'Pairs' [korrasami]

10

Asami

Friday and the seat in front of me is empty. She's not here again. She missed the rest of school yesterday and now she's missing first period on a Friday. The Friday where we're supposed to be going to that 'beach'. The detention yesterday was awkward to say the least. Mr Tarrlok didn't look happy either, not to mention the fact that I heard him call Korra's mum on the phone.

Maybe Korra's grounded, but like really badly grounded to the point where she has to be home schooled. Okay, no that's too dramatic. But wherever she is right now, she better not be joking about meeting up after school. I just want this project over and done with.

I shake my head and look down towards the textbook. The teacher is reading and we're supposed to be reading a long also. Yet something is off. Even though I hear the words, I forget them as soon as they're said. I read the same passage over and over, but the second I'm done with one line and move onto the next I've forgotten the one that came before.

What is wrong with me? It's like I can't focus at all. I look to my right to where Kuvira was sitting across the room. She looks fine, engrossed in the textbook that we're studying. She doesn't seem worried at all. Neither do the other two. Wait. I take another look at Bolin. He's slunched over his desk with his eyes downcast. Did something happen with Korra and her friends?

I shake my head again a little faster. I need to focus on the lesson but my mind is elsewhere. My hand subconsciously slips down to my pocket where my phone is and I glance down to it under the table. I can't believe I'm doing this.
Me: Where are you?

I try and read a few more lines but it's like the words were jumbled up on the page. My phone buzzes.
Korra: you miss me?

Me: No.

Korra: Don't worry about after school. I'll be there.

You better be.

<->

I tap my phone again. She's 15 minutes late. I look out over the field to check to see if the football team are out there. They're not, Football obviously isn't on today. Since it's the end of school I'm waiting by for Korra who didn't actually turn up to school at all today. I shake my head and walk further towards the gate. I can wait for a little longer.

I let my mind wander again like it did in English. It wandered back to the conversation that I had with Jinora yesterday. About why and how my number managed to be in Korra's phone. She denied it of course but it was obvious that she was lying. Alas, I let it slide for now.

I sigh and look at my phone again. It feels like it's been an hour already and Korra isn't here. Why did I think she would be anyway? She's set me up like I thought she would, wasted my time. As I was about to take a step my vision suddenly goes black as a pair of hands cover my eyes.
"Guess who."

Their voice is purposely made lower and it cracks a few times but I know who it is.
"Get off." I say and remove her hands from my face. I take a few steps back before I turn around. My head tilts slightly in confusion. A small plaster was on her smiling face, her complexion was better and the rings under her eyes were also fading too. Yet, her cheeks were just as red as before at the lunch table.
"What happened to your cheek?" I ask.

Her feet shuffle on the floor and her untied shoe lace starts to jiggle around too.
"I got into a fight with a fence." She chuckles and her eyes advert everywhere but me, she keeps moving as if she's nervous. This is what happened yesterday with that weird conversation about a book. Our eyes meet for a split second but she turns away in an instant, pointing towards the car park at the front of the school.