Disclaimer: Nothin'…yet…
A/N: This is probably going to be the last update for like a week or two…seeing as school is starting this Monday and the course load and after school activities I'll be doing, so…yup…heads up. Also, I have put myself up as a beta! Haha, anyway, not much else to say right now except thanks for the reviews and suggestions…so, TO THE CHAPTER!!
Ugh!
What's with the stupid interrogation?!
We're only partners for a project!
"So…what do you do for a living?" My overprotective father inquires.
"Uh… I work at Target…" Sokka answers nervously after being shoved into the couch behind him.
Well…I have to admit, this will be very entertaining!
I'll just let Snoozles sweat it out till I make my presence known…
"Right. How about your family? Parents? Siblings? Pets?"
Come on!
Who cares about family?
Get to the embarrassing questions!
"I have a father, Hakoda. My sister's name is Katara… and no pets…"
Wait. What about his mom?
My dad asks what I was thinking.
And Snoozles...starts crying?!
Well, not really. But it looks like his eyes are watering…
"My mom died when I was young." I glance at my dad. His hard look softens a bit. I turn back to Sokka when he starts talking again, "When I was about 7…we were driving to the store about 5 blocks away from our house…this drunk driver ran a red light and broadsided our car… My mom and I were the only ones going to the store, thank goodness. I don't know what I'd do if I lost anyone else during the accident…" Sokka confesses staring at the ground.
Wow… who knew?
I guess I should lay-off of the sarcastic comments then, huh?
Lord knows, he would do the same for me if I was in his position…
"Ahem. Well, I'm sorry I asked then…but I still have a few more questions." I see my friend nod. "What is your relationship with my daughter?"
…No comment…
"Well…erm… We're friends?" He offers, but seeing the look on my dad's face, adds to his answer. "Okay… We are really great friends. Nothing more. And to answer your next question: No, I have not tried anything on her and would never hurt her." I look directly at his face.
…
He was serious?
I mean, it's great the he'd never dream of hurting me, but "Just friends. No more."?
That's what he thinks of me?
Great
I'll never convince him to like me and I'll lose The Bet.
After seeing the satisfied look on my dad's face, I walk out from my spot behind the oversized recliner near the door to the kitchen.
Looking as if I heard nothing and just came from getting a snack from the room next door, I sit next to Snoozles on the pink and white couch.
I smile, trying not to let my smirk show at the look on my dad's face.
Haha, priceless.
"So, what's up?" I ask leaning back, propping my legs up on the table in front of me.
"Nothing!" The Big Idiot next to me replies quickly.
"Toph. Feet down." My dad orders, giving me a stern and disgusted look.
Rolling my eyes, I comply.
"Whatever, let's get workin' Snoozles." I say standing up and dragging said person along with me.
"Right. Uh, bye Mr. Bei Fong!" Sokka waves at the confused and somewhat irked father of mine.
We stumble into my room and throw our backpacks on my bed.
"Very interesting…" I look up from my notebook to see Sokka walking around my room.
"What?"
"Your room. It's very…unique."
I raise an eyebrow at him and then look around my so-called "unique" room.
All I see is posters (of Flyleaf, Fall Out Boy, Nickelback, etc.) hanging from the ceiling and on my walls and door, some pictures of me, Zuko, and Aang among the posters, and my favored skateboard resting against the wall, right next to the door.
Oh, and I can't forget the manga novels and comic books sprawled across the floor.
What's so different about that?
"Okay…whatever. Let's just get these projects started." I reply, scooting over so he has room to sit down on my bed.
I see the nervous look on his face as he sits down just 3 inches apart from me.
Haha...okay…won't say anything…
Just try not to laugh Toph…
…
Too late!
After about 5 minutes of laughing, I finally stop and look at Sokka who is giving me the who-spiked-your-apple-juice-this-morning look.
"Sorry. Just thought of something funny, that's all..." I say focusing back on my-our-work.
I could feel him staring at me for a couple of minutes before helping me with the project.
Uh, what to do…what to do…
Ugh!
An hour later, Sokka's gone and now I have nothing to do!
…
Ahh…
Well…
I could…
No, he'd kill me…
And if he wouldn't…his dad and sister would…
…
Eh, what the heck!
Pulling my black and green Samsung Beat (A/N: Type of cell phone, not too popular but here's a picture of one: Samsung Beat.docx ) out of my pocket, I punch in Zuko's cell phone number.
"What's up Toph?" Zuko answers after the 3rd ring.
"Not much…bored." I reply sitting down on my bed.
"Ah. Same here."
"Yeah…so you wanna do something? Like go get some ice cream, help old ladies cross the street, or paint fences for free?" I offer jokingly, yet hopefully.
"So in other words, you want to steal poor 3 year old girls' ice creams, throw Mrs. Doubtfire's wig around, and spray paint random cars on the side of the road? Preferably my sister's brand new car?"
She had this sweet crimson Mercedes-Benz SL-Class.
"I can't get anything past you, can I?" I ask laughing, sliding my black and green vans on.
"Nope. I've known you too long."
"True…so?" I run down the stairs with my skateboard.
"Got green?" He asks. I hear a door open in the background.
"5 cans full." I reply flying out the door.
"Hell yeah I'm in! Meet ya at the big willow in the park."
"Got it." Hanging up, I start down the sidewalk.
Maybe this'll help with clear my mind if even for 30 minutes…
"Alright. You know the drill. I mean this is the 5th time this month…" Zuko said skating along beside me.
