I am awakened by noises coming from outside. I open my eyes and sighs as I get up. I did not really sleep well tonight, and I do not even know why. I just could not close my eyes and simply peacefully sleep. So I am quite tired this morning. I leave my hut and arrive on the bridge where I see Emey waiting for me in the water. I stifle a laugh before plunging my feet in the water. I walk over my Ilu and pet her.
"Good morning love, tried to wake me up I see?" I say with a smile.
I suddenly hear my mom calling me from the house. I roll my eyes and turn to her.
"Breakfast! She yells.
- I know... I am coming." I yell back.
I turn to Emey and sigh before whispering a few words.
"I am coming back in five minutes. Wait for me here." I say.
I get back on the wooden bridge and enter the house where my mother had prepared breakfast. I always like it a lot when she prepares breakfast for me. I could cook fish with spices, it'll never taste as good as my mother's. I sit at the table.
"I cooked you some fresh salmon and made you juice!" She says.
I smile and thank her before observing the purple fruit juice filled in the coconut. God I am so lucky today. It is not always that my mother makes breakfast for me, only like once a month when she is not out with her friends in the morning when I wake up.
"Thank you so much mom." I smile at her.
I take a bite of the salmon. I love fish when they are swimming in the water but I also love them when they're in my stomach. I take a sip of the juice and all this sugar feels so good. My mother suddenly grabs my chin and tries to make me open my mouth.
"Let me see your teeth." She says.
I hate how she can be so unpredictable. We can talk about fish and the second after she'll ask me to get naked. And now she asks me to show her my teeth, and I know damn well why.
"Mom! I grumble.
- What? She scolds as her accent can slightly be heard, and this always kind of makes me laugh. I think it is cute.
- You know I don't like showing my teeth." I say.
And it was true. When I smile, I do it without showing my teeth, and when I smile with my teeth, I always make sure to not make it too wide.
"No, you just don't like having your father's features." She says as she sighs and finally leaves my chin alone.
Yes, also. But it is not the only reason. I ignore the conversation we just had and keep on eating. When I finish my salmon and juice I stand up and kiss my mother's cheek.
"I'll be there before dinner.
- Okay honey, be careful." She says.
I nod and take my bow and arrows before leaving the hut. I walk back to Emey and get in the water before making my bond with her. I get on her back and we start leaving together. I bump into Tsireya and Aonung, I smile at them and approach them. They were on their Ilus too.
"Where are you guys going? Where's Rotxo? I ask.
- On the east of the beach, Rotxo is joining us there. Teaching the Sully how to swim today." Aonung answers.
Tsireya smiles at me and I already know she is going to beg me to go with them.
"Come with us! It'll be fun. Plus, maybe you'll be able to talk with the older one." She says with a wink.
I immediately roll my eyes while Aonung seems completely confused. He swims to me to have some reassurance about what Tsireya has just said.
"What is she talking about?
- Nothing. Do not worry." I say.
Little does Tsireya knows I actually talked to him yesterday night. And I honestly don't have an opinion on him, he is just like everybody else, like Lo'ak, like Rotxo, Yerino, Aonung, Uriwano. Nothing too different to be honest.
"I'll come with you." I finally make my decision.
Tsireya and Aonung smiles as I ask Emey to keep swimming forward. But I hope Tsireya does not expect me to do what she'd like me to do.
"But I won't talk to the oldest." I say.
Tsireya sighs in annoyance before following us. The fact that Tsireya is waiting for me to speak to Neteyam is so funny because that is literally all she is asking for, and to know she is not aware that I spoke to him is genuinely so amusing.
"You are no fun." She answers.
Aonung turns to his sister and speaks up as he asks his Ilu to slow down.
"No she is being rational, and she is right. She should not talk to him, he is a stranger and a freak." He says.
I frown and glare at him. Well the first sentence was alright, but the last one was truly not needed. I love how Aonung can be so clueless with his words, although I think he really meant the ones he just said.
"Aonung, can you please don't?" I say.
He simply grumbles and swims a bit faster in front of us. I approach my friend Tsireya and whispers to her.
"But maybe you will be able to talk to the younger one." I say with a laugh.
She widens her eyes and elbows me as she looks at her brother.
"Don't be so loud! My brother could hear you.
- And what about it? What is he going to do?
- He could tell my parents." She answers.
I roll my eyes, they act like babies. I sometimes feel like I am hanging out with ten year-olds. The only one that actually acts his age is Rotxo. My friend's brother turns to us and speaks up in a disappointed way.
"Are you not catching me up? You know I am mad right?
