"I asked for where you are Riona? And your car's gone too. I thought I told you not to leave this house." I guess plan C will come in handy after all.
I reach for the back seat in search of the clothes I stashed there with my phone pressed between my shoulder and my ear.
"Umm I just stepped out for a quick drive. Why are you at home?"
"I forgot my phone in the kitchen. And this is not about me, this is about you leaving the freaking house when you're supposed to be resting."
I begin prying my clothes off my body, starting with the blouse.
"I just went out for some ice cream, you don't have to worry about me."
I pull on the baggy sweatshirt I hid in the car and replace my formal pants with matching sweatpants.
"You went out for ice cream? Why didn't you just tell me to get ice cream on my way home from work?"
I turn the key in the ignition, bringing the car to life.
"Because I wanted to surprise you that's all. You've been taking care of me so much these past few weeks and I just wanted to do something for you for once. I'm almost home. Bye." I end the call.
Thankfully, the exit of the parking lot is completely different from the entrance. I zoom unto the road and start my quick journey home, only stopping at a convenience store to get a bucket of Neapolitan ice cream.
As I park the car, I stuff the clothes I had on before under the passenger seat.
"I'll be back for you guys."
I sprint to the elevator and reach the apartment in less than five minutes. Korra is sitting on a chair right in front of the door like a parent waiting to scold their child for breaking curfew.
"It took you that long just to get ice cream from a store that's four blocks from here." I lock the door behind me and walk straight to the kitchen without meeting her eyes.
"I didn't go to that store. I went to another one." My heart picks up the pace as Korra walks closer to me with a studying look on her face. My lying skills are failing me right now.
"Is that lip-gloss you have on? When did you start wearing lip-gloss?"
Shoot. I forgot to wipe it off in the car.
"Oh I just felt like trying it today. And my lips were chapped so…" In hope that the interrogation ends here I pry the lid of the ice cream bucket and dig into it, taking large spoons at once.
"You can't be wolfing down ice cream like that Ree." She turns back to the living room and picks her phone up from the coffee table.
"I'll see you later. I've gotten what I came back for so bye." I stand still till I hear the front door shut. As soon as it does, I turn to the sink and spit out the ice cream in my mouth. Of all flavours to stuff my face with, I chose strawberry.
I wait a while before heading into my room and powering up my laptop. In seconds, I connect to the mini-mic in Mr. Matthews' office. Hopefully I hear what I want to hear before anyone finds out about the crime I'm committing.
What do I even want to hear?
The motion-activated mic is silent. I'm not even sure it works anymore, I didn't test it first. I've had that mic for over five years so I'm not exactly sure if the battery is still any good, if it is, it won't last long. If it isn't then apparently everything I did today was a waste.
Bummer.
After a few minutes of more silence, I resign to the bed and abandon the laptop on the table. Out of sheer boredom, I pick up a book from my nightstand and start reading.
"Those old pricks really think they can just throw me out when they don't need me. Well they should think again because I am not going down without a fight." My head shoots up from the book I'm pretending to read when I hear the voice.
"Who do they think I am?" It's coming from the laptop. The mic's on.
I throw the book aside and run to the laptop.
"This whole mess isn't even my fault. If only that idiot told me where my goddamn drugs are then we wouldn't be in this mess."
Drugs?
What drugs could he possibly be looking for? Company drugs? He does own one of the biggest pharmaceuticals in North America. But how did he 'lose' drugs?
"I crashed a whole damn plane for these bastards and they say I'm not doing enough. They should just wait till I get my hands on…" The mic starts to crackle.
"Book a fli… Berlin tonight… warehouse is… getting them back." The voice ceases. The batteries must have died.
"I don't want to believe I'm hearing things again but Sam did you hear him say he crashed a plane? I just want to be sure." Sam cocks his head to the side, confused.
It better not be what I'm thinking. If it is then this just got very personal.
Riona will you please calm the heck down. You're not supposed to be doing this. Who do you think you are? A vigilante?
I'm not doing anything.
Oh please. I'm literally in your head, I see everything that's going on up here. You are NOT going to Berlin. You swore you'd never go back there.
"I'm not going to Berlin. What would I even do there?" I untangle my earplugs and start scrolling through my music.
You better not.
As soon as the song starts playing, the voice in my head goes silent. Finally.
"I'm definitely going to Berlin. I just don't know when yet."
*****************************************************
"I'm home." Korra opens the front door and pokes her head through the small crack.
"And so am I." Trevor pushes Korra in and shuts the door.
"Hey guys. You're here early. It's only" I turn to the clock on the wall, "five o'clock."
