Class Project - Pt. 2

"45…7…argh. 45…7…35, no! Not 36! Dammit!" Toph punched her locker and cursed her new combination. The other students stare at her as she flipped out.

Toph exhaled and tried again, but it still didn't work.

"Okay…just take it slow. 45…7…COME ON!" Toph screamed. The people near her locker slowly moved away from her, thinking she was crazy.

As the tiny tomboy struggled to rip open her locker, Aang passed by her and saw her having trouble. Even though she was one of the most infuriating girls he had ever met, he still wanted to help. Aang was not the type to give up on people. But before Aang could even wave to Toph, he was interrupted.

Out of nowhere, a group of athletic boys circled around Toph. They were the kind of boys who had a reputation for being…deviant.

"Hey babe." One of them said. Toph put on an angry face, but they didn't back down.

"Look at this. Since when do young girls look this good?" One of them asked.

"Back off!" Toph threatened.

"Or what?" One of them moved in very close to her. Toph force herself to not show any fear, but she was a little scared.

"I mean it. I'll kick your ass, chump!" Toph was pushed against her locker.

"Yeah! Leave her alone!" Aang yelled without thinking. The three punks looked at him and Aang immediately regretted his outburst. "…please?" Aang began to sweat.

"You got a big mouth, shrimp." The leader of the group closed in on him and grabbed him by his shirt.

"I think you're just asking for trouble, punk." Another boy cracked his knuckles.

"Get off him!" Toph yelled and kicked one of them in his legs. He pushed her back, slamming her against her locker.

Their leader lifted Aang off his feet and punched him in his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He let him drop to the floor, smashing his knees onto the hard hallway. Aang keeled over and began to cough.

"Let get out of here before a teacher sees." One of them yelled and then they all ran away.

Toph remained motionless on the floor. She wasn't afraid or hurt, just stunned.

"Yeah, you better run!" She yelled out as the boys ran.

Aang coughed again and held his stomach. He moaned, his thin body not having a high threshold for pain.

"Are you okay?" Toph crawled over to him, genuinely worried.

"Ow!" Aang yelped. Toph slid her hand under his arm and helped him onto his feet. Aang blushed. He had never even touched a girl before, let alone been held by one.

"You wanna go to the nurse?" Toph asked.

"Uh…no. Thanks." Aang said, nervously.

"You sure? You look a little red."

"I'm fine…I think." Aang lifted up his shirt and a black and blue welt had already started to form.

"Ouch." Toph said.

"I'm okay. It's not the first time those guys used me for a punching bag." Aang faked a smile.

"Okay…" Toph felt a twinge of guilt.

The school bell suddenly rang, signaling the end of lunch period.

"Well…I better get going." Aang kept smiling. "Got another class to get to." He turned around and walked away, slowly, the way a beaten dog walks away from a cruel master. Toph noticed and felt guilt prod the back of head again.

"Um…hey, you!" Toph yelled out, forgetting his name.

"It's Aang." The skinny boy turned around, still smiling.

"Aang. Right. Um, hey listen…if you…I mean, if you haven't finished it already…um…" Toph stalled, not comfortable with modesty.

"What? The project?" Aang interrupted.

"Yeah. If you…still wanna work on it…together, I mean…I guess we could."

"Yeah. Sure." Aang's goofy smile widened.

"Um…my parents'll be out of the house tomorrow. You could come over…if you're not busy."

Aang's froze and he began to blush again. Toph was the first girl to touch him, and now she was inviting over to her house.

"You okay?" Toph asked.

"Yeah. I'm just…uh…hot. Tomorrow after school?"

"Yeah." Toph nodded.

"Okay. Well…I guess I'll see you then."

"Yeah. See ya." Toph turned around and they both walked away. "HEY AANG!" Toph yelled, scaring Aang half to death.

"What?" He yelled back.

"A little help? I still haven't opened my locker yet!"