"Yup. When we are sure she's off at the beach, skate up to the car, put protective goggles on (there's not too much to protect, seeing as my eyesight is really, really bad), pimp her car Toph and Zuko style, leave a nice note for her, then split… and to think each time she's gotten a brand new car… You guys must be going broke with all the payments or something…" I reply catching sight of the target.
"You'd think. But nope. We're still as filthy rich as ever!" He comments speeding up.
"Ugh. Yea…must be horrible to have all that money waiting for you at home." I say sarcastically, slowing down, so I don't fly into the car in front of me.
"Hey! Don't act like you enjoy your heaping amount of cash. We both know how you feel about your fortune."
Eh, it's true.
…partially…
"It's not that I don't like the money…it's just that…I don't know. Because I'm so "rich and successful", everyone expects so much from me! And I know I could probably do what they want me to, but…ugh. Sorry, back to the task at hand." I turn to the car, pull my backpack off my shoulder, and begin to take the spray-paint cans out of it when Zuko's hand stops me.
"Hey. You don't have to be sorry. I probably say things like that to you all the time, but you don't stop me. Remember- I'm here for you. Whenever you need to talk to me, I'm always open." He shot me that rare, genuine smile.
Aw, that's my Zuko!
I wonder why he acts all tough and aloof at school when he's really caring and thoughtful…
Haha. It's probably Mai's fault…
"Thanks. You're awesome Zuko." We knuckle punch and get back to work.
Setting the cans on the ground, we slip on our goggles, just to pick the spray-paint back up.
"Alright. Let's do this!" We clank our cans together in a mock toast and start our free-of-charge-paint-job.
I take the right side while Zuko's on the other.
I start at the back and work along the side, to the front.
I put zigzags and circles along with stripes all down the doors and trunk.
After a couple minutes, we circle around our project.
"I don't know. It seems to be missing something…" I comment, tapping my chin in mock-thoughtfulness.
"Your right…" Zuko says copying my stance.
"A piece of artwork is never complete without…-" I start with my deep, announcing voice.
"Signatures!" We both finish.
After 10 seconds of waving our arms around as if we were tracing our names in the air, we finished.
"My name looks cooler than yours." Zuko says.
I look back at the hood of the car and compare the names.
"You wish. Now let's get out of here before-" I stop midsentence when I see Azula standing there, in all of her pissed-off-and-ready-to-kill glory.
For a moment, Zuko, Azula, and I stand as still as possible.
Then I notice that Mai and Ty Lee are here too.
"Ah…me and Zuko against you, Dreary, and Circus Freak. Now that's not fair. Do you wanna go collect some more of your jock friends to join you in order to even out the field?" I taunt in my sweetest voice, stepping onto my board.
"Well, well, well. You've gotten better. Pretty good for an ugly, troublemaking midget…" She sneers, replacing her look of total anger with content.
She thinks that would affect me?
Ha.
As if.
"How's your boyfriend doing? Oh, that's right. He's not your boyfriend…well, I guess that explains why I just saw him at the theater, sucking poor Suki's face off…" She adds venomously.
What's with everyone unanimously getting smarter?!
Must the whole world know?!
"That's it." I start towards the girl in front of me when Zuko grabs a hold on my wrist.
I look back at him in anger and confusion.
In return, I see him nod his head discretely at the trio.
Glancing over at the three girls, I finally notice a gap between Mai and Azula.
Ha. Bingo.
Mai must want us-well-Zuko to get away safely
Mental note: Thank Zuko and his boyish charms later.
Suddenly, he twists, sending me in a circle around him.
I try to stay balanced on my skateboard.
At the last minute, he releases my hand and I go flying to the opening.
I glance back, to see Zuko following right behind me, and turn my vision back to front.
For a second, it looked like Azula was gonna stay right in front of m and get squashed.
"You better move, Bitch! You don't actually think I'm gonna stop for you, right?!" I yell, closing in on her.
Unfortunately, she finally jumps out of the way, narrowly avoiding me and my board.
Zuko and I laugh, give each other a hi-five, and continue towards our meeting place from earlier.
Once settled down, I start to wonder about what Azula said.
"How's your boyfriend doing? Oh, that's right. He's not your boyfriend…well, I guess that explains why I just saw him at the theater, sucking poor Suki's face off…"
What if she is right?!
Lord knows that the boy's hormones would settle just for a movie…
…I could…
Nah…
Stalking is not my style…
...until now!
"Zuko?"
"Huh?" His reply is aloof and I see that him unceremoniously pulling grass from the ground next to him.
"Wanna catch a movie…?" His eyebrows rise questionably. "I was thinking of seeing Momma Mia." I lie.
"That's the movie that Sokka and Suki are seeing, isn't it?"
"Psh…no…what would make you- Ugh fine. Yes, but not knowing what's going on over there is killing me! Can we go?! Please?!" I plead.
"…fine. But if they catch us, this was all your idea, okay?"
"YES! Thanks!" I almost hug the socially-inept 15 year old boy before I remember who I am and who he is.
Never mind…haha…
We head down to the new AMC Theater.
This is gonna be sweet.
Prepare yourselves, Sokka and Suki…
Toph is here!
A/N: So? How was it? Sorry, if you all read my profile. It said it would be up Friday or Saturday, and it almost was! But, when I was close to finishing, I ran out of time, so that is why I'm up at 8 am. To finish the chapter and post it up! Hehe…anyway, if this seemed a bit OOC, sorry. I had no idea what was gonna happen here…seeing as I only prepare the first few sentences, then see where the chapter goes from there…but, yeah… Sorry that your request fic isn't up yet, Kyoshi. I'm having trouble with the "Prom" theme… :( . Thank you everybody for stickin with me! You guys are the reason I continue. :)
Until next time.
-The Runaway