A ray of sun managed to find its way to my apartment window, lighting and warming my not-so-elegant sleeping face. Opening my eyes a bit, I glanced at the clock beside my messed up bed.
It's 7 am, no big deal, just let me sleep a little more...
Wait...7 am?
I'm going to be late. Shit.
I bolted up from bed, not even bothering to tidy it first. Cursing my bad luck. At this rate, I need to run like a crazy cheetah to my school. Brushing my teeth hastily and changing my short pants into a pair of jeans, I scrambled to the side of my room to grab my worn out Reebok shoes, i snatched my eyeglasses and quickly filled my water bottle from the water dispenser. Spitting the toothpaste, I gargles a few times before grabbing my backpack and lock my apartment room.
Falling twice at the stairs, I planned to run all the way to my school.
First I run like a real cheetah, fast and determined.
Next, I run like a usual teenager, still fast, but not as determined.
Next, I didn't even run. I shuffled slowly on the street like a zombie.
My plan to run all the way to school withered the moment I fall down the street 2 kilometres away from my apartment from exhaustion. Too tired to do anything, I decided not to get up. Instead, I cursed my whole life and lay down on the warming roadside, beads of tears start forming on my light brown eyes, followed with couple of small frustrated sobs.
Curse my whole life.
A honk from a car shocked me back to reality, a similar red BMW convertible I saw on my first day of school stopped on the street beside my laid body. Turning my heads a little bit up, I clearly recognise the sleek and luscious black hair. It's Asami's hair. She took off her rayban glasses
"What are you waiting for? Get in the car!"
Embarrassed, I pull the neck of my shirt to my eyes, drying up the tears, I opened the door and sit on the back side. Mako sat in front with Asami, his trademark red scarf covered his neck. Bolin sat the back of the car, wearing a simple green shirt covered with a black and white Varsity jacket, black jeans, and a pair of white Reebok shoes.
He's showing his usual broad smile before handing me a white plastic cup with a Starbuck logo. Guessing from the smell, its coffee.
Taking the cup and sipping the refreshing hot liquid, the steam covered my eyeglasses. I rested my head on the comfortable leather seating.
Sipping more coffee, I sighed, half tired, half relieved.
"Got anything stronger than this?"
Mako chuckled, I've never heard him laughed before. Aside from his usual serious demeanor, he has some sense of humor deep within him. He tossed me a Mc Donald's paper bag, judging by the smell of meat and ketchup, I opened the paper bag, there's a burger and fries inside.
Turning backwards from the seat, he picked a piece of fries. "Eat it, you'll need more energy for the class, and I guess you haven't had breakfast this morning"
"How did you know?" Taking a big bite from the burger, I chewed it for a while before taking a sip from my coffee cup.
"The way you run, of course. And the way you just..." Asami struggles to find a perfect word for a while "...laid there on the street"
"Pretty much the truth, actually" I said while wiping the dirt from my face and shirt.
Asami speed up the car, causing the trees on the side of the street to a blurred mess of green and brown. Finishing my burger and sipping the last of my coffee, I gave the fries to Bolin, who happily accepted the food before munching on it, taking 3 fries at once.
"Yer a nice guy, Koku" Bolin says with a mouthful of fries.
"Well, I'm still the nerd and awkward whale, but thanks anyway"
Mako snickered a bit at my statement.
We arrived at school soon enough. Korra waved at us as we walked towards her, she's wearing a gray hoodie along with black leggings, a black waist-high leather boots covered her feet, hair tied up with her usual ponytail. With 4 people surrounded me with their expensive and stylish outfit, I looked like a ragged sack of potato compared to them, worn out shirt, jeans, and shoes, all worn out.
We're still chatting on the hallway when we realised we're the only people left in the hallway.
Korra's was the first person to remember that we have a Biology class with Lin Beifong. Shouting a quick goodbye to Asami and Mako, we sprinted our way on the long hallway, our footsteps bashing loudly on the floor, creating a loud echo along the quiet hallway. Korra tripped once on the floor, Bolin and I lifted her up and continues running. After a couple of tripping and nearly slammed on the walls, we managed to reach the class in time.
Kicking the door to open it, Lin Beifong, the headmistress of the school already sitting on the teacher's table. Eyes fixed on us with a deadly glare, far worse than coach Tenzin.
