Authors note: Some of the words in a different language in this story are in Cherokee & Potawatomi and will be translated at the bottom of the chapter and in the sentences.
Chapter 4 Kcaskongumuk
"Katara wake up!" Sokka shouted while entering his sisters room. He pulled the bed sheets off of her. "Neshke'! Yapciyen or I'm not going to wait for you."
Her eyes shot open. "Huh? What time is it?"
"Eight thirty, So get ready!" Her brother answered.
"Why am I always waking up late? Why doesn't anyone wake me up?" She jumped out of bed.
"Just hurry up." Sokka bluntly said, leaving her bedroom.
She ran to her closet and pulled out a baby blue v-neck top and black skinny crop pants that she had hung up ready for today. She searched under her bed for her sneakers that she hadn't used since school last spring.
"Sokka! Katara! You're going to be late!" Kaya shouted from the bottom floor.
She quickly combed through her hair. Deciding that it was too late to braid it, she left her hair down.
The sun was shining brightly upon the island. It made everything appear greener, colorful and alive. The siblings walked together on the dirt road before they got to the main streets. Prior to the island being opened to the rest of the world, all the roads were dirt. Now only the dirt roads left lead up the mountains or were the native communities are. Cars weren't as popular to them as they were to the locals or tourists.
Sokka sighed. "I wonder how the school looks like. Do you think its like those high schools on TV?"
His sister shrugged. "We'll find out soon I guess. Did you know that at this school our own language has a class?"
"What? Really? Talk about easy A, I want to take that class."
"You didn't know? Jet and I are taking it." She said with a smug smile across her face.
He groaned. "Why didn't anyone tell me. Maybe next year then."
Approaching the school they see it was just as Sokka had expected from high school life on TV. It looked out of place compared to everything else on the Island. For the first time in their lives, Katara and Sokka both felt they didn't belong and left out.
"Watiya!" Katara asked, not believing her eyes. "There are so many locals with real backpacks." Native students normally took lovely handcrafted purses or bags to school. "They look so weird."
"Nwi zhenakso. This is something I have to show Haru later." He took out his camera from his bag and took several pictures of the walking students.
"Sokka why did you bring your camera?" Katara asked feeling embarrassed as people gave them dirty looks for taking pictures.
"I always have my didatlilosdodi. It feels like we're at a zoo!" Sokka laughed at the locals.
"Listen to them! They shouldn't even be allowed to speak that here."
"Why the hell are there natives here? They have their own school."
"Look at how they're dressed. Animal skin I bet."
"How weird."
Katara immediately felt very uncomfortable being surrounded by these strange foreigners. This was going be a long school year.
Before homeroom began the students were able to choose their lockers. Katara wandered around looking for an open space she could claim but she quickly realized the unwelcoming glances her peers gave. It seemed as though no one wanted one of her kind near them.
"Excuse me?" Katara asked approaching three chatting girls. "Is this locker taken?" she pointed to a vacant locker beside theirs.
They all stared at her for a bit, wondering if she was at the wrong school or something. "Uh, no but, it will be.", one of the girls said coldly.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize you were saving it." she gave a weak smile.
"We aren't. You just can't take it." Another hissed.
"Katara? Are gi gigyagoyuk giving you a hard time?" A familiar voice in a familiar language asked coming from behind. Katara looked over and let out a relieved smile.
"Jet!"
"If you girls know what's good for you, you'll quit having this ugly attitude towards the people who even let you live on this island! Byan, Katara." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her away. "I thought this would happen so I saved a spot for you and Sokka."
She glanced at his face as he kept his looking confidently forward, ignoring unwanted stares.
"We have to stick together, you know?" He told her, speaking in their language. "These people can be just as nasty to us as we are to them. Unfortunately, we're outnumbered."
She looked down. "I don't want to start fights."
"You don't have to. But you can't just give these people the benefit of the doubt that they think the same as you." He led her to a row of empty lockers that were being guarded by two boys.
One was a pale skinned boy with black hair. He was tall, thin and wore gray hoodie with blue jeans. He eyed the students that carefully walked past them. The other one besides him was a native that Katara recognized as Jet's cousin, Atul. Atul was a big, lighter-skinned guy with messy long brown hair and had a red headband around his forehead with the symbol of the moon embroidered in black stitching. He had baggy pants on, brown worn-out sandals, a dark green shirt and a black vest on top.
