Gradual Changes

Along For The Ride

Along for the Ride

The sheer surprise on Katara and Zuko's faces were priceless. After a weekend of worrying about how their friends were holding up, they show up in the cafeteria for breakfast to find Aang and Toph already laughing over their food. Katara's eye twitched angrily. Here she had been riddled with worry for two whole days about them and here they were laughing!

"What's all this?" she yelled as she slammed her hands on the table.

"Breakfast, Sugar Queen," Toph replied. "What's it look like?"

"Not that! You two! I thought you were fighting!"

"What? You want us to fight?" Toph asked. "Okay."

"No, wait, Toph!" Aang begged. Too late. Toph's fist slammed into his shoulder as his milk carton spilled onto the floor. "Aw. I was gonna drink that."

"Feel better now, Sweetness?"

"Don't you patronize me!"

"Calm down, Katara," Zuko said as he gently sat her in her chair.

"Wow," Aang piped in. "Zuko's calm and Katara's flipping out. Did you two trade brains today?"

Katara couldn't help but smile at Aang's comment. Aang and Toph were all right. She did not know how it had happened, but she didn't really care all that much either. Toph was in school and Aang was happy so everything was back to normal.

"So, are you guys gonna come to my track meet?"

"Their going to make you compete in this weather?" Zuko asked, mortified by the idea.

"At least it's not snowing yet," Aang replied with a smile.

"Don't jinx it, Twinkle Toes," Toph laughed. "You might end up with frozen feet by the end of the day."

On the surface of things, nothing had seemed to change. Toph knew better though. Her mind was still on that kiss a few nights ago. Afterwards, Aang had just walked her home, holding her hand the entire way. He said nothing, she said nothing. Just off to the side of the gate, he and squeezed her hand gently before letting her go on alone.

What does it mean? she asked herself in class. I know we're friends, but we're more than that now, right? Does that mean that we're dating? Is he my boyfriend now? Why am I asking myself these things anyway? Why don't I just ask him?

And so her mind was made up. During lunch she would drag Twinkle Toes up to the roof and figure this out. If there was anything to figure out. Of course there was something to figure out. That kiss was great and all, Boy was it great, but she wanted to know what it meant.

When the lunch bell finally rang after a few hours that felt more like days, Toph waited anxiously outside by the cafeteria door. Katara was the first to arrive, and Toph smiled when she stopped to say hello. Not wanting to have to explain anything, Toph just said she was waiting for Twinkle Toes and that the two of them would catch up with her and Zuko later. It took a little convincing, but Katara eventually went inside to wait. Zuko was much easier to dodge the issue with. He walked past her, said hello, patted her shoulder, and went inside.

Why can't Katara ever be that easy to handle?

"Hey, Toph!" Aang's smiling voice came.

"We gotta talk."

"That doesn't sound good," Aang laughed. "Here?"

"Roof."

Aang followed behind her as she parted the crowd that was trying to get into the building for their food. He felt a tiny bit jealous of them as his stomach began to growl angrily at his decision to walk in the opposite direction. Toph was silent the entire climb up the three story stairwell, but Aang was sure he already knew what this was about. He had been thinking about it too.