HAHHAHAHAH! I've finally, FINALLY finished this chapter! I swear I thought I'd never get it done. But once it starts flowing from my finger tips it goes! And it's so easy! Ahhhh...it's so nice when a story just comes easily like that. Especially since I haven't updated this in a long time. I put a hold on everything so I could get this done. I wasn't working on anything but this (and other mindless drabbles that I'll probably never publish, but let's not think of that) and pleas just enjoy this indulgent nonsense!
x0x
"And Katara will be putting for par. She is three meters away from the hole. Will she make it?"
"If you'd shut up!"
"She is calling for silence on the green."
The group of five silently watched Katara as she concentrated on the bright blue golf ball. It narrowly missed the hole as she gasped in frustration.
"Don't worry, Katara! You'll get it next hole!" Aang grinned at her.
"Says the mini-golf champion. Are you sure you and Gyatso don't have one of these in the backyard and you practice everyday?" Katara asked.
"I swear! I haven't played since the third grade!" Aang laughed as he lined up beside his bright orange ball that was about three inches away from the hole.
"You still kicked our asses." Sokka growled.
"I say whoever wins should buy us all snow cones and a hundred games at the arcade!" Zuko called.
"I didn't agree to that!" Aang furrowed his brows.
"Don't worry, Aang. I will buy the snow cones." Iroh assured the frustrated freshman with empty pockets.
"But Uncle, that's no fair! And what about arcade games?" Zuko whined.
"Zuko stop acting like a four year old!" Iroh scolded his nephew.
"But—"
"You're acting like Azula."
Zuko quieted instantly.
x
Once inside at the arcade, everyone had gotten their snow-cones. Zuko and Mai were at the arcade, Iroh and Toph were discussing the flavor of their grape snow cone, Sokka was in a deep discussion with the kid behind the counter about an unfair obstacle on hole five and Katara and Aang were sitting at a table sharing their cherry snow-cone.
"I swear Mai, I'll get you that panda bear!" Zuko furiously threw skee balls up the ramp into the hundred-point cup.
"Zuko, the panda is fifty thousand tickets. Right now, you're getting about three per quarter per about two minutes a game. I'll let you do the math." Mai sighed. Zuko grunted in agreement as he pulled off his latest three tickets.
"Will you settle for the ten ticket bouncy ball then?" Zuko asked.
"I'll cherish it till the day I die." Mai told him, dripping with sarcasm. Zuko went and traded his tickets for the small, plastic bouncy ball for Mai. "Just what I always wanted."
x
They finished with their snow cones, Iroh wanted to take them out to lunch. Nobody could decide on what to eat. Sokka just wanted fast food. Katara and Aang wanted somewhere they could sit and be waited on. Zuko just wanted fed and Mai and Toph didn't care if they got fed at all.
"I've decided for you. We're eating at my friends' place. It's ten minutes away." Iroh decided.
"What kind of service is it?" Katara asked.
"Sit down." Iroh replied. Sokka opened his mouth. "But fast service." Iroh added.
"Well, at least we all agree." Aang grinned as they packed into the cars. Zuko agreed to take Mai and Toph in his car.
"This is the coolmobile. Only cool people in this car. Everyone else gets to go in Uncle's car." Zuko folded his arms.
"I'm cool!" Toph shouted.
"Whatever. I don't want to catch any cooties from you." Katara stuck out her tongue.
"That's mature, Katara." Sokka rolled his eyes. "At least we won't…get lost on our way there!"
"I know my way there. Uncle takes me there every time I come over." Zuko rolled his eyes.
"Come on! We need to avoid the lunch rush and I can get us a good table! Have we decided who's riding with who?" Iroh asked.
"Yep! Bye!" Zuko jumped in his car.
"Come on, Zuko! You know how my sister is with Aang!"
"Oh, poor Sokka! Not my problem!" Zuko shrugged. "And my uncle has freakish music! Have fun!"
x
They arrived at a place called 'The White Lotus'. Katara, Aang and Sokka unloaded their car after a ten-minute ride of listening to 'Soothing Sounds of the East'. Sokka had fallen asleep immediately and Katara and Aang were forced into awkward conversation with Iroh. Zuko pulled up thirty seconds after they arrived.
"We had a much better ride." Katara folded her arms.
"Come on, Katara. Let it go, he's just being stupid." Aang grabbed her arm.
