Making Sense of It: Sukka (on hiatus)

Chapter 2: Suki

Suki woke up at six thirty am, sharp. She threw on ripped jeans, a black tank top, and her favorite over-sized green jacket. She put more athletic clothes into her bag. Soccer tryouts were today. 

She raced out of her house after saying a quick goodbye to her parents, hopped on her bike, and for ten minutes it was just her and the sunrise. By seven, she made it to the school. She grabbed a muffin, since she'd missed breakfast, ate it quickly, and headed up to the library. Sokka sat at a table in the corner, looking very disheveled. 

"I take it you aren't a morning person," Suki sat across from him and took out her science work. Sokka yawned. 

"It's that obvious?" Suki smiled, "So... what grade did you get on the practice packet from last week." She sighed.

"A D+."

"Well, it's just to see how much you remember from last year, so it won't go into the gradebook," Sokka said, "Can I see it?" Suki handed it to him. He looked over the packet silently. 

"You're mostly tripping up on the chemistry principles," he said, "You're pretty strong on the Biology and physical science stuff, so we don't have to worry about that." Suki nodded, and they began looking over the periodic table, acids and bases, molecular structures, and so on and so forth. It wasn't completely unbearable. Sokka's quips and cheesy science puns put a smile on her face, but by the time the bell rang, signaling the start of school, Suki felt like her brain was in overload. She and Sokka walked to gym class.

"So are you trying out for the soccer team?" Sokka asked. 

"Yeah," Suki said, "Do you do sports?"

"I did..." Sokka said, his expression guarded, but that was all he said. Once they walked into the gym, Sokka sat next to Toph, and Suki was approached by two girls who she didn't even know. 

"So I hear you're trying out today!" said one of them, who had brown hair and wore a green hoodie and sweatpants, "I'm Yaling. You'll be a great addition to the team."

"Thanks," Suki said politely.

"You aren't trying out to be captain, are you?" said another girl, Kori. 

"I was planning on it," Suki said confusedly, "Is that a problem." The two girls glanced at each other. 

"Maybe you should just leave the spot to some of the people who have been here longer," They turned their backs on Suki and moved to another spot. Suki shrugged and sat down. She wasn't concerned in the slightest. After all, They had been the ones to approach her. 

~~~

Suki didn't like to boast or brag, but she had to admit, she had knocked it out of the park during the soccer tryouts. Afterwards, June, the soccer coach, called her over. 

"I don't usually make newcomers team captain," she said, "But that was very impressive." Suki grinned. As she walked back to the locker room to freshen up, she was approached by the girls from earlier, along with two others, Azula and Ty Lee. They all had plastic smiles on their faces, except for for the latter, whose expression seemed genuine. 

"That was sooo amazing," said Kori, her demeanor having completely changed, "You're going to be such a great addition to the team." Suki laughed nervously.

"We're going shopping," said Ty Lee, "You should come with us." Azula grimaced.

"Yes," she said through gritted teeth, "You definitely should."

"Um, sure," Suki relented. She followed Azula and Ty Lee, but the other girls stayed behind, looking at them all judgmentally. Sitting inside Azula's red sports car was a girl wearing all black, who Suki recognized from gym class. 

"Hey Azula, Ty Lee," she didn't spare a glance to Suki, "Who's captain?"

"Mai, this is Suki," Azula said impatiently, "She's going to be team captain, and she's coming with us."

"Great," Mai said in monotone, "Let's get this over with."

Surprisingly, they didn't have the worst time at the mall. They split up as soon as they got out of the parking lot. Mai went to hot topic, Ty Lee went to Macy's, and Azula was off to the expensive boutique on the far side. Suki decided that she had enough clothes, so she headed to the food court. 

"Suki?" She looked, surprised, at none other than Sokka behind the counter. 

"I didn't know you worked here," Suki said.

"I don't really go broadcasting that I work at the mall to everyone I meet," Sokka replied with a small smirk, "What can I get for you?"

"Just a chocolate milkshake," Suki said. Sokka nodded and began making it. 

"So... why are you at the mall alone?" he asked.

"I'm not alone. I'm with Mai and Ty Lee and Azula, but they're..." she gestured wildly in every direction, "Somewhere."

"How did you end up with them," Sokka handed her the milkshake, "Wait, didn't you have soccer tryouts today?"

"I did, and I'm captain now!" Suki said, "How much for this?"

"Just take it," Sokka shrugged, "Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Sokka," Suki said, she was inwardly surprised that he remembered, and even more surprised that he gave her a free milkshake, when they weren't even friends. 

"Suki!" It was Ty Lee. Suki hastily said goodbye to Sokka and joined them. 

"Why were you talking to him?" Azula asked. 

"He tutors me in science," Suki said, matter of factly, "Is that a problem?"

"No," Mai said, "I only know him because of the whole Yue thing last year."

"Yue?"

"Come on," Ty Lee said, "I need some new makeup." The conversation ended there. 

~~~

"You're welcome to hang out with us anytime," Ty Lee said that evening, when Azula dropped Suki off at her house.

"Really?"

"Of course," Azula said, "You're our team captain, and you're very good at applying makeup." Suki let out a sigh as the sports car drove off. Of course Azula, Mai and Ty Lee weren't trying to be her friend because they liked her. She wasn't naive. Plus, Azula had literally said it out loud. Normally, Suki would leave them in an instant, but she was new, and she needed friends. She walked up to her room, did her homework, and collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. 

I only know him because of the whole Yue thing last year.

Yue. 

Who was she?

~~~

Thanks for Reading!