We're only two days away from the Christmas Party and everyone is very anxious. Well…everyone who participated in Mako's Spirit Week, that is. No one knows who's in the lead anymore and the mystery is really causing tension between Baatar and Ginger.
For all we know, they may not even be the winner. But good luck telling them that.
As I try to update site, I notice I'm blocked from adding customization. I been working around the denied access for a few days now, but this has gone too far! I need to customize the page! I'm an artist! Not being able to edit the template, is just unbearable.
I look around, take a quick pic of the code, and send the image to Varrick.
Varrick and I used to work together, back when I was at Future Industries. When it comes to computers, he's a prodigy. He can even hack systems, but that's not the point right now! I need to get to the bottom of this.
Sure, I could walk up to my boss and let him know about my problem. But in all honesty, he won't do anything. Want to know why? It's because he's the problem. Ever since my Father and his meeting, Mako seems to be back in his old ways.
Which isn't surprising. You can be fake, for ever so long. Maybe his uneasiness is from Korra's upcoming fight. Her big match against Azula is only a few days away. Korra has been training almost every single day now. We only speak through via text messages.
Despite how stressful the fight maybe be on someone, she's still positive.
When we text, it's like she doesn't have the fight to defend her title, at all. I guess, that's how most people cope, when it comes to situations like the one she's in.
But to the world and the people that care about her, the fight is all we think about.
Almost half the office purchased their tickets, to see the match already. I didn't have to buy tickets, because Korra gave me a few for free, even did the most, by signing them. I'm positive that she will do well. It's just that Azula girl, that bothers me.
It's like every channel I watch, it's a commercial of Azula trash talking Korra. Sometimes I find myself wanting to fight her, myself. But once this whole match is over, everything will be back to normal.
It hasn't even been 2 minutes yet, when I get a reply from the one and only.
Varrick- That's some trippy work! Meet me at Dunkin' Doughnuts in 10 mins.
Is he crazy? I have a job!
Asami- I can't. I'm working.
Varrick- Meet me in 10 mins. End of discussion.
Before I could reply. The messages instantly disappear.
Did he just hack my phone? This is an Apple product? Then again…. I did say Varrick could penetrate any system.
I shut my laptop and look around.
I see my boss in his office, playing trash basketball. Which he's losing, by the way. I roll my chair into Baatar's cubicle.
"Hey?"
My greeting startles him.
"Must you sneak up on people like that?" he asks, pausing his 'How to Dye Your Hair Green Tutorial' video.
"Why are you drying your hair?" I ask.
"For the Christmas Party Duhh?" he replies, like I was supposed to know that.
"Are you supposed to be a Christmas Tree?" I tease.
"Haha, very funny. I'm supposed to be the one, making the jokes here. Get it? Like... Joker?" He replies.
"Sureeee? I need you to cover for me."
"Why?"
"I need to meet someone real quick and they can't meet me on my lunch break."
"I don't know…..that sounds like a big job."
"Baatar, please. I'll do anything." I beg.
"Alright. I'll do it. Since you're my friend."
"Thank you, so much!"
"Welcome. Just tell Kuvira I'll pick her up at 6 for the party."
*Record scratch*
"Um, No."
"Good luck meeting your friend then." He replies, returning to his video.
I need to meet Varrick! He wouldn't request to meet me in person, If the information I sent him wasn't relevant or important!
I turn my friend's chair around.
"Even if I do ask. You know, she will say no."
"You don't know that!"
I do know that! Everyone knows that! Kuvira can't stand Baatar! There is no way, she will agree!
I look at the time on his laptop and I have 7 min to get there.
"Alright, I'll try." I blurt out, making my annoying friend blow a kiss at me.
"That's all I need. Carry on my Dear."
"Why are you like this?"
"If you're good at something, never do it for free." he replies, with a creepy smile, to add.
I enter the pastry shop and see Varrick sitting in the corner, looking through a newspaper.
I smile and walk over to my old friend.
"Hey."
Varrick, puts down his newspaper.
"Buy a dozen doughnuts. 4 glazed, 2 chocolate frosted with sprinkles, 1 lemon crème, 2 strawberry frosted, and 4 chocolate frosted."
"Umm that's 13 doughnuts." I reply.
"Yes. Let the server correct you. Then come back with the doughnuts."
"Do you want an extra doughnut to the side?" I ask, trying to understand if that's what he meant, by having a total of 13 doughnuts.
"Stop talking to me. You don't know me!" he yells.
Varrick has always been a bit off, but this is, straight weird.
I slowly walk up to the counter.
"Hello, can I have? 4 glazed, 2 chocolate frosted with sprinkles, 1 lemon crème, 2 strawberry frosted, and 3 chocolate frosted."
The teenage girl smiles and puts in my order.
"One dozen coming right up!"
There is a loud groan, coming from the back booth and Varrick holds up one finger, causing me to groan myself.
I return my attention back to the girl and smile.
"Can I get one more chocolate frosted please?" I add.
"You want a separate chocolate frosted?"
"No, I want it added to the dozen."
The girl's look of confusion, matches my heart these past few weeks.
"So….. you want me to take off one of the doughnuts you have so far?" she asks.
"No, just correct me."
"Excuse me, Miss?"
This is ridiculous! What is the point of all of this?
"Nevermind. Forget the extra chocolate frosted doughnut." I reply, no longer having the patience for Varrick.
