Unnamed

Chapter 1- A Personal Statement

Another victory for the Fire Ferrets. This is the third win this season. YESSS! Maybe it's that new spin-kick move I invented. That seems to work. Maybe it was that water ark Korra used to knock that one guy out of the ring.

Bolin's thoughts were racing excitedly through his head like Pabu after string. The tournament he participated in earlier had been over for two hours, but it was still as fresh as if he was still in the ring, kicking and punching rocks in sync with his teammates while thousands of fans speculated from all angles. The fans were what made the pro-bending experience all worthwhile.

He snapped into focus to see that he, Korra, and Mako were walking into a chain restaurant called the Jasmine Dragon. Little dragon statuettes stood on each side of the doorway, escorting them in. Bolin trailed up the steps after his friends. They were walking side by side. Mako held Korra affectionately while they walked in a quiet but content fashion. Bolin honestly felt a little out of place, so he stayed where he was and pretended he did not feel awkward. Korra and Mako entered the diner first.

"Yeah, that's how I feel too," Bolin muttered to one of the dragons, which had a repulsed snarl on its face.

Then he leaped after his teammates to wait for someone to seat them.

An average looking girl scrubbing a table side-glanced at them. She stopped what she was doing and hurried over. She was undoubtedly an employee. She had on a green apron and her hair was tied back in a professional fashion. Her grayish green eyes behind her black framed glasses glanced at them in turn. Her face did not light up with recognition, nor did she squeal with disbelief in the presence of the famous Fire Ferrets.

"Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. I can seat you immediately," she told them in a perfectly refined voice.

She led them off to a booth. Bolin contemplated her tone on the way. She sounded so mechanical; he could imagine her saying that exact same thing to everyone else that walked into the place that night. That was what he hated about jobs other than his own. He never had to be any less than himself at work, which was good considering he thought he was grand.

"Right by the window. Nice," Mako commented before sliding into the booth.

"Kind of a romantic view, don't you think?" Korra asked.

"Definitely."

Korra scooted in on the opposite side. Probably so she could stare into Mako's eyes and he could stare in hers. Bolin sat down last on Mako's side. He knew there was nothing weird between him and Korra anymore, but he still felt unsure about being so close to the girl that chose his brother over him. He brushed off that array of confusing thoughts and flashed back to the tournament. The three of them were on fire out there!

Their waitress had a notebook ready in her apron pocket. She pulled it out in a second and asked, "What would you like to drink?"

"I'll just have water," Korra decided.

"Why, gonna use it to practice for next week's match?" teased Mako.

"That, or maybe I'll just drink it," she retorted, and jabbed his shoulder in retaliation.

"We're pro-benders," Bolin happily informed their waitress.

"That's nice."

She smiled, but was not genuinely impressed. Bolin's smile faded a bit. She did hear him right, didn't she? Mako ordered a water too (to copy Korra, Bolin guessed) and Bolin ordered a mega mug of Fizzy Fizz. He saw the waitress's eyebrow twitch. He felt satisfied to have gotten some reaction out of her.

"Mega mug, huh?" she said lightly. "Alright then. I'll be right back with those."

She wasted no time whisking off to get them. Bolin looked at Korra and Mako again. They were staring at each other. Again.

You already know what she looks like, Mako.

To get his mind off his slight aggravation, he said, "Soooooo….."

"Sooooooo what?" Korra broke her impractical stare at Mako.

"I've been thinking of ways to up our popularity, not that we need it since we are the most spectacular pro-bending team the arena has ever seen. ANYWAY, I have been teaching Pabu a new trick."

"A new trick," Mako mused. "And this relates to the topic of our popularity how?"

"Pabu is a fire ferret. Duh. And if he is great, people will think we are too."

He smiled cheesily and waited for their responses. During the silence, their waitress came back and clanked their glasses on the table in front of the correct person.

"It's not a bad idea," Korra replied.

"Really?"

"It's not bad; it's terrible," Mako finished.

Bolin deflated like a punctured fire nation war balloon. Mako continued on with his wise, sometimes hurtful, reason.

"People are going to see that as a joke of us, Bolin. If we really want a good mascot, it should be Korra. She is the Avatar, and she represents the balanced power of every element and every player in a pro-bending team better than anybody."

Bolin predicted Korra would shoot back an assertive remark defending Bolin and his idea. Korra was never afraid to speak her mind.

"You think I would make a good mascot?" she questioned Mako. It was as if Mako's compliment completely erased the fact that Mako was rude and irrational.

"Absolutely, hon," he promised. "And I am at your service to make it happen."

"But I…"

Bolin sighed and stopped talking. He knew they wouldn't listen. They would be too absorbed in each other to listen to anything he said for the rest of the night. He tried to shrug off his anger, but for the first time he let it come forward. In doing so, he learned specifically what made him so upset.

We used to be equal friends, but now it's like they don't even want me around. We wouldn't have this problem at all of they would quit their serious relationship.

The waitress without a name was still standing there, so quietly the three forgot she was there. She requested their food orders cleanly, giving no suggestion that she heard their conversation. After that, Bolin slouched in his spot with his arms over his chest and continued being annoyed at his friends. Their food orders were sent in: a shared dinner for two for Korra and Mako and a giant seasoned pork chop for himself. Though nothing was delayed, the food seemed to be taking forever to arrive. He found himself watching their waitress as she ushered more people to a table. Her brown ponytail fringed with red swung side to side as she hurried along.

"My name is Maya and welcome to the Jasmine Dragon…"

Maya. That's a cool name, though she didn't tell us that.

