"You're leaving tomorrow...?"

"Yup. Leaving tomorrow, first thing in the morning." Sokka replies nonchalantly before shoving more rice into his mouth.

I stare at him dejectedly, praying that he would change his mind and they would just stay for one more day. But since his food is clearly more important than my selfish feelings, I shifts my silent begging to the others sitting around the table.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality. And sorry about your door. Again." Katara says to my mother who is sitting across from her.

"Oh, don't worry about that now. Thanks to Sokka, my door is almost the way it was before it broke down."

The limelight shines onto the door as it becomes the interest of everyone in the house.

For some odd reason, there's a missing chunk of wood around the bottom half of the door. According to my mother, Sokka was gonna put new hinges on the door but found out too late after one strike of his boomerang that he was on the wrong side of the door.

I don't even know why Sokka used his boomerang.

Why does he like that boomerang so much?

I swear, that thing is the answers to all of his problems even when it's not!

I swear, again, that if he uses his damn boomerang for something on this dinner table, it's flying out the window.

Everyone return to eating their dinner. I look around again to find that I'm the only one feeling down with the three of them leaving tomorrow.

They're gonna leave me. My only friends.

"Here. I want you guys to have this."

I pass them a small sack.

Katara takes it from me with both of her hands before opening it up.

"Marbles!" Katara exclaim in surprise.

She picks up one of the marbles and hold it up in front one of her eyes. She closes the other eye to have a better focus of the reflected moonlight on the marble. Inside the marble are three swirls of different colours connected from one end of the marble to the other.

Sokka and Aang looks into the sack to see the marbles for themselves. Sokka, satisfies that there is nothing weird in there, lay down on his mattress that he is sharing with Aang.

"Wow! That's a lot of marbles!" Aang exclaims in wonder as he takes a few marbles to look into them one by one, seeing the different colour combos and different rate of swirls inside the marbles. "Why do you have so many?"

I grin sheepishly as I scratch the side of my neck with a finger. "I kind of collect them. I thought they were pretty so I collect them when I could."

"So that's why you have a lot of junk." Sokka points out without needing to look around my room.

Okay, first of all, these are not 'junk'.

...

Okay, maybe SOME of them are.

This is kind of hypocritical of me since I call my mother's stuff junk as well but at least my junk stays in my room. Hers is everywhere! Except for my room because I pushed it out to make room for mine.

I didn't have as much junk as Sokka said. It was just...scattered around to make it look like there's a lot of them. We had to move it to the corners of the room to make room for the mattresses. One big one for Sokka and Aang to share that is the spare mattress my parents use when the other mattress needs cleaning. Katara is using a smaller one that is the spare mattress of mine. My bed had to be moved to the wall, right under the window, so the big mattress could fit in. Katara's mattress is next to the foot of my bed.

They were supposed to sleep in the living room, just outside the door so they could leave quicker. I pretty much begged them to sleep in the same room as me to have something like a sleepover. I convinced my mother by whining how the other girls at school get sleepovers.

Although there were no boys but there's no reason for me to say that part.

Then again, my mother would probably already knew that with some common sense.

Oh well, either way, she agreed since they'll be leaving the first thing tomorrow anyway.

And that's why I need them in my room. So when they wake up, I would have been woken up too. I can't just bear the thought of waking up to find them already long gone. Just thinking about it makes my heart cry from the ache.

Sadly, even after all that begging and effort, my heart is still aching.

"Well, good night, everyone!" Sokka announce before turning to his side, getting comfy before closing his eyes.

"Night, Sokka. Night, you two!" Katara shares her good night as she set the bag of marbles down before going to sleep.

"Night, Sokka! Night, Katara!, Night, Wan!" Aang says as he puts the bunch of marbles he took back into the bag. I thought he was going to lay down until he got up and head towards my bed. "Sorry." He apologizes as he climbs up and crawls his way to the window. "Night, Appa! Night, Momo!"

Appa and Momo answeres with their respective animals noises before settling next to our reindeer-alpaca to sleep.

I don't think the reindeer-alpaca look too good. I think he might be even loosing some fur from fright at the sight of Appa. Poor thing. I should give him something good to eat tomorrow to make him feel better.

"Night, Aang." I say as he gpes back to his mattress. He turns to me and respond with a nod and a single wave of his hand. "Night, Katara. Night, Sokka." Er... "Night, Appa. Night, Momo."

