Gradual Changes

Popularity

Popularity

If it had not been for sharing first period with Toph in the morning, Aang would have found the rest of the day to be incredibly boring. He didn't even luck out enough to share lunch with any of his friends. Toph apparently got first lunch period while Katara and Zuko got second. He got boring, long wait, third lunch. By the time he got through the line and paid for his meal, his stomach was practically screaming at him. Unfortunately, one look around the cafeteria reminded him that his friends were not there.

"Maybe the roof," Aang said to himself.

The trek was not too long for his stomach to put up with, but it was still not very happy with him. Up on the roof were few other people. Apparently not many of the third lunch students liked this spot.

"Aang!" he heard someone call. "Hey Aang!"

Over by the fence, Aang found the source of the voice. A few of his track teammates were waving for him to come and join them. Happy to see some familiar faces, he did. The one who had called him was Yuan, a first year just like Aang. He kept his semi-long brown hair tied back in a high ponytail and his green eyes were always welcoming and kind. He was also incredibly friendly and Aang usually paired with him when they ran drills and stretched. Then there was June. She was a sweet girl in her second year, but had a major competitive streak. Most of the guys avoided her, but she was a lot less intense when she wasn't wearing the team uniform. She had short black hair like most of the boys on the team, but her figure was feminine enough for everyone to recognize her as such. Even if her personality did not. Then there was Kei. He was another second year, and he was a bit of a school tough guy, but there was something different about him today.

"Hey, guys!" he greeted as he sat amongst them.

"Check it out, Aang," June said. "Look what Kei did to his hair."

Kei ran both hands through his short bushy, red hair. Aang would not have thought anything of this at all, except for the fact that yesterday Kei's hair had been brown.

"What did you do?" Aang grinned.

"Well, you shaved your head, so I thought I'd try something out there too!" Kei laughed.

"Man, if you guys keep this up I'm gonna have to do something too," Yuan smiled.

"How about a mohawk?" June suggested.

"No!" Aang shouted excitedly. "You should do a no-hawk!"

"What's a no-hawk?" Kei asked. Aang put the side of his hand to Yuan's forehead and traced a straight line over the center of his head.

"That would look so stupid," Kei frowned. Then he grinned. "Do it!"

"How about something a little less crazy?" Yuan asked.

"No-hawk! No-hawk! No-hawk!" the others began to chant.

"No! No no-hawk!"

"C'mon, Yuan! Do it!"

"What are we doing?" another young man asked as he sat down. His hair was a shaggy, brown mess that tangled its way down to his shoulders, and his hazel eyes smiled like Aang's.

"Hey, Teo," June waved. "We're gonna give Yuan a no-hawk!"

"Cool! I'll hold him down!"

"Aang, this is Teo," Yuan introduced, obviously giving up the fight. "Teo, Aang."

"I know you," Teo grinned. "You're that major new track star."

"I wouldn't say 'star'," Aang blushed.