I'm going to the Jersey Shore tomorrow. Yeah!

Beach Trip

Toph stared out the window and tapped on the glass, as if she wanted to break through the transparent barrier and make a run for it but didn't have the energy to follow through.

"Almost there." Sokka said from the front seat.

"Do we really have to go?" Toph asked.

"No one forced you to come." Katara reminded her.

"Please. You said 'if you don't come, you'll be alone all weekend'. That was a threat." Toph continued to look out the window.

"This'll be fun!" Aang smiled and nudged Toph's shoulder.

"Yeah…I guess." Toph pushed Aang in retaliation and he slammed back to the other side of the car.

"What's wrong with the beach?" Katara asked.

"I burn easy, it's too hot, it's too sunny, the sand, the salty water, the horse flies, sharks…"

"There aren't any sharks at this beach. We're too far up north." Sokka said.

"That's what they want you to think. Then you start hearing the Jaws theme song and it's too late." Toph said. She picked her toes off the floor and curled up in a ball. "Anything that can eat you should be avoided."

Aang looked at her and read her body language. Her toes curled up and her shoulders were raised, like she was afraid to let her legs dangle below her waist. Her eyes were soft and she didn't look at anyone in the car.

"Toph, are you afraid of the water?" Aang asked. As he expected, Toph glared at him. But she didn't answer.

"What? Can't swim or something?" Sokka asked. He was only kidding around, but Aang watched Toph's eyes fill with even more worry.

"Toph?" Aang put his hand on her shoulder. She looked in his direction, her eyes still gentle. She looked like she wanted to say something, something that was difficult to say.

But before the words could escape her lips, Sokka slammed on the brakes with an ear splitting SREEEEEECH!

"We're here!" He said proudly. He managed to park sideways in three parking spots, but turned his car off anyway.

"Sokka, straighten car out." Katara nagged.

"Fine." Sokka turned his car back on and redid his park-job while Katara picked up her beach bag. Toph coughed and look away from Aang, pretending that nothing happened.

"Wow! It's beautiful out." Aang said with a big smile. He put his hand over his eyes and looked out at the endless sea and the crowds of people racing to the crashing waves.

"Meh." Toph said as she picked the wax out of her ear. She wore thick sunglasses, a large beach hat and a green smock-like shirt. She covered her pale skin so thickly that you'd think she was afraid that the sun would melt her if she so much as looked at it. "It's a little crowded. We'll never find a spot. Maybe we should leave."

"There's a spot right there. And there…and there too!" Aang pointed to each.

"Well…I forgot to bring sunscreen. I fry like a bug in a zapper, so…"

"You can borrow mine. I brought extra, just in case."

"…oh…thanks." Toph kicked a scoop of sand across her sandals.

"What's wrong?" Even though he couldn't see her eyes through her pitch black lenses, Aang could tell that she looked sad. "Toph…are you really afraid of the water?"

"…shut up…" Toph whispered.

Aang looked at the water and then back at Toph. "It's just water. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"…seriously, shut up…" Toph's fisted clenched.

"I didn't think you were afraid of anything." Aang smiled.

"SHUT UP!" Toph yelled. Half of the people on her side of the beach stared at her.

"…okay." Aang said. Suddenly feeling like he had done something wrong, he walked away from Toph.

Toph watched him leave, then looked back at the ocean. That dammed ocean mocked her every time she saw it on T.V. and in the movies. The last time she was at a beach, she was sure that the gulls were laughing specifically at her, laughing at the little girl who couldn't swim.

Aang shrugged off Toph's outburst within minutes, used to them by now. He ripped his boogie-board out of Sokka's car and immediately began throwing himself against the waves. Sokka didn't waste anytime running to the surfers section, or catching glimpses of all the bikini's walking around. He kept an eye on his sister, trying to make sure other men stayed away from her. Meanwhile, Katara just tried to relax and soak up sun, even though Aang kept begging her to come in the water with him.

Toph stayed at their campsite, away from the accursed ocean. She felt safe, but unhappy. Every time he heard Aang laugh, she felt worse. For what felt like hours, her mind argued with itself, one half urging her to jump in the water and have fun with Aang, the other forcing her feet to stay safely planted on the secure, stable earth.

