A Different Friendship

It took a few more days before they spoke. Even though Aang said he would give Toph space, he ended up being the one to say 'Hey' first. When Toph saw him, she gasped gently, then smiled warmly. Aang was pretty sure her smile was faked.

They talked, avoiding what they had said to each the last time they spoke. Desperate for a neutral topic, they actually brought up the weather.

She didn't stay long. She only talked long enough to make sure that Aang knew that they were 'okay', or as okay as they could be after such an ordeal.

Toph left him, throwing him a plastic smile and a fake wave. She never used to wave to him.

Aang waved back, limply. He knew that they had a long way to go before things were back to normal.

When Toph got home, she quickly ran to her room and slammed her door. She threw her books down, sighed, threw herself onto her ratty old mattress and screamed as loud as she could into her pillow.

She calmed down quickly, another teenaged mood swing, and she rolled around her emerald green bed sheet for a while, searching for a comfortable place to sit. She glanced at each corner of her room as she tumbled , then she got angry at the bed for being too uncomfortable.

"Damn bed!" She hollered as she kicked it hard. "Damn…Aang." She kicked her bed again, softer, her strength fading.

She huffed, pushing her bangs out of her eyes. Her breath was followed by an irritated growl. Then a sigh.

"Why do I feel like this?" She thought as she felt her heart beat. "I don't love him, I don't love him, I don't love…" But that didn't stop her heart from banging on her rib cage, like it wanted out "…we are just friends." Toph closed her eyes, breathed in deep and tried to ignore her heartbeat with some loud humming, but to no avail. "For God's sake, we are just friends! He said so…he…he said…"

Giving up, she rolled over and glanced at a picture of the two of them on her dresser. They were both smiling, celebrating New Years.

"Dammit Aang, why did you…" She realized she was talking to a picture. "…why did you say that to me?"

Aang knew what he had done. He knew why Toph was only semi-happy to see him at lunch, and why she looked relieved when they parted ways.

When Aang got home, he glanced at a picture of the two of them on his dresser, then looked away with a grunt. Aang missed those days, easier times. No pressure, no drama, just two kids with a lot of time on their hands.

Now he felt like he had to stay friends with Toph, like it was his obligation. He was completely stupid. He knew that he really hurt her feelings. He wanted to make for it, by being there for her…and hopefully, one day, his guilt would disappear.

Before sitting down to start his homework, Aang glanced back at the photo of them. Toph had a picture just like it in her room. He picked it up, stared at it like it was a work of art, and smiled, thinking of how much Toph meant to him.

"Things…" He hesitated when he felt something go 'bump' in his chest "…could still work out."

He quickly put the picture back down and dove into his textbooks.