Previously on Different Worlds Collide

I was never in a situation like this. Well, I was in one similar with my brother, but that was completely different. I didn't even know why Karina was acting like this, and I didn't know why I was questioning the fact that I was holding the girl I liked. I guess it was the fact that she was upset over something that I had no clue about.

I rubbed my hands up and down her back to try to comfort her and she kept mumbling about something that I couldn't understand. It was kind of weird and comforting at the same time as she mumbled and I swayed us back and forth a little to try to comfort her more. As I did that, I looked into the room that caused this whole shindig. I saw one of her soccer jerseys and I couldn't read the back clearly, but I swore it read, "McIce" instead of her actual last name.

Mako's POV

It had been a week since Karina's breakdown and seeking comfort from me. After she calmed down enough, she acted like it never happened and we both returned downstairs. For the next few hours we all just chatted amongst ourselves and Karina never said anything about why she acted like she did to me.

Now I was pondering something that didn't even concern me a week later while beating the hell out of a punching bag. What was bugging me was why she broke down just because I went into that room. I was going to figure out what that stuff was one way or another.

I decided to call it a night since it was close to eight at night. I was wiping my face with a towel and heading to my locker where all my stuff was. When I got my phone from my locker, I found a text from Bolin and Asami from about ten minutes ago.

Hey, Bolin and I want to go out to eat. Wanna come along so I don't have to kill your brother? –A

Yo bro! Asami and me are hungry! –B

Bolin didn't even ask me to come with them. I told Asami to meet me up at Narook's which was a good seafood place that wasn't too far. When I arrived at the restaurant, I quickly found them. I choose to sit next to Asami since I needed to ask her something and personally I hated sitting next to Bolin when I ate.

We quickly ordered our food and Bolin eventually excused himself to go to the bathroom. I knew this was my chance to talk to Asami about Karina.

"Hey, Asami, do you know anything about Karina's past?" I asked. She was mindlessly typing away on her phone.

"No, I don't, Mako. By the way, it's not nice to pry. She's never done it to and I sure as hell know that you have some skeletons in the closet." She put her phone on the table and gave me her death glare. "You went into the room that she didn't want us going into, didn't you?" she questioned with her bitch face while I leaned away from her.

"No," I started," I was just wondering as all. Karina and I have known each other for a while now, and I don't know that much about her yet. I was just curious," I defended rather quickly.

"Mako, I'm not getting in the middle of whatever is going on between you and Karina. I like Karina and I'm not risking you wanting information about her to wreck our friendship," Asami explained, going back on her phone, ignoring me.

"Asami, it's not like that! There's something fishy about her," I added, trying to goad information about her.

Asami looked up from her phone at me with something gleaming in her eyes. She glanced back down at her phone then raised her phone's screen to my face. A picture was present and I knew what that picture was telling.

"I thought we agreed never to talk about that ever again." The picture of was of us at one of my football games in high school. I didn't even know she had that picture on her phone, but it was only one of many.

"Mako, it was bound to come up eventually. I'm just surprised no one has questioned us about a romantic relationship yet considering I usually spend my free time with you and Bolin.

"Our relationship was years ago, but I remember how I felt about dating you. We'd been friends for about three years, but I knew there was something strange about you. I never interrogated you about it because I knew how you worked. If I did, I knew you'd get all defensive like you did just a few minutes ago. You told me about your past on your own terms, and if you want to know about Karina, then I think you should let her tell you on her own terms too."

I never got to respond to that because Bolin returned. Dinner arrived shortly afterwards and so did Asami and I's conversation. We talked about our plans for the next few weeks, and I wasn't really paying attention until Bolin mentioned something.

"Bro, you know that carnival that is held by our old high school annually?"

"Yeah."

"Well, because I am such a good alum from there, I volunteered us three to do the dunk tank!" he exclaimed like we'd just won a million dollars.

Asami and I looked at each other with slackened jaws then over at Bolin who was grinning. It wasn't the concept of doing something like charity work that I minded; it was Bolin doing it without asking me first before signing me up for something. He had done this on many occasions throughout the years so I guess I shouldn't have been that surprised.

"Bolin, are you kidding me! I don't care if you signed me up to do something at that carnival, but I'm not getting in that cold water!" Asami snapped.

