gemsofformenos: Hopefully this next one will pack an even bigger emotional punch after two rather lighter chapters. "About eating disorders, I agree with you. I think it depends on which kind of problems are causing the disorder." Definitively, I think circumstance impacts how it manifests just as much as the person's personality. "Ambitious athlets are also used to watch carefully what, when and how much they eat and they are high focused and very strict in planning and doing their dayly routine." I feel like Azula especially would fit this bill, prior to her accident she had a thing for planning and holding herself to high standards. "But the way you are creating Azulas character is also fitting." Thank you, it's always wonderful to hear that my interpretation of her character is well received. But yeah, Bulimia, like most disorders certainly leaves its marks. "And wow poor Suki. It makes me angry to see her left alone with her pregnancy. At a time, where she needs to have the support of her parents and Sokka" This will be addressed a tad in this next chapter. "You're dealing with a emotional heated up theme, but you have done a good job with it in this chapter, mentioning some vital aspects in my opinion, some directly, some carefully hidden." Thank you again! "First, to make a baby takes two, so in my opinion responsability is also shared. You cannot blame only one in a situation like this" Exactly, I feel like, IRL, a lot of times the blame is placed on only one of the partners and that just isn't right imo. "Most people are being active in this way and proparbly already in her age. It doesn't make her stupid or a bad person." This is the other thing that I feel like so many people gloss over. People only seem to care about teens embracing their sexuality when it becomes obvious and in their faces. But this is a discussion for a different place lol, because I can go on and on about that matter. Bottom line; teens will have sex, the least that can be done is to help make it safe sex. "Careful and serious talks and a good education could had helped her, before things had went wrong for her." Exactly! "She will need support and it's good to see, that at least her team and her friends are at her side." And yeah, so it is not all dark for her, that's for sure. "I think you're dealing great with it, like you have done with the other problems so far in your last chapters." And thanks once again!

crapshak50: xP Yeah, she's in a tough spot for sure.

Aang felt caught up in the middle of something he really had no place in. He didn't know how he got dragged into this one at all. Whatever Suki had said to Sokka, it had the usually upbeat man in a fit. And because he was in a fit, so was Katara.

Katara who tearfully called him the night before to ask for advice. Apparently, it would be betraying Sokka to continue talking with Suki, but she liked Suki and Suki was her only ally right now and she really, really needed a true companion especially now that Sokka had, as she put it, abandoned her. He sighed to himself before texting, 'I'm an ally to right?' He regretted it as soon as he hit send. He had just made things about himself so he quickly apologized and added that she shouldn't let Sokka control who she talked to. He thought of adding that she should tell them to be adults and talk it over. But he knew Sokka and he was well aware that, as wonderful a friend as he was, had could be less mature than Aang himself. And that right there was saying something, Aang didn't know many people who acted more childish than he.

He put his phone aside and popped his earbuds in. He could go for some indie pop and doodling. He wanted to have something to show Yengchan. Even if she wouldn't be grading it. He groaned to himself, remembering that he didn't have her for art this time around. No, this time, he was stuck with that kooky new art teacher, Joodee.

He only had a few days' worth of classes with her and she was already weirding him out. She seemed to have a thing for standing directly behind him, breathing down his neck, as he tried to paint. Not that he was the only one she did that to.

His phone buzzed and he almost didn't want to read the message.

This time it was Sokka. 'Girls are a pain, dude. You're lucky you're gay.'

He was going to have to respond to that one later. As much as he loved Sokka, the man wasn't very sensitive. He told the man time and time again not to say things like that, because he certainly didn't feel lucky with Chan calling him a 'faggot' among other, very slap worthy, things. But in that moment, he did feel at least a little lucky; relationships were so complicated. He began to wonder if it was worth seeking one out at all. At least he wouldn't have to worry about surprise babies with any of his partners.

