Summer of Change

Road Trip

Road Trip

Aang wiped his weary eyes in a vain attempt to keep sleep at bay. Six o' clock in the morning was not his ideal time for waking up on a summer morning, but Kuzon had insisted on an early start for the trip. He had said that it was nearly a seven hour drive to Toph's summer home. Seven hours. Stuck inside a car. Not fun. Aang leaned up against one of the two cars that would be carrying them to their destination as his head began to droop.

"Hey!" Zuko yelled. "A little help would be nice!"

Aang's eyes shot open just in time to see a duffel bag flying at his head. Zuko and Azula were loading their things into the trunk looking perfectly awake and ready for the day. Aang only felt more tired as he watched them moving around so energized and raring to go. He dragged himself to the back of the car and dropped the duffel bag lazily onto the pile before closing the trunk and resting his head on the warming steel.

"Why aren't you helping?" Azula asked Toph who was sitting impatiently in the car.

"Well, I would but . . ." Toph paused a moment to think. "I got nuthin'."

"You're lazy?" Zuko offered.

"Yeah, that'll work," Toph replied with a smile.

"Okay everyone," Kuzon said once he made sure everything was packed and ready. "The first thing we need to decide is who is driving the other car."

"I'll do it!" Toph joked.

"Right," Katara smiled. "I'd like to live long enough to enjoy this summer vacation, so how about no?"

"And here I thought you wanted to let loose and have fun," Aang laughed.

"I think Tophy would be a great driver," Ty Lee grinned.

"As fun as that sounds, how about I drive?" Zuko offered.

Kuzon nodded his approval before tossing the keys in Zuko's direction, but just as the keys were about to reach his hand, Katara ripped them from the air.

"I'm driving," she said. It was not an offer, nor a suggestion.

"Sure you're up to driving that long?" Azula smirked.

"I'll be fine, thank you," Katara replied.

"The next order of business is to decide who is going in which vehicles," Kuzon said as though he did not already know.

"I'm with Daddy and Tophy!" Ty Lee squealed as she ran for the front seat of the car Toph was waiting in.

"Twinkle Toes is back here with me," Toph said.

"What if I wanna go with Katara?" Aang asked.

"Get your scrawny butt in here!" Toph ordered with a smile.

"Hey!" Aang protested. "My butt is not scrawny!"

"There is room for one more if you like, Miss Azula," Kuzon offered.

"No thank you," she replied. "I'd rather not get stuck in the backseat with those two."

"So you're with us then," Katara smiled. "Great! You and I can get in some female bonding time!"

Azula looked from Katara's smiling face to the backseat that Toph and Aang were now sitting in. Why was she being faced with so many "two evils" decisions lately? And why did they all end with her choosing the option with her brother?

"Everything is decided then," Kuzon said. "Shall we be on our way?"

Aang could not remember the last time he was so happy to get into a car. He pulled himself up into the back seat and took a quick glance around. It was small, but plenty large enough for him to lay on his side if he kept his feet on the floor. There was only one problem: no pillow. He looked over at Toph who already had her headset in and was nodding her head to the music playing in her ears. He glanced at her lap and then back to her face. With a smile, he lowered his head into her lap and placed his hand on her leg.