Resurgence

Chapter 6

The rest of the day flew by fairly past. Shortly after Rissa had disappeared with her friend, Teddy and the boys came down to the lobby. Just in time, too, as the final preparations for the feast were finishing up.

Today, the cooks had gone all out, unlike yesterday, where it had been mostly hamburgers and hotdogs. Today, there were tables laden with delicacies that lined the wall. There were huge platters of savory nuts and finger foods. Whole meals, like fish drizzled in sauces or chips begging to be dipped in spicy concoctions. Countless cheeses, breads, vegetables, sweets, waterfalls of wine, and sticks of meat.

I wanted to focus on Rissa, and the words she had just told me, but the boys pulled me towards the tables, thrusting a plate in my hand.

They pushed me along the line, buffet style, placing different foods on my plate. We found a table, and they immediately started scarfing down the mountain they had created. After a moment's hesitation, I joined in too. After hours of feeling too worried to really enjoy anything, I was famished.

"I want to taste everything!", Jude giggled with food still in his mouth. We all scrunched our noses in disgust.

"You're going to ruin my appetite!", I wailed. He closed his mouth and chewed quickly, ready for seconds.

"Okay, no more than one bite of each thing," he said. His resolve was almost immediately broken at the first table, though, which had twenty or so pizzas. After taking a bite of an artichoke chicken slice, he basically ate the rest of the pie while still standing in line.

I decided to try Jude's restricted one-taste-per-dish regimen, with the exception of alcohol because I had already had my fill. Every table presented new temptations, and I quickly began to fill up. After I've had about five plates, I was stuffed, and we'd barely only scratched the surface.

"So Genius, what have you learned about bending so far?", I sigh leaning back in my chair. Teddy groaned, holding his protruding food baby.

"I don't really know what to focus on yet. Starting tomorrow I think I'll have a better idea, when I'm a bender myself."

"What do you think you guys are going to get?", Arlo perked up. "Do you think they'll really picking randomly for us, or they already have some sort of idea based on their survey?"

"I don't know.", Teddy shrugged, being a finger to his lip. "I just hope I'm an earth bender."

"I don't really care what I am, as long as I'm not a stiff.", Arlo scoffed.

"A what?" I asked, confused.

"I actually read a bit of those books. Those pacifist air benders. I wouldn't be able to be one. They sounded like real nerds."

"Just because they were pacifists then doesn't mean they will be now.", Teddy pointed out. I actually hadn't thought of that. I had judged the fire benders for being reckless in the past, but that didn't mean that modern day ones would be too. My best friend was definitely wise.

"Don't get a big head now.", Arlo rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, I don't really care what I get. It all sounds good to me. What about you Red?", Jude inquired.

I nodded, popping a last bit of fruit in my mouth, even though I was no longer hungry.

"I wouldn't really know what to pick, so it's good that I don't have to, I guess.", I replied, thinking of Rissa the whole time. My eyes scanned the crowd for her, but I hadn't spotted her. She had probably left already.

After a few more minutes of scrutinizing, and guessing which bending abilities would fit which Republic kids, we decided to split up. Teddy was going back to the library to finish up a few more notes, and Jude decided to tag along. Arlo wanted to explore the compound, and better familiarize himself with the hallways. I was going to join him, since I was tired of constantly getting lost, but I decided to go to the room instead. I was full, exhausted, and tomorrow was the biggest day of all so far. We arranged to meet back up for dinner, but I never did go back to the lobby. I fell into a deep sleep, not waking up until the next day.