"Even your little boyfriend knows I'm better than you at everything." Zuko smiled smugly.
"That's enough, Zuko. Come on, Katara." Aang tugged her inside. Zuko only rolled his eyes as Mai rested her hand on his arm.
"You are a little bold sometimes." Mai told him.
"She started it this time." Zuko hissed.
"Let it go, Zuko. Let it go." Mai sighed. "I just want to get through this day without anymore mishaps than what has already happened."
They followed the rest of the group inside. From the outside the restaurant looked small, but on the inside it was quite large and lavishly decorated with an oriental theme. There were pillars scattered through the room that were painted bright red. Each table had a white tablecloth with napkins that were folded like lotuses. The ceiling was covered in silver tin squares that had patterns on them, but they were so incredibly lustrous and reflective they were like mirrors, which made the room seem two times bigger. On one wall was a mural of rural China and the other was a painting of dragon that stretched from one end of the room to the other.
"This is incredible!" Aang gasped.
"I'm sure it is…" Toph sighed.
"It isn't that great. If you've seen one Chinese restaurant you've seen them all." Zuko sighed. "Bright colors, Chinese murals, dragons. Its so over done so that you really don't notice how bad the food tastes."
"I think Chinese food tastes okay." Toph protested.
"It's okay, anyway it's nothing great." Zuko shrugged.
"I feel like I'm underdressed! This place looks so fancy!" Katara looked around
"Katara, you look great all the time! I don't care what you're wearing!" Aang grinned.
"I know you don't, but I'm just worried we all look too casual!" Katara exclaimed.
"Don't worry, this place is entirely casual! The owner just goes over the top a lot." Iroh assured her. "He's the number one Chinese restaurant in this area for a reason!"
"How many in your party?" the host asked.
"Seven. But can you please tell Jeong-Jeong we are here? I believe we have a table reserved." Iroh explained.
"Ah, yes. Of course, right this way." the host led them through the restaurant.
They were led through the restaurant to a back table, a round booth that would fit all seven.
"I want to sit in the middle!" Aang called dibs.
"But I always sit in the middle." Zuko pouted.
"Maybe next time Zuko." Katara crawled in after Zuko. After that they all filled in around Aang and Katara. Iroh, Mai and Aang sat in between Katara and Zuko so they wouldn't fight.
"But, I hate the end!" Zuko continued to complain. Toph and Sokka sat on the opposite end by Katara.
"I already know what I'm getting!" Aang declared. "Sweet and sour chicken with egg drop soup!"
"Do you want to share that, since the proportions are outrageous at these Chinese restaurants?" Katara suggested.
"Sure!" Aang grinned.
"And will you be sharing your fortune cookie too?" Sokka rolled his eyes. "It'll read: 'Get a life.'"
"You're just jealous of us, Sokka." Aang grinned.
"Jealous of how incredibly sappy you are? And how you share everything?" Sokka rolled his eyes.
"You are just as bad with Suki." Katara rolled her eyes.
"So you're getting sweet and sour chicken?" Zuko asked.
"Yeah, do you have a problem with that?" Aang asked.
"You are such a kid." Zuko rolled his eyes.
"So what are you getting?" Katara asked.
"Uhm…" Zuko scratched his head looking at the menu. "The orange chicken."
"And you criticize Aang for being a child! The orange chicken is the same thing with different sauce."
"But every kid eats sweet and sour." Zuko rolled his eyes.
"Well sitting between them didn't help at all." Mai sighed.
"What about you Mai? You must be getting something good." Sokka asked.
"I'm sharing with Zuko." Mai told him.
"You too?" Sokka groaned.
"I can't eat that much. This place gives you too much to eat." Mai sighed.
"Well, at least we know Sokka will be full." Katara mumbled.
"What about you, Iroh? You come here often, what are you getting? And don't tell me your sharing with Toph or something." Sokka asked Iroh.
"No, no." Iroh laughed. "I'm trying the beef and green peppers but the Mongolian beef is excellent too."
"Hmm…" Sokka surveyed the menu. "What about you, Toph?"
"Probably just the beef Lo Mein." Toph replied as her menu sat on the table. "Lo Mein at all restaurants pretty much taste all the same right?"
"I beg to differ!" Zuko interjected.
"Okay…" Sokka sighed.
Soon their waiter came and took their orders. Sokka was deciding down to the last minute and decided on a family sized platter that contained almost everything, so he could sample it all.
