Family

Joey

It's date night again. Neteyam still hasn't asked me to be his mate. It's been six months since our Dream Walk. I'm sure he has another girl to ask. I mean, just last night he was talking to Alambre, the most beautiful singer in the clan. Her voice rings out loud and clear in the songs. My heart wrenches at the thought. Doreo has been asking me for a while. Maybe I should say yes.

"Tuk is asleep." Neteyam is walking to sit next to me. I try and push my thoughts out of my mind but he must tell I'm troubled. "What is it?"

I feel like I should just ask him. I mean, if he chooses someone else, our friendship will be strained anyways, right? Or will it? Would we always be friends?

"Kiri and Lo'ak are fighting again."

He sighs, but I can't tell if it's because of their fight, or because he knows I'm lying. "Over what?"

"She thinks Lo'ak stole her beads."

"Why would she think that, what does he want with beads?"

"Because she hid his favorite knife."

"Why?"

"Because he was joking about who her father is."

He sighs and lays down, staring up at the night sky. I keep waiting for him to say something, but he doesn't."

"Neteyam..." I lay down with him, our shoulders pressed together. I start picking out the constellations we made together. I don't know what I want to say.

"What?"

"Nothing."

He rolls so that he's looking over me. "What?"

I shove him back down playfully. "Nothing!"

"Fine. Whatever." He sighs again and we both stare at the sky, saying nothing, but also knowing that the other wants to say something. The silence is unbearable, but neither of us wants to break it.

I keep trying to think of what to say. I'm getting to the point where I just want to say it. No fear. I just want it out in the open. Because losing Neteyam to someone else just because I was too scared to speak is scarier than being rejected. I'm almost to that point.

"How's Norm doing?" His question catches me off guard. I'd gone to see my father today to help him out in the lab.

"He's fine. Just working on his research."

"How's that going?"

"Good. He's studying the connection between all the plants on Pandora. It's fascinating when you look at it all together." He's got me distracted now. I roll over and lean over him as I start gushing. "Our minds work by sending electrical signals between neurons. The forest is like that too. One tree feels a touch and it tells all the trees around it through similar electrical signals. The forest speaks to itself. It's incredible." I can't help but brag about my dad's research. I feel so connected to the forest. When my feet touch the moss I can almost feel Eywa. I feel connected to everything. I lay back down, smiling at myself. I love talking about Norm's work.

He nods, only partially understanding. "Does he like me?"

"What? Of course."

"Joey." He rolls again, looking over me. "You're my best friend."

"And you are mine." My heart pounds in my chest. Is this it?

"We do everything together. I can't imagine not having you by my side."

Oh my god the conversation is happening. We're doing this. Now.

"I feel the same."

"So why is this so hard for us to speak about?"

"I can't speak for you, but I am afraid of ruining what we have." That's the truth. I can't help but spill it out. I've been thinking about this for months. And I've had Norm bothering me about it. Even Neytiri has been asking me.

To my surprise, he laughs. "I was afraid you didn't want me."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because, you're so much stronger and smarter than me. And you're beautiful, you could have your choice of a mate. I was afraid to ask because I didn't want to put pressure on you to choose me, or be afraid that our friendship would be ruined if you didn't."

I sit up and wrap my arms around him tightly. "Neteyam. Out of everything we've been through in our lives, you think I'd want to spend the rest of our time away from you? The thought of not having you here with me, by my side, supporting me, helping me, makes me sick. You are the air that I breathe."

"And you are the light that illuminates my path in the dark." He wraps his arms around me as well.

I press my forehead to his, closing my eyes. So he does want me. We spent all this time afraid, for what?

"Do do you choose me, Joey? Would you be my mate?"

"Of course."