After some time, Toph finally stood up…but quickly sat back down. After even more time, she stood up and took a few steps forward before going back to her seat. The Gaang was at the beach for more than an hour before Toph reached the shoreline. She stepped backwards each time a wave crawled across the sand. Another half hour passed before Toph's toes got wet.

The whole time, Aang watched her pathetic attempts to go in the water as he floated on the waves. At first he giggled when he saw her jump when the cold water touched her feet. Then he started to feel sorry for her. When he had finally had enough, he swam over. Toph saw him coming and, predicting a motivational friendship speech, began to walk back to her beach towel.

"Hey! Come on!" Aang yelled when he saw her leave the shore. "I just swam all the way over here." Toph didn't say anything, so Aang hopped out of the water and followed her all the way back to their site.

"Leave me alone." Toph begged.

"Come on, just go in the water." Aang nudged her gently. "It's fun!"

"I don't want to."

"Yeah you do. You've wanted to since we got here. And don't try to deny it." Aang picked up a handful of sand and let it sift through the bottom of his palm. "Come on. I'll go with you." Aang grabbed her hand and tried to pull her up. Toph refused to move.

"I don't…" Toph recognized that she was holding Aang's hand back.

"Let's go!" Aang pulled her again. This time, Toph rose to her feet. "And take the hat and glasses off. You can't go in with those on."

Toph gulped and slowly took off her sun-protecting garments until she was in nothing but her one piece. It was rich green and tight, showing off Toph's growing body. It made Aang blush for a second.

Toph followed him to the ocean. Each step was another heartbeat. Aang grabbed her hand and tried to pull her in when they reached the shoreline. Eventually, the icy water covered Toph's ankles. That was when Toph started to pull herself back, but Aang wouldn't let go of her.

Slowly and carefully, he managed to get her waist deep in the water. The sea made Toph shiver, both from fear and the cold.

"Okay…" She said.

"See? It's not that bad." Aang insisted.

"…yeah. It's not that…AHH!" Toph jumped and wrapped her arms around Aang. "Something just ran across my foot!…I'm not afraid, ya know?"

"I believe you." Aang grunted. His lungs were nearly crushed as Toph hugged him. Toph slowly let go of him and let the air go back into his chest.

"I mean it. I mean, it's only water." Toph put on her tough act, her defensive mechanism.

Aang coughed. "I said I belie…"

"AHH!" Toph hugged him tightly again, closing her eyes. "I swear that thing is coming after me! Get me out! Seriously, get me out now!"

"Alright, alright. We'll leave." Aang tried to step out of the water, but Toph hugged him so tightly that he neither of them could move. "Toph…can we go?" Toph nodded, eyes still closed.

They both inched to back to the shoreline, toe by toe. Toph refused to let go of Aang. Eventually, they got back to the sand and Aang sat Toph down next to him.

"Okay. We're on land now." Aang paused. "You can let go of me now."

Toph's eyes opened and she blushed. "Okay." She hesitated, squeezing once more, and then let him go.

"You were really scared, weren't you?" Aang was surprised with her.

"…no." Toph frowned and looked down, trying to hide her red cheeks.

Aang looked at her legs and feet and then began to laugh. "Look." Aang touched Toph's foot and pulled a piece of seaweed out from between her toes. "This is what was following you." He smiled.

"Shut up!" Toph blushed even more.

"That was so much fun." Aang said as the Gaang walked back to Sokka's car.

"Yeah. There were a lot of cute guys there." Katara smiled. She only said that to make her brother even angrier.

"Hey! I told you to stay away from those punks. All of them. But it was pretty fun. The waves were good, like, at first. But then it got flat."

As the sibling talked, Toph sat silent, not saying a word.

"Toph, I saw you in the water," Katara said, feeling obligated to bond with the only other girl in their group. "With Aang, huh?" Toph looked away from Katara. "Did you have fun?"

"…um…yeah." Toph felt guilty for some reason. "I had a…really good time." Then she smiled, again, not knowing why.

I have a horrible fear of the ocean, so Toph acted like a lightning rod to my phobia when I wrote this. :P …OH NO! I'm going to the Jersey shore this weekend :O