Riona

CHAPTER 13

"I asked for where you are Riona? And your car's gone too. I thought I told you not to leave this house." I guess plan C will come in handy after all.

I reach for the back seat in search of the clothes I stashed there with my phone pressed between my shoulder and my ear.

"Umm I just stepped out for a quick drive. Why are you at home?"

"I forgot my phone in the kitchen. And this is not about me, this is about you leaving the freaking house when you're supposed to be resting."

I begin prying my clothes off my body, starting with the blouse.

"I just went out for some ice cream, you don't have to worry about me."

I pull on the baggy sweatshirt I hid in the car and replace my formal pants with matching sweatpants.

"You went out for ice cream? Why didn't you just tell me to get ice cream on my way home from work?"

I turn the key in the ignition, bringing the car to life.

"Because I wanted to surprise you that's all. You've been taking care of me so much these past few weeks and I just wanted to do something for you for once. I'm almost home. Bye." I end the call.

Thankfully, the exit of the parking lot is completely different from the entrance. I zoom unto the road and start my quick journey home, only stopping at a convenience store to get a bucket of Neapolitan ice cream.

As I park the car, I stuff the clothes I had on before under the passenger seat.

"I'll be back for you guys."

I sprint to the elevator and reach the apartment in less than five minutes. Korra is sitting on a chair right in front of the door like a parent waiting to scold their child for breaking curfew.

"It took you that long just to get ice cream from a store that's four blocks from here." I lock the door behind me and walk straight to the kitchen without meeting her eyes.

"I didn't go to that store. I went to another one." My heart picks up the pace as Korra walks closer to me with a studying look on her face. My lying skills are failing me right now.

"Is that lip-gloss you have on? When did you start wearing lip-gloss?"

Shoot. I forgot to wipe it off in the car.

"Oh I just felt like trying it today. And my lips were chapped so..." In hope that the interrogation ends here I pry the lid of the ice cream bucket and dig into it, taking large spoons at once.

"You can't be wolfing down ice cream like that Ree." She turns back to the living room and picks her phone up from the coffee table.

"I'll see you later. I've gotten what I came back for so bye." I stand still till I hear the front door shut. As soon as it does, I turn to the sink and spit out the ice cream in my mouth. Of all flavours to stuff my face with, I chose strawberry.

I wait a while before heading into my room and powering up my laptop. In seconds, I connect to the mini-mic in Mr. Matthews' office. Hopefully I hear what I want to hear before anyone finds out about the crime I'm committing.

What do I even want to hear?

The motion-activated mic is silent. I'm not even sure it works anymore, I didn't test it first. I've had that mic for over five years so I'm not exactly sure if the battery is still any good, if it is, it won't last long. If it isn't then apparently everything I did today was a waste.

Bummer.

After a few minutes of more silence, I resign to the bed and abandon the laptop on the table. Out of sheer boredom, I pick up a book from my nightstand and start reading.