Avatar Rose: Dusk

Chapter 45: Rose

I sit down at the table, staring at my plate with a look of anger. Gwen tried to embarrass me on purpose. Of course that's what she did.

"Rose? What's wrong? And why are you wearing that cloak and those gloves indoors?" Teacher asks, sitting down next to me.

"Oh, it's nothing," I reply with a fake smile, avoiding his last question. Sometimes I forget that it's often useless to hide my feelings from him.

He pulls my right glove off gently, then puts his hand in front of me, signaling me to give him the other. One look and we both know, he understands. He doesn't need to say anything since he knows me so well.

Teacher quickly changes the subject as everyone else sits down to eat. He offers a warm smile, which crinkles the skin under his eyes slightly. "So, what have you been up to all these years?"

Oh, nothing much. Just trying to save the world and got tortured almost to death for about a month. What about you?

I just shrug. "Well, the town I was working in banished me from the Earth Kingdom. Don't think the word really got around, since they're so small. I travelled around the Fire Nation for a little while."

"Why the Fire Nation?"

"I don't know... I had nowhere else to go. I actually have no idea what I was thinking."

"Well, it's a good thing you did. If you hadn't, I'd still be stuck in the Fire Nation and you'd most likely be dead," Nathan adds through a mouthful of rice.

I try to avoid the whole story, but Teacher pulls it all out of me. He gets slightly angry about when I had to go to the hospital because of Evan, saying I was being reckless. I made sure to say "bounty hunters" instead of Evan.

"While your here, I'll fix that leg of yours up again," Teacher says, more telling me than offering.

My eyes widen. "No, it's fine. It just got an oil change, so it's working pretty good."

"There's wires hanging out of it. How on earth did you do that?" Teacher asks, pointing to the spot where I had to dig a tracker out. Evan seems suddenly much more interested in his food than before. I shoot him a glare.

"Uhhh.... I don't remember," I lie.

Later that day, Gwen, Nathan, and Rowan go off to do their own thing. Evan let's me have a drink from his flask filled with vodka, probably in payment of me not ratting him out to Teacher.

"Wanna play Pi Sho? I'm only asking you because Nathan isn't here," Evan asks, holding up the circular board.

"Sure," I reply, sitting with criss-crossed legs across from him. It doesn't take long for an argument to erupt among us.

"You can't do that! That's cheating!" I snap.

He rolls his eyes. "No it isn't. I think I know what I'm doing."

"Obviously not, since you're playing the game wrong."

Evan's face reddens with anger and he grits his teeth. Geez, and I thought I had anger issues.

Nathan walks into the living room, and seems to be in a good mood. It's about time. When he spots us, his eyes light up. "Hey guys! Look what I--"

"Your girlfriend is such a bitch, Nathan!" Evan cuts in.

"What'd you say!?" I shout, my eyes flaring with a deadly sense of anger.

"That's right, I called you a bitch!"

My clenched fists have fire spouting in between my fingers. Just when things are about to get ugly, Nathan pins me down.

"Let me go!" I cry out.

"Rose, calm down," Nathan murmurs bluntly.

I don't reply. I just try to squirm away until he releases me. I could've always kicked him in the gut or something, but I don't want to hurt Nathan. Evan, on the other hand...

He tries to step in front of me and make up by wrapping his arms around me, but I push him away. Rowan is the one to stop me next. He gently grabs me arm, and stares into my eyes until I look down, hating eye contact. I can barely even make eye contact with Nathan. Just a habit, I guess.

"Why do you let Evan get to you like that? He's not worth you getting so upset," Rowan murmurs.

"He probably grows all that hair to hide the hole in his brain!" I growl.

"I heard that!" Evan snaps from the next room.

Teacher walks up to Rowan and I. I jump with a startled look, thinking he was outside. He probably heard the whole thing.

"You haven't changed a bit, have you?" He laughs.

My face reddens. "Of course I have. Dumb asses just tend to piss me off!"

Oops. Wrong choice of words.

"Rose, what did I tell you about profanity?" He asks in a stern voice. Like scolding a little child. The worst part is is that I know everyone is watching.

"What does it matter? I- I'm not a kid anymore. I chose to grow up a long time ago," I say, but lower my gaze.

"Well then stop acting like one! Now what did I tell you?" He demands.

I sigh. "That the people who use profanity are low lives that can't get anyone's attention any other way."

He walks away, telling me to stay right there. When he comes back, he stuffs a bar of soap in my mouth. I spit it out into my hand. I begin to protest, but he just ruffles my hair and kisses me on the top of my head.

"You know the rules, kid," he says before walking off.

Rowan just shrugs. "He's right, you know."

I wave my hand in dismissal towards him and try to ignore the snickers from Evan. Gwen stares at me with wide blue eyes, almost concerned. Nathan seems to be having a hard time keeping in his laughs too.

A bar of soap in my mouth. I'm supposed to be the leader of this group, and they're watching me be treated like a little kid.

I quickly turn away as tears sting in my eyes from anger and embarrassment. My ego seems to sting as well. And there Gwen sits, right beside Nathan, all poised and perfect.

Kill me now.