She's been locked in the bathroom for two hours now; shivering, moaning on the floor, biting her nails to keep from crying out.
She ignores their worried calls, disregards each pounding, paranoid knock that vibrates all the way to her and pulses through her shin. She groans, and pushes her cheek against the cold-tiled floor once more.
As long as it isn't his voice calling her name, aren't his delicately, smooth knuckles rapping on the door, maybe she can tune it all out.
The two sheets of last month's and this mouth's calendar are crumpled strips all over the floor, bits clogging the toilet. Empty water bottles litter the garbage can. Her underwear is clenched in her hands, somehow still unbelievably clean. No specks of red dot the lining, despite the date the once in-tacked calender states, or how many times she frantically counts on her fingers.
She tries once more; slowly unfurling her fingers from the floor, and pushing herself up on her elbows.
She moves each digit up in tune with her counting.
"One...Two...T-three..."
"Korra? Are you okay in there?" Bolin's voice.
"...F-four...f...five... Six..."
She bites her tongue, hard.
The door echoes like a drum in her ears.
"Korra...?" the boy's voice drips concern that makes her heart ach, "Please come out. You're really worrying us. Are you sick? Want me to get Miss Pema?"
"Seven...eight...n-nine...ten...e-elev..." she swallows back a glob in her throat, "eleven."
Eleven days.
"Korra? Please..."
Then, another shuffle, and two more feet sticking out from the crack underneath the door.
"Hey, Bo. It's okay, let me talk to her, alright?"
A sigh; "Yeah, okay. Maybe she'll listen to you." then, in a quiet voice, whispering, "She keeps on counting. I don't know why. It's weird."
The first pair of feet leave, and his voice sounds on the other side.
"Hey, Kor. It's me. Can I come in, please?"
She instantly springs up from her position on the floor, and slams her foot on the toilet handle, creating a swirling typhoon of water and paper.
"U-um..." she clears her throat, "Hey, Mako...I-No. No I'm fine, really."
His brows furrow, but she can't see his face, "You sure? You don't sound fine to me. It's okay if you're sick; just tell me. Wan't some soup or something?"
"No thank's! Um, I'm just gonna take a shower or something! I'll be down soon, City Boy." She rubs a hand across her blotchy face, tears drying on her hands, and frantically re-creates her hair into its normal three pony-tails.
"Kor..." a weary sigh, and slight thump on the door that she knows is his head now leaning against it, "Why are you doing this? You know I can tell when something is wrong..."
She downs another bottle of water, letting it drip down her chin, gulping frantically.
"I said nothing's wrong!" she calls, "Can't the Avatar take a shower without being scrutinized?"
"Maybe, if she hadn't locked herself in here for two hours before hand, ignoring everyone and crying, with the water yet to be turned on." his voice is gentle, but makes her wince.
Even when trying to be comforting, he was always so blunt.
Just for that, she runs over to the shower, and fiercely twists the handle, omitting the hissing buzz of water and steam into the room.
She can hear his snort, "Should have known you were gonna do that...Whatever it is, you can tell me, you know."
Her hands absent-mindedly rub her tender stomach.
No.
She ruffles the shower curtains and turns the water up more.
Then, she goes over the to sink, and rips open the box containing the little stick.
In slow motion, she goes over to the toilet with the stick in hand, and pulls her pants down.
She puts the stick in-between her legs, and holds her breath.
Then, listens as the metal tip gets wet, the water running out of her.
"Korra?"
And she sits there in silence, counting off a minute in her head until-
Ding!
She takes the stick out, and opens her eyes.
.
.
.
Negitive.
.
Crumpling to the floor in relief, she sputters out prayers, "Oh, dear Spirits thank you! Aang, oh, dear agni, I'm only seventeen, thank you! Thank you! Dear, Yue, Ta and La..."
"Korra! You are so not taking a shower! Please, open up or I'll..."
"Coming!" she pulls up her pants and fixes her face, turning the water off.
She burns the stick, and its box until they are ash in her hands.
Yanking open the door, she finds him there with a very confused look on his face.
"What were you doing in there? Sheesh, I was about to burn the door down!"
"No need to be so negative, City Boy. All though, I do appreciate the gesture."
He blinks, "So...you're really okay...? I was getting worried..."
"Positive." she says with a devilish smile.
"Um..Okay...B-but why were you-"
She waves him off, "C'mon, I'm starving. Let's go get something to eat!"
"I..okay!" he blinks in surprise and lets her lead him away with a goofy smile on his face, completely unaware that both thier worlds nearly went crashing down.
Only for him, she thinks, Dear, Spirits, only for him...
