Chapter Text
“KATARAAAA” Sokka yells at the top of his lungs the second he walks through the door, simultaneously tossing his book bag onto the cluttered kitchen table Gran Gran had been asking him to clear all summer.
‘WHAT?” Katara screams in reply, equally as loud, but significantly more shrill.
“WHAT’S FOR SUPPER?!”
His sister stomps down the stairs in her pyjamas with her hair wrapped in a towel as Sokka rummages through the fridge for leftovers from that night’s dinner. Two containers in each hand and one in his mouth, he manages to shut the door with his hip and lay out the food on the counter before Katara shakes her head and opens the fridge again, emerging with a plate full of food.
“When have I ever forgotten to make you a plate? You really need to start looking at the top shelf first.” She says as she goes to heat up the meal in the microwave.
“And that is exactly why I defend you whenever someone says you’re stuck up!” Her brother replies in lieu of a thank you while haphazardly attempting to put the containers back in the fridge.
“Gee thanks, Sokka.” Katara rolls her eyes as the microwave beeps. Sokka opens the door, grabs the plate and some silverware, and heads straight for the couch. “Hey how was your first practice?” His sister asks, standing in the doorway between the living room and kitchen.
Mid bite, Sokka hesitates to answer. He wasn’t looking forward to telling his sister that the boys’ varsity volleyball team wouldn’t be allowed to play since they didn’t have a coach.
“Well Coach Paku retired at the end of last year and none of the other teachers volunteered to take his place, so it looks like we might not get to play.” He says nonchalantly, hoping Katara won’t overreact.
“What? What do you mean you might not get to play? The boys varsity team is the best sports team in the whole school!” Katara shrieks. Too late.
“Shh you’re gonna wake the whole neighborhood.” Sokka flinches at his sister’s reaction, but pretends to be indifferent as he changes the channel on the TV to Netflix.
“There has to be someone willing to coach! Why can’t Paku do it? Just because he retired from teaching doesn’t mean he can’t still coach!” Katara continues on, enraged because Paku has caused her nothing but grief. He used to manage the local pool and refused to let her coach until she threatened to take his ass to court, and now she’s probably the best lifeguard/instructor they have. Not to mention the whole arranged marriage to Gran Gran thing...Sokka still shudders when he thinks about it.
“Katara it’s fine.” He says dismissively as he finishes his leftover stewed sea prunes and takes his dishes to the kitchen.
“No, Sokka it’s not fine! This is what you’ve been looking forward to all summer, plus you’re finally team captain! Why are you giving up so easily?” She shouts.
Katara is not like her brother. Where she is full of hope and determination to make the world a better place, Sokka has become cynical after everything life has thrown his way. Of course they both have to deal with an absent military father and their mother dying young, but it’s hard to stay positive after your first girlfriend dies of cancer on top of all that. As of late, Sokka has come to terms with the fact that life isn’t fair no matter how much his sister preaches about ‘having to take matters into your own hands sometimes’.
“Because with Caldera High in our region this year, we don’t stand a chance.” He says finally, dropping his plate into the sink with a loud clang. Katara doesn’t seem to notice how much he doesn’t want to talk about this because she keeps going.
“So you’re not even gonna try? I’m disappointed in you Sokka. You’re giving up because winning the regional championship isn’t guaranteed? Listen to yourself! It’s your senior year, you’ve been whining about it being too easy since you were a sophomore and now you’re giving up because of some rumours that might not even be true.”
“Well when you put it that way!” Sokka throws up his hands exasperated, then softens as he looks over to see Katara’s unimpressed expression. “I’ve asked every teacher I could think of and they all said no...I don’t know what other options we have.” He sighs and shakes his head, pressing his hands against the table, letting it hold his weight. Why is she being so adamant about this? He thinks as he represses the urge to tell her to just drop it.
“Ugh this would be so much easier if Dad were here. Even Bato would do it.” Katara mutters.