Maybe he should call Toph and ask her how to approach the situation. But at the same time he didn't want to share secrets that weren't his to begin with. He peered at his phone. The text alert popped up again reading, 'Girls are a pain…" He really ought to turn off the second alert so he wouldn't have to see the same message he was trying to ignore, twice.

His phone went off again and he cringed. In general psychology he was learning about good ol' classical conditioning—he was almost certain that he was being classically conditioned to dread the sound of text alerts. He could probably write his end of the year psychology report on that.

A buzz.

Another message.

That time he picked up the phone. There was another message from Katara and one from—he breathed a sigh of relief—Toph.

'What's good TT!?'

He chuckled. Since when was she using 'TT' to abbreviate 'Twinkle Toes'. Before jumping into the harder topics, he asked her just that.

He looked at Katara's message. 'Yes, Aang, you're an ally. But we don't have any classes together, you know? I guess, but Sokka and I…' the message cut off. Just as he was about to ask, another comes in. 'We were always so close. But ever since he went off to university, he's been pulling away.'

That message actually brought him a sense of relief. He thought that Sokka was just snubbing him, it would seem that he was distancing himself from everyone. Maybe he had found new 'cooler' college friends. He texted Katara back, 'which is exactly why you should do what you want.' For good measure he added, 'Sokka isn't being kind of a jerk and Suki needs a friend.'

His fingers hovered over Sokka's message.

But he couldn't seem to get any further than that.

.oOo.

Aang woke up to the sound of his phone playing TGIF, as completely dorky as it was, little things like that helped boost his mood. If he could wake up singing, then the day might not be so bad after all. He dressed himself and grabbed an apple and a frosting-free cinnamon pop-tart and headed for the bus stop. He was running a little late so he would have to eat on the bus.

He took his seat and began munching. "Oh no. Oh no!" He leapt out of his seat. "Stop the bus!"

The bus driver cocked her head to the side, "we're already moving, kid. What's the problem."

"I forgot my backpack."

The woman nodded. "Tough luck, kid."

He dropped to his seat feeling completely defeated. "Oh man, this sucks." Now all of his homework was going to take late grades and he would get 'unprepared' strikes in all of his classes. He just hopped that since it was the first week they would show some mercy.

The bus came to another stop and he thought about getting off and sprinting back to his house. He was pretty quick—so quick in fact that his P.E teacher, Mr. Kuruk asked him to join the track team. But he doubted that he could keep up with a bus. He sighed.

Toph flopped down in the seat next to him. She was wearing the same sweater she wore the day before. He didn't think that he'd ever seen her wear the same thing twice before, she had so many clothes.

Had…

"You ready for today's sit 'n snivel assembly?" Toph asked.

Aang snickered, he knew that he shouldn't have, this time around the assembly seemed pretty serious. Ruon-Jian had given him quite a hard time after finding out about the crush Aang had on him, but he was still ready to snivel for the boy.

Truth be told, Aang didn't know what had happened exactly. There was a party—the very same party Suki and Sokka had dragged him to—and then a few months later there was a body. Aang didn't know the detail and he was afraid to find out. He didn't like to think that there was a killer in the school.

"I guess I'm as ready as I can be, Toph. You know that I don't like these things." He was only a freshmen but he has had his share of dismal assemblies. When he was in his second year of middle school one of his grademates was taken in a car accident as her mother was driving her to choir practice. He had no connection to her whatsoever and he still wanted to cry.

"Geez, Twinkle Toes, you're a sensitive little guy." She bumped him on his arm. But he could hear the somber in her voice, he imagined that she liked the idea of an in-school memorial service as little as she. He could only imagine what Chan was going through right now. "If you need to cry, I brought a box of tissues just for you." She rustled around her backpack—the same one she used last year, a little worn and beaten—and pulled out a box. "I got you the ultra-soft ones, for your baby skin."

That time he laughed unburdened. "You're the best, Toph."

.oOo.

