#five forms

    Ten Years Ago, Age 7

  “Run Korra!”

  “Coming!” Korra Johnson stumbled forward, tugging her round, yellow inner tube up around her chest. Her feet slapped into the hot ground, and she was smiling. “Wait up!”

  Together, the cluster of girls rounded a bend, stampeding down hill and cutting across a strip of thick, dark green grass.  “Come on Korra! Don’t be so slow!”

  “Sorry!” Korra answered, cresting the next hill with them. She paused, only for a moment, to catch her breath before catching back up.

  Her friends, a gaggle of Water Nation girls on vacation in Harbor Bay City, jumped off  aledge in unison, screams echoing as they splashed down into the creek below. They surfaced at the same time, hair limp around their shoulders in dark brown strands.

  “Come on!” a girl called waving at Korra. “Jump it!”

  Korra gulped and nodded, peering over the edge. The creek, only seven feet below, suddenly looked seven hundred feet away, growing further and further as fear clouded her mind. “I… I don’t wanna,” Korra shouted, stuttering. “It’s too high!”

  “Don’t be such a baby, Korra!” a girl with navy floaties said. “Just jump in!” She turned away, swimming around in wide circles.

  “N-No!” Korra stuttered. The water in the creek seemed to churn in her eyes, turning form peaceful to a flowing, rapid gush of force. To her, it was suddenly a vicious beast, waiting to consume her and her friends.

  Korra felt her knees shake and she stumbled back and tripped, falling down and popping the inner tube. The shock of it surprised her, and she felt the seat of her swimsuit grow wet. The dirt beneath her turned to soft mud and she started to cry, embarrassed.

  The girls clambered out of the creek, scrambling up the bank of the creek. They were groaning about the mud, but Korra didn’t care that it bothered. All she could do was cry now, embarrassed in the dirt.

  “What’s she crying about now?” 

  “Gross!” one of the girls teased. “She peed herself!”

  “Yeah,” another voice added. “It’s because she’s a baby!”

  “A big baby!” A finger pointed at Korra and she scrambled to her feet.

  “I’m not a baby!” Korra shouted. “I just… I don’t like water!”

  “Yeah, like a baby! Only babies can’t swim!”  

  “I’m not a baby!” Korra retorted, screaming now. “I can swim!”

  “Then prove it.”  Korra rubbed her eyes with the back of her and forced herself to her feet. She started forward, approaching the edge of the overhang. “Go on. Jump in, baby.”

  The same sensation of danger filled Korra again. She didn’t want to have to prove her like this. She couldn’t prove herself like this. Instead, like before, she found herself stumbling back, afraid of the water.

  “Come on, let’s go get her momma,” a girl sighed.

  “No!” Korra spat. “I’ll find her myself!” She sniffled and turned on her heel, leaving behind her inner tube and the creek, feet carrying her away from the jeering girls.

    Now, Age 17

  “…and so Welcome to Republic City University!”

  Korra Johnson, freshman, sat near the back, shrouded in the darkness of the dimmed auditorium. All around her, coeds sat, murmuring excitedly as the President’s speech ended. She was glad: he might be the President of the University, but she was tired of listening to him. Now, she could stretch, and finally leave.

  “Ah, one more announcement!”

  Korra grunted, flopping back down into the seat. “I hope you all, as new students to our school, will enjoy our club fair. Over 120 clubs have set up booths outside, just for you!” The clamor of the students rose, and the President managed to give an official goodbye. Korra scampered out through the double doors, tugging her backpack close.

  Outside, booths were set up: bright tablecloths covering old, wooden tables and streamers snapping in the air. “Great,” Korra sighed, tugging anxiously on one of her wolf tails. “Just what I wanted: forced socialization at Club Fair.” She groaned and looked around, forcing herself to straighten up. “Might as well try and enjoy it.”

  Grumbling, she meandered from club table to club table, pocketing flyers and pieces of candy. By the time she was halfway down the second row, she had heavy pockets filled with mints and bubblegum.

  “You there!” Korra turned. A girl was waving at her, beckoning her forward.

  “It can’t hurt,” she mused. “Maybe she’ll have lemon drops.” Korra jogged down to the booth, and extended her hand. “My name’s Korra.”

  “Opal Beifong!” Opal smiled, eagerly gripping Korra’s hand with both of hers. “Where are you from?”

  “Southern Water Nation,” Korra replied. “Harbor Bay City, actually.”

  “Neat! I’m from Zaofu. It’s a known as Metal City. Real neat place, and quiet and safe.” Opal giggled, clapping her hands together. “So, what would you like to know?”

  “First, what club is this?” Korra asked

  “The Republic City University Swim Club!” Opal chirped.

  Swim Club.

  The words settled in Korra’s stomach like a lead weight. “Oh . I… I don’t like swimming.”