"You really think I'd except you to do that, Asami? I just signed you up to be the pretty girl to ring in the guys to do it. Mako and I will be getting dunked and ringing the ladies in."

"I really wished that you'd consult me before signing us up for some of this crap, Bo." I shook my head at him.

"But you still love me!"

I rolled my eyes at his remark before resuming to eat my dinner. I had some time before that carnival so I could make an excuse not to go. For the time being, I was going to focus on training and getting to the bottom of Karina.

Before I knew it, it was time for Bolin and I's end of summer bon fire. We had bon fires throughout the summer like the one where Karina and I kissed, but the last one was always the best. It was usually just people I actually liked talking to...and whatever girls Bolin invited. I was hoping that he hadn't invited too many girls for once.

It was now September 1st, a new month and time for a new slate with Karina. I hadn't talked to her for a while and I was hoping she wasn't still upset with me. Whatever our relationship was deemed, I was hoping that it was still alive. I'd even got Asami to invite her to the bonfire and last Asami heard was that Karina was going to drop by.

If she did end up coming, it was my chance to start everything right. I had to admit that I was kind of an ass towards her, but that's just what I was like towards a lot of people. I just felt that I needed to make amends with her even if our relationship didn't go the way I wanted it to.

Night quickly came so Bolin and I began to set up the fire. As we were setting up the fire, Bolin brought up an interesting topic.

"Hey, Mako, I didn't tell you this earlier, but I invited this girl who I really like," he started then trailed off.

"Yeah, I kind of figured it'd be the same routine as any other year, Bo. Just make sure you don't end up with a huge mob of girls with beer bottles ready to fire at you because you insult them. I really don't feel like having to defend my baby brother to tonight." That was the harsh truth because I had bigger plans on my plate. As much as I loved him, he was twenty-two years old and needed to stop causing trouble!

"Actually...I only invited the one girl this year and her brothers. Any other girls are all on you and Asami."

I stopped messing with the fire for a moment to look at Bolin. I quirked an eyebrow at him because that was unusual for Bolin. My brother wasn't a player by any means, but he did appreciate the attention he got from women. Maybe my baby brother was finally growing up and changing how he interacted with women.

"Is that so? No other ladies invited to come party with you?" I got up from my position on the ground and dusted off my knees. I walked over to my table where there were some old newspapers that we were going to use as kindling. I turned around to see him up on his feet still by the fire.

"Yeah, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't embarrass me in front of her or be the usual ass that you are towards strangers," he addressed, while I rolled my eyes.

I mumbled a bit then proceeded to walk to the fire. I kneeled back down to the fire and began to stuff it with the newspaper. Bolin just stood there while I prepared the fire. It continued on like this for a bit until Bolin spoke up again.

"Mako, I'm serious. This girl is special and I'd prefer if she didn't get scared away because of you." I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was dead serious. Whether or not he and the girl would work out would be determined on how much he'd embarrass himself.

"Bo, I'm just giving you a hard time because I know how you act with the ladies. You never seem like you want to settle down, and I guess I just don't see it going anywhere." Until he proved it to me, I wasn't going to believe it. "I won't embarrass you or anything tonight, just please don't make a fool out of yourself in front of this girl. Now will you get the damn lighter for me?" I turned around and smirked at him, seeing him grinning back at me.

As night rose even more, so did my guests. There was only about maybe ten to fifteen people there, not including Asami or Karina. I was wondering where those two were and I had even texted Asami asking where she was. Asami was usually one of the first people to be there for the sole purpose that I'm much more "pleasant because you're not wasted or pissed at someone or more specifically Bolin", which I guess was true. Karina I had no idea, but I was hoping that she was still going to attend the bonfire because I really did need to talk to her.

In the meantime, I got to meet the girl that Bolin was talking so highly about. Her name was Opal and she seemed like a sweet girl, kind of Bolin's type. I was still worried that Bolin's personality was going to frighten her off.

For the time being though, I was in the kitchen, looking outside and saw her laughing at something Bolin had said so it looked like they were having a good time for now. I was so invested in stalking the two that I hadn't heard someone else enter the kitchen.

