A/N:

And here you go!

A love interest was eliminated in this chapter. Read on to find out who!

Korra's jaw dropped.

Asami's house was huge.

Korra had been aware that Asami was well off, of course. The whole school knew about her racing. But she hadn't gotten the message that her friend was this well off.

She tentatively parked her crappy car in the long driveway and then made her way to the front door. A middle aged woman opened the door before Korra could even ring the doorbell.

"Are you Asami's friend?" the woman asked, a polite smile on her face.

Korra quickly nodded.

The woman stepped aside and gestured for Korra to enter. "She's upstairs in her bedroom. I'm Moira, the housekeeper."

Korra thanked the housekeeper politely, taking note of her bottled red hair. But she seemed nice enough, if a little odd.

She darted up the stairs, following the sound of pop music in order to find Asami's bedroom. She knocked, but didn't wait for an answer before walking in.

Asami was stretched across her bed, laptop set up before her. The long haired girl looked up at Korra and grinned. "Hey!"

"Hey, yourself." Korra plopped down in one of the cushy armchairs in the corner of Asami's room. Then she took it upon herself to gaze around.

Everything in Asami's room was expensive. A nice, flat screen television hung against the wall, and below it was every blu-ray imaginable. Nice, pristine looking speakers were in the other corner of the room. That was where the music was coming from. The closet door was wide open, and Korra didn't have to see the clothes and accessories inside to know that they were all designer.

"Your room is pretty awesome," Korra remarked, quirking an eyebrow at Asami.

The other girl smiled. "Thanks."

An awkward silence fell over the pair. Finally, Korra sighed. "What happened Friday night? You just disappeared. Iroh ended up coming and getting me, and that was only because of Mako." Korra narrowed her blue gaze. "I had to rely on Mako to find me a ride." She crossed her arms over her chest and stared down her friend.

Asami openly winced. She shut her laptop and gave Korra an apologetic look. "Actually, that's why I asked you to come by. So I could explain."

"Explain away."

"Okay, so you know when you went to get your cup refilled for the third time?"

Korra wrinkled her nose and nodded. Just thinking about that punch was making her stomach roll.

"Well, while you were gone I might have accidentally drunk dialed my house."

"You what?"

Asami couldn't even look at her. "Not one of my finer moments. Moira, our housekeeper, picked up. Anyway, she immediately told my dad that I was at some party, so she looked up the tracker on my phone and then came and got me."

Korra blinked. "Your dad has you tracked?"

Asami cringed. "He's a bit over protective. But Moira found me while you were in the bathroom. So, that's what happened."

Korra shook her head a little bit. "Yesterday, after I woke up on Iroh's couch with a hangover, I remembered that you'd disappeared on me. I just wanted to know that you were okay."

Asami's pretty green eyes twinkled a little bit. "I'm okay." She frowned. "Yesterday was awful, though. I was so hungover it was ridiculous. But my dad still made me get up and drive over to the track."

Korra gave her friend a horrified look. "That sucks."

"Yeah…" Then Asami sat up and slipped off her bed before throwing her arms out wide. "Sorry for ditching you, Korra. But I know just how to make it up to you!"

For some reason, Korra felt a little apprehensive. "Oh, yeah?"

"You're birthday is coming up very soon—"

"How did you know that?"

"I might have Facebook stalked you. Anyway, your birthday is coming up and…wait for it…we should throw the party here!"

Korra almost laughed. "No way."

Asami's adorable face fell so quickly that it was almost comical. "But…but why?"

Korra shrugged one shoulder. "I haven't had a birthday party thrown in my honor since I was four."

Asami looked appalled. "Oh my god, Korra, that is the saddest thing I've ever heard! We're throwing you a party. That's that."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Ugh, you're going to fight me on this, aren't you?"

"Yep."

"Fine."

Asami rushed forward and flung her arms around Korra's shoulders, pulling her flush against her body. Korra's first impulse was to pull away, but instead she calmed her body and relaxed into Asami's embrace. It was…nice. Asami smelled good, like lavender.

When the other girl pulled back her green eyes roamed over Korra appreciatively.

Hmm. Interesting.

Bolin cornered her after practice the next day.

He stood in front of her silently while she tied on her sneakers.

"So," he said. "How good are you at sneaking around?"

Korra froze mid tie. She glanced up at Bolin curiously. "Why?"

Bolin bit his bottom lip to keep himself from grinning too obnoxiously. "Because Mako and I were thinking of doing a little spying. Well, I was thinking of doing a little spying. Mako would just be driving."

The next thing Korra knew, she was belting out Celine Dion along with Bolin in the back of Mako's car.

Mako looked completely put out. "Can you two shut up?" he exclaimed.

This only caused Bolin and Korra to sing even louder.

When the song ended, Korra grasped Bolin's shoulder before ruffling his hair. "This is going to be fun!" she said in excitement. "I mean, stupid Tahno spies on us with his friends all the time."