  “Oh,” Opal whispered. She crossed her arms. “Why?”

  “I… I’m afraid to swim,” Korra admitted, looking down. “I… I don’t like water.”

  Opal eyed Korra up and down, chewing her bottom lip. “That’s fine. We’ll fix that! After all, you’re from the Water Nation! Water’s in your blood!” Opal chirped. She turned and motioned to the girl in the next booth. “Mind watching this for a moment?” When she agreed, Opal gave her a thumbs up and scooted from behind the table. “Come on, let’s go!”

  “I-” Before Korra could finish, Opal was tugging Korra behind her, running through the throngs of students, managing to “Excuse me” every few steps. They broke through and kept running, Opal tugging Korra in the direction she wanted her to follow.

  “Where are we going?” Korra said, panting heavily. “What are you doing?”

  “Taking you to the pool! I want you to meet the girls before you decide no!”

  “I already said no though!” Korra shouted, turning a corner. Her knee knocked against the brick and she winced, but kept running as hard as she could.

  “You said you were afraid! That’s not a no!” Opal shouted over her shoulder. “Almost there!”

  Soon, they stopped, and Korra took back her wrist, rubbing at it. They stood before a large, brick building with a glass front. “Let’s go!” Opal pushed on the door and it swung in. The air inside was stale, as if the building wasn’t regularly used. “The girls should be inside at the pool.” Korra fought back her shiver and followed.

  The pool was a total embarrassment.

  The cement was dirty, discolored from constant use and a lack of cleaning. The water itself: completely missing, leaving an off-white basin with cracked black painted lines. The air smelled damp and musty, like no one had bothered with this building since it had been abandoned. All in all, it made Korra want to swim less than before, if the idea had every struck her.

  “It’s not much, but it’s home to Republic Uni’s own swimming girls!” Opal stuck a pose, both thumbs up, a wide grin stretching across her face. “In fact, let me see if your new teammates are here!”

  “But I don’t want to join!” Korra said. “I hate swimming!” Yet Opal had already dashed off to the locker room, the door slamming shut behind her.

    “Great,” Korra whispered, kicking at the dirty floor. “You should have left when you could.” In fact, Korra wondered, why am I not leaving now?

  Minutes later, three new girls exited, trialing behind Opal. “You’ve gotta meet her!” Opal was saying, waving her hands. “I think she’ll be out fifth!”

    “Are you sure?” the chubbiest girl said. She had a long ponytail and gentle features. “She doesn’t look like she wants to be here.”

  “Don’t worry! She took no convincing at all to come!” Opal replied. Yeah, Korra snorted, because you dragged me here.

  Sighing, Korra forced herself to approach the girls. “H-Hey, I’m-”

  “Korra.” It was the chubby girl. She had an easy grin on her face, and round, bright green eyes. “I’m Bolin Park. Nice to meet you.” She tossed her ponytail over her shoulder.

  “I’m Mako,” a tall girl said. She had sharp eyebrows and a straight cut bob that framed her face, making it more severe. “Bolin’s older sister.” She winked, bright orange eyes twinkling.

  “And I’m Asami Sato, President of the Swim Club. Nice to meet you Korra,” Asami said, extending her hand. Her eyes, light green and severe, widened in welcome. “This is… our pool.”

  “It’s kind of…” Korra paused. “Empty.”

  “Well, that’s what happens when the school wants to cut your funds,” Bolin said, sighing. “If we don’t find a fifth by today, we’ll be the Nonexistent Swim Club.”

  “Pressure,” Korra said, stuffing her hands into her candy filled pocket. A mint dropped out. “Well, I need to go. I’ve got to get back to my dorm room for… dorm room stuff.” She turned on her heel.

  “Wait.” Asami jogged up to her. “Why won’t you join?”

  “I already told Opal, I don’t like-”

  “Yeah, she gabbed to us about that. But why don’t you?” Bolin asked.

  “Because I’m not good at it,” Korra responded. “Because I don’t like heights and being underwater.” It was what she had always felt, no matter the depth: anything bigger than a bathtub left Korra frightened and embarrassed.

  “You know you don’t have to stay afraid like that forever,” Mako interjected. “It’s not bad to be afraid though. Still, have you ever tried swimming again?”

  Korra chewed her lip anxiously. “I… Well, no.” She hadn’t: in fact, Korra actively avoided water just in case she was still afraid.

  “Then you should try again,” Asami said. “Even if you don’t want to swim, you can be our fifth and be the manager.” She extended her hand out, and patted Korra’s shoulder. “So, we’re off to the rec room pool?”

  “Yeah!” Opal cried. “Let’s go.” Quickly, she snatched Korra’s wrist, tugging.

  “Oh no. Not this again!”

  Opal’s eyes glinted. “Oh yes this again! Come on! I’ve got a spare suit that’ll look great on you!”