Aang was sitting in the cafeteria, waiting for Sokka's response to his text message. He looked at the long line at the counter and thought that he might spend an eternity waiting if he went there. He looked at Momo, riding on his backpack.
"Gee, it sure is a long line isn't it?" Aang told. "It's a good thing I packed us lunch earlier this morning." Aang gently patted Momo's furry head before putting the little lemur on the chair next to him. He then reached out to the Tupperware which contained hearty vegetables like carrots, cabbage, and green leaves. And he gave an apple to Momo.
Aang was about to take a bite of his meal but he was interrupted when a girl approached to talk to him. The girl stood with both hands on her waist and both of her eyes locked on the Airbender and the small creature next to him.
"Um hello?" Aang greeted. The girl leaned in to get a better look at Momo, which caused the lemur to tilt its head in confusion.
"Is that a lemur?" The girl asked, with a pout on her face.
"Yup! Sure is." Aang said with enthusiasm. "I named him Momo."
"Um, hi Momo." The girl waved at the lemur and giggled when the lemur waved back. "Wouldn't you get in trouble if a teacher saw you bringing an animal to school?"
"Well, I did get in trouble the first time I brought Momo to school."
(Flashback)
Aang was sitting on a chair in the principal office while holding his pet Momo. The teacher who reported Aang just sat on the chair next to the young boy.
"As you can see, Principal Bumi. My student here has brought a filthy, disgusting creature to your prestigious school. We need to punish him for this severe violation." Professor Long Feng told, scowling at the young boy and the creature.
"I'm so sorry sir but I just found him on the street, alone and hungry. I couldn't just leave him out there." Aang explained, petting the lemur ever so gently. The little lemur started shaking in fear when Long Feng stood up abruptly.
"Silence! We will not tolerate your actions, young boy." Long Feng exclaimed. "You will learn your lesson once you get back from a week's long suspension."
"But..." Aang trailed.
"No buts!" Long Feng snapped. "I should throw that little creature back to the garbage where it belongs!"
"Ahem." Principal Bumi uttered. Both Aang and the professor glanced at Principal Bumi. The principal clasped his hands on the desk and lean forward a bit, looking at Long Feng straight in his eyes. "Professor, I am very surprised at this aggression that you are showing to one of your students."
"I beg your pardon?" Long Feng asked.
"The students who have enrolled here in Four Elements Academy have entrusted me to provide them a positive environment where they could learn and attain knowledge." Principal Bumi told. "And I believe the behavior that you are showing me right now is toxic."
"But I'm not the one who is on the wrong here! That blasted kid brought an animal into the school!" Long Feng told, pointing at Aang and the lemur with his index finger.
"And that's another thing, there wasn't a rule in the handbook that states that animals weren't allowed inside school premises." Principal Bumi told.
"What?" Long Feng looked surprised when Bumi snapped his fingers. A large animal about the size of a gorilla with white fur and pointy horns appeared out of the corner of the room. The gigantic creature bellowed a loud roar, startling Long Feng off his boots.
"Come here Flopsie!" Principal Bumi called and gave his large pet a warm hug. This made Aang smile and Long Feng's jaw dropped in utter confusion. "Aang, I would like to apologize for your former teacher's harsh words towards you."
"Wait a minute?" Long Feng cut him off. "What do you mean former?"
"That means you're services are no longer needed in my academy, professor." Principal Bumi told.
"This is nonsense!" Long Feng told. "You can't fire me! I'm the best professor you will ever have in this school!"
Long Feng clenched his fist in anger and started walking toward principal Bumi with an intent to smack him in the face but to his dismay, he was blocked by a growling Flopsie. The large creature stared down at the frightened professor.
Long Feng looked at Aang with disgust before storming out of Bumi's office.
"So does that mean, I'm not suspended anymore?" Aang asked politely.
"Of course! And I am very proud of you for helping this poor abandoned creature." Principal Bumi told. "If it wasn't for you, who knows where that little lemur could be right now."
"You're safe now little buddy," Aang told, hugging the cute little lemur. "From now on, we'll be best friends."
"By the way, have you given him a name yet?" The principal asked.
"Hmm, I think I'll call him... Momo." Aang told.
"Momo?" Bumi laughed eccentrically. "I think that is an excellent name."
(End of flashback)
"And yeah, that's what happened," Aang told with a bright smile on his face.
"Wow, that is such a great story. I can't believe that teacher tried to suspend you for bringing a homeless lemur to school." The girl told. "What a jerk!"
"Well, at least Momo has a home now. " Aang told.
"What's your name by the way?" The girl asked.
"I'm Aang. It's nice to meet you," Aang said, reaching out his hand for a handshake.
"Nice to meet you too, Aang. My name is Ty Lee." Ty Lee told, shaking Aang's hand with a friendly smile.
"And I'm Smellerbee!" A girl's voice uttered. Aang turned around and saw none other than Jet and his friends, Longshot, Smellerbee, Pipsqueak, and The Duke. Aang's eyes widened when Smellerbee grabbed Momo and stuffed him inside a small bag.
