Sorry this took so, but school got REALLY busy. Happy Thanksgiving!

An Offer

It was too late to ask her.

By the time Aang had found Katara, Zuko had already accepted her invitation. They were both going to the dance. Together. As a couple. No "Aang" in the picture.

The poor boy kept on sighing, not moving from his bed, staring up at the cracks in his ceiling like there was nothing good on T.V.

"Aang?" Gyatso yelled. Aang didn't move. "Are you awake? You've been in there for a while."

Aang moved his hand up, but it fell down quickly. His strength was gone.

"Let me talk to him." Toph's voice came from behind the door. Aang rolled over, not wanting to talk to her. He heard his door open and close and someone sit down in the chair next to his desk.

She didn't say anything at first.

"You awake?" Toph asked.

"Mmmm." Aang moaned.

"Roll over man." Toph pushed his back with her foot. Aang turned onto his back and looked back at his ceiling. "So. Let's talk."

"About what?" He sighed.

"You haven't left your room since yesterday. I knew you weren't sick."

"Maybe I was and I got better." Aang sounded like he was criticizing her, which he was.

"Come on. I know you." Toph told Gyatso that she was going to try to cheer Aang up, but she was still mad at him for breaking her heart.

"Hm." Aang grunted.

"Look…I know what you are going through…"

"You have no idea what I'm going through!" Aang raised his voice. Toph wanted to curse him out so badly, but resisted the urge.

"Um…wanna talk about it?" Toph asked, her eyebrow twitching.

"I don't know." Aang sat up. "I thought…" He trailed off.

"Aang, say something. We're…" Toph gulped, "…friends. Right?"

"Yeah. You're, like, my best friend."

"So…just say something. Anything. I'll listen."

Aang pulled himself up, sitting on the end of the bed, leaning towards her.

"I…I thought that…" Aang covered his eyes and exhaled. He didn't cry. "…I thought that Katara would like me. I wanted to go with her." He paused between every sentence, like he was vomiting the words up. "Deep down…I guess I didn't think that she would say yes…but…of all the guys in school, she picked the one that I hate. Why? Why Zuko, out of everyone else."

"…sometimes…" Toph interrupted, "…people just care about for someone. Regardless of how many stupid, immature, selfish, childish and heartless things they do."

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Aang asked when he saw Toph glare at him.

"No reason." She kept glaring.

"Forget it…I don't know what I was thinking." Aang stood up and looked out his window.

"Neither do I?" Toph kept huffing.

"…dammit." Aang's breath gathered on the glass.

Toph watched him. She saw his strained eyes reflected in the window. He looked crushed, really crushed, like she did a few days ago. Suddenly, she wasn't so mad at him.

"I wish things were different." He said.

"So do I." Toph thought to herself.

"It's too late anyway. They're both going. Sokka says that Katara's already got a dress out and everything."

"I'll bet you my right arm that it's blue." Toph tried to make Aang laugh. Aang didn't.

Toph waited for him to say something, but he did. They both ignored each other for a few long minutes.

Then, suddenly, a light bulb went off in Toph devious little head. She thought up a plan, one so simple and so practical that she impressed herself. A very obvious opportunity was right in front of her.

"I have an idea." She said to Aang, trying to hold back her excitement.

"What?" He said, glumly.

"Wanna make Katara jealous?" Toph smiled. Aang looked back at her.

"…I'm listening."

"What if you showed up for that dance? And you brought a girl with you, one that would show Katara up and make her wish she had taken you."

"Um…" Aang blushed. "…I guess that's…a good idea. But I don't know any other girls."

"A-hem!"

"What? You?" Aang pointed at her.

"Yes me!" Toph glared at him again. "Did you forget that I was a girl?"

"No, no, but…I mean…I didn't know you wanted to go."

"I don't!" Toph hissed, lying again. "But…if you wanted to go…you could take me." Toph looked away from him.

Aang thought about it for a second.

"Make Katara jealous, huh?" He asked, rubbing his chin.

"Yeah. And we'd get to go." Another paused. "And there's gonna be free food and stuff and I'm sure we'd have fun."

"I…guess." Aang said. "But, don't you need a dress? Those cost a lot of money."

"Please. Look who you are talking to. I've got one."

"I don't have a car." Aang said.

"So? We'll get Sokka to drive us. Pay him like ten bucks and he'll do anything."

"…yeah, alright."

"Really?" Toph leaned towards him.

"I guess it would be fun. Wait! I can't ask you to go."

"Why not? Oh! Right." Toph grabbed Aang hand and deepened her voice, comically. "Oh Aang…it would be an honor to take you to the dance this weekend. Would you join me?"

Aang sighed, playing along.

"I'd love to." Aang grinned. Toph giggled.

"Great. It's a Sadie Hawkins dance so remember, I'm in charge. I wanna see you in something sexy so I can show you off, and don't think for a second that you are not dancing with me."

"Yes ma'am." Aang saluted her, still thinking that it was a joke. "This I'll be fun."

"I hope so." Toph jumped out of the chair. "I'll see ya."

"Where you going?"

"I gotta get that dress."

"I thought you said that you had a dress?"

"I have a closet full of 'em. I gotta pick one, right?" She held up her middle and pointer finger, making a 'V'. "Peace."

"Later." Toph left and Aang jumped up to find his old blazer. It was the only one he had.

Outside, Toph glanced at Aang through his window and watched him try on a black blazer that was a bit too small for him. She thought he looked handsome.

She walked away before he could see her.

Walking fast as she could, cheeks blushing and hand over her mouth, she whispered "I did it!" into one palm and shook her fist with pride.