Four Elements High school

Chapter 11: Waxing and Waning

I wrote half of this on my phone, so let me know if I made any mistakes

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Aang started the day just like he started every other day. He woke up at 5:30 in the morning in the guest room of a family friend, Guru Pathik. He let Appa outside, then returned to his room to meditate for an hour. At 6:30, he went downstairs and found a thermos sitting on the kitchen counter that had his lunch- onion and banana juice. A few minutes later a slice of bread was toasting, and Aang slipped the thermos into his backpack, along with his textbooks, laptop, and notebooks. It was then that he realized Appa hadn't came in yet. He quickly grabbed his toast and chewed on it as he headed into the small backyard.

"Appa!" he called. No answer. There weren't very many places to hide in the yard, so the dog must've escaped somehow. Aang searched around the house for a while, but Appa was nowhere to be found. He pulled out his phone and texted Katara.

I'll be late today. Appa's missing     

Aang got a response almost immediately

I'll help you look for him. heading over now

Aang slumped over on the porch swing. Appa had gone ran away before, but that was years ago, when he was still a puppy. What if something had happened to him? Aang shook the thought away. He wasn't going to think about that right now.

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"So I here you're going on a date today," Toph and Sokka sat on the stone benches in the courtyard of Four Elements High School. Aang and Katara were frantically asking the other students if they'd seen Appa that morning, so it was just the two of them eating lunch that day.

Why don't they just get married already, Sokka thought absentmindedly. It took him a moment to process what Toph had said.

"Oh. Yeah, Yue and I are going to the Jasmine Dragon this evening."

"That's cool." Toph obviously didn't care, "So... I'll bet you ten bucks Aang and Katara don't get together until May."

"Are you serious? It'll happen way sooner than that. I'm thinking March at the latest."

Toph smirked, "I guess we'll see what happens." Sokka nodded and felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He immediately smiled. It was Suki, texting him a picture of Kyoshi university. It looked amazing. The school was in a much more tropical area, so the grass was still green and students were walking through the campus. 

Do you think you're going to college there? 

idk, It's really cool, but it's pretty far from home

"Who're you texting Sokka?" 

"Ahg!" he almost fell off the bench, "I uh, I'm uh texting Aang! They haven't found Appa yet."

"You know I can tell you're lying, Sokka," Toph grinned, "It's Suki, isn't it."

"Yeah," Sokka sighed, "but we're just being friendly towards each other, and it isn't like we're texting each other all the time and-"

"Sokka, I couldn't. Care. Less."

"Oh," Sokka took a bite of his sandwich, "Ok."

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At 4:30, the sun cast long shadows as Sokka arrived at the Jasmine Dragon. It was a fairly spacious tea shop that was open all day long. He went inside and didn't see Yue, (she seemed like the kind of person who was fashionably late to everything) so he went up the front counter and was immediately greeted with the surly frown of none other than Zuko.

"Table for one?" he said it in monotone, but the edge of a smile was on his face.

"Table for two, actually." 

Zuko sighed, "Just take any one you want."  Sokka grinned and went to the window, but not before getting some cherry hand pies. Whoever was in the kitchen knew what they were doing. He heard the door to the tea shop open, and Yue stepped inside. She waved at Sokka and sat down.

"So what we eating?" she asked when Sokka joined. He handed Yue a hand pie. She nibbled on it cautiously, realized how good it was, and immediately ate 2 more.

"Wow!" she said between bites, "I've can't believe I've never been here before!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I live in Ivory Peaks, and that's pretty far away, I guess." 

"Ivory Peaks," Sokka lost his appetite, "that's a pretty nice neighborhood, isn't it."

"I guess." There was a long silence.

"Hey Yue, why are you moving away."

"Oh..." she glanced out the window, "have you heard of Azulon Industries?" Sokka laughed.

"Are you joking, of course I've heard of them." 

"Well, my dad's company hasn't been able to get off the ground with them based here, so we're relocating to crescent city."

"Hmm. Are you going to miss it here?" Sokka asked. Yue shrugged.

"I've never really been attached to this place. I haven't made any friends, just- admirers." Sokka's eyes widened. Yue had always seemed surrounded by people. She had always seemed so... unapproachable, but she wasn't. Not really. 

"Now I have a question for you, Sokka."

"Go ahead."

"At Jet's party, you said that you weren't looking for a long term relationship. Why?"

"Well..." Sokka's mind flashed to Suki. Her auburn hair, her bright blue eyes, the way she laughed. 

Ugh, I'm such an idiot, he thought.

"Sokka, you don't have to tell me right now."

"What? Oh. Um, thanks. Wanna get more hand pies?"

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Aang had searched for Appa for hours, using airbending to scout from the rooftops, but it was getting dark, and there was still no sign of him. Aang had avoided main street and the downtown areas.

I guess I'll check there tomorrow, he thought. 

"Aang!" It was Katara and Sokka. Aang had barely noticed he was right next to their house. 

"Did you find Appa?" Katara asked.

Aang shook his head, "I looked everywhere he could possibly be." Katara pulled out her phone. 

"Aang, it's late. You should sleep over." In the reflection of the phone screen, Aang could see the bags under his eyes.

"I guess-if it's not too much trouble."

"Oh yeah! Boy's night!" Sokka linked arms with Aang, "I can tell you all about my date with Yue."

"Great," Aang said unenthusiastically, "I can't wait."

"Goodnight," Katara said, before going into her room.

"Goodnight." Even though he hadn't found Appa yet, Aang was with his friends, and he couldn't help but be a little warmer.

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Thanks for Reading! I know it's late, but I wanted to get a chapter out today.