As Sokka looks over at his little sister, the person willing to help him with anything he needs at the drop of a hat, he realizes he’s being ungrateful. Katara is the hardest working person he knows, who also happens to be the most caring, and he’s pushing her away for trying to help him. She’s so much like their mother it hurts; he doesn’t know whose face he really sees when he thinks of Kya. Why did she have to grow up so fast? Katara has lived a thousand lifetimes in 16 years and still manages to not let reality get the better of her; Sokka would give his left leg to figure out how she does it. Then, as he stands there staring at the girl who would someday destroy the patriarchy, it dawns on him. How he missed it before is beyond him, but Sokka finally stumbles upon the answer he’s been looking for. Unfortunately for him, it’s just not feasible.
“How could I be so blind? I know who can coach the team!” Sokka exclaims with fake excitement.
“Who?!” Katara smiles, and claps her hands together.
“Gran Gran! Thanks Katara you’re the best, forget what I said about being too bossy.” Sokka pats his sister on the back and heads back to the couch, trying not to feel guilty.
“You never said anything about-” Katara scowls, but ignores her brother’s throwaway comment, knowing he’s just teasing. She follows him into the living room and sits on the armrest of the couch Sokka’s sitting on. “Gran Gran can’t coach a team of teenage boys high on adrenaline and testosterone! I think her heart would give out” The siblings laugh at the thought of their grandmother wearing sweatbands and blowing the whistle so hard she faints. As the laughter dies down, Sokka can see an idea pop into Katara’s head and he braces himself. “Now that you mention it, we do have the next best thing to Gran Gran.” She says slyly.
“Who?” Sokka frowns, knowing she’s come to the same conclusion he did, but doesn’t take his eyes away from the TV screen in hopes that he’s wrong.
“Me!” His sister exclaims, probably excited to have a reason to boss people around. He knows she’s the best person for the job, especially with her experience as a swim coach, but the idea of her, someone who knows nothing about volleyball and who also happens to be his little sister, being in charge of his friends just doesn’t sit right with Sokka. The only reason they respected Paku was because he was an asshole and made them run line drills if they were even slightly distracted; how would they react to having to answer to another student-and a female one at that?
“Good one Katara.” He laughs, dismissing the idea completely and pretends to consider other options. “What about Master Piando? Maybe he’d be willing to volunteer and come coach when he doesn’t have students! Or maybe Master Jeong Jeong! He used to teach at Caldera didn’t he? I bet he knows all their secrets.”
“I’m serious Sokka! I already work as a swim coach so I have experience and I have a spare 3rd period so I’ll just do my homework then instead of after school.” Katara always was better at arguing than him, and now the guilt about not supporting his sister is starting to eat Sokka alive. If I can’t stop her, then maybe someone else can? That way it’s not on me. He reasons, trying to reassure himself that this is for her own good.
“I don’t know...Would they even allow another student to coach?”
“Well it’s a good thing the principal loves us. Do you think Mr. Arnook would be willing to pull a few strings? I mean didn’t he used to play on the team? Maybe there’s some sentimental attachment that we could play off of…” Katara wonders aloud as Sokka worries that she’s too attached to the idea of coaching and is going to be extremely disappointed when it doesn’t work out.
“I don’t know if I feel comfortable emotionally manipulating Yue’s dad like that. Hasn’t he been through enough?” Sokka rubs his neck, thinking of other ways to turn Katara off of the idea. I’m just trying to protect her. Right?
“Well we haven’t even asked yet so we don’t know what his answer will be regardless if we just happen to bring up past emotional affairs. I’m going to go type up a proposal and hand it in to the office first thing tomorrow!” His sister says finally and runs upstairs to start working before he can object. Letting out a long sigh, Sokka leans forward so that his elbows rests on his knees and rubs his temples.
Guess I’m gonna have to get used to calling my little sister Coach Katara. I should’ve known it’s useless to try to deter her from something once she has her mind set on it, but I’m still going to have her back no matter what. If one of those idiots even looks at her the wrong way he’s going to be sorry.