Maya jotted down their drink orders and was gone in a flash. She passed by Bolin and the other Fire Ferrets on her way to the kitchen, but she only acknowledged them with a glance to make sure they were taken care of. Bolin squinted with dissatisfaction.

Three kids about their age were glancing over at the table too. When Maya was gone, they hurried over to the table like ravens to an abandoned kill. They were beaming, and each of them held a pad of paper and a pen.

"Mako, Bolin, and Avatar Korra!" a boy greeted. "You guys are the Fire Ferrets!"

Maya had to have heard his outburst from where she was pouring drinks. Maybe she would perk up more now that she knew who they were.

"Yeah, that's us," Mako replied happily. "Whataya need?"

One of the girl fanatics pushed forward. If the table wasn't in the way she would have surely mobbed Mako with her love. "Oh, can I please have your autograph, Mako? You have always been my favorite ferret, ever since the beginning."

"Sure, no problem."

Korra did not seem to mind the girl pining over Mako. She was the Avatar. She was young, beautiful, and had saved the entire Republic City from Amon's revelation. What competition did she have from a couple of sappy-eyed fan girls? Bolin looked down at the table, still feeling left out. Did no one think he was worthy compared to his older brother?

Mako signed the pad with a flourish and was prepared to sign another one. The girl took it back gratefully. To Bolin's surprise, she put the pad in front of him and jumped up and down excitedly.

"Your moves out there in the ring are so hot! If I was an earthbender, or any kind of bender, I would definitely try them myself. Please sign!"

Bolin grinned ear to ear. "Happy to. Let's see…to my loyal fan…love…Bolin."

He looked up suddenly when he sensed someone else was watching him. Maya tried to look away quickly, but not quickly enough. He smirked to himself and gave the autographed pad back to the girl. She was so excited to take it back she nearly passed out on the floor. Within a few minutes of treating the fans, they were gone, and the group was back to their privacy. The visit of fans took away any awkward tension they had beforehand. Bolin was in too good of a mood to bring it up again. Maya, that was her name, spared time on her busy schedule to glance at him. During the wait he spent his time waiting for a chance to talk to Maya, even just to say a passing hello. That chance did not come until their food did. She was finally forced to quit being occupied or playing an elaborate "hard-to-get" game to bring their food.

"Here we are," she said. "Water tribe variety platter for the Fire Ferret's couple."

"Thanks," Korra replied as she took the massive plate.

"So, you do know who we are? We are the Fire Ferrets," Bolin pointed out.

"Yes. I am sure everyone does, the commotion people cause when they see you," Maya retorted.

"I thought waitresses were supposed to be more upbeat, Maya," Bolin teased. "I told you who we are, but you never told us your name. We not good enough to know it? It's a nice name."

"I didn't tell you my name?"

"You did not. Well, I'm Bolin. Now we know each other."

"Yeah, I guess we do. Sorry about that."

Maya dumped his pork chop meal on the table and then left again. He frowned. He did not intend on making her mad with his last conversation. She was deflecting all his Bolin charm without reluctance. Korra stifled back giggles.

"What's so funny?" he whined.

She said, "Look, buddy, never try to charm a girl that is already turned off by you. Trust me, doesn't work."

"That's not what I was doing. I was just being friendly," he protested defensively.

"Bolin and his fan girls. He does it to everyone, Korra." Mako took a bite of sea prune stew. "You'll get sick of it after a few more of our victories."

Mako's words were mostly true, but Bolin set Maya apart from the other girls he spoke to. He did not protest, though, because he was not even sure about how he was feeling himself.

The gang left the Jasmine Dragon late due to the tournament earlier that night. Bolin made himself forget about Maya. She was busy and was not interested in him at all; that was just the way it was.

Bolin glanced up while putting on his light jacket. He expected Korra and Mako to wait for him. Instead they were trouncing out the door like it was just the two of them. He zipped the jacket with more emphasis than necessary and then proceeded to trudge after them as their shadow. After all, that was what he always did.

"Wait."

He obediently stood there when he saw Maya coming towards him. In her hands she carried a take-out box, but he was too busy looking at her face to notice it. He braced himself to defend himself if she had something sharp to tell him.

"Hi, Maya," he greeted warily, but still in his usual friendly manner.

"Hey. Please take this cheesecake, no charge."

"Cheesecake?" he reluctantly took the box and opened the lid a little. "Ooooh! That looks great."

She nodded. "I think it's the lard that gives it all the flavor."

Free cheesecake. This was the kind of famous Fire Ferret treatment he had been hoping for.

"Thanks, I love it. Hey, I don't have anything but a free autograph to give you."

"I don't need an autograph, no thanks," she declined.

"Isn't that what the free cheesecake was about? You being a fan and all?"

She answered simply, "No. Anytime I forget to mention my name to a customer, I have to give them a free dessert. That is the way my job works."

"Oh, I see," he murmured.

"And I am sorry about my attitude. I had class today and had to do a late shift here, so it has been a stressful day."

Bolin listened intently, thrilled that she was telling him about her problems. It gave him a sense of significance that was over-exaggerated.

"Anyway, I hope you decide to come back here, Bolin of the Fire Ferrets."

Maya flashed him a smart look before heading back to the kitchen. Bolin followed his feet out of the restaurant, but his mind still lingered back at the table where he could watch Maya idly without making it obvious he was doing so. What was it about her that made her so fascinating? He schemed to come back to the Jasmine Dragon as soon as he was free. The only way to find out would be to see her again.