Disclaimer: Do not own...never will. *sniffle* That goes for anything remotely familiar to you that I obviously wouldn't own.
A/N: Alrightyyyy, here it is! Chapter 18. Looks of disbelief at the speedy update? Don't blame ya.
Enjoy!
The big talent show is tomorrow, so we're celebrating with a day in the town.
By that I mean food and torture.
Aka...shopping.
With Katara and the boys.
We are currently in a giant clothing warehouse. Looking at shirts and whatnot.
Luckily for me, I really don't have to look too hard because I already have potential outfits at home.
Whoop!
"So...what exactly are we supposed to be keeping an eye out for? I'm confused." Zuko gingerly picks up a pink...something.
"Anything that looks like it belongs on a band member! Honestly, haven't you guys ever paid attention to this kind of stuff? The style of the band?" Katara asks exasperated, turning her gaze on all of us.
We just respond with blank looks.
She just sighs.
Ha, good times.
"What about this, Katara?" We whip around to see Aang holding up a pair of black baggy pants. A chain hangs on the right side.
Not bad Aang.
Surprisingly.
"Exactly! But...I don't think those should be for you. Zuko?"
"Yeah, yeah. They go perfectly with this deep-red long-sleeve I just found!" He responds mockingly.
"It will! Those designs on the shirt are fabulous too. Great job, Zuzu!" She replies with just as much gusto and sticks her tongue out at him.
He crosses his arms and fumes when everyone laughs.
Hours pass and we finally find everything we were looking for.
But of course we can't end without a fashion show for Katara.
First up is the Queen Bee herself. She's wearing a dark blue halter top with purple wave designs on it, black capris, and purple and black beaten Keds (which she surprisingly previously owned...). She said that she has a blue bandana at home that she will be tying onto her right ankle.
Next-Aang. He has a cool, loose yellow button up on and brown cargo shorts with tan pin stripes. And brown flip flops.
What, are we going to the beach?
He then- dramatically, mind you -throws on this awesome orange fitted hoodie that is yellow on the inside. It has this huge white swirl on the back. Much better. Goes well with his prized orange sweatband worn on his right wrist.
"What the heck Aang, you have tattoos?" Sokka bursts out of his changing room, gawking at the smaller boy.
"You didn't know that Snoozles? Wow. Hey, you think Gyatso will hook me up with one?" I reply bored, walking out of my room to join the one man circus man.
"But-you're-Aang...and young. How?" After a few more indiscernible noises, he manages to stop and actually listen to the answer.
Guess not.
Dang, I'll actually have to wait till I'm 18.
"My foster dad is pretty chill. He actually did them himself-it's some weird tradition thing in his family, I guess. You receive 'em when you do something huge in life to earn them. They fade above my knees, and past my elbows. I opted out of the head one." He replies shrugging, rubbing the back of his neck.
"You're dating a guy with tats, Katara. One that could have a big, blue arrow on his head! So bizarre..." Katara rolls her eyes at Sokka who is maniacally waving his arms in the arm and turns the focus back to the task at hand.
Oh yeah, we've been shopping all this time. Yay.
Sokka is sporting a simple button-down blue element shirt over a white tee with a sliver guitar design on it. He has dark, straight-leg jeans on and roughed-up deep blue biker boots on. Also a loose, white belt on.
Is it defective or something? It's not even helping to hold up his pants!
I don't understand...
But at least he wore his hair down.
Ahem, blush recede. Please.
Cool, okay.
On to Zuko.
He's wearing the pants and shirt mentioned before with a black pair of combat boots and a dark orange scarf. He reasoned with Katara that if he must wear the scarf, he will wear his lucky goggles on his forehead for the show.
After a long, stubborn conversation, she obliged.
Nice Sparky-I thought reasoning with Sugar Queen in her Mega Mom and Intolerable Mode was impossible.
Then again, I never tried too hard. I gave up and ignored her after a few minutes.
Not worth it.
Hah.
Now my turn. Not that I like to brag or anything...but I really am down with my outfit.
I have on green cargo pant skinny jeans and brown, scuffed-up military-style boots. Also, a black off-the-shoulder-tee with brown and tan designs and stripes everywhere. My prized, green leather band with a brown feather hang from it is tied around my left, lower bicep.
Shaggy hair is a go.
"Well, we all have our unique trinkets tied in somehow-showing our individuality. We look like a band! I think." Katara boasts, taking everyone in.
"Yeah, fantastic. Can we go eat now? I've been starving since we first walked out of the house!" Sokka runs back into the changing room to get out of his performance wear.
We all follow suit and agree.
Wholeheartedly on my part.
I forgot breakfast...
You mean-intentionally slept through it.