"What's got you staring out the window, Mako?" Asami waltzed up next to me and looked in the same direction as I was out the window. "Oh, Bolin's new crush. Yeah, he told me that they've known each other for about a month. He showed me a picture of her, and he went on and on about how perfect and beautiful she is."

"I'm happy for him if this is going somewhere, but I just can't see it. I've seen him trying to impress tons of females over the past few years , only to either just to entertain them for a bit or to have his heart broken because he screws the damn thing up," I sighed, shaking my head and turning away from the window.

"Well, just talk to her later tonight then. I'm assuming you're still having the annual after party for us few after everyone else has left?"

The party she was referring to was the one stupid thing we do as a "family" because basically we were family. There were really no limits on what could occur at the party. The only rule was to not get arrested by the cops or taint our image to the public.

"Yeah, I'm sure Bolin will want to do that. Maybe it will be the last one because I'm getting kind of old to do this type of thing," I grumbled. I was only twenty-four, but there was no way in hell that this tradition was going to last forever. Maybe it would alter to just a casual drinking party eventually.

"That's ironic because Iroh commented on the party the last time I talked to him about the party. He said, 'that party is trash. How long until Bolin ends up wasted in the middle of the street and Mako needing to bail him out? I went to one and no more for me. I'm too old for that crap!'. More entertainment for me then."

"Ha, good luck with that. I'm not going to do anything stupid tonight! I'll bet that Bolin sends Opal home if he's smart because if he doesn't, I'm sure whatever they have will be down the crapper."

"You wanna make a friendly bet on that? I bet Bolin invites her to the party, and he asks us to talk about ourselves then makes us play truth or dare."

I looked at Asami and saw the fire in her eyes. We'd made numerous bets throughout the years, and I was never one to back down from one. This had to be discreet though. I smirked at her then held out my hand for her.

"Ok, you're on. What do you say about a hundred bucks, Sato?" Neither of us needed money, but money was always our wager.

"You're on, Silverton," she agreed. She shook my hand readily then looked outside the window again at the two. "So did Karina meet her yet? I haven't seen her yet."

I furrowed my eyebrows. I had assumed that Asami had talked to her or maybe the two were even carpooling together. It was pushing towards nine-thirty and usually everyone left around ten-thirty.

"No, I thought you'd talked to her or maybe gave her a ride."

"Well, I texted her and she never responded so I just figured she was here. Maybe something came up and she couldn't make it. You know? Maybe something unexpected occurred on her set or something."

I frowned because I really did need to talk to her, and I didn't feel it was proper to talk about it over the phone. I just couldn't get the feeling out of my gut that she was avoiding me.

I went to the fridge to get myself and Asami a drink. I popped the tops of the bottles off then handed one to Asami. My eyes were drawn to Bolin and Opal again. They were sitting in some lawn chairs near the fire while it appeared that Bolin was telling yet another story.

"Mako, I think you're having a hard time accepting this because you think that should be you. You think you should be the one with a girl who's infatuated with you even if you are idiotic at times, not your baby brother.

"Maybe you think it should be you and Karina because I've seen the subtle things you two have been doing in each other's presence. You keep looking at Bolin and Opal, with this love-hate look in your eyes. Is that why you're so concerned with Bolin and Opal?"

I huffed, drawing my eyes down to the counter. Maybe subconsciously that was the reason this was bothering me so much. Usually I'd just support Bolin and say, "good luck" to him.

"Maybe, but-" I was cut off by the sound of the door slamming and a feminine voice.

"I'm sorry that I'm like an hour late! My car wouldn't start up for a while then I couldn't find my phone and a bunch of other crap happened." Karina walked into my kitchen, looking flushed while she explained what happened.

"Good to see you, Karina," Asami greeted as she walked up to her and gave her a hug. "Mako here was all worried that you weren't going to show."

"Well, I'm sorry about that because everything just seemed to be going wrong when I was about to leave."

"It's no problem. I was just wondering where you were and if you were going to show up at all," I explained then silence befell all of us.

"I think I'm going to head outside where Bolin and Opal are and talk to them for a while. I'll see you guys in a little while. Mako, I suggest that you explain to Karina how things go down tonight and what to except," Asami suggested. She then headed outside where everyone else was.

