebrow. "I thought you were over the Fortune Teller girl."
I coughed. "I never- oh, ...yeah, I'm over her.. But this is about..about.."
"Look, Aang, we've got to go soon."
"Katara."
Sokka flushed. "Oh...wait until camp tonight. This'll take awhile."
----------------
Katara yawned.
"Time to bring Appa down, Sokka. I'm getting tired."
Sokka did so, steering Appa towards a brushy clearing. Appa landed softly.
I stared up at the twilight from his position on the saddle. "It's going to rain tonight." I stated.
Sokka pulled the tarps out from their bags. "We'll need these, then."
The three pitched their tents, one for Katara and one for Sokka and I. Sokka, having finished placing the tarp above our tent, crawled in.
"So, Aang..you like Katara, then?"
I nodded bashfully.
"Well, the first step is to tell h-"
"No. I already tried. Disaster."
Realization filled Sokka's eyes. "So that's why you two are ignoring each other. You know, I kind of suspected that you liked her...So trying to patch things up now, are you?"
I nodded again. "I'd rather she liked me too, but I'm happy with anything but her not talking to me. It's torture."
Sokka grinned 'wisely'. "I know exactly what you need to do."
0000000000000
Sorry for the shortness. I promise the next chapter will be longer.