summary: Toph's exactly what everyone would call "in." But, she's "out" and she knows it. Her goal? Getting other people to realize it, too. /AU/

a/n: NOWAI, I ACTUALLY GOT REVIEWS! n-n;; for those of you who submitted them, you are officially this fic's heroes. GO YOU!

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Confined No Longer
chapter one: where to begin

I don't know how it - meaning cliques and stereotypes - works at your school, but at Gaoling High, it's pretty simple. You hang out with your friends. And if that means fellow Jocks or other Goths, then so be it. There isn't really any specific rule as to who you can hang out with. For example, if you're a "Nerd" - aka someone with a 4.0 GPA - and you have friends who are, let's say, "Preps," then you can go talk to them whenever you want. Although, usually, after you're seen with you friends, that's it; those are the people you sit with at lunch every day for the entire school year. Sure, you can make more friends, you just can't be seen with them outside of the classroom; it messes up the "balance of things." If you ask me, the "balance" is already screwed up if your friends are Fake Clones who have almost nothing in common with you.

After my little, "realization" the other day, I couldn't help but wonder where to begin. It's not like there's a guidebook entitled "How To Find Friends Who Aren't Fake or Clones." I wasn't sure if I should go right out and say it - "I hate you guys, I'm ditching you" - or if I should keep it on the DL - yet another item to add to the Shoulda've-Stayed-in-the-Third-Grade list. The only thing I was certain of was the fact that I needed to put a plan into action soon. Otherwise, I might be stuck with FruFru and Friends, and I don't think I could handle even another a week.

I dug threw my massive closet for anything different. The stylish denim jeans and blouses decorated the floor in a cluttered mess as I worked though the clothes. I snorted as I found a billowing dress I had only worn once for one of my parents' formal parties; I threw it over my shoulder carelessly. At last, I came to a pile of clothes in the back and unfolded the first article of clothing - a pair of khaki colored pants - and found a dark green shirt with an unusual design in the center. I spotted my old, tattered shoes and dressed myself quickly, running out of the house before Mom could protest my ensemble.

Walking into homeroom, I swallowed the last of a muffin and wiped the crumbs away with the back of my hand and sat between Star and Song - as always. Zipper looked at me and smiled. Then her eyes widened briefly in response to my attire. She didn't say anything, just as much as I expected. Glint, on the other hand, wrinkled her nose disapprovingly, figures.

"Mornin'," I greeted in a happy tone.

"Good morning, Toph," Song replied.

Star pointed at my shirt and glided down towards my pants. "What are you wearing?" she asked clearly disgusted.

"Clothes," I stated as if it were obvious, which it was. "What are you wearing?"

"Fashionable clothes."

On the inside, I took a deep breath. I daintily covered my bottom lip and said, "Whoops! Sorry, I don't live to please you." I eyed her threateningly. I could tell she was trying to come up with some sort of a comeback, she opened her mouth once, then closed it back up. I heard Song shift uncomfortably as the bell rang through the halls and classes.

The announcements droned on for the majority of homeroom and when they came to an end, the teacher at the front of the room waved us off on the bell's cue. Students filed out and into the hallway. I looked back on my friends - for now.

"Later," I said and I was on my way.

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Right when I entered the cafeteria, I was bombarded with stares - like it had been all day. Some people tried to look inconspicuous, some were flat out gaping and giggling. It didn't make a difference to me. I walked the same route to the usual table I usually sat at and plopped myself into a chair. The silence that welcomed me had no affect either.

"What's up, guys?" I meant it in a way that said "How was your day?" What I got was more like a reaction to "What's the latest gossip?"

Ty Lee replied in her ever bubbly voice, "You."

"Oh?" I played it cool.

"Yeah," Jin replied. "You're on everyone's mind, in a very bad way!"

"How so?" I kept my charade up as I bit into my lunch.

"You're wearing that!" She said it like my clothes were some kind of deadly disease, which I guess in her little world was an illness.

"Toph, why did you dress differently today?" Song, always the voice of reason, questioned.

I chewed thoroughly and swallowed. "Maybe I wanted to try something new. Bite me," I hissed.

"You're crazy!" Star whisper-shouted, trying to keep the glares to a minimum. "This will so ruin yours, mine, and our rep!"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't give a crap."

Ty Lee folded her hands over mine and looked me in the eye. "What's wrong, Toph? Why are you acting like... like this?"

Pulling my hands free, I explained once again, "Like I said, maybe I want to try something new."

They glared at me like the rest of the school population. I continued with my lunch, no one spoke to me directly, though I could make out Star and Jin's rude, hushed whispers. Song and Ty Lee constantly glanced my way, looking for anything out of the ordinary - besides the obvious - that would explain my unusual behavior, I suspect. When the bell rang, they didn't so much as look at me as hurry out.

I didn't mind, let alone care. I just completed Phase One. I was already planning Phase Two as I walked to my next class.

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a/n: i'm so sorry this took so long. i got a huge writers' block, and then when i finished it, the laptop totally shut down on me, and i lost the last few paragraphs. ... that's my excuse, and i'm sticking to it! :D

anywho, how was that? pass, fail? please tell me, i need as much feedback as possible. n-n hopefully, i'll get the next chapter done and posted by the end of this week. but if you didn't know, Taang Week starts tomorrow, so i'll be a tad busy with that. thanks again to anyone who reviews! (: