This chapter is set in a more modern setting
Lin, age ten
"Tenzin! Give it back! My mom gave that to me!" Lin ran after the Airbender. "Reach up here and get it then!" Tenzin held object above his head. "Give me back my headband!" Lin tried to jump and grab it. "Stop, Tenzin!" Lin said. "Tenzin, what are you doing?" A voice boomed from the doorway. "Give Lin her headband back." Kya grabbed the headband from her brother. "I was just messing around with her." Tenzin folded his arms. "Well don't do that. It's not nice." Kya said. "Just cause you're older than me doesn't mean you get to make the rules. I'm telling dad!" Tenzin said. "And who's he gonna believe? His thirteen year old daughter who he's passed his spiritual wisdom on to already, or his ten year old son who doesn't even have his arrows yet?" Kya said. Tenzin furrowed his eyebrows before stomping off. "Here you go, Lin." Kya handed Lin her headband. "Thanks." Lin said quietly. "He'll get over himself soon." Kya said. "He's always so mean to me." Lin said. "And so is Bumi!" Lin folded her arms over her chest. "It's just cause they think that since they're boys, they can get away with it." Kya said. "You're never mean to me." Lin looked up at Kya. Lin wrapped her arms around Kya's waist and hugged her. "Thank you." Lin said. "You're welcome." Kya said with a chuckle.
Lin, age thirteen
Lin sat in her room, bending a small piece of metal into various shapes. She was just starting to learn how to bend it from her mom. "Come on, Lin. Mom said dinner was done ten minutes ago. Stop bending your stupid metal and come eat." Her little sister, Suyin came into her room. "You're just mad cause you can't bend yet." Lin said. "Whatever, just come eat." Su said. Lin walked to the kitchen and sat down at the table. "We're going to Aang and Katara's tomorrow." Toph said. "Ugh! Why! It's so boring over there." Su groaned. "It's Kya's sixteenth birthday party. We have to go." Toph said. "Wait, Kya's birthday party?" Lin said. "Yeah, why?" Toph said. "Uh.. no reason." Lin said. "Lin Beifong, why is your heart beating faster?" Toph said with a smirk. Lin hid her face as it became red. "I think Lin has a crush on one of the people that's gonna be there." Su teased. "Shut up, Su!" Lin said. "I knew it!" Toph smiled at her daughter. "You did?" Lin said, worried. "Yes! I knew you liked Tenzin. You two have always been so close." Toph said. "Yeah.. Tenzin." Lin said. She finished eating her dinner and went back to her room. Lin let out a sigh as she fell on to her bed. "Tenzin." She said with a chuckle. "I didn't think my mom was so stupid." Lin said. Lin looked over at her wall that had pictures hanging all over it. So many pictures.. but she focused on the picture of her and Kya at Lin's thirteenth birthday party. "Kya." Lin sighed.
Lin, her sister, and her mother walked into The Avatars house. "Toph, it's good to see you." Aang said. "It's good to not see you too Twinkle Toes." Toph said. Aang sighed at the nickname. "Wheres Kya? I um.. I got something for her." Lin nervously asked Aang. "Kya's in her room with Izumi, Tenzin, and Bumi." Katara said as she walked up to everyone. "Alright." Lin said. Lin made her way through the hallways until she reached Kya's room. She lightly knocked on the door before she walked in. "Hey, Lin." Kya smiled at her. Lin smiled back. "I got this for you." Lin handed her the small box. Kya undid the neatly tied blue bow and opened the box. "Awe, Lin. I love it." Kya held up the bracelet that was in the box. "Really? I- I wasn't sure if you would or not. I'm sorry it's- it's not much but uh- happy birthday-" Kya pulled Lin into a hug. "I love it, Lin. Thank you." She said to the shorter girl. "Happy birthday, Kya." Lin eased into the hug. "Do you wanna hang out with us?" Kya asked as she sat back down on her bed. Tenzin shot Kya a look. "Uh, sure." Lin said hesitantly. "You know, Lin, you should really stay tonight." Kya said. Tenzin glared at his sister. "Really?" Lin said. "Yeah, Izumi is." Kya said. "I'll go ask my mom." Lin left the room with her heart beating out of her chest. Kya liked my gift.
