Another Avatar University Story

Chapter Fifteen

"Anyway, I'm back-"

As I was approaching Katara, who anyone could've recognized from a mile away with her beauty, I noticed that she was dancing with another guy wearing a majority red suit. It's probably some hotshot from the Fire Borough part of the city. Although I wasn't in some sort of official relationship with her, I couldn't feel jealous with the guy she was with. Unfortunately, while I thought long and hard about who this mystery fellow was, I ran into another couple, messing up their rhythm and causing them to lose balance and topple over.

"Sorry about that! I'm so sorry!"

"Watch where you're walking! Hey, who invited you to this occasion? What business or firm are you representing?" the man I ran into questioned as he surveyed me. I could tell he was a usual attendant every year and probably recognized most of the people here... save for me.

"Uh, actually.. Hold that thought" I said before I booked it, running through the forming crowd which formed a circular perimeter around the scene I started. I pried my way through and bobbed and weaved through the mass of people before budging my way out, conveniently in front of Katara - without the guy with her.

"I'm back.." I spoke, trailing off at the end, laughing nervously. I offered one of the small bottles of water to her, which she took out of my hand.

She tilted her head and stared at me, creases developing between her brow. "What took you so long?" she questioned. She took off the cap and sipped from the bottle, awaiting my response.

"Well, uh-" I stammered, "the people here don't really have a sense of.. organizing. I found these things by the meat table, which by the way was pretty stupid. Like, who would even put water bottles there? I got you your water in the end. I'm really sorry for taking too long"

"I hope you're not mad at me, Katara"

I pleaded at the end, my apology only aided with my best puppy dog eyed with a pouting face combination I had on my face. She just stood there, getting a good look at my face with her stare turning more and more into a glare as every second went on. However, before I knew it, she burst out laughing, almost spitting the water out at me if only she hadn't swallowed it down moments earlier.

Realizing what was going on, I slapped my hand onto my forehead. I was being messed around with again. "Why do you guys keep doing this to me?" I sighed.

"You're just - too - easy to mess - with! You - make it - too - easy!" she bellowed in between her laughs, which turned into snort every now and then. I didn't really know she had it in her to actually snort while laughing. Must've been some good joke.. at my expense... She settled soon after. "Of course I'm not mad at you. It's fine, Aang."

"Oh, okay, that's good... please don't do that to me again" I spoke, relieved.

"Who was that guy you were dancing with earlier, by the way?"

Katara seized up, standing still and upright. I'm not really that adept with reading people but I could definitely tell she was hiding something. Something's off.. like 'Jet' kind of off.

"Well, uh-" she stuttered, "-uh, it's some.. older guy.. from the- Earth Borough! Yeah, I think he said he came from the Fir- I meant, Earthen portion of the city."

"Katara, I'm not going to say you're blind, but the guy looked about our age. He wasn't old. Plus, he wore red.. Isn't that like, you know, a Fire Borough color?"

"Um-"

Buzz. Buzz.

I reached down for my phone in the pockets lining the inside of my blazer. Brightening the screen, I saw that it was a message from Yue. Apparently, she had found the Beifongs and wanted for us to come back to her dining table. Darkening my phone and stowing it back into the pocket it came from, I looked up at Katara, who was also staring down towards her phone, most likely reading Yue's text.