After lunch Korra and Bolin dropped me off at home, promising they'd bring Mako some time tonight. Mother was waiting for me in the kitchen. "How was lunch?" She asked gently. There were dark purple rings under her eyes, and I was the reason they were there. We always used to be close, and since they told me I was adopted I barely spoke a word to Mother.
I don't know what came over me, but I ran up and grabbed her in a hug, the top of my head just under her chin. "I'm so sorry," I said, stifling my tears.
She hugged back, one of those long hugs that you could only get from a mother. "No, Shai, I'm sorry."
Mother gave me a peck on my cheek, making me realize how much I had missed my mother. I went upstairs to take a shower, letting the steam build up in the tiny bathroom as I went over the events of today in my mind. Bolin and I could actually have a sibling relationship, which was more then I could ever ask for. I washed up, using one towel to wrap around my hair and one around my body. Wiping the steam off the mirror, I looked at myself.
"You look a lot like our mother."
My face was slender with high cheek bones, and my hair was thick and black. I couldn't help but wonder what she looked like. Finally, my eyes made contact in the mirror. They were this strange aqua color. Not exactly green, but not really blue either. It was what really separated me from Mako or Bolin, what made me stand out.
Once in my bedroom I changed clothes and started to wrap my hands and wrists with blue gauze when I heard a knock on my window. Oh was out there balancing on the large branch that reached over and stopped right in front of my window. I opened the window, letting my neighbor inside. "Shai!" He called, tumbling into my room. He was an awkward boy, with long lanky arms and legs. He had brown hair that stood up in every direction.
"Hey, Oh," I greeted. "Haven't seen you in a few days. What's up?"
He smiled. "Nothing with me, but hey did I see Avatar Korra over here a few hours ago?"
I nodded. "She came with Bolin, from the Fire Ferrets.
His eyes grew wide, his smile spreading to a grin from a ear to ear. "You lucky turtle-duck! You met the Avatar Korra! And Bolin! Oh boy, did you get your autographs? Did you meet Mako? Can you to take me to meet them? Why were they here? Oh boy, oh boy, oh-"
"Oh!"
He stopped, dazed. "What?"
"Do you not remember what I told you a week ago?" I demanded.
He stared at his feet, trying to remember. Since he got in a car accident a year ago his memory was never the same, and I felt bad when I would lose my patience with him about it. "I remember," He said suddenly quieter. "So you confronted them?"
"Sorta." I sat on my bed, continuing to wrap my arm with gauze as I filled him in over what's happened the past two days.
When I finished, he asked, "So you're going to explain the rest tonight?" I nodded. "And you still didn't get their autographs?" He joked, half serious. I slugged him on the shoulder.
After dinner I was in the basement waiting for them to show up. Mother told me she would wait in the living room and let me know when they get here.
Jab, right-upper hook, cross
I went over my boxing skills, slowing my mind down and focusing on that. I twisted my core with my hits, cause the bag to start swinging. I was down there for hours, and eventually I came upstairs and decided to sit next to Mother on the couch and listen to the radio with her. We listened to the slow music they played and then to the announcers conversing about Avatar Korra joining the Fire Ferrets until I fell asleep with my head resting on Mother's lap.
"I was up all night," Mother said, obviously tired from lack of sleep. It had been two nights without any sign of Bolin, Mako, or Korra. "They never came."
I gripped the hem of my shirt, grinding my teeth in frustration. My imagination came up with a million excuses for Bolin and Korra, but none of them calmed me down any. Mother tried reassuring me, laying a hand on my shoulder and saying, "Don't worry, they'll come back." She then disappeared upstairs to get some sleep. Father, who sat at the kitchen table reading the new paper, said nothing.
I groaned in frustration, and headed back downstairs. I started hitting the punching bag, and eventually added some kicks in the mix. It wasn't until I was soaked in sweat did I go upstairs to my room. I debated going to Oh's, but thought better of it. His mother was such a happy woman, and although sometimes it was nice, most of the times it got on my nerves.
Instead I got some lunch from the small bakeries down the street and had a late breakfast at a park not too far from the Pro-bending Arena. I sat in the grass nibbling on a little pastry with pink icing. Though my body was tired from boxing, my mind was frustrated still. If only I could run for days and not think about things. A small run did tempt me, but my body just felt worn out. Despite how many hours of sleep I got, I woke up even more tired then before.
In the distance I noticed a big white figure leaning up against a tree, and started to walk towards it. Near the fountain, the white figure turned out to be Naga, with Avatar Korra and Mako asleep, leaning against one another. Gently, I shook Korra's shoulder until she woke up which woke Mako as well. They both blushed. "Hey, Shai," Korra said. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same thing," I said. "Hi, Mako."
Mako looked away from me, making my body go stiff and annoying me. "Where's Bolin?" I asked.
Korra frowned, her face clear with worry. "Bolin's been kidnapped."