Little Miss Perfect | Neteyam¹

Chapter 11: Soul Brother's

Italicize - someone's thoughts or a story from the past

Bold - sign language

Lo'ak couldn't believe that his father had told him to apologize to Ao'nung. He was picking on Kiri and Marali. He felt that he was doing his job as their brother. Of course, Marali isn't his sister by blood, but then again neither is Kiri. Marali has always been there for him when he needed her. She was always the one protecting him, and he thought it was his job to do the same and protect her for a change.

Not only was the boy mad at Jake, but he was mad at himself for letting his anger get the better of him. "One rule, Lo'ak, that's all you had to follow." He said to himself as he lightly tugged on his braids. "You're so stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid."

It was like he was chanting to the world that he thought he was stupid.

"Lo'ak?" A voice said, and Lo'ak turned around. Neytiri had been walking back to the Mauri pod with Tuk, but when she saw her youngest son scolding himself she sent her daughter away.

"Hi, mom." He whispered as he put his head down. Neytiri didn't know what happened, but she saw the fresh bruise forming under his eye, and she saw the cuts on his knuckles. It was obvious that he had gotten into a fight.

"Are you okay?" Neytiri said as she put both of her hands on either side of his shoulder, causing him to look up at her.

"Yeah, I'm okay." He said as his mother observed him with worried eyes. "I have to go apologize to Ao'nung." Lo'ak gently removed his mother's hands from his shoulders as he started to walk to the beach to see if he could find Ao'nung.

When he made it to the beach, he saw that Ao'nung and his friends were going out to sea, so he decided to follow them. He called for an ilu and quickly connected his queue before dashing into the water. Lo'ak could hear the boys laughing and teasing each other as he got closer and closer.

As he got closer, his presence was made known to the Metkayina boys.

"What's forest boy doing here?" One of them said with a smirk.

"I'm sorry I hit you." He paused before he brought a smile to his face, "So many times." Ao'nung looked at the boy in front of him before he turned back to his friends and smirked.

"We should be friends," Ao'nung said. "Come hunting with us. Outside of the reef. It's where the men hunt."

Lo'ak doesn't trust Ao'nung, but he didn't have an excuse to go until an idea pops into his head. "I'm not allowed past the reef."

Ao'nung is smirking deceitfully at the boy, "I must be asking the wrong brother."

Lo'ak clenched his jaw at this, now irritated. He knew the boy was baiting him, and he knew he should have just said no, but he was tired of people comparing him to Neteyam. So, without giving it much thought, he made an impulsive decision.

The Omatikaya boy agreed to go with Ao'nung and his friends, and Ao'nung handed him a crossbow before he asked Lo'ak if he knew how to use it. Lo'ak, of course, told the boy that he knew how to use it, even though he wasn't as familiar with a crossbow as he was with a bow and arrow. He didn't want any of them to see him as weak. Besides, it's not like a crossbow, and a bow and arrow are much different.

The group of teens went past the reef, diving in and out of the water, and Lo'ak cheered as they broke the surface. He was having fun, and he thought that Ao'nung had finally accepted him and his family into the clan. Lo'ak finally felt like he was starting to fit in.