My fist attempt at a Modern day Kainora , thought I'd give it a go. Feedback welcomed ;)
"Jinora are you listening?" I closed my eyes, inwardly yawning as the head teacher also known as the history teacher, also known as my father made his way to my table. Using a ruler he hit the table hard causing even me, someone used to his over-dramatic and archaic teaching styles to jerk up, like the rest of the class, in surprise.
"Yes Father" I screeched, slamming my hand to my forehead in embarrassment when everyone snickered as my voice cracked as I tried to continue.
"Then what's the answer?" He said raising his eyebrows with slight surprise towards my out of character reaction. oh no, I really wasn't listening! I tried to go through every possible question he could have ask. Giving my father a sheepish smile as I tapped lightly on my book with my pencil.
"Um" I murmured trying to give myself more time as my eyes became fixed everywhere but him. Why was I so distracted today? Maybe I was tired, I did stay up all night trying to finish that book. Maybe I was bored, I was ahead of everyone in the class.
"Guru Lahima" The guy from the back shouted out, Otaku was his name and he knew just about everything about anything when it came to history. He was almost as smart as me and at the moment all I could do was inwardly thank him for his usual annoying excitement. My father raised his hand in exasperation before continuing the lesson as I had hoped.
"Okay can anyone besides Otaku answer the next question", everyone groaned after my father mentioned a surprise test will be awaiting us after only me and Otaku could answer the remaining questions. Just as someone was about to protest, Korra, the school council president and captain of almost all the school sports clubs opened the door with swift force an action that left my father's robe flying up into his face and everyone else laughing in unison.
"Ops, sorry Dr. Tenzin, but that new student joining this class today is here". Just on time the young boy entered and my father started to begin the customary introductions. My heart skipped a beat when his gaze meet mine as he stood in front of the class, Korra eying the encounter suspiciously. He's attractive green eyes meet my brown ones. He was different to me in all sense of the word, he had much darker tanned skin compared to my paler tone, he had a few inches on me , a year older I gathered whilst he was introducing himself. Throughout his introduction his eyes still didn't leave mine, and from the piercings and his undercut haircut, I could tell he was trouble. Something my father later reinforced when I got home, he literally threw his criminal record of petty theft, shoplifting and fraud onto my desk as I was doing homework.
"So stay away from him, he is a no good kleptomanic so be wary" he warned. Kai was in the foster system for a while, and my further research into his past to satisfy my slight obsession with him onlyslightly put me off. He stole the life savings of the only family who finally decided to take him in and had a history of getting into fights, battery was also mentioned. He was on the streets until two brothers brought him in, president Korra being the one to introduce the two after volunteering at the local foster center. Apparently his foster brother was himself slightly wary of him, a police captain under my father's ex-girlfriend, Chief Beifong.
My fathers warnings rang in my ear, and every chance meeting with Kai at school made me keep my distance. My father encouraged this and was actually glad I did. Whilst most of the girls where all over him and all of the guys wanted to be his friend, I hadn't even introduced myself like I usually am so eager to do when our school gets new students, I was after all the valedictorian.
"Jinora can you stay behind", I looked at my father who himself didn't look so pleased at what he was about to ask me. I was getting slightly irritated at the silence and his attempts to speak being faltered by himself. I was missing my favorite teacher ,my Aunt Kya teach my not so favorite subject biology. This was her last week with us and didn't want to miss it. After stroking his beard for the fifth time he finally spoke sighing to himself in defeat; "You see, Kai has potential but he hardly comes to class, doesn't do the work and is somewhat bringing the rest of the school down with his bad behavior" he paused then continued as I realized where this was going.
"You want me to tutor him don't you, I thought he was a no good kleptomaniac" I replied sarcastically.
" Jinora all I'm hoping is that you can get him on track, help him with some of his classes and maybe your good behavior will rub off".
Kai was surprisingly eager for me to tutor him asking if we could study near the school stables. He was talkative telling me straight away about how he found it refreshing to go to a school with so much space. "I mean how many schools do you know that have their own stables", for some reason he seemed slightly nervous , blushing when I looked up at him and playing with the hay on the ground or stroking the horses absently.
I found everything he did attractive, him giving me a flower when we first got here, placing his jacket on the floor as I attempt to sit down. It made me slightly happy knowing I hadn't seen him do this for any of the other girls that hanged around him, always getting distracted from the art book he liked to carry around or the skateboard permanently positioned in his hand. I liked the way he talked to me or the way his green eyes lit up when I started talking to him about art or martial arts.
"So what style do you do?" I was about to answer immediately but then his criminal record popped up in my head and my father's stern warning. He was nothing like I thought a trouble maker would be , he blamed his lateness on work and him missing lessons on getting frustrated he didn't understand anything and I believed him. And that's what worried me he's a compulsive liar , thief's always are and above all they never change I shouldn't be drawn in so easily.
"Kai we need to concentrate on studying "I paused as he almost looked disappointed " and can you refrain from asking me any personal questions" I said hurriedly not wanting to say the words in the first place. "Why?" he questioned innocently something I hoped he wouldn't do. I opened the book and pointed to the first chapter grabbing a notebook myself, ignoring him.
"Oh I see" Kai said standing up and walking towards one of the horses which made me shoot up in alarm. "What are you doing?" I said accusingly.
"What? Are you afraid I might steal them" fear was etched on my face and I felt my body get slightly cold as the way he spoke was almost malicious. His face softened when he saw the panic in my eyes, "Look, I'm not how you think I am" he said turning around and approaching me instead as I walked backwards. He stood still "I'm guessing you read my record" I nodded keeping my distance.
"You can choose to believe me if you want but I'm being honest when I say that ever since Mako and Bolin fostered me I've changed, when I got into this prestigious school started martial arts and drawing again. I guess what I'm trying to say is …. The person who did those things was the old me. I don't know how to explain it, but I feel like, like I'm a new person." He rubbed his neck almost shyly looking up at me as to gain my approval for him to come closer I didn't bat an eye lid my mind focused on what my father said.
"Look I don't like judging people" I started which made him smile in anticipation but it dropped as soon as I continued, fear edging me on.
"Stealing is wrong and yeah sometimes people don't really have any other option, but looking at your record and Korra telling me a bit about your history you stole simply because you enjoyed it. Even when you had what you needed a house over your head an adoptive family to love you, you betrayed them. Everything you've done from the fraud to the fighting to the theft was done out of simple meaningless malice. You had no reason to do it, your adoptive family was very kind and loving, and you took advantage and robbed them blind. You're selfish, and a bully, you do bad things for no reason or any sense of requirement, I don't condone that type of behavior and the only reason why I'm here is to help you learn and that is it." I observed him, the way he looked at me like I had just broken his heart, the boyish grin became a cold motionless stare. I was going to talk again, maybe I did go too far but he shot me a glare, a very unforgiving one.
"You don't judge people?" he said sceptically " but that's all you just did" he said slowly trying to maintain the anger I could see was rising up, clenching his fist when he slightly raised his voice which made me wince a little. That mischief and fun-loving atmosphere was gone and that scarred me. " I actually liked you Jinora " The use of the past tense made me cringe more than the tone he was using. But the way he said my name made me blush out of place from all the tension that was building up. He noticed that and completely relaxed .
"You know what , its fine can we start learning tomorrow I don't feel up to it today ", he took his bag and books and made his way back to school and I let go of the breath I forgot I was holding as I sighed in regret.