To her dismay, Bolin pulled away from her touch, the smile leaving his eyes. "Yeah," he agreed, pretending as if nothing was wrong, "it's time for the Wolf Bats to get a taste of their own medicine."

A huff came from the driver's seat. "And who's to say that the Wolf Bats' practice isn't already over? Or, maybe they don't even have practice today? Did either of you even consider that?"

Korra snorted. "Don't be such a party pooper, Jaws."

Confusion crossed over the side of Mako's face that Korra could see. "Jaws?"

"You know, Jaws. Like the shark. Because you're a mako shark." She giggled at her own wit and Bolin shook his head in amusement.

"Oh, haha. Because I've never heard that one before," Mako snapped in irritation. "You're very clever."

Korra smiled brightly at him. "I know, Jaws."

Mako frowned deeply, but didn't say anything else.

Eventually Korra and Bolin were drawn into a discussion about cartoons where Bolin proceeded to wax poetic about Adventure Time.

Korra nodded along, filing away names like Princess Bubblegum and Finn into her memory, when Mako pulled the car into the rival high school across town's parking lot.

Everyone reached for the door handles' before pausing.

"Are we really doing this?" Mako asked one last time, voice resigned.

Bolin and Korra caught each other's gaze and nodded simultaneously. "Definitely," they both said in unison.

"I knew this was going to happen," Mako spat out.

The football field was completely empty. The two scoreboards at each end of the field were emblazoned with GO WOLF BATS. Korra rubbed her arms as she gazed at them, wishing that she'd brought her sweatshirt.

"In my defense," Bolin began, "I've heard from several reliable sources that the Wolf Bats practice at this time—"

"Clearly not reliable enough."

Mako, Korra, and Bolin whirled around to see Tahno and one of his lackeys standing behind them. Tahno looked distinctly amused, but his friend looked severely pissed off.

"Thought you'd spy on us?" the lackey snarled.

Korra took a bold step forward. "Well, why not? You guys watch our practices all the time!"

The lackey opened his mouth to retort, but Tahno raised a hand and effectively silenced him. "The girl has a point," he said smoothly, stepping forward. "However, we at least have the intelligence not to be directly caught in the act."

Korra scoffed. "So, you discovered us. What are you going to do about it?"

Tahno smirked and gave her an obvious look over. "I can think of a few ways to punish you."

Korra's mouth fell open and Mako and Bolin both instantly stepped in front of her.

Tahno, however, didn't look at all threatened. He continued to address Korra. "How was your hangover Saturday morning? You were pretty wasted at that party Friday night."

Korra crossed her arms underneath her breasts and glared at him. "I was perfectly fine, no thanks to you."

Tahno opened his mouth to say something else when Mako cut him off. "Shut the hell up, Tahno. No one cares about what you have to say." He took a step toward the exit. "Come on, guys. We're leaving."

Tahno laughed out loud. "Can't have a man to man chat with me? You've always been a little bitch, on and off the field."

Mako froze mid step before slowing angling his body back toward Tahno, fury written across his face. "What the fuck did you just say to me?"

Tahno quirked an eyebrow, causally popping his knuckles. "Did I stutter?"

The two boys were on each other in an instant. Korra immediately moved forward, intent on stopping the fight before it got to vicious, but Bolin wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her backward.

"Let me go!" she cried out, clawing at his arm with her blunt fingernails.

"Let them duke it out," Bolin instructed. "This is how guys let out tension. They need to do this."

But Korra disagreed. She might not like either guy all that much (or maybe she liked each of them a whole lot) but she couldn't just stand around and watch them beat the crap out of each other.

It was stupid.

She finally managed to wriggle out of Bolin's grip and dart forward, aiming on getting between the two boys. But Tahno's lackey grabbed her ponytail and yanked her back before she could get too close. She let out a sharp cry of pain and the fight stopped.

"Let go of her!"

Korra wasn't sure which boy had shouted it, but the lackey quickly released her ponytail at the commanding tone.

That was when Bolin physically picked her up and started walking away. "Come on, Korra. Let's go get a soda!"

Korra glared down at her Pepsi. "Fighting is stupid," she grumbled.

Bolin shrugged and sipped his Mountain Dew. "I don't know. Sometimes you just gotta punch stuff. It's a dude thing."

Korra made a face and silence descended on the duo once more. They were out in the parking lot, leaning up against Mako's car.

Korra was suddenly reminded of their kiss. She looked at Bolin out of the corner of her eye and frowned. He seemed lost in thought.

Cautiously, she reached out for his hand, hoping to be able to hold it for a few seconds in order to gauge his reaction. But as soon as her fingers brushed his he yanked his hand back. Korra looked away, a disappointed and hurt feeling curling in the pit of her stomach.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I thought you liked me."

Bolin reached out as if to touch her before letting his arm drop to his side. "I did. I do. But…"

"But what?"

Bolin sighed. "I'm pretty sure Mako likes you."

Korra's blood went cold. "Huh?"

