Avatar One-Shots

This Could Be My Year (Bopal)

A/n This one's for @nae-booty 

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"This is it, bro! My year! The year I finally get a date with Ginger!" Bolin mused as he walked through the commons with his brother. He was a junior this year, and hoping that he'd finally get to ask out Ginger, the girl of his dreams. She was a foxy redhead with a disposition like a Prima Donna, which wasn't surprising since she was cast as the lead in the school's big performance of Nuktuk: Hero of the South the previous year, and expected to land the lead in the fall production of The Boy in the Iceberg as well. She was the school's it-girl.

"I don't know about that, bro. Ginger's never even acknowledged your existence before. What makes you think you have a chance with her now?" His older brother, Mako, asked. Mako was a senior, captain of the Pro-bending team, and long-term boyfriend of the school's female sports queen, Korra Ackerman. Life always went his way.

"I don't know, I just feel it in my gut! Like the way I feel when I'm about to win a wrestling match, you know? I know this is gonna be my time to shine."

Mako still wasn't so sure about that, but he decided to let his brother have his day before the harsh reality of the school year settled in on him.

The bell rang, and the brothers went their separate ways for class. Bolin was pleased to see that he had first period with Ginger, who sat to his left and in front of him. If luck was on his side, and he knew it was, he'd have her swooning over him by Fall Break.

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"This is it, Huan! Sophomore year! I'm no longer fresh meat! Maybe this year Bolin will notice me!" Opal dreamed aloud to her own brother, who wasn't paying any attention. He was the only Beifong who didn't care enough to sneak away from his sister once they arrived at school.

"Huan," a monotone voice called from across the commons. The boy turned his head to see a dark-complected girl with black hair standing next to a nearly-identical boy across the way from him. She waved at him, and he returned the gesture.

"There's Eska" he said, flowing through the crowd and coming to a stop in front of her. They wrapped their arms around each other in what must have been the world's stiffest embrace and stalked off to wherever the two of them hung out.

Opal hardly noticed. She's caught a glimpse of Bolin from across the commons, walking with his brother.

The bell rang, and everyone scattered.

Opal was absolutely elated to see Bolin two seats across from her in homeroom. Unfortunately though, he only seemed to have eyes for Ginger. She hoped that would end soon.

She had second and third period separate from her crush, but luckily for her, she once again had him for fourth hour, and she had him as well as Ginger in fifth. Sixth and seventh hour were solo periods for her. She didn't know anyone, except for one or two acquaintances. That would change, though. Opal was a people person.

The first few weeks of school went by uneventful. Ginger had yet to notice Bolin, but that didn't bother him. He knew he would win her over eventually.

That is, until fifth hour happened.

It was Chemistry, and his lab partner was Asami Sato, one of his best friends. She told him to mix the blue and green chemicals, but he mixed the blue and turquoise chemicals by mistake and set off a stink bomb that probably ruined the entire class's chances at getting prom dates. Ginger glared at him like he'd stolen the lead role from her, and Asami definitely wasn't too happy with him. The rest of the class wasn't pleased either.

"Bolin Suoh?" The office secretary called. With a sigh, he stood and followed her into the principal's office.

There goes my year... he thought.

The visit to the office ended with his sentencing to two days of suspension. That wasn't his main problem, though. He'd blown his chances with Ginger. As far as he was concerned, his entire school year was blown.

He was so deeply immersed in his self-pity he didn't notice when he ran into someone.

"Whoops! Sorry!" Opal said, a blush crawling up her cheeks. Bolin flashed a crooked grin. She was pretty. The charm factor was automatically turned on.

"No, it was my fault. I was thinking instead of walking." Then after a pause, "I'm Bolin."

Opal giggled. "I know. You're the one who set off a stink bomb in fifth period today." Now it was Bo's turn blush.

"You were there for that? Sorry..."

Opal giggled again. "It's okay. I was sitting near the door, so it didn't affect me much. That was some stench though!"

"Yeah, earned me two days suspension!"

The two of them stood there chuckling for a moment before excusing themselves and going about their respective days. Opal was flipping out on the inside, elated that her crush had talked to her.

Bolin, for his part, was beginning to think that he needed to shift his gears in a new direction.

An Opal direction.