Gradual Changes

Masks and Parties

Masks and Parties

Fear was not in Toph's repertoire of feelings. She did not do shaky knees and trembling arms. She was always brave, always confident. She always faced her problems head on, charging in with reckless abandon. Yet here she was. Hesitating.

The sturdy door that stood between her father and herself never seemed so big before. All she had to do was push it open and walk into his study. She'd done it thousands of times before, with and without permission, so why did it seem so heavy now?

It's not heavy! Just push the stupid door open and go in! Get it together, Toph!

The door flew open and banged against the wall inside. Not that hard, stupid! Toph walked into her father's study as she felt him lift his head from his desk. She just knew that he was either angry or confused about the door. Maybe both.

"Sorry about the door, Dad," she said as she came to a stop. If her father was not surprised before, he was most definitely surprised now.

"Excuse me?" Lao asked.

"I said 'I'm sorry about the door'." Toph frowned. "Can't you just accept my apology?"

For a moment, Lao entertained the thought of calling for the family doctor. Toph never apologized for anything she had done before. Certainly nothing as small as kicking open his door.

"Your apology is accepted," he eventually replied as he went back to his papers. After scribbling a few notes and marking a few pages, he noticed that Toph was still there. "Is there something else?"

"This is the longest we've been in the same room together in almost a month," she said. Lao did not deny it. There seemed to be an ever increasing rift between himself and his daughter that grew exponentially ever since their argument back at Toph's tournament. To his credit, Lao did not contribute to that argument, but he did nothing to fix things between them afterwards either. His daughter was always so unapproachable. She guarded herself so well from her mother and himself. But here she was, trying to close that rift.

"For that, I am sorry." Lao pushed his papers off to the side. "Is that the only reason you came?"

"Not really," Toph answered. "I wanted to let you know that I'm going out today. I'm going Sokka's for a costume party, and I just wanted to let you know that I was going to be home late."

This was just getting more and more odd. Why was Toph telling him this? She usually preferred to disappear and return of her own accord with no regard for what he thought. She really was trying, so he had better do the same.

"Well," he started hesitantly. "Have fun. Be careful and don't stay out too late."

Toph smiled at her father's response. She did not think that it was going to be so easy! She needed to start giving her old man more credit. Unfortunately, she had not told him the part that she knew she should. Taking a deep breath, she prepared for the inevitable yelling.

"Aang is going to be there."

"I've told you before that I don't want you associating with that boy!" Lao screamed.

"And I told you to deal with it! I'm not gonna stop hangin' out with my best friend just cause you don't like him!"

"You will respect my wishes! You come in here under the guise of apologizing only to throw this insolence in my face!"

"At least I tried!" Toph retaliated. "All you ever do is wish that I was the daughter that you wanted instead of who I really am!"

Toph ran from the study, slamming the heavy door behind her. If she were weak she would have let the tears that threatened to fall do just that. But weak will never describe Toph Bei Fong. Grabbing the back pack she prepared earlier from her room, she tore through the house and out the front door. Her mother called after her to try and find out what was wrong and where she was going, but Toph ignored her. She was done trying to fix things. Her parents would never change.