They take of their jackets and join me on the couch.
"The restaurant wasn't very busy today so I thought I'd take the rest of the day off. And I missed you too." She pulls me into a hug.
"Get off me, you've seen me twice today." I pry her tiny fingers off me and switch to another couch, leaving her pouting.
"And I just wanted to see how you were doing." Trevor says.
"Well at least you care about me. Thank you." I hold my breath as hard as I can to avoid laughing at the look of betrayal on Korra's face.
After a few minutes of discussing how everyone's day went, Korra heads to the kitchen to get started on dinner. Trevor and I stay back, channel surfing.
An hour passes and Korra shouts from the kitchen, "It would be nice if I had a little help here."
Trevor and I exchanged a look and I reply her, "Nah. We're good, thanks."
"You guys are unbelievable. I knew you wouldn't help anyways. Come eat, I'm done."
Trevor and I race to the kitchen to find the dining table already set and covered in mouth-watering food. We waste no time in filling our plates with generous servings of everything.
"How was today Trev? Anything exciting happen at the hospital? " I ask.
"Not really. I got some new students today though. They're fresh out of med school so they're basically kids. It's been a while since I had students so I'm kinda excited."
"So are they pretty?" Korra asks with her eyes glued to her plate.
"Oh come on, he didn't even say there were girls among the students. Could you be any more jealous?"
"If it makes you feel any better, half of them are engaged already." Trevor says and goes back to his meal.
Korra mumbles something under her breathe before perking up again.
"Well I'm excited because the chefs' convention starts on Saturday and I get to go to Hawaii." She does a little dance with her fork and knife.
"Oh yeah I almost forgot about that. When are you leaving?" Trevor asks.
"Everyone calm down. Chefs' convention? Hawaii? I did not consent to this." What are they talking about?
"Are you kidding me? It's all I've been talking about all week. I've mentioned it to you at least three times. You even told me to bring back a bag of Kona coffee although I don't know how you expect me to fit it in my suitcase."
"I did?" I rack my memory for any recollection of what she's saying but I just don't remember.
"Yeah. I told you that I won't be around till Sunday evening so you're staying with dad till then since Trevor can't really stay home all day with you." Wait, what?
"I'd love to but I never know when I need to pull an all-nighter."
"Woah woah woah. Hold the phone. I'm staying with who? No way. Nope. Not gonna happen." I drop my fork and take my glass of juice with me to the living room. I hear chatter in the kitchen but I ignore them and try to concentrate on the baseball game on TV even though I have no clue what's going on.
Minutes pass before both Korra and Trevor find their way to the living room and sit side-by-side on the couch in front of me.
"Ree can you please just…" Korra starts her plea.
"No. Don't even bother asking because there is no way you are leaving me alone with dad for three whole days."
"But I already told him you were coming, he sounded so excited to finally have some time to spend with you." I start to feel guilty but there is no way I am giving in.
"Why do you guys feel the need to treat me like a baby? I am a grown woman…" Korra interrupts.
"A grown woman who still asks me to cut the crust off her sandwiches." Trevor tries to hold back laughter but fails.
"That doesn't count. My point is that I am not a kid who needs a babysitter. I am perfectly fine on my own. You don't need to look after me anymore. Now drop it, I'm not going."
We have a stare-off for a few seconds before Korra gives in and slumps on the couch. Trevor who wasn't even paying attention to us anymore offers her a spoon of his ice-cream but she grabs the whole cup from him.
The game ends and we all get ready for bed. Korra suggests that Trevor just stays in the guest room instead of driving back home since it is already late. He agrees.
I take my bath and tuck myself into bed, Sam joins me. As I turn off the lights, the bedroom door creaks open and Korra pops her head in.
"Riona." She whines my name as she climbs onto the bed.
"What?"
"Will you just go to dad's for me?" She twirls my hair in her fingers and gives me a terrible puppy dog look.
"You look like a sick dog. And the answer is no."
She persists.
"Please?" She snuggles closer.
"The answer is still no."
"Pretty please? You know I'm only doing this because I love you."
"Okay, fine."
"Really?" She perks up.
"Psyche. I'm not going." She slumps back down beside me.
"I'll bring you back a hula skirt." She tries bribing now.
"Tempting but my answer is still no."
"I'll buy two."
"Hmm… Still no."
"Dad's going to make Maya's special lasagne for you."
Shoot. She found my only weakness. Food.
"Fine."
"Really?" She starts bouncing on the bed.
"Get off my bed before I change my mind."
She quickly gets off the bed and turns the lights back off. She whispers a 'love you' before scurrying back to the guest room.
The things I do for food.