Chapter Text
The first day of kindergarten Korra wore blue overalls. She supposed it didn’t really matter what you wore to school, she would probably make friends anyway. She noticed most of the other kids had their parents walk them to class and stay for a while, meeting the teacher and the other parents, fretting over their kids, stuff like that. Korra’s dad simply brought her to the classroom, said a gruff hello to her teacher, then left.
“Have a good first day kiddo.” He said, ruffling her hair. So Korra sat down, rummaged up some crayons, and started scribbling on a piece of paper. While other kids hid behind their parent’s legs or clung to their hands sobbing, Korra was perfectly happy in her comfy overalls and new environment. She refused to be intimidated. She was five years old and the bravest kid in this room.
Occasionally, Korra would look up and survey her new classmates, a boy with spiky black hair who threw a block at another boy and a crying girl in a pink shirt and black skirt that clung to her dad’s hand was noticeable amongst them. Korra didn’t go over to them though, she was concentrated on her masterpiece.
“What’s that s’pposed to be?” Someone asked. Korra looked up to see the crying girl in the pink shirt and black skirt, eyes still red, standing next to her, craning her neck to get a better look at the drawing Korra was bent over.
“Can’t you tell?” Korra scoffed. “It’s a mega robot destroying a city.” She held up her picture, proudly displaying it to the other girl, who tapped her chin and looked at it critically.
“Doesn’t look very good. The head’s too big, it would just fall over.” She said.
“How would you know? It’s my robot. I can make it do what I want.” Korra was highly offended that this know-it-all didn’t like her drawing.
“Here, let me draw you a better one.” The other girl dragged a new piece of paper over and started drawing her own robot. It admittedly looked better and more realistic than Korra’s, but it had a bright smile on its face and was most defiantly not destroying a city.
At first, Korra was ready to grudgingly admit that, while much lamer, the other girl’s design was probably better, until the girl picked up the blue crayon.
Snap
The crayon shattered in the girl’s tight grip.
“You dummy!” Korra yelled. She didn’t think. She drew her fist back and slammed it right into the other girl’s face. She fell backwards and Korra pounced, ready to beat her senseless. She didn’t get a chance though, because before she could land another punch she was pulled off the girl by a strong hand. The teacher.
“Korra! Why would you punch Asami?” The teacher asked in a shrill voice, holding Korra’s upper arm in a grip of iron. The now named Asami was sniffling on the floor, holding her eye where Korra punched her. She looked so hurt in that moment that Korra instantly felt guilty.
“She-she broke my crayon.” Korra mumbled, her excuse suddenly seeming very weak in retrospect.
“Well, it’s down to the office for the two of you. Fighting on the first day…” The teacher trailed off. She grabbed Asami’s free hand, pulling her to her feet and marched the two girls to her desk. She called the office on the classroom phone, requesting that “..someone come down immediately and pick up these two rug rats and also call their parents.” Asami’s sniffles turned into suppressed sobs and Korra couldn’t even bear to look at her.
Soon enough, someone came to escort the two of them to the office, where they waited on a small couch while their parents were called. Asami’s sobs stopped after a few minutes, and they waited in silence and dread. Just as Korra started thinking that it might be a good idea to apologize, a man she didn’t recognize walked into the office. Asami obviously knew him, because she shrank down in her chair at the sight of him.
“Asami, what’s this I hear about you fighting?” He asked, the rage behind his pleasant tone barely suppressed. Before Asami could answer, Korra’s dad walked in. He looked under dressed in his blue sleeveless shirt next to Asami’s dad in his suit, but he had a few inches and a lot of muscles for him. He took one look at the ducking Asami and her swelling eye and sighed in disappointment.
“Korra…” He trailed off.
“Mr. Sato, Mr.…”
“Call me Tonraq.” Korra’s dad interrupted the principal, who had come out of his office at the sight of the two men.
“Ah, yes. Why don’t you step into my office? I’ve received a full report of the incident from your daughters teacher.” He gestured for the father’s to follow him. Both of the men sent glances at each other, then at their daughters before following the principal.
“Wonder if we’re going to get in trouble.” Korra mumbled as she watched the three men walk through a door together.
“Well, you defiantly are, you started it.” Asami said.
“No, you insulted my robot and broke my crayon.”
“You called me a dummy and punched me in the face, which really hurt by the way.”
“Of course it did, I punched you. Your eye is already swelling.” The other girl frowned. She didn’t respond, turning her gaze to her lap. Korra once again felt a surge of guilt. “Uh, I-I’m sorry for that. You didn’t deserve it.” Asami looked up at her, surprised.
“I actually probably did.” She responded. “Neither of us was very nice.” Korra didn’t respond immediately.
“I liked your robot.” She said quietly. She quickly turned away, covering her face with her hand and cringing at her own awkwardness.
“…I liked yours too. It was very destructive.”