"Hey let him go!" Aang exclaimed, standing up from his seat as he faced the bullies.
"What are you gonna do about it, airhead?" Jet asked, shoving Aang back to the table, crashing on his lunch.
"Jet stop it or I'm calling principal Bumi!" Ty Lee told.
"Shut up, circus freak!" Jet told. Everyone in the cafeteria gasped and watched in silence as they watch the drama that has unfolded. "Principal Bumi is not here today. So that gives me the green light to do whatever I want." He grabbed Aang by his shirt and looked him dead in the eyes then punched him in the stomach. Aang coughed hard from the sudden pain.
"Nice shot Jet!" Smellerbee cheered, as she held the bag containing the struggling lemur.
"Jet, what do you want?" Aang asked, his voice a bit low from the gut-punch he received.
"What do I want?" Jet uttered. "I want revenge from yesterday! You humiliated me in front of the whole school and got me in trouble with the principal."
He smacked Aang again on the stomach, a little harder than the first one. Aang fell to his knees in agony. Ty Lee tried to help Aang up but Jet pushed her aside.
"This lemur is annoying!" Smellerbee told, struggling to get a hold of the bag because of the lemur's desire to escape captivity.
"Go hide him in the locker room." Jet ordered.
"You got it Jet," Smellerbee told and left the cafeteria. Jet scoffed when he looked down on Aang, kneeling helplessly on the floor.
"Where's that punk, Sokka huh? I don't see him anywhere." Jet asked, looking around the room. "Has anyone seen that ponytailed wuss?"
"He's not here, Jet." The Duke told. Jet shook his head and grabbed Aang by the shirt again and pulled him up to face him.
"Here's the deal, I will give you your ugly pet back if you tell boomerang boy to meet me at the school gym later after school. You got it?" Jet asked, his tone full of rage. "You got it?"
"I-I got it," Aang said. Jet then shoved Aang back to the table where his lunch have scrambled all over the floor.
"Come on guys, let's get out of here," Jet told. Aang watched as the bullies leave the cafeteria with smug faces.
"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?" Ty Lee asked.
"Not really," Aang muttered, a bit downcast from what had transpired.
"Eek! Oh no! There's blood coming out of your mouth." Ty Lee told. "We need to get you to the school clinic."
Before Aang could decline, Ty Lee quickly grabbed hold of Aang's arm and pulled him with her on the way to the clinic.
Once they got there, Ty Lee explained everything to the school nurse and started checking on Aang's physical condition.
"Is he gonna be alright?" Ty Lee asked, her eyes filled with worried for her newfound friend.
"Yes, he will be alright. There's a minor bleeding in his stomach but I believe this can be handled by a couple of medicines." The nurse told.
"Thank the spirits." Ty Lee sighed in relief.
"Thank you for helping me, Ty Lee," Aang told. "It means a lot."
"Oh don't mention it." Ty Lee told. "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's those bullies."
There was someone knocking behind the door. Ty Lee went over and opened it. The ponytailed, boomerang wielding teenager, Sokka, quickly entered the room.
"Aang are you alright? I heard what happened." Sokka told.
"Yeah, I'm okay don't worry about me," Aang told. "It was just a little scratch."
"Jet has gone completely insane! I'm gonna have to knock some sense into him!" Sokka said, taking his boomerang out of his backpack.
"Wait, I don't think that's a good idea," Aang told.
"Yeah, there are like five of them. You wouldn't stand a chance!" Ty Lee told. "By the way, you're kind of cute."
"Umm, thanks?" Sokka uttered, after an awkward pause. "Have we met before?"
"Oh sorry, Sokka meet Ty Lee. Ty Lee meet Sokka." Aang said.
"Nice to meet you, Sokka." Ty Lee told with a bright and cheerful smile. Both of them shook hands. "You know, I was just hanging around the cafeteria when I found Aang sitting alone. Well not completely alone, he had Momo with him."
"That's great and all but we need to focus on how we're going to deal with this whole Jet situation," Sokka told. "Got any plans?"
"I don't know, maybe we should bake him cookies as a sign of peace and friendship," Aang told.
"Ooh! I love cookies!" Ty Lee clapped in enthusiasm. "Especially chocolate chip flavored." Sokka smacked the palm of his hand on his face after Aang suggested that idea.
"Come on Aang, Jet assaulted you and took Momo away. If we don't stand up to him now, then he will never stop picking on us." Sokka said. Aang knew that his friend has a point, and he also knew that he wouldn't be able to stop Sokka even if he wanted to, but violence is never the answer. "Anyway, I'm gonna head on over to the school gym and I'm gonna get this thing over with."
"Sokka wait," Aang told but Sokka had already left the clinic. The airbender sighed heavily because of Sokka's stubbornness.
"Wow. Your friend is very brave." Ty Lee said, amazed.
"Yeah, he gets that from his dad," Aang told.
"Wait, where are you going?" The nurse asked. "You need to rest and take your medicine."
"Sorry but I have to stop my friend from doing something stupid."
