Korra's POV
"It's for you." Asami told me as she handed her phone to me. Apparently it was Bolin and he wanted to talk to me.
"Hello?" I spoke.
"Hi Korra," he hesitated. "Listen, can we talk tomorrow, maybe during lunch?" he asked.
"Sure, but what about?" I inquired.
"I'll tell you tomorrow." he said.
With that he hung up the phone. I wondered to myself why he sounded so down on the other line. It was probably showing on my face, since Asami kept glancing over to my direction.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
"I don't know." I answered honestly.
~~~~
We have been sitting on the swings for at least 40 minutes now. After how my father treated Asami, I couldn't just forgive him or myself. For these past minutes, I've been re-living the painful memories my father engraved in my mind. All the nights alone in my house, all the moments when I had to carry him from the front porch and drag him inside and all the nights he nearly lost his temper.
I was about to break down when I felt Asami's hand on my upper thigh. She didn't say anything. She didn't need to. Her presence was enough to calm me down. Knowing she was there, was like knowing spring will always come after winter. That no matter what obstacle life threw in my path, I would always get through it.
We sat there for a while longer. Without delay, the sun began to set. Then we both knew it was time to go. But I didn't want to go.
We walked, and as our steps neared to my house, my legs began to freeze. My legs got heavier and heavier in every step. A huge wave of anxiety washed over me. What if he hits me for leaving?
Having these thoughts made it harder to cope.
"You know what?" Asami asked as she looked at me in the eyes.
I stared at her with confusion probably written all over my face, since she giggled faintly.
"Sleep over at my house tonight." She offered. "I'll have someone call your house tonight to let your dad know."
I stared at her, wide-eyed. "But I thought your parents didn't want an outsider in your house?" I reminded her.
I probably forgot to tell you, but Asami's parents are rich. like filthy rich. Her father's a famous engineer that works for a construction conglomerate. Her mother's a renowned make-up artists for models and famous artists. They own a massive mansion, the size of the White House, just a few blocks from my house. They also have 15 maids, 20 guards, 10 cars and a massive swimming pool.
My daydream was interrupted by Asami's fingers clicking right in front of my face. She smiled gently before continuing to speak. "My parent's are out on their business trips for a few weeks, mom's going to Fashion Week in Paris and dad's overseeing some construction plans in Bangkok." she smiled at me.
Suddenly I felt extremely nervous. I didn't know if it was the good kind, where you would finally get so see your best friends house, or the band kind, where I would finally get to see my best friend's house after being friends for 5 years. When Asami came over to my house, I was nervous but I knew Asami wasn't the judgemental type. Sure she had a dark side, everybody does but she has always been nothing but kind to me. But for some reason, the whole notion of going to see her house, made me feel somewhat intimidated. It made me feel awkward.
My thoughts and feelings were probably written all over my face, when Asami suddenly drew her face, just a few inches away from mine, with a worried yet cute look.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Umm, nothing." I brushed off. I felt like I was entering a forbidden zone. I didn't know what to do.
We started walking towards the direction of our house. Once we were in front of my house, I took a pause. What would happen if I continued to walk away from my father? Will he leave me all by myself?
I decided to put theses thoughts behind me from now. I didn't want to trouble Asami by flooding her with my problems. I didn't want to be rude to her either, by declining her offer for me to stay in her house.
Once we arrived at her house. I was amazed beyond any description. Her house was huge, made with cement and red brick. It gave off a medieval vibe, with a hint of modernity. The gate was plated gold and reaches a height of 2 meters. There were several windows on all 3 levels of the mansion. There were also a few guards standing on the roof, with snipers in hand and armed.
"Are those snipers?" I pointed towards the direction of the armed men.
"Yeah. They were hired by my folks to protect me when they're not here." she answered monotonously.
"Seems excessive." I joked.
"Tell them that." she joked too.
We laughed for a minute then became silent. It wasn't because of awkwardness, but due to how similar yet different our lives were. Asami lives a life full of luxury and pleasure. She can have any material she wanted, but all she really needed is the comfort of knowing her parents are there, which unfortunately, wasn't very often. I on the other hand, had enough money to get by and had one parent with me, physically but not mentally or emotionally.
Asami ushered me through the front gates of her house then I followed her through her front doors. We were then greeted by to maids and one butler. Their outfits were incredibly neat and ironed. They also wore gloves and had polished black shoes. Asami addressed one of the maids to take our coats and hang them up. I wanted to protest, but Asami insisted and since I was the guest, I didn't want to be rude.
She also addressed the butler and told him to call my dad to let him know about the situation. Frankly, I doubt my father would even notice I'm not at home. He rarely gets off the couch, never mind answer the phone. A few minutes later, the butler came back and informed us that nobody answered the phone. Figures. Asami was about to tell him to try again, but I told her to not bother.
After 20 minutes of settling in and playing board games, we were told that dinner was served. It was a very fancy dinner. It was the kind of dinner, served in 5 star restaurants, with so much different styles of beef, chicken and fish. Asami tried to teach me how to pronounce some of the dishes in front of us, but after 5 minutes, she eventually gave up.
After dinner, she showed me towards my room and gave me some clothes to change in. Her clothes were amazing. You could definitely tell she was the daughter of a fashion designer. The clothes she gave me was a silver silk night gown with a lovely robe. She ushered to a room opposite hers. The room was massive, the kind you would see in a castle made for a princess. It had a gorgeous marble bathroom, with a beautiful marble bathtub.
Once I finished freshening up, I prepared to go to bed. I ended up sinking into a sea of thoughts, of what would happen to me, to my family. Will we ever be a family again?
Suddenly I heard a faint knock at the door.
"Come in." I said.
Asami came in wearing the same pair of a gown and robe but in gold. She wore her hair loosely down her side. Her pale, white skin was still moist from the skin products she used. It was dark, but the moon provided enough light for me to see her face and her figure. Even with very little lighting, she looked beautiful. She looked like an angel. I was always amazed by her beauty.
I found myself staring at Asami longer than I usually would. She must have noticed as she smiled and waved gently at me.
"You're staring again." she smiled.
"Sorry." I said shyly. "So, what's up?"
"I just wanted to make sure you're okay." she explained. She stepped closer to the bedside, where I was sitting. Suddenly, she leaned towards me with her face just inches away from mine. I felt my face heat up as her eyes drew closer to mine. Her eyes, at that moment reminded me of the beach I used to always visit with my family. They reminded me of the happy memories that I knew I would never ever experience again. With that, tears began to cloud my vision.
Asami placed her hand on my cheek and wiped away the tears. She smiled faintly and pulled me into an embrace. She held me so tightly, with energy that didn't strangle me but also held the message that she would never let go. The smell of cherry blossoms in her hair and strawberries in her skin reminded me of the spring days that I spent reading under the sakura tree in my grandparent's backyard.
It was so intoxicating, so painful. Yet so mesmerizing, so beautiful.
Asami then pulled away and looked at me. "Get some rest, I'll see you in the morning."
As she was about to pull away, I found my arm reaching for her hand. Without notice, I grabbed her hand and held it tightly. It was like I was possessed by something. I didn't have control over my body and my movements.
I was about to let go, when Asami looked back and retraced her steps. It was that moment that I could stop myself anymore.
"Can you stay with me?"
*****NOTE*****
Hi everyone!
I'm sorry for the very late update. I got caught up in exams. To make up for it, here's a slightly longer chapter.
Hope you guys enjoy it.