Karina and I awkwardly stood in my kitchen for a few moments before I broke the silence.

"So usually there are fewer people at this last bon fire of the year. A majority of the people leave before ten-thirty because they have their own lives to resume the next day, but usually Bolin, Asami, and I hang around for a bit longer to have a little party. It may get a little crazy, but you're welcome to stay if you want."

She mumbled out an "okay" to me then looked around my kitchen like she'd never been there before. She must've still felt awkward being alone with me after the incident a while back.

It's now or never, idiot, I thought.

"Hey, would you like a drink? I wanna show you something."

"Sure."

I quickly got her a beer from my fridge and popped the cap off. I gave it to her and told her to follow me. I maneuvered around my house and went to a door that I rarely ever opened. I opened it and turned the switch on to see the steps that lead to the basement. I went down them and Karina followed behind me.

I went to the corner of my basement to get a box labeled "memories", while Karina looked around the basement from the base of the stairs.

"You brought me to your dirty basement for what purpose?" she questioned, analyzing my unorganized basement.

"I wanted to show you this," I answered, finally finding the proper box. I carried it over to where she was standing. I sat down on one of the last steps and rooted through the box. The box consisted mostly of pictures, but some other items too.

Karina followed my lead and looked curiously into the box as I root through it. I'm sure she was questioning what some of the things and pictures meant, but that was for another day. For now, I was going to show her some items that probably could speak for themselves.

By the time that I found them, I felt like I had mini flashbacks to each event. I had a total of three pictures that each told a different story. I handed them to Karina who took them cautiously after placing her bottle on the step above us. She seemed confused and surprised at the items that I handed her.

The first picture was of Bolin and I with our parents when we were much younger with an article taped to the back. The second one was of Bolin and me in high school with our father's parents. The last one was a split picture of Asami and me when I asked her to our senior homecoming and when we kissed over the railing at the end of my homecoming football game.

"So you and Asami dated then? And I'm assuming these are your parents and your grandparents?" she asked, looking at me.

"Yes," I answered.

"I don't understand. Why are you showing me these pictures?"

"I'm showing you these because I went into that room that you didn't want me to go into. These pictures and the rest of the stuff in this box," I gestured towards the box at my feet, "are kind of my room that I don't want people to go in. I guess this is kind of my way of apologizing for doing that, and now, we're kind of even."

"But these just seem like ordinary pictures. What do they mean?"

"That…is for another day, but these aren't just ordinary pictures. Each has a story that is barely scrapped in the appearance. Now I've seen some things that you don't like people seeing and you've seen some things that I don't like people seeing. We good?"

She looked down at the box with some other stuff in it and back at the pictures I gave her. Her gaze went to me and a smirk formed on her lips.

"I wouldn't say 'we're good', but I feel a little better now." She bumped me with her shoulder as she said that. "Maybe you tell me the story to some of this stuff someday?"

"Someday, and maybe you will tell me the story to your stuff?" I hoped that I wasn't crossing a line by saying that.

"Someday, but not any day soon." She gave me my pictures back and I placed them back in the box with the other stuff. "So, now what do we do? Go back upstairs and go talk to Bolin and everyone?"

"Yup," I confirmed. I walked back over to the corner where the box was previously and placed it there. I smiled into the darkness where the box was then turned back around to Karina. "Ready to go greet everyone?"

"Yup."

Karina got up from her seat on the stairs, picked up her beer, and began to climb up the stairs while I followed. When we were almost to the top, I heard Bolin shriek something that caused me to groan and Karina to laugh.

"Mako! We're out of beer! You need to go get some!"

Posted: October 5, 2014

I am so, so sorry! I know I said I'd try to update more often and well, that didn't happen. Summer just went by too fast for my liking and now school is up my ass. So I'm not saying anything about updating because I never follow through.

But because you all are so patient with me, I'll say this was a turning point in the story and the next chapter will pick up from here.

Anyway, what did you all think about the premiere of season 4 on Friday? I loved it and can't wait for the rest of the season! It's a shame that this is the series finale *insert sad face

Please follow, favorite and review what you hated and loved:)

See y'all next time! Have a great rest of the day/night:)