Awa'altu High: ATWOW highschool au!!

Kiri

Kiri was getting annoyed. Neteyam had left to pick up their dinner over an hour and a half ago. She knew she should let him enjoy his experience, but she was so hungry that the sound of Lo'ak's breathing was making her want to rip her hair out. She eyed him angrily from across the couch. He was on his phone, not even bothering to watch her show with her. She watched his Adam's apple wiggle as he swallowed, painfully aware of how his lips smacked together as he did so. Kiri gritted her teeth, sighing through her nose. He looked up. "What?" he asked dumbly, blinking at her with blank eyes. Kiri opened her mouth to say something most certainly too insulting, but the loud rumble of the garage opening cut her off. She heard Tuk shout "Neteyam!" from the kitchen, followed by the sound of her chair scraping across the floor. She ran into the living room. The backdoor opened and shut. Ao'nung entered. His hair was soaked and dripping, and his cheeks were flushed bright red. Tuk grinned at him. "Where were you today?" she asked, running over and staring up at him. He knelt to be eye level with her. "My stomach hurt," he whispered, looking over her shoulder at Kiri briefly. "Is it better now?" Kiri asked, grinning. "Mhm," he nodded, looking down at the ground and smiling. Neteyam walked in then, carrying two bags of food. Kiri blinked. His hair was wet. She was not used to seeing her brother without a halo of curls around his head when his hair was unbraided. She couldn't think of the last time she had seen him look like this. His hair wasn't the only difference. His whole body was radiating joy, as if he had been recharged by the sun.

    Kiri got to her feet, snatching one of the bags from his arms and running into the kitchen, Tuk hot on her heels. "Okay," she announced, interrupting her parent's game of dominoes. "In this bag, we have..." she reached for the receipt. "That one should be the salmon salad and Tuk's pasta," Ao'nung called, stepping into the kitchen holding the other bag. Neteyam followed after him, rubbing the back of his neck with the palm of his hand. "Fajitas, chicken, and Dad's lard bomb are in there," he said, looking up at Kiri with wide eyes. She snorted. "Hey, laugh all you want, but I happen to enjoy that "lard bomb", thank you very much," her dad retorted, sighing in exasperation. Once everyone was eating, Kiri pulled out her phone and continued watching the show she had previously been playing on the TV. Ao'nung sat beside her. "Is that Law and Order?" he asked. "Uh huh." "SVU?" "Uh huh." Neytiri groaned. "While you're eating? You can stomach that while you're eating?" Kiri grinned and nodded. "Well, I cannot." Knowing better than to upset her, Kiri quickly turned off her phone, shoving it into her pocket. Neteyam scoffed, sitting down on her other side and stealing one of her fries. She slapped his hand, knocking it to the ground. "You wasted a fry," she grumbled, glaring at him. He shrugged. "If you had just let me eat it, it wouldn't be wasted." Kiri sighed. "Lo'ak, do you want this fry?" He nodded, reaching out his hand without looking up. "It was on the floor..." Ao'nung warned, brow furrowing. "Don't care," Lo'ak responded as he opened and closed his hand, beckoning for Kiri to give it to him. Ao'nung watched him eat it with an expression of mild disgust on his face.

    Ao'nung left soon after. Neteyam went to walk him out to his truck with an umbrella. After about 15 minutes, he walked back in, rain dripping down his chin. "Did you even use the umbrella?" Lo'ak asked, looking up at his brother. Neteyam blinked. "What?" Kiri felt her unwarranted anger towards Lo'ak start to return. Was he really that stupid? "Your face is wet. So are your clothes. Did you even use the umbrella?" Kiri kicked his leg in an effort to get him to shut up. Neteyam laughed nervously. "Of course I did. That's why I walked him to his truck. To keep- to hold the umbrella. It must have holes in it or something." She heard her father snort from further down the table. "Yeah. Or something," he mumbled, grinning at his son. Neteyam swiftly left the room, heading for his room. Kiri got up and followed him, warning Lo'ak to not eat the rest of her dinner as she went.

    Neteyam didn't fully close his door. She could see a sliver of his bedroom through the crack he left. She pushed it open slightly more, trying to get a better look. From what she could see, it looked like Neteyam was just standing by his bed in the dark, his messy hair illuminated by the bright light of his phone. She knocked lightly on the doorframe. Neteyam looked up instantly, seeing her staring back at him. He quickly went to turn on his bedside lamp before opening the door for her, shutting it after her and locking it. He whirled to face her, eyes wide. Kiri was taken aback. "Uh..." "Kiri," he whispered, a small smile tugging at his mouth. "Yes?" she asked, concerned. "I can't tell you." She blinked at him. "Alright," "No. You don't- I can't tell you." "I heard you, Nete-" "No, you don't get it. Something happened, and I can't tell you, and I won't tell you. But..." He gestured aimlessly with his hands. "Are you... okay?" she asked, looking at him closely. His pupils were very dilated. Did Ao'nung give him something? "I have never, ever been better, not ever in my life." Kiri fidgeted nervously with her sleeve. "Well... that's good." Neteyam groaned and rubbed his face with his hands. "Come on, man. Something happened. While getting your dinner. And I can't tell you." "Yeah, I got that." "No! Kiri. Who was I with." She thought. "Just Ao'nung, right?" He grinned. "Yes. Exactly. Something happened, something that I can't tell you." An idea sparked in Kiri's mind. "Wait," she began, holding her hands up. "No. I can't tell you, so don't ask." She sighed. "Then what was the point of this?" Neteyam blinked at her. "Because. I need to tell someone. I want to, but I can't. Not yet." Kiri nodded slowly and headed for the door, discreetly unlocking it. "Glad you had fun," she murmured as she left, shutting it behind her. She turned and nearly ran headlong into her mother. "What was that? What happened?" she asked excitedly, taking Kiri's hands in her own. Kiri sighed. "You're welcome to go ask," she said, shrugging. "He can't tell me." Neytiri gave her a confused look. "I know, I know," Kiri nodded, sharing her mother's doubt. "He seems happy, though. He was very adamant about his inability to tell me any real information." Neytiri nodded once. "Well, I deserve to know," she said determinedly. Kiri winced. "Maybe just..." Her mother scoffed. "I won't actually force him to tell me," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "Okay. Good," Kiri nodded, smiling. "If he tells me anything, though, you must tell me," Neytiri whispered, leaning in close. "I will," she whispered back, leaning in as well. Their foreheads bumped lightly and Neytiri laughed, before pulling away and hurrying down the hall.