Four Elements High School: Junior Year

Chapter 12: A Slumber Party

So... this chapter has almost no effect on the plot, but I'm writing it anyway. Enjoy some wholesome bonding :)

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It had been a historically dry winter. No snow, just biting, bitter cold. While the last year had blizzards that led to feet of snow, this year was a lot less... chaotic. Aang was pretty glad that there wouldn't be another blizzard in the near future. He couldn't deal with Appa getting lost in a snowstorm again like he had before, but Katara on the other hand, was getting agitated. Winter was her favorite season because of the snow, but she was still able to have a pleasant winter break. Suki came back from Kyoshi university, with tons of stories about the Warrior's record breaking soccer season, and Sokka seemed so much happier now that his girlfriend was back home. Mai also returned, although Katara didn't see much of her for the first week of winter break. She mostly talked with Zuko and Azula about their mother, and they were making plans to go and see her in Hira'a in a month or so. The other person Katara didn't see at all was Toph,  but hopefully that would change. It was New Years Eve, and she was standing in front of Azula's house with Aang and Sokka. To say that it was intimidating was an understatement. 

"Are you sure this is the right address?" she said. 

"Absolutely," Sokka replied, "This is the house we broke into last year. Did I ever get a thank you for that, anyway?" 

"I don't even remember anymore," Aang said flatly, with Appa panting next him. 

"Are you just going to stand there," Azula opened the door and rolled her eyes, she looked at the three of them with disgust. 

"What are you wearing?"

"Matching ugly sweaters!" Aang said excitedly, "Katara and Sokka's grandma made one for all of us." Katara held up Azula's red and electric blue sweater with a smirk.

"I will not be wearing that abomination, thank you very much," said Azula, "She gestured to Aang and Sokka, "And what are you two idiots doing here anyway? It was supposed to be just Katara."

"Zuko said we were going to play the new video game in the basement," Sokka said. 

"Just because my dad is out of town again doesn't mean that you can just traipse around my house doing whatever you want," she replied, but she begrudgingly let the three of them in. Azula led them over to the huge kitchen, where Mai and Zuko were sipping at the same cup of coffee, and Ty Lee was reading a fashion magazine. Aang held up their customized ugly sweaters.

"Over my dead body," Mai said immediately, completely serious. 

"They're sooo CUTE!" Ty Lee screeched, throwing on the bright pink sweater that almost gave Mai and Zuko a stroke. Zuko, Aang and Sokka went downstairs, while Katara sat awkwardly with Mai, Ty Lee and Azula, who were chatting about things she had no comprehension of and making weird inside jokes. They had been friends for years, so it was like Katara was looking through a veil on the lives of these girls so different from herself. It was both interesting and infuriating, the way they talked about the newest trends and fashions with no regard for how much anything costed, but they were rich kids after all. It was honestly a relief once Suki showed up. 

"I brought popcorn, a karaoke machine, and chocolate cake," she said, obviously very proud of herself. 

"Well, I already have all of those things and more," Azula said pretentiously, "but I suppose there's no harm." Suki frowned for a moment, then shrugged it off and put her stuff down. 

"When's Toph getting here?" She asked. 

"I'm not sure," Katara said, "I hope she's okay."

"I'm sure she's perfectly fine," Azula rolled her eyes, "She'll be here." The five girls set up sleeping bags and a t.v in the huge atrium at the center of Azula's house. They had started watching a rom com when the doorbell rang. Toph stepped inside, looking like her normal self. 

"See," Azula said matter of factly. 

"Um, guys, I don't really watch T.V," Toph said. Everyone let out a groan as they realized that,  once again, they forgot that Toph was blind. So they turned on the karaoke machine. Mai, Ty Lee and Azula were actually able to harmonize, to the surprise of everyone, with Ty Lee belting out the high notes, Azula in the middle range, and Mai killing it on the low notes. Katara, Suki and Toph attempted to replicate their performance, but Katara took the soprano part when she should've took the alto part, Suki was too pitchy, and Toph just refused to sing. It got so bad that Zuko, Sokka and Aang had to come up from the basement just to get them to stop. 

"How about you take this chocolate cake, and get out," Toph said, handing them Suki's cake, much to her chagrin. The three boys took the bribe and retreated back into the basement. 

"Let's take a picture with our matching sweaters!" Katara said. Ty Lee clapped her hands together. Suki shrugged, with a crooked smile on her face. Toph, Mai and Ty Lee all shook their heads.

"I already told you that I will not be wearing that abomination, thank you very much," Azula said. Ty Lee cartwheeled towards her. 

"Please," she said, "Do it for me." Azula blushed and rolled her eyes. 

"Fine," she put on the sweater. Mai and Toph begrudgingly wore their ugly sweaters as well. Katara dragged Sokka up from the basement to take the picture. And for a moment, a feeling of complete and utter happiness filled the house that had been lonely and desolate for so long. And if they had looked out the window, the gaang would've seen snow falling. 

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Toph's eyes fluttered open and she sat up, surrounded by seemingly miles of blankets and pillows. Toph panicked for a moment and scrambled out of the soft, cushioned area before reaching some of the stone floor. Then she took stock of what was going on. Ty Lee and Azula were snuggled up next to each other, and Toph could almost guarantee that Azula would be incredibly embarrassed when she woke up. Cute. Suki was tossing and turning, and was now laying upside down on the cold hard floor, and Katara was snoring. But in a cute way, like a little bear cub. Toph wasn't sure where Mai was, but she could hear shouting from the basement. Toph walked carefully down the stairs and found Zuko and Sokka playing a video game. What kind of video game, she didn't know. She couldn't 'see' the screen. Appa was laying next to Aang, who was asleep on the couch. He was also snoring. Like a little bear cub. 

"Have you been up all night?" Toph asked skeptically. 

"Yup," Sokka said as Zuko chugged an energy drink, "We've been running on nothing but caffeine and raw adrenaline for 13 hours."

"I hate to be a buzzkill, also known as a Katara," Toph took away Zuko's drink, "But you two need to sleep."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Sokka said, before promptly collapsing on the floor, asleep in mere seconds. 

"Good night," Zuko grunted, throwing a pillow at him. He turned to Toph, "Good luck at Ba Sing Se." Toph nodded, and Zuko dozed off in the reclining chair. Toph sighed and walked back upstairs. The lights were on in the kitchen, so she went inside and found Mai cooking pancakes and drinking a mug of coffee.

"I didn't know you cooked." Mai shrugged and poured Toph some coffee. 

"I wouldn't give me too much credit." she stared at Toph for a moment, "Are you leaving?"

"Yeah," Toph said, "I'm going to Ba Sing Se tomorrow, so I should probably get back before my parents get really mad at me." she frowned. Mai touched her shoulder.

"Hey, you'll get through it," she said, "The one thing I know about you is that if something gets in your way, you punch it in the face and keep going," she gave Toph a rare smile, "You'll find your way back to us eventually." Toph smiled back at her. 

"Say goodbye to everyone for me?"

"Of course." Toph grabbed her stuff, took one last look at her friends, and walked out the front door, closing it softly behind her. 

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Thanks for Reading!