Making Sense of It: Sukka (on hiatus)

Chapter 7: Suki

Suki was on top of the world. She had won her most recent soccer game, her science grade was going up, and tonight was homecoming. She had bought a green dress for the occasion. She was with Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee in Azula's room. After the recent victory, Azula had apologized to Aang for stealing Appa, which was a surprise in of itself, and then insisted that Suki get ready with them. Mai had said what they were all thinking.

"Why are you being so nice?"

"I'm just in a good mood is all," Azula said, applying some red lipstick, while Suki put on her gold hoop earrings, "I got some emails from some of the top state colleges, and they seem interested in me." -

"Well of course they are," Mai said, "With your perfect SAT scores and volunteer work."

"You didn't really volunteer, though," Suki said, briefly noticing that Ty Lee was being silent. Normally she was such a chatterbox. "You just donated your dad's money to random organizations." Azula shot her a quick glare, but she simply said,

"I'm having a party after the dance. You're coming." 

~~~

Suki met with Sokka outside the gym. Aang and Katara were babbling excitedly a few feet away. She had remembered Sokka comparing them to songbirds, and she could see the resemblance now.

"Thanks for waiting for me," Suki said.

"Of course. I'm surprised that Sokka had the self control not to head straight for the snack table," Katara replied.

"I can't believe my own sister would say such a thing!" Sokka said, feigning astonishment. He gave Suki a crooked smile.

"You look nice," he said. 

"So do you," she replied. He had worn a green shirt to match her. Of course, as soon as they walked into the gym, Sokka made a beeline for the snack table, completely ignoring Katara's eye rolls and the blaring pop music that was destroying Suki's eardrums. The dance was undersea themed, so the gym was decorated with blue streamers and lights and fake seashells. The only other people at the snack table were Zuko and Mai, somehow able to wear black without it looking like a funeral. Actually, no. With their somber expressions, they looked like they were at a funeral. 

"You look like you're at a funeral," Sokka said, echoing Suki's thoughts. 

"Thanks," Mai said. Sokka started eating some of the cake that was shaped like a fish. Suki glanced out at the dance floor. Katara and Aang were slow dancing, even though there wasn't a slow song. 

"Looks like they left," Suki muttered. 

"Yeah, ever since they got together, they'll get any excuse to dance," Sokka said between bites. 

"When did they get together?" He shrugged.

"It was like 6 months after I started going out with Yu-" Sokka stopped, "I mean, it wasn't that long ago, but they act like a married couple." Suki hesitated, debating whether to ask more about Yue or not.

"Do you think they're good together?"

"Aang and Katara?"

"Yeah." 

Sokka nodded, "Sometimes they seem so happy it's annoying." he paused, "Or maybe I'm just jealous."

"They do seem to have everything figured out," she muttered.

 Suki spotted a photo shoot in the corner, with a sea green background and paper fish cutouts floating on strings. 

"Come on," she said, taking his arm.

"Where?"

"Photos," she took out a 20 dollar bill and handed it to Teo, the photography student who was taking them. They had just finished taking the first photo, just a traditional couples picture, when Aang and Katara came up to them for a group photo. Then Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai had noticed, and there were more group photos, and in a few minutes poor Teo was being bombarded by people at the photo shoot. Suki was taking a picture with the soccer team when the music changed to a slow song. She saw Sokka waving from the edge of the dance floor, so she ducked behind Toph, who had shown up fashionably late, and joined him. 

"Wanna dance?" she asked. Sokka smiled.

"I would, but this song is kind of too slow to slow dance to," he said, before singing/shouting, "AND IIIIIII-EEEE-IIIIIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOOOOUU." Along with literally everyone else in the gym, "I changed my mind," he added, as Suki snorted. They sort of awkwardly shuffled to the music until something a little quicker came on. 

"The fish cake was actually pretty good," Sokka said absentmindedly, after the third or fourth song.

"The what now?" he pointed to the snack table, at the cake, still shaped like a fish, just a fish without a tail. 

"I think you're the only one who ate it," Suki replied. The night was starting to wind down, and out of the corner of her eye, Suki could see someone beginning to clean up the food. She ran over to the snack table.

"Can we take the cake to-go please?" she asked.

"Uh, sure?" Suki grinned and grabbed the entire platter, along with a couple of forks. 

"Come on," she said to a bewildered looking Sokka, who followed her outside. Suki sighed in relief as she stepped into the cool night air and sat on the concrete steps.

"Was Homecoming too much for you?" Sokka asked with a smirk, plopping down beside her.

"It was crowded and loud," Suki said, "It wasn't as much of a big deal at my old school." She took a bite of the cake, which, thankfully, didn't taste like fish.

"You're right," she laughed, "This is actually really good." 

"Thanks for going with me," Sokka said abruptly. 

"Of course!" Suki replied, "I had a lot of fun, and this cake is delicious." Sokka smiled, a genuine smile, not the smile that he had when he told a joke, or the smile when he had an idea. He looked truly happy, content. A chilling breeze swept through. Suki shivered, and inched closer to him.

"SUKI!" Azula walked out of the gym in her red dress and heels. Mai and Ty Lee fell in step behind her, "Suki, be at my house by 10." Suki gave an exasperated sigh, wondering, for just a moment, what might have been if they hadn't been interrupted. That small thought seemed to grow as she turned to Sokka.

"Do you want to go to a party later?"

"At Azula's house?" Sokka stared at her, eyes wide with a mixture of confusion and terror, "Uh... sure, why not?"

~~~

Thanks for reading! I'm going to try to update more quickly now that I have more time!