Both stopped looking so menacing when they caught eye on Jet and Katara.
Atul grinned widely and hugged Katara, bringing her three feet above ground. "Ayoli!"
"Atul! Yonv, let me down please!" She coughed.
"Hey! It's the Yonv!" Sokka half shouted as he ran over. Atul let her down to greet Sokka, who was patting his arm. "I didn't know you were coming to this school!"
"Sokka, he doesn't like the name Yonv anymore." Jet informed him.
Atul nodded. "That's right. I have a new name now."
"Another? What is it now?" Katara rolled her eyes.
"Alright, get this. My new name is…Pipsqueak" Atul announced with bright eyes.
The siblings looked to each other, speechless, until Sokka broke out laughing. Frightened of Atul when he's angry, Katara stepped away from her brother as he grabbed Sokka by his shirt collar and lifting him up close to his face.
"Do you think my name is funny."
"No, no, not at all." Sokka squealed before being dropped on to the floor.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Jet said, no longer speaking in their language. "This is my new friend who we just call Longshot. I met him the other day at Pipsqueak's house." He introduced the quiet one who had been standing next to him, not understanding the conversation that had been going on. "He's a man of little words, so don't take offence if he doesn't talk to you." He warned as he pat Longshot's back.
"I'm Katara" She said, introducing herself with a shy smile, "and this is my brother Sokka."
"Hey." He greeted with a small wave.
Longshot gave a little smile and nod.
Jet laughed of happiness and put his arm around Katara and Longshot. "Now this is friendship!"
"Katara?"
She and the others turned around to the call of her name.
"Suki!" She pulled away from Jet and went to hug her friend. The guys looked curiously at them. "I'm so glad to see you!"
The boy's eyes widened at the site of Katara's pretty red haired friend. She wore an olive green jacket, a low cut yellow tank top, blue skinny jeans and a pair of black high top converse.
She laughed at her childish words. "Same here. Have you found a locker yet? We should have ours together?"
Katara took her hand and brought her to join their group. "Jet?"
Before she was able to ask if there were enough so that Suki could take one, he nudged his head in the direction of the lockers and said kindly, "Go ahead."
"Thanks!" Suki looked at Katara and asked, "Which is yours?"
"I haven't picked. I want one in the middle though."
"Ok, then I'll take a top one." The girls chatted on.
"Who is she, Katara?" Sokka asked very curiously.
The girls glanced at them from the side. "This is Suki. She works at Surf Gear." She then began pointing at the guys. "Suki these are: Pipsqueak, my brother Sokka, Jet and Longshot."
"We better go now." Jet said as he checked his watch. "You should join us at lunch." He told Suki as Sokka quickly put his lock on a random locker.
She nodded. "Sure, thanks for inviting me."
"Then we'll see you two later." He began to walk away with the others but then he turned back around and called out to Katara. "You tell me if someone does anything to you." he was almost threatening.
She half smiled, "I will."
"Alright then." He walked in front of the other boys, who now looked like his posse. Other students watched them, gossiping about them looking like troublemakers and yet attractive.
"Did something happen to you?" Suki asked, concerned.
She shook her head. "Not really. Jet found me when some girls were picking on me but it wasn't a big deal. Its just that, Jet is kinda protective. He didn't have many good experiences with foreigners and he doesn't want us to have those memories either." She briefly explained.
"Well, I wont let people be mean to you." Suki said comforting. "Now, let's get to homeroom. I'll meet you here before lunch."
"Alright, see you later!" Katara waved goodbye to her friend as they parted ways.
No matter how strong Jet was, carefree Sokka was or kind-hearted Katara was, there was definitely a sense of fear to be trapped in this suffocating environment where many unwelcome stares were given, but each knew it was something they would have to overcome on their own. Things weren't fun anymore now that the tables have turned.
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Translation
Kcaskongumuk : High School
Neshke' : Get up (from bed)
Yapciyen : hurry up
Watiya : Wow
Nwi zhenakso : I'm going to take a picture
Didatlilosdodi : Camera
Gi gigyagoyuk: Those girls
Byan : Come here
Atul: Matchless
Ayoli: Child
Yonv : Bear