Aang and Katara had left the house to go to dinner, leaving five teenagaers alone in the house. "You guys wanna watch a mover?" Kya suggested. Everyone nodded their head and sat on the couch. "I'll go make some popcorn, you guys find a movie." Bumi said. "Here, Izumi, sit next to me." Kya said. Lin's expression saddened, she was hoping to sit next to Kya. Instead, Kya looked at her. "Lin, how about you sit next to Tenzin." Kya smiled. That's when Lin realized what she was doing. Kya thought that Lin liked Tenzin too. Tenzin reached his foot over and kicked his sister. Did Tenzin maybe like Lin? "Is it okay if I sit here?" Lin asked him. "I mean, whatever." Tenzin tried to play it cool, but his face was red. Lin sat next to him, then Bumi came in with a bowl of popcorn and sat in the middle of the couch. "Tenzin, why is your face so red?" Bumi asked. Tenzin kicked his foot up, causing a rush of air to knock Bumi back. Kya and Izumi laughed on the other side of the couch. The movie started and everyone settled into their spots on the couch. Everyone except Lin. She wasn't sure how to feel sitting this close to Tenzin. Lin realized what Kya was trying to do. She was trying to get Lin and Tenzin together. Lin settled into the couch and leaned against Tenzin. She felt him tense up when she rested her head on his shoulder. Lin saw Kya and Izumi smiling at her from the corner of her eye.
Lin, age sixteen
"Happy birthday to you!" Everyone finished singing. Lin blew out her candles. "Happy birthday, Lin." Tenzin said to her. Lin smiled at him. "Here, Lin. Have some icing." Su flung icing at Lin. "Su!" Lin yelled. "You got it all over my shirt!" Lin said. "Here, let me help you." Lin heard from behind her. Kya bent some water from the sink and got the icing out of Lin's shirt. "Thanks." Lin said, her face getting red. "Happy birthday." Kya said, handing Lin a small box with a green bow on it. "Kya, you didn't have to get me anything." Lin said, as if to reject the gift. "Well, I wanted to." Kya shoved the box into Lin's hands. Lin opened it to see a bracelet. One exactly like the one Lin got for Kya three years before. "Kya, I-" "I know, I know. You got me the same thing three years ago, but I though it would be cool to have matching brace-" Lin hugged Kya tightly. "Thank you, I love it." She said. Lin wrapped the bracelet around her wrist. After an hour or so, Lin got a message.
Kya- Hey, meet me out by the gazebo
Lin's heart raced as she walked outside. "Sorry, to drag you away from your own party." Kya chuckled. "Don't be. It was getting kind of boring anyways. I'd rather be out of here with you." Lin said. Lin could've sworn she saw Kya blush when Lin stood close to her. "Are you alright?" Lin asked her. "Yeah, yeah. I'm just uh- thinking." Kya said. "About what?" Lin moved closer to Kya. Trying to get more out of her. "Have you ever liked someone but knew you had no chance with them?" Kya asked. Lin was shocked at how open she was. "Yeah, I have." Lin said. "Really?" Kya asked. "Yeah. I've really liked someone for a while. But, I doubt they'd ever like me." Lin said, hoping Kya would catch on that she was talking about her. "Lin," Kya looked over at her. "Tenzin likes you too. Like, really likes you. I thought you would've figured that out by now-" "Spirits, I'm not talking about Tenzin! Why does everyone assume I like him!?" Lin said. "Sorry, Lin. I- I didn't know." Kya said. "It's fine." Lin said. They were quiet for a few minutes. "Lin?" Kya said. "Hm?" Lin looked over at Kya, only to be met with Kya's lips on hers. Lin froze in place. Kya brought her hand up to Lin's cheek, kissing her deeper. When Kya pulled away, she noticed Lin's eyes were wide. "I- I'm sorry." Kya said. "It's- uh.. it's okay." Lin said quietly. "Kya opened her mouth like she was gonna say something but instead she walked away.
Lin rested her elbows on the rail behind her, tilted her head back, and let out a large sigh. "Lin?" She heard someone approach the gazebo. "What do you want, Tenzin?" Lin asked. "I just didn't know where you went." Tenzin said. "Well you found me," Lin looked at Tenzin. "Happy?" She asked. "Here." Tenzin handed a box to her. "What's this?0 Lin said. "Your birthday present... from me." Tenzin scratched the back of his head. "Take it back. I don't want it." Lin tried to give it back. "Lin, please. Take it." Tenzin said. Lin opened the box. "A keychain?" Lin held up the object. "Look at it." Tenzin said. Lin noticed the keychain was a picture of her and Tenzin. "Thank you, Tenzin." Lin said. She hugged Tenzin. "You can let go now." Lin chuckled. "Lin," Tenzin leaned back to look at her, keeping his arms around her waist. "I like you. I have.. for a while." Tenzin said. "I could tell." Lin said. Tenzin took in a deep breath. "Would it be okay if I.. if I kissed you?" Tenzin asked. "Uh.. yeah. Lin said. She didn't like Tenzin the same way she liked Kya. But Lin figured she has already ruined her chance with Kya. So when when Tenzin kissed her.. she kissed him back without hesitation.