Katara quickly rises from her bed and says a little loudly so she would be heard, "Night, Momo! Night, Appa!"

Sokka shoot up from his bed, scaring Aang and forcing him to roll away from the upright male. Irritated, he hisses, "Why can't you people say good night like normal people and just say 'Everyone'!? Like I did!"

"Good night, Everyone!" Sokka exemplifies with an exaggerated wave towards everyone and a faux grin.

"It's more special this way." Aang reasons but Sokka is having none of that.

Sokka swing his hands into the air, tossing the issue over his shoulders and just fall backwards onto the mattress.

Finally, everyone could sleep.

Except me.

It's been hours. And no matter how long I close my eyes, the sound of my heart crying is too loud to give me some peace.

All I could do is stare outside my window, watching the stars decorating the sky with their natural beauty. Some are brighter, some aren't. But they're the same to me and all of them are equally pretty.

I let out a tired sigh.

Not only I can't sleep but I won't sleep either. I feel that the moment I close my eyes, I would be wasting time appreciating this 'sleepover'.

I let out a frustrated sigh.

I wonder what my life is gonna be like once they're gone. I especially wonder how Ming is gonna treat me then when the Avatar is no longer by my side to...'help' me. I'm probably just gonna go back to school and be alone then walk home alone and be home with my mother and maybe my father when he gets home.

...

Then what?

I let out a sad sigh.

"Wan?"

I hear a whisper calling my name, snapping me out of my thoughts.

It's Aang.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" I whisper back.

Aand shakes his head but I can see from his eyes as he is rubbing them that he has woken up because of me.

Great.

"Sorry." I repeat.

He shakes his head again as he waves his hand while pushing himself up with his other hand. I sit up in my bed as I watch him move closer. Once he is by my bedside, he sit down on both his knees and lay both his arms on the mattress with his tired head resting on them.

"What's wrong?"

I look sadly at him. He looks so tired. I don't understand why he would care so much for me that he would sacrifice sleep. Especially when he needs in the morning to...leave.

...Maybe he's doing this because I'm his friend?

I'm his friend, right?

Right.

I'm his friend. And friends are suppose to care for each other. Like this.

I'm going to miss this.

"...I don't want you to leave." Wait, let me rephrase that. That sounded too weird. "I don't want any of you to leave."

"Oh..." Aang's eyes downcast at my words, making me feel guilty for burdening him with my selfish wish. He remains silent as he tries to think of the right words to say. "Why? It can't be that bad? I mean, we'll be back to visit one day."

"But when is 'one day'? I don't want you guys to leave for there to be even a 'one day'. I need you guys...Like, I really need you. You guys are my first friends."

"Nah, I'm sure you've had friends before."

"I..Well..."

Truth to be told. Yes, I did have friends before but after the rock incident, bad things just started to happen and they left me in fear of bad things happening to them too.

"Not like you! You actually stayed by my side when things get bad. Even when it's kinda my fault."

Aang just gives me a look when I said, 'kinda'. I'm not gonna correct myself.

"Sokka and Katara stayed with my mother to fix the door that they...er, actually, we broke. Before you guys, no one stayed by my side when things get tough. When other kids break something, they always run away, leaving a mess behind. Even I did. No one here is like you guys. I'll never meet someone like you again. I can't just...let go... You're my first friends. Like...possibly my first real friends..."

I feel vulnerable spilling my heart out like this. All this overwhelming emotions are overworking my already tired heart. Tears start to leak out of my eyes but I quickly wipe them away with my sleeves. This conversation of just..a small thing. Why would it make me cry like this? It's...a stupid thing to cry over...

No. Wait. I take that back. Crying for my friends is not a stupid thing. But crying this easily, is stupid.

I opened my mouth to spill the last drop my heart has to offer but my nose is clogged with snot. I don't have a cloth nearby so I had to suck it in.

Sorry, Aang, but I really need to suck it in because I need to say this so how you look at me right now is not that important.

"Please don't leave me..."

"Wan..."Aang breathes out as he stare sadly into my teary eyes. "I'm sorry..."

I clench my fist beneath my blanket and grit my teeth as I wipe away more tears from my eyes.

Aang looks down in guilt. That was enough and he didn't need to see more. He couldn't help me solve my issues with the bully and now they're gonna leave while I'm left behind in tears.

But really...It's not like they owe me or anything that would cause them to take me along with their journey.

Because, seriously? The north pole? That's...way too far.

"Hey." Aang calls out to me softly.