Homeroom passed by too quickly. Even with Smellerbee chucking crumpled paper balls at him. Wasn't it enough for her to hog the soccer ball during practice? She had to make homeroom difficult too. As the bell rang, one final paper ball collided with the back of his head.

That one had writing.

He knew that he wouldn't like what he read, but curiosity got the better of him; 'Hey pixie puff, good luck next hour, must be hard knowing your man crush is dead. Btw, Jet says to try to stop looking at his goods!'

Aang flushed. For one thing, Jet's goods were the last place his eyes could be found. He was more of an abs guy. If any of the cool kids had to worry, it was Chan. He put all of his energy into being offended by that, so he wouldn't have to address the first part of the note.

He followed the crowd to the auditorium. It was overflowing to the point where they had to bring in extra chairs. He scoped the place for Toph. Once he found her, he snuck away from his class and sat next to her—there went the one rule he allowed himself to purposefully break for the year. He needed to cut himself some slack, he was going to need a shoulder. He truly wished that he had asked Roku to be exempt from this kind of thing.

Roku stood at the podium. The backdrop he stood in front of was a large portrait of Ruon-Jian draped with flowers and notes of well wishes. A few candles added a false sense of warmth and comfort to the occasion. "Myself and the Matsanoro family would like to thank you all for coming."

"Like we had a choice." He heard Teo mumble. Aang wanted to think that the words were half-hearted, the product of pent up anger.

"As you all know, we lost a student last December. One of Wan High's star athletes and a fine, respectable young man and good friend to many."

Aang glanced at Teo in time to catch the eyeroll.

He scanned the other faces. He first picked out Chan whose expression was curiously blank—a storm was stirring beneath, Aang speculated. Jet stood next to him also seeming curiously uncaring. He expected to see Azula there, but she was a little further to the right, standing between Zuko—he had finally showed up?—and Mai.

TyLee, next to Mai, was weeping bucketloads. Aang hadn't realized that she and Ruon were particularly close. Mai herself was as indifferent as always. Zuko, seemed almost delighted at the passing of one of his rivals. Aang made a mental not to keep his distance.

It would seem that most people either didn't care that Ruon-Jian was gone or relished in it. He brought his stare to Azula, at first he found the misty-eyed gaze to be rather uncharacteristic of her. And then he recalled at once, that she had been rather close with Ruon, more so than she was with Chan. The school must be in a state of vileness, if Azula was among the more compassionate.

Usha was crying too, but it was entirely played up, more or less to make herself the center of attention.

"Man, those tears are about as real as her boobs!" Toph crassly confirmed his own speculations.

"Ruon-Jain's passing was completely preventable." Roku noted, leaving Aang to curse himself for missing most of the speech; the important part of it. "Which is why I would like to make everyone aware of what to look out for." He paused. "Loss of interest, tiredness, and angry outbursts."

A part of Aang shriveled up on the inside. He snatched on of the tissues Toph had so kindly given him and dabbed at his eyes. He was putting the pieces together.

"If you notice any odd behavior—a sudden elation in mood for example—or a friend giving you items a value without warning or explanation, please contact a parent or a staff member immediately." Roku allowed a moment of processing before continuing. "With that in mind I would like to open up a chance to meet with any one of our social workers."

Aang caught sight of Mai shuffling awkwardly.

"If you don't feel comfortable doing so, I will be passing out pamphlets with help hotlines."

Aang's chest felt tight. On one had he didn't have to fret over a school murderer. On the other hand, it was only his freshmen year and he had already attended his first suicide prevention-oriented assembly. Irrationally he thought that he was responsible. If only he hadn't laid things on so strongly, maybe then Ruon-Jian would have talked to him. All at once, he wondered if he should check on Suki and Katara, they were having a pretty tough time. "Hey, Toph, you'd tell me if you needed anything right."

"Yeesh, Twinkle Toes, you are taking this hard." Toph muttered. This time she knew when to drop the class clown thing. "Of course I would, Aang."