"Sokka there is going to be no way your going to eat that all." Katara groaned at her brother's stupidity. "Notice it says feeds a family of four to five?"
"The portions are outrageous anyway. A normal dinner could feed two. So when it says four to five it's more like eight to ten." Mai explained.
"Oh, shit. You're kidding me! Sokka what have you gotten into?" Katara cried.
"I'll eat it!" Sokka comforted her.
"Over the course of two weeks!" Katara exclaimed.
"All tonight. I bet five dollars. Who's matching that?" Sokka pulled out a five dollar bill from his wallet.
"I will." Zuko pulled out his wallet.
"Don't encourage him!" Katara screamed.
"This will be fun, Katara! Let him suffer the consequences for his actions." Zuko shrugged.
"Oh, dear God. Someone will be having his stomach pumped tonight." Katara banged her head repeatedly on the table.
x
By the end of the meal it looked as if a bomb had gone off. And that was only Sokka's meal.
Everyone had a pleasant meal. The owner Jeong-Jeong had come to visit with Iroh. He had explained how he gained such a profitable restaurant by breaking from a chain restaurant he had managed along with his assistant Chey, and they created their own. His colleagues in the restaurant business called him the 'Deserter' for breaking out like that. Not many businesses survived that way.
The table however was a wreck. Sokka's meal had migrated all over the table. It was the only way he had room to fit it all. He had eaten a little of everything, but currently Sokka was lying on Toph's lap incoherently mumbling.
"I think I get that five dollars." Zuko grabbed the two five dollar bills that had sat on a open bit of table that sat to remind Sokka of why he continued to eat. Zuko shook off a piece of rice and wiped off a drop of soy sauce.
"Chinese, Japanese, can I have a cookie pleeaze?" Sokka grumbled.
"Here, Hungry Boy. Want your fortune cookie?" Toph asked.
"NOOO! TAKE IT AWAY!" Sokka moaned.
"I think we should get should get Sokka home before he explodes." Toph snickered.
"You are going to be one sick puppy by the time tomorrow rolls around." Katara sighed.
"Who lit Toph on fire?" Sokka asked, deliriously.
"Yeah, I think it's time to get Sokka home." Aang nervously bit his lip.
"All right, we're ready to leave." Iroh paid the bill.
"Sokka, we're going now." Toph tried to ease the overstuffed teenager out of her lap and out of the booth.
"How did we get in the middle of this ocean?" Sokka asked.
"This is a restaurant Sokka." Katara groaned as she fought her way out of the booth.
"I think there may have been something in that food." Mai suggested.
"Like drugs?" Zuko asked. "Why didn't I order some of that?"
"No, Sokka just gets like this when he eats like that." Katara sighed. "I've only seen him like this one other time. It was at Gran Gran's birthday party and he was eight years old. He cleaned the buffet we had set out."
"Gyatso had it set up so nice too! Sokka plowed through the finger sandwitches! Destroyed the appetizers! The horror! The pure unadulterated horror!" Aang gasped.
"Wow, I didn't know he was such a voracious beast." Zuko's brows rose. They all grabbed mints on they way out except for Sokka who screamed at the mint dish as if he were someone who was possessed.
"NO MORE FOOD! NOOO! I'M DYING!" Sokka screeched. The restaurant turned and stared.
"Please continue your dinners!" Katara laughed nervously.
When they arrived at the cars Katara helped Sokka towards Zuko's car.
"This is the COOL car!" Zuko exclaimed.
"Just drive us home, Zuko. Can't you see Sokka is…ahem…'dying'?" Katara asked.
"Fine." Zuko sighed as he unlocked the car.
Now Toph sat in the middle up front, between Zuko and Mai and Aang and Katara comforted the delusional Sokka in the back.
"Sorry, Uncle. Since Sokka ate too much we have to take him home." Zuko said good bye to his Uncle out of the rolled down window.
"That is fine. Take care of your friend. I will see you soon. I hope to see all of you soon! Goodbye!" Iroh smiled.
"Bring me presents next time Santa!" Sokka cooed. "I wonder where his reindeer are!"
"Ignore Sokka!" Katara called. Zuko put his car into drive and pulled out into the road.
"Aha! Are we flying? We're flying through the air on Appa's back!" Sokka giggled.
"Appa's my dog, Sokka." Aang told Sokka who was lying on his shoulder.