My shoulders are shuddering as I try to hold in my sobs that threatens to break out. I'm in a pitiful state right now and I don't need Katara and/or Sokka to see me like this. Aang is enough, thank you.

Wiping my eyes to clear it up, I look back at Aang. I silently waiting for him to continue as I watch him have an internal battle.

"How would you like to come with us?"

The impact of the question just shocks all emotions from my body. I suddenly feel so numb that not even my mind could process this.

"What?" I blurt out in my stupor.

"Would you like to come with us? I mean, I did say I owe you."

When!?

...Oh yeah. That time when he asked me to fake apologize. But I don't think that counts because it didn't work in the end.

"Aang..."

Once my emotions and senses return to me, I...I don't even need to think for an answer. It is so obvious what it is.

"...I can't."

I look out my window to watch them leave. We already said our goodbyes so my mother and I stayed in the house while Aang, Katara and Sokka pack all their stuff onto Appa properly for a long flight. They're a little further from my house so no accidents would happen.

The more things they toss into the saddle, the more I feel like they're tossing a piece of me into the saddle too.

And I'm not talking about the marbles.

I've never felt so empty.

No.

That's not it.

I had always felt empty. I felt empty for a long time. It was only when they came into my life, did I realize how dead I was and what it was like to be alive. To be living and breathing like it actually matters.

Now I'm seeing all of it being taken away.

But should it really be called 'taken away' when I had refused to try to take it back?

Aang tried to reason with me. Tried to convince me to come.

But I kept saying 'no'.

What about my mother?

What about my father who's not even in the house?

What about my good bye to him?

What about my life?

Or even my future when I come back?

When will I come back?

Wouldn't I just be left behind again?

Left behind in this normal life while everyone else has gotten an education by the time I return and went sailing to catch fishes or getting dirty in the farm to plant crops?

Left behind in trying to catch up with my old, dull life while my friends...leave? Again?

What's the point?

And...all the way to the north pole.

It's...It's too far. I'm too scared to go so far away from home alone. Sure, I would have my friends but...to be away from home for so long. How could I even do that? I'm just a kid. I can't do that...

All the doubts and questions just keep coming in, piling one after another on top of each other and refuses to leave. I didn't know time had passed so quickly that I didn't notice Aang waving good bye to me.

"Wan!" I snap my head up from it's hung position to look up.

"Bye bye!" Aang called for my attention to make sure I get his good bye.

And off they went.

And there goes my heart, finally breaking after a long night of cracking little by little.

I felt what being dead is like but not what dying is like.

My mind just...starts to scream. Nothing else matters. Not even sanity. It shows in my eyes as I can feel it freezing in place while it is wide open. Like the scream in my head are bulging my eyes out.

I couldn't breath, the energy that is supposed to keep my throat open has sunk into despair and refuses to resurface. It is like vengeance for not saying what I had wanted to say from the bottom of my heart but choked up instead. I didn't even notice it until now.

The sound of wood cracking didn't even register my mind. The screaming blocks it out well. My hands grip my window's sill so tightly. I am too numb to feel it.

No.

I can feel my body just fine. I can feel it trembling in panic.

My grip is too tight and my window sill is cracking.

The energy that has sunk from my throat have focused itself in my legs. It starts twitching.

I feel my heart break open, revealing two offers to me.

Obey or Calling.

Obey my fears or listen to the Calling of my wishes.

Once again, this decision. I already know the answer to this because I have answered this question before.

I bolt out of my window.

"Wan!"

I can hear my mother calling me. She must have seen me running away.

But I just keep running with new found energy. Every weight that was pulling me down to drown in my own tears have lifted. Only just a little to mercifully allow me to run.

"Wait..."I breathe out.

Appa is flying further away. He is flying away too quickly. At this rate, I won't be able to reach them. I need to get on higher ground. As close to them as possible.

My heart is breaking.

"Where do you think you're going!? Get back here!"

"No...No!" I yell as I push past people that are giving me weird and annoyed looks but I didn't care. Not like I could see them from my back anyway.

There is a cliff nearby but I need to leave the village to get there.

I run through the market street and headed for my destination. My eyes shifting between the path so I could see where I'm going and back at the sky to Appa. They're getting further.

"WAIT!" I don't care anymore. I need them back. "I CHANGED MY MIND!"

They can't hear me.

My heart is being torn open.

I need to run faster. I need to be faster.

"Wan! You're being reckless!" My mother's voice sounds so faint like she's so far away. No, she is.