Panting hard, I wiped the sweat off my face and give a wide smile to the headmistress. "Well, good morning, headmistress Beifong"
"I hope we're not too late, we apologise for any...inconvenience we've made" Korra said with a grin on her face.
Headmistress Beifong sighed and looks at the watch in the wall, then ordered us to seat. Glaring at us one more time, she finally speak to the class.
"Get a paper and pen ready, we're having our first test"
The class tried to protest, but to no avail, as if no one can withstand the might of Headmistress Beifong. Opening my binder, I clipped it open and take out 3 piece of paper, giving one each for Korra and Bolin. Writing out my name and date on the top right of the paper, I waited patiently for further instruction.
"I will read the question, and you'll need to write off the answers in 30 seconds, I'll continue to the second question if the 30 seconds is over, and so on. Do you understand?" She sternly gives us the instruction before moving to the question.
"First question, name 4 subdivisions of an eubacteria"
Well that wasn't too hard, I wrote the answers on my paper
proteobacter, cyanobacter, chlamydia, and spirochetes
"Second, explain the differences between eubacteria and archaebacteria"
Easy one, I glanced sideways to see a frustrated Korra and a dumbfounded Bolin.
The question goes for 8 more number, each being more hard and complicated than the previous one. She later orders us to collect the paper, Korra's paper is full of correction tape, Bolin's paper even filled with an apologetic poem instead of answers to the Headmistress.
The class fell in silence when Miss Beifong checked our papers. Reading the score aloud when she finished checking it. Some of the class got an 0, others ranged between 10 and 50, only a little managed to pass. A quiet girl behind us, Jinora, scored 80, which earned her an applause and a slight nod from Headmistress Beifong. Bolin scored 30 because the headmistress actually liked the poem enough to give him some score. Korra got 60, which is barely a C.
Headmistress Beifong holds out the last paper in her hands "Koku!"
"Yes, ma'am"
A small smile curls on her lips.
"100 out of 100"
Bolin whistled, glancing sideways, i saw Jinora smiled at me.
I quietly did a sketch of Korra and Bolin during the 15 minutes break, Korra and Bolin were busy playing those weird games on Korra's iPhone that involve tapping your fingers on the screen. Adding the shadows and the little details on their face, I slipped the sketch on my black clear holder once it's finished. Korra slip her iPhone in her pocket just in time when a teacher walks in.
The middle-aged teacher's name is Tarrlok, our eccentric History and Politics teacher. He prefers the term 'Professor Tarrlok' so much that he refused to answer our question if we address him without the 'professor' part. He boasted about his meeting Toph Beifong when he was a little kid until all the student wasn't even trying to listen to him. Korra yawned unrespectfully, glancing at me before passing me a note, a sentence was written on the paper with her thin and neat handwriting.
'What in the hell he was talking about? I'm bored.'
'Dunno, I don't even bother to listen anymore.'
'Bolin is sleeping'
I turned my heads a little bit to the left, Bolin was clearly snoring.
'I can see that. I wonder if he snores this loud?'
The note goes back and forth rapidly, soon turning into a somewhat interesting activity. Drawing a poop on the paper, I passed it to Korra. She gives the paper to me, the poop now have a pair of eyes and a mouth, with the name 'Tarrlok' written underneath it.
The bell saved us from hearing any of Tarrlok boasting anymore. Shaking Bolin's shoulder to wake him up, he finally open his eyes and rubbed it. Yawned, he puts the textbook back into his backpack. Scratched his head and rubbed his belly, he dragged us into the cafeteria.
We spread out to find our preferred foods for the lunch break. He comes back to our table with a platter full of eggs and sausage, Korra returned soon enough with a large BLT sandwich, taking a big bite of it and chewed.
I grabbed a medium container of salad and a box of apple juice, right before opening it, I noticed a small price tag labelled on it. Checking the price tag, I narrowed my eyes at the price. The salad cost me 20$, and the juice cost me another 5$.
25 dollar for this meager lunch? I bit my lower lip before returning the food back on its place. It's my salary as a waiter for a full week, taking my crushed granola bar from my pocket, I walked back to our table.
Asami and Mako already there, sitting beside Bolin and chatting with each other. I sit down beside Korra, nibbling my granola bar with less appetite. Bolin finished the last of his eggs and sausage, putting the tray on the green basket meant for placing dirty trays. He paid the food at the cashier, picked his wallet out of his pocket and taking a 50 dollar bill.
Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he sat back beside Mako. Looking at my half-finished granola bar, he lifted up his eyebrows questioningly.
"Why don't you buy some more food? Granola bar can't be that filling, am I right?"
Mako, Asami, and Korra focused their attention to me. I answered his question slightly uneasy and embarrassed.
"Well, I don't have that much money...20 dollar for a salad doesn't really worth it for me"
Asami stood up and took a container of pasta, handing the container to me, I refused to accept it at first. I gingerly take it when she said that she will throw the pasta to Lin Beifong if i refuse to take the container. We chatted for a moment.
Our light chatting turn into a gossiping corner after a while. Dragging our seat a bit forward so anyone can't see us.
"That man over there..." Korra pointed a finger to a lean guy with pale skin. "...is Tahno, the member of our baseball team, the Wolfbats...some said that he failed and had to repeat the class 2 times in a row. The guy beside him..." She pointed slightly to the left "...is Hasook, Tahno's sidekick. Don't ever mess with those two, bad things will happen to you"
Mako spoke quietly, making sure the two delinquent didn't hear us talking about them.
"One of the freshmen already moved to another school because of them"
I stared at them, they noticed me staring at both of them. They walked to our table.
Well, crap, I blew our cover
Tahno let out an evil grin.
"Well, well, if it isn't one of the Fire Faggots talking behind our back"
Mako clenched his fist, face straining with rage. Putting my hands on his shoulder, I stood up and give my smartest comeback.
"I wonder who's the faggot here, judging with your bangs and bitch-ass eyeliner"
Hasook slammed his hands on our table, all attention now focused on us.
"Oh, do you mad, my dear baseball player?" Whipping her hair, Korra said with a clear hint of sarcasm.
Cannot contain any of my sassy comeback anymore, I spoke loud and clear, so all the student in cafeteria can hear me.
"You guys on PMS? Need a tampon, gentlemen?"
The whole cafeteria roared in laughter and applause.
I've never seen Bolin laughed so hard in my life. Asami threw his head backward, laughing hard. Tears rolled down Mako and Korra eyes from laughter, Tahno and Hasook face reddens with anger. On the far side of the cafeteria, Jinora stood up and clapped her hands, small smile curled on her lips.
Tahno hissed at me. "You'll pay for this" before walks out the cafeteria.
I never felt this good before.
I ran to Narook's Seaweed Noodlery when school is finally over.
Sliding the wooden door open, I greet Narook before heading to my workstation as a cook and waiter. Narook is a frail old man, nearing 70 years old. He is the owner of this restaurant. Since he's too old to work anymore, his grandson, Leon, helped him to keep the place running. He responded with a warm smile, barely saying a word. I wore my black apron with the symbol of Narook's Noodlery on the chest, I felt a familiar smack on my head when I was tying a red bandana.
Leon is the only people worked in Narook beside me, I remember him on my first day of working as my mentor. He's in the same class with Mako at St. Elijah, Mako and Leon quickly befriended each other when they got paired as a seatmate, Leon upbeat and mischievous personality seems to warm up Mako's stern and serious demeanor.
He smacked me again in the head before greeting me.
"Evening, jerk"
"Good day, asshole" I responded.
He grinned before tackling me and gave my head a noogie. We wrestled for a minute before he released me and stop his noogie, bursting in laughter. He's like a big brother too me, since we both have no siblings. Tossing him an apron and a bandana, he ruffled my hair before preparing the noodles.
Bolin and the other walks in the restaurant when me and Leon were cleaning the tables. Picking a table closest to the kitchen, Mako greet Leon in his workstation
"Four large seaweed noodle with dumpling, Leon. How's your ankle by the way?"
Leon snickered a bit, "still quite hurts, but it's a lot better"
Mako shrugged. "Get well soon, dude, The Fire Ferrets isn't the same without you"
Leon smiled before shouting the orders to me.
"Four large seaweed noodle with dumpling,no scallions, make it fast!"
I took four large bowls from the pantry, putting the green seaweed noodles evenly, then pouring a clear and steaming broth on the noodles, adding four dumplings for each bowls, I put the noodle filled bowls on top of a plastic tray. Leon took the tray and put it on Mako's table.
I heard a few slurps of noodles, peeking from the kitchen, I saw Asami bit the dumpling, Bolin slurping the noodles, Korra is stuffing her mouth with dumplings.
