Another Avatar University Story

Chapter Nine

It had just turned September that Friday and it already felt like it was December outside. A cold front had begun to sweep through the city and, thus, the temperature was much colder than usual, not to mention it being quite windy outside too. While I stuck with wearing a simple outfit consisting of a t-shirt with light-wash colored jeans earlier in the day, I found myself wearing a hoodie and sweats for the evening, adjusting to the colder temperatures outside.

Katara eventually did text me that she was downstairs, in the lobby of the building, waiting for me. I went down to welcome her, of course, but as soon as the elevator doors peeled back, revealing Katara nonchalantly sitting on a couch in the lobby, it was I who was dumbfounded. I just stared towards here. She wore some sort of black shirt with quite a large, undone white jack on top of this. Around her waist was a brown skirt and below that were grey knee-high socks. She donned a pair of brown boots to hug her feet. Her hair was all undone, flowing down her head and cascading off her shoulders and back. She was absolutely gorgeous in a way that made my stomach literally fill with butterflies and in a way that made me feel giddy and happy inside. Am I really about to hangout with her for tonight?

Of course, just like last time earlier this week, I was letting my eyes gaze for quite a bit because now she was waving her hand in front of her face, narrowing her eyes to mine.

"Aang... Aang, you there?"

"Wha- Oh yeah, I'm here."

"You should probably step out of the elevator and let those people over there get in." She pointed towards a handful of people with her thumb and darting her eyes from me towards the group and back towards me. I didn't really register the fact that there may have been people in the lobby besides her that needed to go places... my bad I guess?

I stepped out and walked towards her. I tilted my head slightly, embarrassed not only in front of her but my neighbors too, and rubbed the back of my head. "Heh heh.. Sorry about that I guess."

She giggled and smiled at me. "I take it you like my outfit?"

"You- You look beautiful." The words pretty much fell out of my mouth. It wasn't like they didn't have fruit to what I was saying because she did look beautiful; I was just at a loss for words, and who could blame me?

Thankfully, she was happy with my response, smiling at me. Is she blushing? "You don't look half bad yourself, too, Aang."

"Thanks." I beamed just as much as she was. "I hope you don't mind if we just hangout outside. I'm still working on cleaning the chair because it's starting to stink up the place."

"Sorry about that," She looked down towards her feet and then back up to me. "..but I don't mind going outside either. You have any places in mind?"

I didn't think this far ahead, let alone did I expect Katara to solely be the one to be with me tonight. I thought of a couple of things to do so as to make her journey here not a waste of time.

"Well, uh... how about we go to the Jasmine Dragon?" I decided that maybe we could go there. It's cold outside and I figured it'd be warm in there, especially with its tea.

"You mean that new tea shop down the block from here?" She asked, stepping outside with me.

"Is there another Jasmine Dragon I don't know about then?" I replied, smirking.

"I mean, is there-" She stopped and smacked her forehead. She realized I was just messing with her and stood her head. "Please don't do that to me Aang." I laughed in return.

We made our way outside and began to walk just a couple blocks to the Jasmine Dragon. The sun was already in the middle of slipping under the horizon. The sky was shifting from a light baby blue to a darker blue hue. I didn't notice the wind earlier in the day but I could definitely feel it's presence now.