Little Miss Perfect | Neteyam¹

Chapter 13: Almost First Kisses

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

Bold - sign language

Neteyam had been walking through the forest, as he knew that's probably where Marali would have gone. The teen stopped for a minute and let himself bask in the feeling of being in a place that reminded him of home, somewhere he so desperately wished he could be right now.

He was glad his father let him follow after Marali because he knew she would probably need someone to comfort her. Sure the two teens weren't that close anymore, but he still knew when she needed someone. Marali had never shown that level of rage before, so while Neteyam most likely knew her better than anyone else, he was also going into the situation blind. The two hadn't had a heart-to-heart conversation since right before their training started.

In all honesty, Neteyam felt bad about how he'd been treating Marali. He knew that she didn't deserve it, and yet, for some reason anytime he tried to be nice to her, he always ended up reverting to his old ways. At first, he tried to excuse it as him pushing her away because he had a crush on her, and she didn't feel the same way about him, so Neteyam thought he was doing what was right to protect himself. Then, when he saw her grow closer to Lo'ak, he grew jealous of the relationship she was developing with Lo'ak. Neteyam's behavior was, for lack of a better word, petty, and he knew it was.

So that's why he made himself a promise when his father decided to uproot their lives and take them away from home. It gave him the perfect opportunity for a fresh start, so he would take full advantage of it. He decided that he was going to try to be nice to Marali and that he was going to try and grow a relationship with her, even if it was just as friends. Sure, he hadn't been doing a great job of becoming her friend so far, but it wasn't like she was making it easy on him.

He thought back to the argument the two had had in front of his parents, and the boy cringed to himself. He couldn't believe that he had that strong of a reaction when she revealed who she wanted as her mate. The boy knew it was coming, and yet it still wounded him deeper than it should've.

Then he thought back to the way his father had treated Lo'ak. He felt immense guilt when Marali had revealed the truth to him and his parents, that it was Ao'nung's idea. Not Lo'ak's. It made him sick to his stomach that he thought so low of his brother. Lo'ak is his baby brother he's supposed to protect him, and stick up for him, and he couldn't even do that.

Finally, having enough of wallowing in his own self-pity, the boy continued to draw his attention back to the matter at hand. Find Marali. Comfort Marali. Befriend Marali. Three simple tasks that the boy felt would be one of the hardest he would ever have to complete in his life.

As he continued to walk, he made his way to the clearing where Marali had been once before, hoping that that was where she had gone again. When he saw her sitting on a rock with her eyes closed, and her head leaned back, Neteyam's breath caught in his throat.

She's beautiful. Neteyam thought to himself. He knew she was pretty, but seeing the way the moonlight glistened on her skin made her ethereal. Marali was one of the most sought-after Na'vi back home. Not only was she beautiful, but she was an amazing hunter and warrior. She was also kind to everyone, for the most part, and that made her the perfect package. Every day back home, all of the boys would do anything and everything to grab her attention, but she never paid them any mind.

In fact, the girl was always so focused on what was asked of her. She never paid attention to any boys, not that Neteyam was watching her or anything.

When he looked back at Marali, he saw that her head was up, and her eyes were open. She was listening to her surroundings, which meant she knew he was there. Slowly the boy walked over to the girl and brought a big smile to his face as he approached her.