Bolin was starting at the blacktop, unable to look at her. "Mako doesn't like girls all that often. He's always too concerned with other things, like his schoolwork, the team, and making sure that I'm taken care of." Bolin's gaze drifts briefly to hers. "I think my brother likes you. You get under his skin, but I think that you could make each other happy. My brother deserves to be happy."

Korra had never seen Bolin so serious. She swallowed thickly and bit her bottom lip in confusion. "That's…that's a lot to process, Bo."

Bolin gave her a sad smile, but before he can say anything else Mako limped up the driver's side of the car. He was sporting a black eye, and his jaw was badly bruised.

"How'd it go?" Bolin asked, a note of concern in his voice.

"Tahno is an asshole," Mako breathed. Then he shook his head. "But we're cool now. He told me to swing by the coffee shop sometime and he'd get me something for free." He unlocked the car and gingerly eased himself inside. Bolin followed suit, leaving Korra still standing outside of the car, gaping like an idiot.

Were all boys this strange?

Later on that night Korra was attempting to finish up her math homework when a number she didn't recognize called her cell phone. She answered it, against her better judgment.

"Hello?"

"Sweetheart."

Korra nearly dropped her pencil. "How the hell did you get my number?"

Tahno chuckled. "I have my ways."

"You're such a creeper," she spat out.

"Then hang up on me."

To her utter shock, she didn't.

"That's what I thought." He sounded amused.

"What do you want?"

"To apologize for earlier."

"No, seriously, what do you want?"

He actually sounded impassioned. "The idiot that I was with never should have put his hands on you."

Korra rubbed her scalp absentmindedly. "It wasn't a big deal, honestly. Tensions were high, and all that."

"Well, it bothers me when people touch things that I like."

Korra stiffened, gaze frozen on her math problems. But none of them were registering inside of her head. "Um—"

"Let me make it up to you."

"Er, that's okay." But the thing was, she kind of found herself wanting him to.

"Come by the coffee shop on Thursday."

"And what if I don't?"

She could see his smirk easily. "You'll regret it if you don't."

Then he hung up.

After a long, brutal evening of serving annoying customers, The Jasmine Dragon was closed for the night. Korra was wiping down all of the tables with a wet rag, trying her hardest to not keel over and fall asleep on the floor. She was that tired.

Iroh suddenly appeared behind her. His body was close, perhaps a little too close to be considered appropriate. This didn't bother Korra at all.

"How'd you do on your tips?" he asked inquisitively.

Korra shrugged. "Can't complain."

Iroh nodded. He watched her for a moment, looking like he was about to ask her something else, when Tu Lee came out from the kitchen. The older girl sighed and stretched her arms over her head, sticking out her chest in the process.

Korra forced herself not to roll her eyes.

"I can't wait to collapse into my bed," Tu Lee said, voice breathy.

Out of the corner of her eye, Korra saw Iroh nod.

"We're all tired, so I think we can all agree."

Tu Lee smiled at him before looking in Korra's direction. "I just feel sorry for Korra, since she has school in the morning. You're what, a sophomore in high school?"

"Senior," both Iroh and Korra corrected at the same time.

"I'll be eighteen soon," Korra added quickly.

Tu Lee nodded, clearly not that interested. "Then you won't be jailbait anymore."

Iroh suddenly coughed loudly. "Yeah, won't that be nice," he said. His statement was meant to be casual, but Korra caught something else in his voice.

Korra furrowed her eyebrows. Could that have been anticipation?

Half an hour later the shop was clean for the night, and both Korra and Tu Lee waited for Iroh to finish counting the drawers so that they could all walk to their cars together.

Barely able to keep her eyes open, Korra said goodbye to her two coworkers. She didn't notice how Iroh's golden eyes lingered on her backside as she walked away.

Instead, she was more concerned with the fact that Howl was leaning up against her car, waiting for her.

A/N:

The love interest eliminated in this chapter was Bolin. He lost by only one vote. So remember, voting is insanely important!

A Few Simple Voting Rules

— Anonymous votes will not be accepted. I cannot stress this enough! No anonymous votes! I still got a bunch of anonymous votes for the last chapter. Once again, if you vote anonymously then your vote will not be accepted! Guys, it literally takes seconds to log in, and only minutes to create an account! I don't want to see anyone's vote get overlooked because of this!

—You can only vote for one person. If you're indecisive like me, then I do apologize.

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—To keep things organized for me, I'm putting in place a cutoff date for voting after each chapter. So, for this specific chapter you may vote up until October 6th. That way I have time to figure out how the next chapter is going to go without new people voting and constantly tilting the scales.

A reminder of Korra's love interests:

Asami

Mako

Tahno

Iroh

Sorry that this update took so long! I've been really busy as of late, which isn't usual for me. But I guess it's a nice change of pace. I hope everyone enjoyed this installment and REMEMBER TO VOTE!

Have a great weekend!

ALSO, BONUS POINTS for anyone who knows where Moira, the housekeeper, is from!