The wind whistles faintly into my ears as I run with speed that I had never ran with before. It is the speed of true desperation.

"COME BACK!"

I slide on my knees to leave the village through the fence. I scowl as the forest's trees blocks my view. I need to get out of here as quick as possible. I use the trees to steer myself around them with the use of my hands. I didn't care if I get splinters because of the force of speed I am going. I'm durable but I don't think I'm that durable. I can feel the palm of my hands burning like my throat. I'm not even sure if they would come back to my line of sight once I leave this forest.

Then I felt it. Deep in my heart.

But I need to trust my instincts.

The pull.

Then I break through the forest.

Appa is further away than before when I entered the forest. But I can't give up hope. Not like this. I can't let it end like this. I refuse!

"TAKE ME WITH YOU!"

I continue running.

"I'LL FOLLOW YOU!"

I feel the earth's angle rising.

"SO PLEASE!"

I reach the edge of the cliff.

"DON'T LEAVE ME BEHIND!" I scream with all the strength of my lungs desperately, weary from the sudden exertion of energy of the chase.

I stand there panting...

...as I watch Appa fly further away.

The large hope I had, the largest to date, fell deeply to the bottom of my soul as I fall onto my knees from the weight of it.

I could feel my heart's hard beating slow down. Like I'm dying.

I hang my head, refusing to look at the retreating form of my friends. That I had left behind first.

I said 'No' first.

And I'm such...an idiot.

I barely heard the sound of grass crunching behind me from a distance through my loud sobbing. The foot steps stop just a few steps behind me. I didn't even bother to turn around as there is no point in doing so. My vision is too blurred with the tears just...pouring out of my eyes. I just keep wiping and wiping with the sleeves that had to be wet again with yesterday night's tears and snot.

I hardly react when my mother holds my shoulders. My entire body is tingling. I don't know the reason but whatever it is, it's making it hard to feel. I could hardly feel my mother pulling me into a hug.

"Come on, let's go. I'll make you your favourite soup, okay? They'll be back, I'm sure of it, one day."

But I don't want 'one day'. I want 'everyday'.

I couldn't reply. My jaw is already strained from trying to keep my mouth close to reduce the sobbing. And to prevent myself from screaming in regret.

My mother gets up from the ground, and gently pulling me up with her. She had plans to give me a big scolding but that can be hold off for later.

Shakily, I get myself off the ground.

I couldn't even stand straight. I still can't see.

I just hold onto my mother's comforting hand as she leads me away from the cliff's edge and back to the village.

Thud...

My body freezes from the familiar sound. So did my mother.

I only heard it once, but it was scarred into me to forget it so easily.

And that brush of wind.

"Wan?"

Slowly, I turn, like if I were to swerve around too quickly, I would accidentally shake away this miracle.

There they are.

All right in front of me again.

This simple sight have become the most beautiful scene I have ever seen.

Aang gets off Appa and land in front of the bison. Sokka and Katara looks over the saddle in curiosity and concern.

"You came back." I breathe out between sobs as I let more tears flow. This time, I let it show. I'm proud to be able to be this happy.

"Yeah..I just kinda.."

"Felt...

"...A pull?"

"...Yeah. A pull."

Sokka and Katara look pretty confused and turn to each other for answers that neither of them have.

I continue to stare at Aang. Almost afraid that any second now, I would wake up and this would be a dream. A single blink, and they're gone.

But...something about him just feels so welcoming. Welcoming me back after being away for so long. I have no idea why but it feels almost surreal.

I let go of my mother' hand to run towards Aang and wrap my arms around him tightly.

Into the welcoming arms of home.

Everyone else, on the other hand, seem to be having a de ja vu.

"Wan...you're kinda crushing me..."

"Sorry."

Author's note: Wow, that was really cheesy. Like, super cheesy. Ah well. It was still important though.

Yup, there's more to this mushy feelings that just some sad way of showing 'love at first sight'. It's not really love at first sight at all but I'm pretty sure it's being taken in as that.

Anyway, one more chapter before I jump into the plot line of the Avatar series. Finally.

It would start pretty linear at the beginning but I'm already having plans for the later parts.

Ahahah, but by then, I wonder how many would still be reading this.

Ah well, I'm just here to have fun.

And I hope you readers are having fun too! If not from this fic, then I hope you find fun in another fic or in any other way in your life! :)

Have a good day, Readers.

Bye bye!