Ok, here's the fourth chapter! It's kinda random, but I was in a drabble sort of mood. Hope you like it!
Tick
Tick
Tock
Tick
Tock
Tick
Tock
The monotone sound of the clock sounded in my head. I lay splayed across my bed. It seemed I didn't have any plans for tonight.
My mom peeked into my room.
"Your new friend is coming to pick you up in five minutes." No he's not I thought. I turned over and groaned into my pillow. Why did he ask me out, just to stand me up like this? Did he think it was funny? I didn't know them, Zuko and Sokka, well enough.
And what about tomorrow? Did they expect me to come and sit with them like nothing had happened? Hmph. I stalked out to the kitchen to get my bag.
"Ding!" the doorbell sounded.
"Suki? Could you get that for me?" my mom hollered from across the house. "I think that's my new shoes I ordered!" I made a face and slowly slid to the door.
"Ding, Ding, Ding, Di-Ding!" Stupid delivery man must be in a hurry. "Di-di-di-di-ding!" I threw our front door open, intent on giving the person behind it a piece of my mind. Did he not know the meaning of less is better?
"I think this is your box. Oh, and I brought you these." Sokka held out a bouquet of flowers and a brown, cardboard box labeled To: Mrs. Aki.
I grabbed the box and shut the door in his face.
"Mom it was your shoes," I commented shakily. "I'm setting them by the old newspapers."
I stomped to my room, purposely making as much noise as possible. How dare he show his face here?
I collapsed in the large, puffy rocking chair across from my bed. I had to calm down.
"Breath in one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Out one, two, three, four-"
"DONG!" a hollow ringing sound reverberated through my room. "DO-DONG!"
Sokka, still clutching the flowers, was banging on my window. I turned and looked the other way.
"D-D-DONG!" ARG!! He wouldn't give up! I flung open my window hitting him on the shoulder and knocking him to the ground.
"What?" I hissed.
"I thought we were going out tonight! What did I do?" Sokka exclaimed, a bewildered look on his face.
"Um, you canceled?" I half asked half spat.
"What?" he protested.
"On AIM! 10 minutes ago!" I was screeching now. Sokka's eyes popped and his brows crinkled in a way that would have been funny if I hadn't been ready to kill him.
"What? I never said that!"
"Oh, yes you did! And you logged off so I couldn't ask you why or anything!"
"Look, I only left quickly because Katara wanted to go on and was giving me hell! I got off and I didn't log out, so she probably did…" We stared at each other.
"Suki let me see the IM," I pushed the window open wider so Sokka could scramble in. I pulled up past conversations.
"Yep, that's her. Perfect punctuation," he laughed. I cracked a smile.
"Then why?" I wondered out loud.
"I'm not sure exactly why she's like this but I have a hunch." Sokka plopped down on the floor. "She mentioned something about you being another Tai-lee."
"Hmm?"
"Yah, you see freshman year, Tai-lee was all over me and well, made me believe we would work together. Then she dumped me for Jet." That sounded fairly realistic. Tai-lee was just one big flirt. But I had no idea she would do something like that to someone like Sokka. I nodded.
"That's why I don't like Jet, and Katara doesn't like you. She's afraid you're leading me on or something. And ever since Dad left for Iraq-" Sokka stopped and ran his fingers through his deep brown hair.
"Your Dad's in Iraq?"
"Yah, my mom was too."
"Was?"
"She was captured and tortured by the enemy for info. She died while they were taping her. I watched the tapes." I stared at him.
Poor Sokka.
Poor Katara.
"Katara really grew up four years ago when mom died. She thinks she has to look after everyone. But I can take care of myself." I gingerly placed my right arm around him.
"I'm sure your dad will be ok," Sokka nodded, but the haunted look didn't leave his eyes.
"Thank you for telling me about Katara and your mom. I feel like I understand where you're coming from better now." His eyes brightened and we embraced. Tentatively I leaned forward…
We jerked apart at the sound of footsteps down the hall. I cursed my mom's bad timing.
"You better get out of here," I urged, pointing at the window. "Shoo!"
"May I come back?"
Sokka was obviously joking, but he looked so worried…
I laughed. "Sure, but use the door this time." I flapped my hands at him. "Go!" He ran to the window and vaulted through it. My mom knocked on my door.
"What's so funny Suki? I could hear you yelling then, well laughing really loud." I just shook my head as the doorbell rang.
I leapt off the floor and pulled at my shirt.
"That's Sokka- my friend- I bet." I winced at my slip. My mom grabbed me and kissed me on the cheek.
"Have a good time with your "friend" honey. Make sure you're back home by ten, or I'll call the police."
I frowned. "Mom, I'm 16 now. Ten o' clock?" We stared at each other for a moment.
"Fine," she amended. "Ten-thirty."
I rolled my eyes. I had been hoping for more like eleven-thirty. "Mom…"
"No more. Now go, you're keeping him waiting." I nodded, grabbed my purse, and raced off to answer the door.
I glanced back to find my mom staring at me with a sad look in her eyes.
I opened the door to find Sokka sitting on the porch. I went and sat down next to him.
"So, what's the plan?"
"Well, Zuko and Mai are in the car. I thought we could all eat together then split up. We could go do something. Together," he laughed nervously.
"Sounds great!" He grabbed my hand and towed me to the dirty, blue Volkswagen parked across the street.
I ended up riding shotgun next to Sokka, who was driving. I offered the Six-foot, One-inch, Zuko my place several times put he just shook his head and put his arm around Mai.
"Don't be like that, we have plenty of room back here," he protested, then knocked his head against the roof.
"Right…" I rolled my eyes.
I watched as Sokka steered the car carelessly with one hand, sending us weaving through traffic.
I stared out the window. Cars and homes whipped by turned to streaky blurs by Sokka's driving "skills". I stared at his carved face. Everything seemed so surreal.
I remembered the look on my mother's face and what she had said a few days earlier. I had hugged her and she had started crying.
"I feel like I'm loosing you Suki," she had sobbed. "You're not the same little girl who kisses her mother everyday when she comes from school."
I had hugged and kissed her and reassured her, but she was right. I had changed, grown up, whatever you wanted to call it.
As I watched Sokka's cool confidence behind the wheel I wondered how it was possible I could feel so happy and sad at the same time.
Ok, so please don't hate me. I promise that next time I will have the date. In all it's glory. Just felt like dragging it out a little longer. A few people asked me about my Karate experiences. I train in Shoulin Kempo. I tested for my brown belt this Monday and passed! It wasn't easy. Two hours stuck in a tiny unairconditioned room with 20 other people who were dripping sweat. No water was allowed the whole two hours. And to top it off, my master said that he would give us a break so not to worry about wearing ourselves out. So we all work really hard to impress him, then he doesn't give us a break. Instead he gives us twenty one armed push ups. Then has us stop half way down and HOLD IT. This is after an hour of torture. Man, it was hard. But, I passed. That's what matters.
I may have Suki do a Karate test just to share my pain. (.)
I'm sorry this was just a bunch of fluff. Did anyone get the whole thing of Suki's last name being "Aki"? And I know the whole Suki having a mom thing was kinda random, but I couldn't think of a better idea for her guardian. Plus, Sokka and Katara are already living with their Grandmother. (if you understood that last paragraph then you must be crazy because I can't)
Also a few people said Katara was a bit OOC last chapter. I hope I cleared that up. Thank you to everyone who reviewed!! You rock!!
Oh, and if you're still reading this, please R and R! It's easy! Just push the little blue button!
Right there. See it? (XD)
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