Old Man I

Almost 2 years ago

"Toph! Are you in there?" The voice of an older man shouted from the other side of Toph's door.

"Yeah dad!" Toph shouted back.

"May I come in?"

"Sure." Toph said as she unpaused her videogame and continued to play. Her door opened and her father walked inside. He was a tall man, or maybe he only seemed tall because of his straight posture. He wore a business suit and sported a neatly trimmed mustache under his stuffy nose. His hair was as dark and as straight as Toph's.

"Toph, school called and…" Lao stopped when he saw the young boy sitting on Toph's bed.

"What happened at school?" Toph asked.

Initially, Lao was shocked to see that Toph had brought home a friend. A split second later, he was angry at her for bringing a boy home.

"Who is this Toph?" Lao pointed to Aang and Aang's head slouched his between his shoulders.

"Aang, my dad. Dad, that's Aang." Toph flicked her pointer finger left and right, her way of introducing people.

"Hi." Aang waved, nervously.

"What did I say about bringing guests over unannounced?" Lao asked without even looking at Aang.

"Oh, come on dad. We don't need to worry about other guests being here already. When was the last time anyone else even came over?"

"That is not the issue young lady. I have been lenient with your clothes, your room…and so on. But bringing someone here unannounced…" Lao finally looked in Aang's directions. Not at him, but at his worn out clothes and empty pockets. "…you know the rules Toph."

"Aang is my friend." Toph said plainly.

"Well, then your friend will have to leave. Please go home." Lao held the door open for Aang.

"Dad! Could you be any ruder?" Toph yelled.

"I most certainly could. I'm telling him nicely that he has to go through me the next time he wishes to come to our home."

"For God sakes!"

"It's okay Toph." Aang said. "I don't want to cause you any trouble." He grabbed his backpack and put his book back inside. Toph wouldn't stop glaring at her father as Aang gathered his things together. "I'll see you at school?" He asked.

"Yeah. Def." Toph slapped his hand and pulled him closer to hug him. Lao became infuriated when he saw the thin boy touch his daughter.

"Please leave now!" Lao demanded. Aang, being the timid boy he was at the time, scurried out Toph's room in a hurry when Lao yelled at him.

Aang bolted out of Toph's big front door and closed it slowly. He heard father and daughter yell at each other…but, mostly daughter.

Aang wondered why Lao had gotten so angry at him so quickly. He had his experiences with people treating him rudely, but most of those bad people warmed up to him, sooner if not later. He was sure that, if he gave it some time, Lao would be nicer to him.

Today

"Toph?" Lao yelled when he could not find Toph in her room.

"In here dad!" Toph hollered. Lao walked towards their kitchen, following her voice. He saw Toph sitting at their table with a few books open.

"Toph, I got another letter from school…" He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the skinny boy that had annoyed him so much sitting next to Toph.

"Hi sir." Aang said with a smile.

"…hello." His face went blank and stern. He hoped that Aang received the message. Unfortunately, Aang had grown much more confident over time. The boy that was once afraid of Lao was now barely intimidated by him. Lao blamed his daughter and her infectious attitude.

When he was sure that he wasn't going to frighten Aang, he looked at Toph.

"Toph, maybe you should send your friend home. I'd like to speak with you in private."

Toph's eyes narrowed. "Dad! Aang is right there." She pointed to him. "What is wrong with you?"

"We've already discussed this young lady."

"Don't young lady me…"

"Don't talk back to me! We have been discussed rules, over and over and over again. It seems that you do not understand subtlety so I will be direct. I want him out of this house…now!" Lao demanded. Toph paused, looked back at Aang.

"Fine. You heard him twinkle toes. Time to go." She helped him put his books away. Lao smiled, thinking he had won.

"Good girl." He said. "I'll be in the study waiting for you when you see him out."

Lao left and went into the living room. He sat down in his expensive leather chair and waited…and waited…and waited. Finally, he heard their front door close. He smiled again, glad that Aang was out of his house.

He looked out his window to watch the boy leave.

"Oh!" He yelled when he saw Aang and Toph run across the front lawn and down the street, both laughing. "That little brat!"

"You're going to be in so much trouble when you go home." Aang said to Toph as they ran down the street.

"Totally worth it!" She said and began to race Aang to the Stop sign.