Korra's POV
It's been two weeks since I left the cabin and came back home. After we went back to my house, Asami left in a hurry, even though she told me she was going with Bolin and I to the police station. She was flustered and seemed confused, saying her stomach was hurting. I was worried and wanted to go with her, but she insisted, saying she didn't want to get me sick too. I felt suspicious, but ignored the feeling. I knew my best friend would never lie to me.
Bolin and I got in to his car and headed straight to the police station. I had a feeling my mother would be there waiting. I felt anxious, of course but I also wanted to set things straight with her. She wanted to leave this town, this city. But now that my father is jail, she can't do it alone. She has to take me with her. She's desperate to.
As Bolin and I parked in front of the police station, a feeling of guilt came over me. It was the guilt I should've felt when I left my mother behind. When I pushed her on the ground. Standing in front of the police station, made me realise the high chance of seeing my mother again. Seeing that disappointment again. My hands began to tremble involuntarily.
"Are you okay?" Bolin shifted his gaze from my hands to my eyes. "We don't have to do this today." He reassured.
"I do." I place my hand on his arm to comfort him. "It's okay."
He gave me a small smile before we both faced the front of the police station. With a deep sigh, I walked up to the entrance with Bolin. We strolled towards the office of the captain that took me in the first time. We were about to enter the room, when I heard my mother's voice. I stopped and blocked Bolin's way and we hid behind the door to listen in on their heated conversation.
"Are you sure, you can't to anything about this?" My mother asked the captain, her tone full of impatience.
"No." The captain said bluntly. "You can't take Korra out of town, not until the case is still undergoing and we're expecting a trial against her father. After all, she is the only witness."
"I can't stay in this town any longer."
"Well unfortunately Ma'am, you have no choice."
A loud thud came from our direction, causing both the captain and my mother to turn to us. Feeling a bit guilty, I shifted my gaze on the floor, while the captain gives us a minute by leaving the room. Bolin grips my shoulder tightly, before leaving me together with my mother. I entered the room as my mother stared at the window beside her, not giving a single glance to me.
"Mother." I said monotonously.
"Korra." She respond coldly.
"I'm sorry." She turns her gaze to me. "For pushing you that night." I continue.
She returns her absentminded gaze towards the window, gazing upon the flock of seagulls flying by. She was ignoring me, again. Ever since they divorced, my mother had been ignoring me. I felt confused and annoyed. I couldn't understand her resentment towards me.
As if possessed, I decided to let the emotions take over. "Why do you hate me mother?" I asked with evident spite in my voice.
"That's none of your concern." She answered mechanically, as if running on programmed answers.
"Yes it is." I retaliated. "I'm your daughter. Did you forget that?"
She remained still, not a hint of emotion present on her ageing face. I wondered how she could stay so silent and unaffected at the desperate pleads of her own child. Bu then I remembered her profession. A successful lawyer. She's treating me like her clients. She's treating me as if I was a prosecuted criminal, and she was a knowing prosecutor.
Tears began to flood from my eyes. "Mom," I hesitated. I wanted her to recognise me. To see me. I wanted her to remember who I am to her, to remember how she took care of me, to feel something again. "Please."
She continued to remain silent, not batting an eyelash. She stared out the window as if I wasn't even here.
I ran out the office, sobbing, not giving a damn about who saw me. I tried to leave the station, when someone grabbed my arm and spun me around. It was Bolin.
"Korra, what happened." He asked sincerely.
"Please, not now Bolin." I stuttered as I wept in agony. I tried to get around Bolin, but he continued to block my path. I hit him on the chest in frustration, but he remained, still blocking the exit. Anger grew inside me and I threw a couple more punches and frustrated hits, not being able to control my emotions. Eventually I gave up and wailed into his chest, soiling the clothes he wore with my tears, clutching his shirt tightly. He wrapped his arms around me, held me tightly until I stopped crying five minutes later.
Bolin lifted my chin and wiped my tears away. "Let's go, I'll take you home."
~~~~~
"I'm sorry for what happened." A girl from my class walked up to me after our English class ended.
"Thanks." I responded tediously. This repetitive action has been ongoing since I came back to school. Everyone's been sharing condolences, as if my father died. They all gave me space to think things through, as if I hadn't had my fair share of it already from my mother.
Asami's nowhere to be seen either. I haven't had any contact with her since she left my house a week ago. I didn't know what happened to her or why she hasn't called me yet. I was confused and quite frustrated. I trusted to have my back, I needed her to.
"Korra, you okay?" Bolin asked as he jogged up to my lockers. I was just picking up my books for my next class when he saw me.
"I'm fine." Again, I said with a monotonous tone.
Bolin looks at sympathetically. He knew I was lying, but thankfully he dismisses it and doesn't say a word. We headed to Math, a class we have together.
We were about to go in, when I bump into a familiar person.
"Korra." Asami addresses me after a week of radio silence. I stare at her in shock, not because of only seeing her now, but because of her tone. She said my name like everyone else did since I came back.
Like I was another damsel in distress in need of saving.
I walked past her, avoiding her prying eyes and took a seat at my desk. As soon as the teacher walked in, we proceeded with the class. I kept my eyes on the board, but I could feel Asami's glance from behind me, practically drilling a hole on my back. When Math ended, I bolted out of the room, leaving both Asami and Bolin behind, not daring to look back.
I headed outside the building, to the back exit, to a small smoking area that had a small bench. I didn't smoke, but I found it a few months ago at the start of the first school term. I sat at the bench and looked out towards the parking lot. Everyone was minding there own business, going about there normal lives. Some staff members left early for lunch, some students were taken home.
I sat there quietly, until a not-so-subtle slam of the door, made me turn around.
"I didn't peg you as a smoker." Mako commented as he came over and sat next to me.
"I'm not." I hesitated and watched him take out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket. "I wish I could say the same for you."
He smirked as he lit the cigarette in his mouth and took a long drag from it. He puffed out the smoke in shapes of small circles like a pro.
"Aren't you supposed to be an all-star athlete?" He continued to take long drags of the addictive substance before placing his gaze back on me. "What other people don't know, won't hurt them. Right?" He regarded.
He let out the smoke he was holding slowly, savouring the taste of it and letting it linger in his mouth a little longer. The pleasure he felt was extremely evident in his eyes. I wondered to myself about how the taste a small piece of paper with tiny crumbs of dried grass, can bring so much satisfaction to someone. Mako noticed my curiosity, and grinned.
"This stuff's not for you, kid."
"Don't call me a kid."
He laughed at my witty retort, and shifted his gaze on the parking lot, With a knowing look, he stared at the people passing by, as if he understood them.
"All these people," He hesitated. "Going on with their adequate lives." He took another drag from his cigarette. "Pretending to be people they're not, just to earn enough, to have enough, to be enough." He puffed out the stimulating substance.
I stared at the same direction and understood where he came from.
"Don't you just get tired of it all?" He asked.
"Every single day." I answered.
He agreed with a comfortable silence. It helped that we didn't know each other. I didn't have to pretend to be fine with Mako. I didn't need to answer to constantly being asked if I was alright or say thanks to scripted speeches about other people being sorry for my father's cruelty. It also helped me to forget about my anger towards my mother, even for a short while.
As the bell rang instructing us that lunch break was over, Mako jumped off the bench and threw his cigarette blunt on the floor and stepped on it, putting the light out.
He threw me a jesting salute.
"See you around, Korra."