Don't Stop Now [Finding My Path Sequel]

Chapter 3

Within three days, we were packed and ready to board a small Earth Kingdom boat.

"You have your passports? The boat will only take you as far as the Outer Wall, and then you'll have to walk...," Jemma was saying, mainly to Lina. I tuned it off, feeling my thoughts carry me away.

"We've got everything, Mom," Lina explained.

Three days we've been together, planning, packing, making all the arrangements needed. Three days of me following Lina around, not being able to say what I really wanted to tell her. She said she missed me. What did that mean? I missed her. What did that mean?

I liked still her, even after two years. But that wasn't something I could just spring on her, and I had enough to worry about.

"You okay?" Lina asked. Her friends had just said good bye to her, leaving me staring at the boat from a distance.

"Yeah, I'm good." I was drowned out by the horns of our boat. "We'd better go."

I couldn't hear Lina response, but she grabbed my wrist and led me through the crowds, saying something else.

"What?" I asked louder.

"Watch for pick-pocketers!" she repeated. I turned quickly, spotting a homeless guy whipping his hand out of my pocket. Our eyes locked for a moment, and he quickly turned the other way, pushing through the crowd.

"Hey!" I barked, chasing after him. Lina was right behind me, but I knew we weren't going to catch him in time.

Thinking quick, I cut towards the dock, hoping Lina would see what my plan was. I bent water into my hands and ran back towards the robber. "Watch out!" I told Lina. I tossed the water at the man, about to cut down an ally way, and froze it. It left the hobo with frozen feet, my passport and wallet still in his hand as he made a weak attempt to free himself.

"I'll take that," I muttered, grabbing it out of his hand. He said nothing, only continued trying to break his feet free.

I quickly flipped through my stuff, making sure everything was there. When I spotted the drawing of my mother, I exhaled.

"I...forgot you could do that," Lina said, coming to my side. She looked at me with a certain sparkle in her eyes.

"That?" I asked, motioned towards the robber. "Oh, yeah, I've been training and stuff. It looks like it's paid off."

"We'll have to bend together some time," she told me. She quickly glanced back at the dock, as if just remembering it. "But first we need to get to Ba Sing Se."

We raced back to the dock and managed to catch the boat before it took off.

"We'll be here a while," Lina said once we handed in our tickets. "Better get comfy."