- Yeah I know. And I am not catching you up. Cry about it." I say jokingly.
I know damn well this man can not be mad at me, he loves me too much. And I can not be mad at him too, we'll still go back to each other like siblings. And that is why I don't romantically love Aonung, I love him as my brother, nothing more. He rolls his eyes and speaks up.
"You are so contemptuous." He says.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
We arrived at the beach where the Sully were, I can recognize the four familiar figures. I can see Rotxo coming behind them. We leave our Ilus and walk over the Sully, and I immediately meet Tuk's gaze, a smile lights up her face. I smile at her too.
"Rhea! Are you coming with us?" She asks as she walks over us.
I crouch in front of her and smile as I lay my hand on her shoulder and giggle. I really like her, I know I told my mom I wont talk to the newcomers but this little girl might changed my mind.
"Yes I am." I answer.
She starts jumping joyfully everywhere, making me giggle. I stand up as Lo'ak tries to calm his sister down. Rotxo finally arrives, he approaches me and we do our handshake.
"You got it wrong. He says.
- No you got it wrong! It's your left hand, not your right one idiot.
- No because you are on my left! He says almost yelling at me.
- What? You're talking non-sense bro." I say.
Rotxo rolls his eyes as he puts his hands in his hips like an angry father ready to scold at me.
"You know what I mean, let's do it again." He says.
I roll my eyes and we do our handshake again. And we finally get it right. We have been doing it for ten years and man can't even memorize it correctly. I stifle a laugh as Tsireya speaks up.
"Okay, we'll make four duos." Tsireya says.
I don't look at anybody, still not knowing with who I will be, I guess you choose and I do not want to choose between these four. Rotxo walks over Tuk and crouches in front of her.
"I'll get with the thirsty little girl." He says.
She raises one eyebrow as she glares at me with sass. I approach both of them and point at Rotxo.
"Do not annoy her." I tell him.
He sighs as he rolls his eyes and nods positively. Lo'ak walks over his sister and speaks up.
"Tell me if he annoys you." He says.
Tuk simply nods as her brother walks back to Tsireya, I guess these two are partners, I turn away and suddenly face Aonung, Neteyam and the older sister. Well, I know that Aonung will not hesitate to bully Neteyam, and I want to avoid this, so I'll go with Neteyam.
"Go with her, I am going with him." I whisper to Aonung.
I walk over Neteyam under Tsireya's eyes. I just know she was damn happy to see me in a duo with Neteyam, but I am not doing it by choice, I am doing it to avoid problems for every one here. But I suddenly feel Aonung's hand on my wrist, holding it tightly.
"No." He says.
I turn my head to him in a confused way before meeting his gaze. It does not look like he was agreeing with that, but I do not care, I was not letting him the choice.
"I'll go with him." He says.
I approach him a little more before getting my face closer to his, I whisper some words.
"No you are not going with him, I know you too well."
Aonung stifles a laugh before getting closer. He answers me.
"I do not care." He says.
He seemed convinced and I know I will not be able to change his mind. He is already settled. I look back at Neteyam and meet his gaze. He simply nods at me, telling me it'll be fine. I sigh and look back at Aonung, and I knew damn well why he did not want me to go with Neteyam. He was jealous and scared I would be able to talk to Neteyam.
I sigh in annoyance before whispering in a menacing way to Aonung.
"Do not mess with him Aonung. Do you hear me?
- I am not a kid Rhea...
- Say it. You won't mess with him." I say inking my gaze in his.
He gives me a 'do I really have to say this?' look and I make him understand that yes, he will have to if he wants me to let him go with Neteyam.
"I won't mess with him, Rhea." He whispers back.
I finally walk away, I know I was probably making a huge mistake by letting these two together, but we'll see how it goes I guess. I turn one last time to Neteyam and Aonung as I take off my bow and throw it on the sand. I meet Neteyam's gaze one last time before turning back to the older sister.
"Looks like we're partners. I say.
- Yeah, I am actually glad it is you." She smiles.
I smile back at her. And that is at this very moment that I realize I still do not know her name. I frown and look at her.
"What's your name again?
- Kirri. And you must be Rhea." She says.
I smile at her, she was so discrete, I like this. I think I will like her.
"Exactly." I answer.
author's note
heyyyy:)))
new chapter!!! what do you think of this one?
why do you think rhea doesn't like showing
her teeth? any hypothesis?
what do you think about Aonung and Neteyam?
i want to know all your thoughts!
and i know Neteyam is still not appearing a lot
but don't worry! his situationship with rhea
will evolve over time, i just want to write it
slowly to do it well:)
xo