"Don't bother, Aang." Katara sighed.
"Roll up your window, Zuko." Mai told him. "You're making Sokka more delusional."
"He did that to himself, besides cool fresh air is good for him." Zuko explained.
"Whatever." Mai sighed.
The rest of the ride was full of Sokka's sometime coherent comments and the wind rushing past Zuko's window. Aang was first on the list to be dropped off since his house was the closest. He had to pry Sokka off of him and crawl over him to get out.
"See you tomorrow, Katara!" Aang waved.
Next, was Mai. When she was dropped off the lights inside the house snapped on and as they pulled out of the driveway they could hear Mai's parents shouting at her as she opened the door.
"I'm home, I'm home!" she growled.
"One of these days I'm going to come and kidnap Mai and we'll run away and live happily ever after." Zuko sighed.
"Are her parents that bad? I mean do they—?"
"They don't beat her or anything. They aren't that bad." Zuko shrugged. "Maybe she can come live with my Uncle this summer…her parents didn't use to be that bad. Not until her brother. They spend more time loving that thing than they do Mai." Zuko shrugged.
"That's sad." Katara sighed.
"If I could I would split the love in half that my parents have and give it to her! My parents are too loving and overprotective!" Toph exclaimed.
Zuko pulled into their drive and Katara dragged Sokka out of the car.
"WE ALL LIVE IN A YELLOW SUBMARINE! A YELLOW SUB—" Sokka sang.
"Sokka! We are not in the ocean! Shut up!" Katara hissed.
"Of course we aren't! We're all IN A YELLOW SUBMARINE!" Sokka screamed.
"Oh, my God."
"So, do you think your babysitter noticed?" Zuko asked as they got out of the car.
"No." Toph snickered as she started to head home.
"This lady has to be nuts, can I just listen to how she reacts when you come in?" Zuko followed her across the lawn.
"I don't care." Toph shrugged. She jumped up on the front porch and opened the door.
"I'm home!" Toph exclaimed. Zuko tried to stay hidden but was trying to get a good look inside to see the babysitter. It was a frail old lady with a green house robe on.
"How was your walk, love? It's beautiful this time of day." She commented as she greeted Toph. Toph tried to shoo Zuko away but he was too curious.
"And who is this? Did you meet a lovely young man while on your walk?" the sitter asked.
"Oh him? He's a lawn ornament. There's not a real person standing there." Toph shook her head.
"Oh, no dear! He's quite real! Young man were you stalking this poor innocent girl? Are you a sexual predator?" the sitter became almost two times her normal size. "LEAVE THIS POOR GIRL ALONE OR I SHALL HAVE TO TAKE NECESSARY ACTION!"
"Oh, him! Yes, he's one of my friends! I know him from school!" Toph smiled sweetly.
"Oh, come in then! You must have some tea! You know my husband and I first met while I was taking a walk through a beautiful park. I was with one of my cats that day and she was enjoying the plum blossoms at the park. He was sitting on a bench underneath one of the blossom trees and one of the branches snapped. Well, my Miyuki fell right in his lap and…"
"Leave while you still have the chance!" Toph hissed.
"I'm so outta here!"
x0x
Well, there's that. It's still Zuko-centric. He's addictive. Like a drug. I can't get away from writing him. I slowly trying to inject Kataang back into the fic and bring it back and I'm hoping this next little arc will add. Maybeh. I'm just trying to get these chapters out ASAP. Which isn't happening as fast as I'd hope.
And a little Tokko if you wanna look at it that way. Or Toko friendship as I'm looking at it.
Mehhhhh...I'll try to update faster next time lolz. Really.
Also, thanks to support of all you reviewers and readers! Without you the fic would be dead. Yes dead.
Icepath94, AH NO! Not Twilight! I wrote that before I ever heard of Twilight. I just randomly came up with names. Besides (no offense to Twilight fans and obsessors because I know you could kill me) I don't particularly like Twilight. And I have read (part) of the book. :)
Again, your reviews make me grin and giggle and laugh so much, it's so much fun. I'm so glad everyone finds this so enjoyable. I just write what I think would be funny and apparently everyone else thinks it's funny too. (But that means it includes Zuko D:) Jk, I will put more Kataang. Really I will. I swear. Really. Mooorrrreeee....Kataanggg......Yess.....
Okay I'm leaving....