She nods.
"Alright. One dozen coming right up."
I take my receipt and wait for the girl to get the assorted doughnuts together.
After leaving a generous tip, for the girl dealing with Varrick's tactics. I grab the doughnut and sit down in the booth.
"Did you get everything?" he asks.
"Yes!"
"Great, I needed you to stall, so I could get into their sever."
"WHY?"
"I wanted them to make a Halloween themed doughnut." He whines.
"Are you serious? You could have done that without me!"
Varrick grabs a glazed doughnut and shoves it into his mouth.
"Yeahh, but I like scenarios and decoys. Now about your code of a jig."
"Yes, what did you find?" I ask, anxiously.
Varrick opens his laptop.
"Do you have the flash drive?"
"Yes."
I hand Cyberchase the drive and he input it into his usb port.
"Hmm."
"What?"
"Hmmm interesting."
"What Varrick?" I ask, growing inpatient.
He turns his laptop around, so I can read his screen and I'm astounded.
There are at least 12 pages worth of negative reviews on his screen.
"Oh my Gosh! Is this real?"
"Very so. Basically, who ever wanted this code, wanted to hide negative reviews." He replies.
I knew he was too good to be true. Mako didn't change at all. He went from ignoring and deleting bad reviews, to not giving our customers a voice at all!
"Why would he even make this? I understand disabling comments, but putting up a false site, to fool our customers, is just evil!"
"All I can say is. Whoever made this software, is brilliant. A genius had to create such art. " Varrick adds, eating another doughnut.
There is no way my boss is smart enough, to come up with such code.
"Can you track who made this?" I ask.
"Of course. You're looking at him."
"What? You did this?"
"Duuhhh, I told you it had to take a genius to make this."
"Why would you do this?"
"Because the guy was paying me good money, for a baby task."
"Do you do this for Future Industries?"
Varrick's glare, answers my question.
"Of course not. Everyone loves your Father and his company. We rarely get bad reviews. Also your Father would never request something like this to be done. But your company did and truthfully your company sounds like a scam and that's coming from a scammer."
As Varrick sucks the life, out of his lemon crème doughnut. I take all of this in.
This has gone too far. I'm talking to Mako, regardless of how he may feel. There will be no more of silent Asami. I tried so hard to give him time, so he could correct his mistakes, but wrong is wrong.
"Asami, You can't tell your boss we met."
I nod, collecting my flash drive back.
"Of course. I'll find a way to go about this conversation, without bringing you up."
"Thank you."
I'm just about to grab a doughnut, when I feel nothing inside the box.
"You ate them all?"
"They weren't that great." He replies, wiping his mouth.
"Special Halloween order for Rick." The Dunkin' Doughnuts employee, calls out.
"Great! I love your doughnuts. He replies with a grin.
I decided to wait till after the Christmas Party, to confront .
Yes, I called him by his last name. Because the name 'Mako' is too friendly, and we aren't friends. We will never be!
I also don't want any tension during the party. Let alone, Korra's big match. Until both are over, I have to pretend I'm the dumb worker, he always saw me as.
The moment I open my apartment door. I'm hit with a pillow.
"What the fuck? " Kuvira yells, hitting me again.
I put my purse down and grab the closest thing near me, which happens to be a lamp shade.
I block each hit with my only form of protection.
"Kuvira, what are you doing?"
"Shut the fuck up! You know what you did!"
"What did I do?"
"You told Baatar I was going to that dumb Christmas party of yours!"
I drop the lamp shade and she glares at me trying to collect her breath.
"Let me explain, Ku."
"Oohhh, don't call me that. That's what my best friend calls me, not a traitor."
"It's not a date. He just wants you there." I defend.
"You got me dressing up for a party! You know I hate dressing up!"
"You don't' have to 'dress up'. You can wear whatever you want." I defend, again.
Kuvira continues to glare at me.
"Please, just give it a chance. You don't have to be with him the whole time. He just wants you there. You and I can have fun as well. That's why I wanted you to come."
"Really?"
"Totally. I miss you Kuvira. Sure we live together, but we both work and we don't chill as often."
She takes a seat on the couch.
"You're right. I miss us as well. I hope you don't feel like I'm replacing you with Opal." She tease.
"Not at all, I like her. Better yet, she can come to the party too." I suggest.
"No, that's too much. This is supposed to be our moment."
"It's fine. I want you to have another person there, so you can dodge Baatar. Me alone, will be too obvious " I tease, making the both of us laugh.
" I thought you only had one ticket?"
"Well… If you be Baatar's guest and use his ticket. I could give Opal my extra ticket."
"That does sound like a good idea. Baatar, wants us to match for the party, so maybe I could go shopping with him and get the ticket then. Do you want to tag along with us, so you can get your outfit?"
I sit beside my best friend.
"I already ordered my outfit for the party, last week."
"Wow, it must be amazing if you had to order it."
"Yes, I'm looking forward to wearing it. It certainly will turn heads." I tease.
"Like Two face?" she tease.
"I guess." Not understand my friend's reference.
Little does Asami know that it's not a normal Christmas party. It's a superhero/villain party.
Hints why, Baatar was looking up a green hair tutorial. He's going as the Joker and Kuvira's going as Harley Quin. Funny how, everyone got the memo, except Asami…
Any suggestions on what Korra and Mako should be? Let me know, seriously. I can't start the next chapter without knowing.