Walk The Path

Chapter Three

Aang: Hey, I'm walking up now

Katara excitedly replied to his text, "Okay, I'll be right out!"

She stood in front of her bathroom mirror for a minute. Fluffing her hair and adding more lip gloss, she took the sight of herself in. A white crop top, blue skinny jeans, and brown boots completed her ensemble. She hoped Aang would like the way she looked. She grabbed her clutch and ran down the stairs of her home and opened the door. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of Aang. Even though she has seen him in his tight orange t-shirt, brown pants, and white and orange shoes, she still felt weak at the sight of him. His broad shoulders rippled through his shirt.

Katara took a full breath, "Hey there." Her half-lidded eyes sparked a bolt of energy which ran through Aang's spine. He gasped at her sky blue eyes and her chocolate brown hair cascading like waves on her shoulders. He stared for a few moments before being brought back to reality. He asked with a crooked smile, "Hey, Katara. You look beautiful, ready to party?" She blushed and replied, "Yup, I'm really excited!" She intertwined her arm with Aang's as he opened the passenger side door for her. "Thank you, you're such a gentleman," she said as she kissed him on the cheek. Aang blushed and swiftly sat in the driver's seat as he began to drive towards Zuko's house.

The car ride was filled with awkward tension and few words peppered the air. Aang tried his best to keep his eyes on the road but was occasionally distracted by a flip of her hair or a sigh coming from Katara. "So, will you brother be at this party?" he asked. "Yeah, he would've come with us but he wanted to take Suki there just the two of them. He's in love with her," she said with a laugh. "Wow, good for him. I don't think I've met her yet," he asked with a glance at the blue-eyed beauty. "She's been homeschooled for a few years but she's our neighbor and we have known her since elementary school. You'll like her, she's great. She feels like she's already family," she stated. "Well, I'm looking forward to it. I haven't had friends for a while so any chance to meet other people is cool," he said with a smile. She stared at him intently as he drove the rest of the way. She wanted to climb on top of him and take him right here in the care. She found reason and decided to hold back until she knew if he liked her the same way she liked him.

Aang and Katara parked on the street before entering Zuko's home. The airbender had opened the passenger side door and helped Katara out of the car by taking her hand. Katara blushed and thanked him for helping her out even though she was more than capable of doing it herself. They linked arms as they entered the home. As they walked up the long driveway, they could see kids drinking on the lawn and music blaring from the house. How this party has not been broken up yet was news to Aang. The sounds of music and yelling filled their senses. They walked into the home to find a few people dancing but most people were hanging away from the big, open dance circle.

Zuko ran up to them, "Aang, you made it! Thanks for coming, there's plenty of beer and vodka in the kitchen." Aang shifted his weight anxiously, "Well, thanks Zuko but I actually don't drink. At least, I haven't in the past and I'm not sure I want to now." "That's cool, Aang! I just wanted to be a good host. Enjoy the party," he said with a wink as he nodded to Katara. Aang's eyes narrowed at this wink but relaxed when Katara grabbed his arm and pulled him to the keg. She poured herself a beer and chugged it. Filling up another beer promptly, she felt Aang's eyes on her. "It's fine, Aang, I drink like this all the time. A few beers and I'm good."

Aang wasn't too sure what to say in that moment, but decided to trust Katara and leave it at that. "Let's show these wallflowers what a good time looks like," Aang said to Katara. "Well, I don't know Aang, these shoes aren't really meant for dancing," she replied while fidgeting with her hair nervously. "Take my hand," Aang commanded as he offered his hand to her. "Well, okay," Katara said hesitantly as she placed her hand and Aang's.