The Little Dragon

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Wednesday, August 26th

Kaida

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    I said my goodbyes to Lee before following Aangs trail back to the schoolyard. When I got there, Aang was still playing with his friends, "Aang!" I shouted from the gate waving my hands above my head.

    "We need to go or we are going to be in huge trouble!" Katara is never going to let this fly. Aang snapped his head towards me, I think he said goodbye to most of his friends before running over.

    "How was making new friends?" Aang and I walked side by side. Aang deserved to have a somewhat normal childhood. I put my hand on his head. "Did you have fun?"

    His eyes light up, "yeah it was such fun! Who would have guessed that Fire Nation kids know how to have fun!" His voice was excited and hurried like he wanted to go back right now. My mouth dropped open, was it really that strange that we grew up having fun?

    "Where did you go?" He questioned me, "I think I saw you leave with a boy," he wiggled his eyebrows at me and I rolled my eyes, looking away shyly.

    "He's just a friend. I've only known him for a day!" I defended.

    "So you do like him!" Aang pointed at me as if he had caught me red-handed. My mouth dropped open.

    "No!" I flailed my arms. "Where did you get the words 'I like him' in my previous sentence?!" My voice was cracking with nerves. Aang just laughed and gave me a knowing look.

    "Just wait till I tell Sokka!" He started to run up the mountain ahead of me.

    "Don't you dare!" I shouted as I ran after him.

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   "Where have you guys been? We've been worried sick!" Katara said at the entrance of the cave. I had Aang in a chokehold, a hand over his mouth. I glared down at Aang, and he relaxed, signaling he had given up.

    I let him go so he could speak, "I got invited to play with some kids after school." All of their eyes snapped to me as they had just witnessed a murder. I shrugged my shoulders and their eyes widen even more.

    "After what?" Sokka stood flailing his arms now. I was about to speak and explain the situation but Aang beat me to the punch.

    "I enrolled in a Fire Nation school, and I'm going back tomorrow." Aang nodded his head firmly, there was nothing in the response that would be changing anytime soon. Unfortunately for Sokka.

    "Enrolled in what?!" Then his head snapped from Aang to me. "How can you let this happen Kaida!?" He shouted at me and my shoulders stiffened. I didn't like it when Sokka yelled at me.

    "We got caught, it was either we conformed to the uniforms we were wearing or jail time." I put my hands on my hips. "I chose to conform." Which of course was the right answer. I might have taken jail time in any other nation besides the Fire Nation.

    If we get caught here, Zuko and Azula will be knocking on our cell doors by morning. I got a chill when I thought of Zuko, I wrapped my hands around myself.

    "You thought about him again?" Katara's facial expression softened, I told Katara about the night terrors I have been having while we were getting changed. Just as she told me about her own horrors. She told me everything about her life after we parted, I felt like I had to do the same.

    I nodded my head and looked out the cave entrance at the moon. "I'm fine." I was not fine. But I had to be fine, just for now. I'll fix my feelings later there are greater problems I needed to face beforehand.

    "Aang, I'm trying to be mature and not immediately shoot down your idea. But it sounds...really terrible." I looked over to Sokka, it seems like he had calm down, probably because he saw the reaction that it drew from me.

    "Yeah, we got our outfits. What do you need to go to school?" Toph spoke up.

    "Every minute I'm in that classroom. I'm learning new things about the Fire Nation. I already have a picture of Fire Lord Ozai."

    "Everything we need to know about the Fire Nation is right in front of us!" Sokka displayed a hand over to me, "she is a walking textbook!" I blushed at that, I guess he was right, I probably knew more about the Fire Nation than any of the teachers did.

    "I guess we'll never find out about the secret river then. It goes right to the Fire Lord's palace. We were supposed to learn about it in class tomorrow..." Uh? I raised a brow at this. The secret river? I never heard anything like that before. So much for being all-knowing about the Fire Nation.

    "Hmm... I am a fan of secret rivers. Have you heard anything about this river before?" Sokka glanced at me, speculating, I shook my head.

    "Not a clue," I shrugged my shoulders.

    "Are you sure you aren't lying, Aang?" Sokka pointed a finger at Aang.

    "I swear it!" Aang said firmly with a closed fist. Sokka let out a sight.

    "Fine, let's stay a few more days." Sokka went over to wherever he was sitting before and turned his back to us.

    "Flamey-o, Hotman!" Aang shouts with excitement before running off.

    Sokka looked back turning to me, "Flamey-o??" I shrugged my shoulders again. I had no idea what goes through that kid's head sometimes. Not a clue.

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    I was walking to school with Aang, "it isn't Katara the greatest?!" I held up my packed lunch. "What would I do without her!" I was almost in tears with the kind gesture.

    I had woken up that morning already late, "Kaida!" Aang shook me awake. I grunted a response. "Kaida we are going to be late." I shot up at his words. Shoot! We were going to school now! How could I forget!

    I washed my face first before anything, then I heard Aang caw my name again, "Kaida, come on!" I rushed over to the entrance, I knew I was going to go hungry I didn't have time to pack lunch.

    "Okay, let's go!" Aang pushed me into a run. Then all of a sudden we heard a shout.

    "Wait!" We turned back to see two bags in Katara's hands as she ran towards us. "You guys forgot your lunch!" I gasped in shock before running back and grabbed both of them.

    I bowed my head quickly, "thanks Katara, I owe you my life." I rushed back to Aang who was waiting for us. I handed him out lunch and started to book it towards the school.

    I couldn't lie, I was really excited to see Lee again.
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