Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot of this story… You just love reminding me don't you?
A/N: I'm back! Not like I was gone for long, but still… Thank you repliers (you know who you are). This chapter is dedicated to all of you! And I repeat: Anyone who is sending me PMs- I'm NOT getting them, so… if you are waiting for a reply…sorry. Oh, and StroodleDoodledFuhn? I took that quiz type thing on you profile with the names and numbers and song titles, and it turned out strangely…true…how does it work? Also please make your story "Bath" a two-shot! It was good (I encourage everyone to check out StroodleDoodleFuhn's stories-they're awesome). Not much else to say except:
Mai, Ty Lee, Suki, Azula, Yue, Jet, and Haru: 15
Meng, Smellerbee, and The Duke: 14
This doesn't mean they'll all be big characters, but since I mentioned them, I decided to put their ages here.
LONG LIVE TOKKA!
…
So…
2 days later…
Who knew I'd actually be friends with Snoozles (His new nickname-I found out he likes to sleep) and Sweetness…
And good friends at that.
…
We were even thinking of starting a band together…
Cool, right?
Yep.
Anyway, as soon as I walked into homeroom, I joined Zuko at our usual group of tables.
"Hey," I say, sitting down next to him.
"Hey," He replies making an exasperated face at the two people in front of him.
"Whoa, what's got your panties tied in a knot?" I ask laughing.
"Look at them. Doesn't their mushy-lovey-dovey-oblivious-of-the-other's-feelings flirting make you wanna puke?" He kept on staring at Aang and Katara as he talked.
"Well yeah, but that's why I learned to tune them out and distract myself by looking at the jealous faces of others while they do it." I offhandedly comment looking around the room.
"What do you mean?" He asks turning to me.
"Are you serious? Okay… Jet and Meng are glaring at Aang and Katara because they are talking to each other. Yue and Ty Lee are jealous of Suki who is talking to Sokka, and the fact that they seem to be enjoying themselves. Mai is mad at me because I'm talking to you… Haru is just jealous because he can't get a date, while The Duke and Smellerbee are just hanging out playing cards because they could care less." I point at each person while I'm informing the clueless boy next to me.
"What? How do you know all that? And why would Mai be mad at you for talking to me?" He frantically asks sitting up in his seat.
"Because I'm a girl, we know these things. And Mai really likes you, that's why." I can't believe that he doesn't know this.
"Really? YES-I mean…that's cool… I guess…" I smirk, giving him a knowing look. "What? Okay…so I like Mai…what's wrong with that?"
I laugh. "I never said it was wrong…but I guess that I'm a bit disappointed…" I reply, crossing my arms and leaning back in my seat.
"About what?" Haha…clueless, clueless boy.
Cue yet another laugh.
"That you haven't told her and gotten it over with yet."
"Well…I guess it's because I'm nervous and plus I never knew she actually liked me back…"
"Well, now you know, so go!" I stand up in my seat and grab his arm, trying to pull him up and over to Mai.
"I'll tell her, when you tell him." Thrown completely off guard, I fall back into my seat.
Hard.
"Excuse me?" I hiss leaning forward in my seat, banging my fist on the table.
"Now who's the dumb one?" He gives me a smug look.
"Me, but at least I won't be the one that limps out of here…" I shoot back, bringing my foot back, readying myself for a blow to his shin.
"Okay, okay, sorry. But you seriously can't think of who I'm talking about?" He holds his hands up in the arm wincing, most likely thinking about the pain my foot would cause him.
"Uh…no?" I answer nervously.
Shit…maybe he does know… wait he can't. There's nothing to know. Cause I don't like anyone.
"Right…"
"Well…what gives you the right to jump to conclusions about me?" I ask leaning back in my seat once again.
"Hey, you did the same to me!" He shoots back.
"I didn't jump to conclusions. I told you what I knew. The truth."
"…ugh, fine! But did you know that you like Sokka? Because that the truth, too!"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes you do. I can prove it." He quiets down for a minute, looking over to his right.
When I follow his gaze, I see Snoozles and Suki hugging.
Wait.
Hugging?
Why are they hugging?
I catch Suki saying that she'll see him tomorrow night before she walks off to her "posse".
Why would she be seeing him tomorrow night?
Oh. No.
They can't be dating.
I mean…he's…friend… she's…enemy…and- and- he's- while she's- they- ugh! It's not right.
Okay…I don't know why, but they just can't.
What's with that stupid grin for anyway?
He can't actually like her can he?
He's got to be going on a pity date with her, right?
"Haha…got ya! You like him! You like him!" Zuko teased, pointing at Sokka.
"No way! I don't like Snoozles!" I could feel the heat rising to my face.
"Yes you do! Your jealous glare at Suki and blush proves it! So HA!"
Why is he acting like he won the lottery?
And why did I blush?
Zuko seriously can't be right, can he?
I can't like Sokka, right?
I mean, if I did, I would know… and I know I don't… or do I…?
"Hey guys- why are you so red Toph? Are you hot or something?"
"No you idiot. I'm wearing a sleeveless shirt."
Crud, I said that out loud.
Now he's gonna ask why I'm red again.
"Then what's with the red face?"
And of course I'm right.
I'm not too happy about that fact any more.
"Zuko and I were…having a contest!" Zuko gives me a is-that-the-best-you-got look.
Nice save Toph…not!
"Really…what kind of contest?"
Clueless as always…
Oh well. I can get away with lying much easily that way.
"A… who-can-hold-their-breath-the-longest-contest."
Well…it kinda explains my red face…right?