Yeah, yeah. It's just not my favorite, you know?
I know, I know...
"So, you guys ready for tomorrow? I can't wait!" Aang enthusiastically asks, mouth half full of burrito.
I give him a disgusted face and get up to refill my Dr. Pepper.
I roll my eyes as Sokka responds with a similar level of exuberance, almost- dare I say -squealing.
Yes, boys and girls. Squealing.
I can't believe I actually like that goofball.
...
Blehhh, I just used the word goofball.
Laughing to myself, I start to refill my cup.
"-should stop drinking that stuff. I think it's finally getting to your head. You look like a lunatic."
My mood drops.
Suki.
And crew- Azula, Mai and Ty Lee.
"At least I have the soda to blame..." I trail off and sip my drink, eyebrows raised mockingly.
"Oh come off it, Mud Mole. I'm here on business. I have no time for you." Suki dances off in direction of my table along with Ty Lee.
Business...
Like hell-
Azula stops me from following after her and sneers. I glance at Mai and she just responds with that lucid stare she always sports.
Sigh...
"I didn't want to spend the day trouncing pathetic red belts, Princess. Move." My free hand goes to my hip, the one with the soda hangs by my side.
"I'm not here to get beaten again. You're gonna have to pay for that Taekwondo class, Midget. I've come to collect." She advances slowly, raising her left fist menacingly.
Wait, menacingly would mean I was scared.
She advanced slowly, raising her fist meaningfully.
Better.
I raise my hands up as a sign of peace.
"Really, I haven't even done my warm up stretches and you couldn't have improved drastically enough to stand a chance against me in these past couple days..."
Seems like she took that to heart because suddenly, she strikes.
Straight jab to the face- typical.
I bob just to the inside of her punch and bring my left arm up to deflect it to the side. Without waiting for a follow-up, I send a quick jab (hand opened like a chop strike, fingertips leading the strike) directly into her solar plexus.
Hard.
She doubles over, having the wind knocked out of her.
I nonchalantly pass her off to Mai who gives me a curt nod before heading off to bring the other girls with her.
"Good luck at the talent show! Mai and I will be there!" Ty Lee bounds after the others, giddily waving good-bye at us.
"Is she really that oblivious to her surroundings or is she just playing dumb? I can never tell." Zuko shakes his head and returns to his food.
Tho and Due, the quirky owners of this equally eclectic restaurant, walk over.
"You all okay?" The larger of the two asks.
"Yeah-sorry for the commotion." Aang looks solemnly at the pair.
"Oh, don't worry about that. They're always up in here, starting trouble. I'm just glad you managed not to damage anything. Meal's on us!" They leave as quickly as they came.
Wha...?
I mean. If they insist, I suppose.
"Odd. Anyway, what did Suki want?" I look expectantly at Sokka who shifts uncomfortably in his seat.
"Just wanted to talk...Catch up, ya know?"
"Catch up on what? She was all over you from what we could see in your little corner she dragged you to. More than talking was on her mind..." Katara points out, glancing back and forth between the two of us.
Just what the heck are you trying to do Sweetness?
"Shut up." Sokka musters, rolling his eyes.
"Just calling it like I see it."
We lapse into a silence.
A content, albeit, slightly uncomfortable silence after that weird interruption.
"Nice Spearhand by the way. Devastating!" Zuko and Aang quip.
I smirk and nod .to the two. No big deal...
"Hey, I know! We need to come up with a victory song! You know, for when we win this thing tomorrow." Aang mentions, throwing his napkin down on his empty plate (one of many).
For such a small-framed kid, he sure can pack it down.
Heh. Then again, so can I.
"You just now think of this? The day before the competition?" I reply, disbelief written all over my scowling face.
"Well no one else did either! So shush. Now, I was thinking either VersaEmerge or KT Tunstall?"
Hmm...
"Well, KT is great, but I can't think of a song I know by her that would be a great victory song... VersaEmerge has tons of energy-we can really have fun with it. Why not go crazy if we win, right?" Zuko chimes in logically.
"Exactly what I was thinking, Princess Part Two. Let's head back and ready ourselves a victory song!"
And we do. It really helped with the nerves.
All that jumping and rocking out.
I think we actually have this in the bag.
Watch out bands of all ages and experience.
Element:Riot!
-is here.
A/N: Haha, man... I've been re-reading this story over and over. Has my writing style/sound changed as much as I think it has? I dunno, maybe I'm going crazy. Anywho, that's a wrap-I hope you enjoyed it! Always lookin' for criticism, thoughts, questions... This is how I hope to keep going till the end of the story-timely updates. Your reviews help that process move faster!
Till next time!
-The Runaway.