Korra took a sip of the complimentary green tea. "Too bad Koku can't join us, he'll love this noodle"
Asami and Bolin nodded in agreement.
Before Leon pointed them that I was in the restaurant kitchen, I walk to Korra and ask her in a waiter's tone.
"Need a tampon with that, miss?"
Korra coughed, sputtering a few tea leaves.
"Koku?"
Bolin ordered a second bowl of noodle. "I didn't know you work here"
"Just started last year" Taking his empty noodle bowl into the sink, I cleaned the plate. Turning the sink on and letting a stream of water cleans the remaining broth, I squirt a small amount of soap on the bowl, then i cleaned the bowl with a sponge.
Leon grinned at Mako before throwing a strand of noodle at my face. "Koku's a total jerk"
Brushing off the noodle strand, I swiped my hands to his direction, water sprayed everywhere, I told Mako the same thing. "Leon's an asshole"
We both laughed, Narook even smiled a little.
Asami talks once we all stopped laughing. "We planned a sleepover tonight, my place, you guys can join us if you want"
I don't mind spending a night, beside, our school have a "Halloween Break" for three days. So I nod and agree to come. Leon can't come, though, he had an appointment with a doctor later at night.
"Have fun!" He shouted at us.
Bolin shout back. "We'll see you later, Leon!"
I get into Asami's car, sitting at the back with Korra and Bolin. Asami put's on a CD, blasting the volume up high, we all sing along the music.
Woke up on the right side of the bed
What's up with this Prince song inside my head?
Hands up if you're down to get down tonight
Cuz it's always a good time.
Slept in all my clothes like I didn't care
Hopped into a cab, take me anywhere
I'm in if you're down to get down tonight
Cuz it's always a good time
Good morning and good night
I wake up at twilight
It's gonna be alright
We don't even have to try
It's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
It's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.
Freaked out, dropped my phone in the pool again
Checked out of my room hit the ATM
Let's hang out if you're down to get down tonight
Cuz it's always a good time
Good morning and good night
I wake up at twilight
It's gonna be alright...we don't even have to try
It's always a good time.
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
It's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
It's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.
Doesn't matter when
It's always a good time then
Doesn't matter where
It's always a good time there
Doesn't matter when,
It's always a good time then
It's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
It's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
We don't even have to try, it's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
It's always a good time
Woah-oh-oh-oh Woah-oh-oh-oh
We don't even have to try, it's always a good time.
Stopping down a big mansion, Asami parked the car on the garage, A butler opened the front door.
Asami's house is huge, crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, lighting the room with a kaleidoscope of colours. Marble pillars lined the room, a grand looking staircase ascended up to the second floor.
Man, if i broke anything on Asami's house, it'll take my whole life just to repair a small part of it.
Asami led us upstairs to the theater room, holding a bunch of DVD's, she picked mostly horror films, Cabin in the Woods, The Ring, Woman in Black, and few other horror films that I can't remember. Asami also picked the funny ones to counter the horror films, such as Ted, and Shrek 3.
She darkens the room and handing each of us a blanket. Sitting between Mako and Bolin, I regretted it as soon as the first horror film start. Bolin keeps breathing in my neck, sending shivers running down my spine, while Mako keeps shocking me with yelling at the scariest part of the films. Covering up to my mouth with a blanket, I tuck my feet in the blanket to warms it.
Cabin in the Woods isn't as scary as it looks, with a weird ending, we picked another DVD.
We watched all the horror films before picking Ted for our next film, it brightens our mood a little, the ending is heartbreaking. Korra wiped out a tear, Asami sighed once the movie ends.
We leave the theatre room when the films ends, half-scared from the horror films earlier, but mostly tired. I shared a room with Mako and Bolin, while Asami and Korra slept just beside our room.
Sitting at the bed, I took off my shoes and socks before laying on the soft mattress, head rested on white and fluffy pillows. The blankets were thick and keeps me warm, very different from the worn out blanket I used to wear. Bolin took off his shoes and jumped on the bed, landing spread eagle before getting in the blanket. I let the humming sound of the air conditioner lull me to sleep, barely noticing a shift in the bed when Mako slumped on the bed.
There goes chapter two! I'll add more chapter soon...again, sorry for the messed up grammar! And i changed Jinora age to create more...interesting things on my story :D
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra, all credit goes to Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino.