"Yeah. By the way, Toph… I WIN!" He gives me that knowing smile and walks away laughing.
Not knowing what it meant, I saw Sokka give us a weird look.
I notice that he walks to Mai and make a mental note to make fun of him about it later.
Because now… now I have a problem…
"Oh…cool…anyway. I came over to tell you that… I've got a date wit Suki for tomorrow night! Isn't that great?" He practically yells plopping down in Zuko's seat with a dreamy look on his face.
Yep, he likes her, no doubt.
"Yeah… awesome…" I give him a fake smile.
Wait.
Tomorrow night?
That's when we were all supposed to get together and start our band!
My 'smile' is suddenly replaced by a deep frown.
"What?"
I decide to bring up the band thing and see what he does.
His reply…
Well… it wasn't what I was expecting…
"Well…um…that's what I was gonna talk to you about. You see… I really like her-" I raise my eyebrows at him "-and she obviously likes me-" I let out small snort (for lack of a better word…) "-…so I was thinking that the band could…you know…uh…" He breaks off his sentence nervously looking at my face.
To say the least, I was ticked off real bad.
I knew what he was gonna say…
But I wanted to hear him say it.
"No. I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"
"Right…well… I was thinking that the band could…wait?" He offers weakly shrinking low into the seat.
I can't believe my answer and I said it.
"…whatever." I get up and start walking out the door of homeroom. The bell had finally rung and now we get to start school. Whee!
"Wait. That's it? You're not going to kick me in the shin or throw me into a locker?" He asks falling into step right beside me.
"Nope. Have fun on your date." I spit back, continuing my walk to Language Arts.
As I walk through the door, I see him standing there with a dumb, disbelieving look on his face.
It looked as if he wanted me to care.
The question is: why?
…
…
Ah, I don't feel like trying to figure it out anyway…
You know, I'm kinda glad that I have Tae Kwon Do tonight. A little sparring might help with my anger towards Sokka.
I slip on my chest protector, along with my arm and shin guards. Holding my helmet and mouthpiece, I walk through the door leading to the dojo.
After stretching, running through a couple drills, and partnering up, we finally got to the pounding part of tonight.
Facing my opponent (Azula), we shook hands, and began our fight.
Faking a move to my left, I drew her to my right and landed a solid roundhouse kick with my right foot to her chest, following it up with a left axe kick. She quickly recovered and sent a jumping front kick towards me, causing me to back up to avoid it, and into her next attack: a left-handed sliding side kick. Knocked back a foot or two, I spun into a right sided turn back hook kick to her face. This caused her to be slightly out of it for a while, so I threw a couple jabs at her chest, and I sent the final blow- a hard roundhouse with my right foot to her torso, sending her crashing to the ground.
After I was dubbed the winner, I hesitantly offered her my hand to help her up.
Although she was glaring daggers at me, she took my hand and I hoisted her up on her feet.
We bowed and shook hands as we were told and went to sit down in the back of the room.
After everyone got a chance to spar for their first time, it was time to start the second round.
I was one of the few to fight first so I stood in the middle of ring 3 waiting for my opponent.
I heard Mr. Lee send someone named Mako to fight me. (A/N: I couldn't think of a name, so I put the name of one of my favorite voice actors. LONG LIVE MAKO!)
Since opponents were based on height and age and not belt levels, I, a green belt, am against a white belt.
Ha- he's going to get pummeled.
Same age, yes, but I have more experience than him.
We shake hands and get into our sparring stances.
Smirking at his nervous look, I lift my foot up and slam it back down on the mat to psyche him out.
Just as predicted, he shifted to the left to avoid my "attack" leaving him open to a roundhouse kick to the head. This caused him to be dazed a couple seconds much like Azula, but I didn't give him a chance to recover. I connected a couple roundhouse and swap kicks to his torso, ending the match with a hook kick to the right side of his face.
As he flew onto his back I chuckled.
Is there anyone who might pose a little threat to me? This was getting a bit boring.
Helping him to his feet like I did for Azula, we congratulated each other and went to sit down once again.
When everyone was finished with their second round, we were all told to get into meditation position (We got down on one knee, then the other, with our hands in tight fists on our thighs and our eyes closed) and think of what we did in class today.
After about 15 seconds, we recited the Tenants of Tae Kwon Do-
Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self- Control, Indomitable Spirit, I Can, I Will, I Did-
And were allowed to leave.
Walking out of Karate USA, I hop onto my skateboard, and head home.
Ah… I wish I had Tae Kwon Do every night.
It really helps with the nerves.
And to think that I have school tomorrow makes the nerves come rushing back.
I take my time skating home, performing a couple tricks along the way.
Ugh…you just had to ruin everything didn't you, Sokka?
You just had to go and say yes to Suki, even though you barely know her.
You just had to say no to your best friends.
What's next?
Cause really, I want to know.
Alright, sorry if the last 4 sentences didn't make too much sense, but I felt like I needed to add them for some reason… Anyway, no, I was not down sizing Mako in this chapter. I think he's the exact opposite of the guy in my story, I just couldn't think of a name at the time, so…yeah. And yes, I am a green belt in Tae Kwon Do at Karate USA, but I didn't want to make her a 1st degree black belt of higher because 1. It's cliché and 2. She would be an instructor, which would mean that she couldn't participate in sparring and normal classes- she would be teaching them. Therefore, she is a green belt. Any suggestions, criticism, or comments would be appreciated. Oh, and Kyoshi7989 (If you're reading this)-please update your stories: I'd Lie, Love Bites, and Thirty Ways in Thirty Days- they're awesome!
See ya next time!
-The Runaway
*EDITED*