Rainbow's Gift (Avatar The Last Airbender Fanfic)

48. The Tales of Ba Sing Se

I hadn't gone to work the whole week. No one would let me and every time I tried to talk about it, Toph would threaten to put me in my own home made Earth cell. That pretty much scared me to even think about going out of the house.

I did realize though that I had missed them. I was so used to spending every single minute of my time with them but Ba Sing Se broke that. It was good to clean the house with Katara while telling each other stories or rather gossip, train with Toph, goof around with Aang and hanging out with Sokka. It shocked me first that I had become one of his priorities but I got used to it, and I loved the attention. I also just loved seeing his smile.

I wrote a letter to Jin then Zuko telling them that I had become sick and I wouldn't be able to travel to the lower ring. It was an understandable lie because of what happened with Jet. Jin told me that the whole lower ring knew what happened to him and I wasn't surprised. Being captured by the Dai Li in public caused attention. Zuko on the other hand wanted to come visit me since 'I must be alone' but I begged him not to. Him meeting the people I lived with would not go so well. I promised him he would be the first person to visit when I got to the lower ring.

It was morning, and a weekend, and I was in front of the mirror in the bathroom watching Katara braid my hair which was a water tribe thing. She had been teaching me to do it but I still needed practice.

The boys were also in the bathroom at the mirror, something Katara did not like. Girls need their space, she told me. I didn't mind. Aang was shaving the little hair that had grown on his head. It made me wonder how he would look if he had hair.

Sokka, on the other hand, was shaving the moustache that had started to grow with his machete. How he did it so carefully, I didn't know. Katara and I had warned him not to use a machete but all in vain. Despite the concentration on himself, I could sometimes see him glance my way and my pale skin would betray me clearly showing my blush.

"Now you can finish up fixing your hair." Katara said, breaking me off from my 'trying not to look at Sokka.' I put my hair in a low bun. My hair was now waist length and I had been deciding to cut it but I didn't think Katara would be too happy about it. She said long hair suited me.

After I finished Katara's braid, we walked back to our room to find Toph in the most scariest position. She was almost falling from the bed, the blanket was on the floor and her black hair was sticking out everywhere.

"Toph, it's time to wake up." Katara said unpleasantly. I could imagine all the things she wanted to say about her. Toph opened her eyes, squinting at us. I went over her messy clothes to open the curtains on her side. Unlike the Earth Kingdom clothing that I wore to work, the water tribe clothing that I loved to wear was long and I had to lift my kimono on fear of it getting dirty." You have a little dirt..... everywhere." Katara added.

"You call this dirt, I call this a healthy coating of Earth." Toph said as she smiled at us. Katara cringed and I joined her.

"You know, sometimes I wonder how you came from a rich home." I told her as I went to sit on my bed.

"It's not like you act sophisticated either." She told me as she sat up and spit into a bowl near her bed.

"But at least I don't act like you." I said frowning at her morning look.

"You know what we girls need?" Katara asked and we looked at her," A girls day out!"

"Yes! I totally agree!" I said as I quickly stood up.

"Do I have to?" Toph asked.

"It would be fun." Katara said as she motioned Toph to get ready.

"And I can invite Jin and Hina. I hope you won't mind." I said as I started to look for parchment, ink and brushes.