The Plot Thickens! This was super fun to write

DISCLAIMER: I don't own ATLA or any of its characters

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It was an overcast, cloudy day that just happened to be Aang and Katara's weekly study hall. Instead of waterbending, they had a free period where they could study, practice bending, or socialize.

"Well, I'm staying inside," said Aang as he looked out the window of Lo and Li's classroom, "It looks like it's going to rain soon."

"Aang, we're waterbenders. we can just make an umbrella," Katara smiled, "and I've never bent water in the rain before. It would be a cool opportunity."

"Well, I know exactly what I'm doing." Sokka popped up from the desk behind them, "I'm going to talk to Yue."

"Sokka, you've had a study hall every day and you haven't even said hello to her. You don't even know what her personality's like," Katara rolled her eyes, "I never knew my brother could be so shallow."

"Me?! I'm not- I-"

"Class dismissed!" Sokka made the sound of a dying pigeon and walked into the hallway.

"See you guys at lunch!" Katara lightly jogged outside, where the rain was just beginning to fall.

"Well, I'm going to find Yue. See ya." Aang said goodbye to his friend and looked around the hallway. He didn't feel like going out in the rain, since he didn't have a rain coat, so he decided to go to the library. He was going to start learning earth bending in November, so it would be good to learn some of the basic forms. The library of Four Elements was huge, with sections for each of the bending disciplines, as well as fiction and nonfiction. Aang headed towards the earth section and found a book on the history of the bending style.

"Toph, what do you think about learning some basic earthbending?" Toph. Aang had met her on the first day of school, but what he saw of her earthbending was definitely advanced, not basic.

"Will I be with other kids my age?" Aang peeked around a bookshelf and saw Toph sitting at a table with what he assumed were her parents, although she was wearing a fancy, long green coat instead of the usual tank top and shorts.

"Oh, goodness no," said her mother, "We'll be hiring a private instructor, and you will be taught beginner levels only." Toph was silent for a moment, and in that silence she looked directly at Aang and motioned for him to leave. How did she know, Aang thought for a moment before remembering that Toph could see with her feet.

"I'm honored, but I'm afraid I'm a bit terrified of earthbending," she lied, shooting daggers at Aang from across the room. This was his cue to leave. Aang would happily admit that he was a bit afraid of Toph, and her death glare was more than enough to send him running. But why was she lying about her earthbending skill. Her parents did seem pretty controlling. Aang put these thoughts away as he went outside to check on Appa.

~~~

The light, pitter- patter of the rain quickly turned into a downpour as Katara walked through the courtyard. She used the water to her advantage and created an umbrella. Katara hadn't explored the edge of the campus very much, so she headed towards a grove of trees that had turned red much earlier than the others around the school. It was mid-October, but most of the trees were just starting to turn yellow.

"It's been a while since I've met a waterbender." Katara turned around and saw a boy who looked about two years older than her. He had tan skin, shaggy dark brown hair, and wore a leather jacket over a red tee. He was undeniably handsome, and he knew that. It was a little infuriating.

"My name's Jet," he said.

"Katara," she shook his hand.

"Me and some of my friends are hanging out under a gazebo over there," he pointed to the grove of trees, "Wanna come, get out of the rain."

"Uh, sure, why not." Katara followed him across the campus as the rain fell harder. Even though she was waterbending an umbrella, she could still feel the cold autumn chill in the air.

"Here we are," said Jet, gesturing to a little white gazebo in the midst of the grove of trees. Katara graciously sat down on a small bench. Jet introduced her to his friends, who all had equally odd nicknames, and then sat beside her.

"Why are you all out here in the cold?" she asked.

"I was going to ask you the same question," said a shorter girl whose nickname was Smellerbee, of all things.

"Zuko and Azula and her cronies don't like us that much, and since we aren't benders they think they can pick on us whenever they want."

"Those two are the worst, " Katara affirmed.

Jet smiled, "But they never come out here." He was silent for a moment, as if deep in thought, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a few slips of paper.

"I'm having a costume party in a few weeks. I want to get the word out, but I don't want any of the firebenders, specifically Zuko or Azula to know." Katara nodded.

"I can definitely do that."

"Great." The rain was starting to clear up so Katara walked outside taking a some small scraps of paper (with Jet's address and the date of the party) with her. She expected it to be difficult to find Aang and Sokka, but they were both at the front of the campus. Aang scratching Appa's ears and Sokka pacing aimlessly, most likely looking for Yue. Aang noticed her first.

"Hey Katara!" he jumped a few feet in the air and glided down next to her, "What's up?" Katara handed the party invitations to him and Sokka, and told them what to do with them.

"Well, I know who I'm giving this to!" said Aang, heading towards the pile of boulders for earthbending practice.

"So do I," said Sokka, smugly, thinking of Yue. Then he saw Suki walking through the courtyard. I'll find Yue later, he thought, before casually walking towards her.

~~~

"Suki! Can you come to this party?" Sokka stopped and cleared his throat, "I mean, I was told to invite people to this party, and I thought of you."

"Aww, thanks Sokka," Suki pulled up a calendar app on her phone, "Let me see if I'm free that day." Sokka looked over her shoulder and saw 'Soccer Camp' typed in bold on November 7th.

"I thought you were leaving in December," he said quietly.

"There was a change of plans," Suki put her phone away, "But if I leave earlier I'll be back in time to be team captain for soccer in the spring."

"Yeah..." Suki smiled.

"But I can come to that party." Sokka's face immediately brightened.

"Great!! I mean, that's cool I guess." He left Suki and went to go find Yue. He wandered the halls of the school until he found her sitting at a study area, looking at her nails. Yue was striking. She had bright, white hair, which contrasted sharply with her caramel skin and vivid blue eyes. Sokka took a deep breath and walked up to her.

"Hey, Yue," he said.

"Do you want something," she didn't look up from her nails. Sokka handed her the slip of paper and told her about the party.

"Hmm," Yue looked up, and her eyes narrowed, "I haven't gone to a party in a while," was all she said, wistfully.

"Is that a yes." She looked back at her nails and nodded.

~~~

Aang hurried over to the pile of boulders. There were a few earthbenders practicing in the final minutes of study hall, but it was mostly empty. For the second time that year, he used airbending to get to the top, and for the second time that year, Toph was sitting there.

"Sorry I eavesdropped on you and your parents," he said, sitting next to her.

"Pfft. not like I care."

"Can I ask why you lie to them about your earthbending skills." Toph sighed.

"If they knew, they probably wouldn't let me go to this school. I can't let that happen. This place, it's my best chance of making friends." She roughly elbowed Aang, "Don't tell anyone I said that!" Aang nodded and handed her the slip of paper.

"What the hell is this?" Toph turned it over in her hands.

"Oh. Right. Wanna come to this party later this month?" Aang told her more of the details.

"I'll try to make it, twinkle toes. Now get out of here. I'm trying to be alone." Aang happily obliged. Who knew Toph had such an innocent goal. She just wanted a friend. His interactions with her were short, and usually ended with Toph threatening him, but maybe they could be friends. As he made his way to his next class Aang didn't realize that he had dropped one of the slips of paper. He also didn't realize that the person who picked it up had a red and gold letterman jacket, messy black hair, and a scar over his left eye.

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