Little Miss Perfect | Neteyam¹

Chapter 24: Two Outcasts, One Bond

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

Bold - sign language

Neteyam's entire world came crashing down when he heard those words leave Marali's lips.

"I like someone else."

He knew that it was a long shot of her liking him back, but to hear her confess it not only in front of his parents but in front of him as well hurt.

After Marali said she liked someone else, the pod was quiet as everyone stared at the girl. No one knew what to say, especially Neteyam. Jake and Neytiri looked at the girl with wide eyes and their mouths ajar. They were not expecting Marali to utter those words.

Marali was internally kicking herself for saying she liked someone else when it was completely false. She didn't like anyone else. It was a blatant lie because she was too embarrassed by what Jake and Neytiri were saying.

The only person she had ever had feelings for was Neteyam, and she'd felt those feelings for years.

"Well, uh, that's good. I'm glad you found someone you like." Jake said, breaking the silence.

The girl looked over at Neteyam, and her heart slowly ripped in two when she saw the look on his face. "Yeah, I should go," Marali says before running out of the pod to get away.

Neteyam watched her leave the pod, and felt his ears press against his head. He felt defeated at the fact that he had realized his feelings for Marali too late. Someone else had claimed her heart, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I'm gonna go for a ride to clear my head," Neteyam said.

Both of his parents looked at him and nodded their heads in understanding. The parents watched as their son left before they looked at each other. "Do you think I came on too strong?" Jake asked.

"Maybe a little," Neytiri says, looking at her mate. "I never expected her to say she liked someone else."

Jake crossed his arms over his chest and furrowed his eyebrows. "I know. I could have sworn that she liked Neteyam." He said, and Neytiri rolled her eyes at her mate's obliviousness.

"She does like Neteyam, but she didn't want to admit that in front of us or him." Neytiri clarified. Her mate made an 'o' shape with his mouth in understanding. The mother shook her head at her mate with a small smile on her lips.

~~~~

It's been a couple of days since the confrontation with Jake and Neytiri, and Marali had done everything to try and talk to Neteyam. She knew he was mad at her, but he didn't have to ignore her as he did when they were younger.

Marali wanted to tell him the truth. She wanted to tell him that she didn't like anyone else, that he was the only person she'd ever liked, but she couldn't even get so much as a word out before he would walk away.

His behavior towards her had gotten to the point where both of his parents would give him disapproving looks every time he walked away from Marali. He wouldn't even look in her direction when they ate together. Neteyam would quickly eat and then do his best to avoid her before he found his way to bed for the night.

If the girl were being honest, it was starting to piss her off.

She wouldn't let him ignore her again, especially not when they just started to be friends again. Young Marali would have already given up by now, but older Marali knew that giving up would be stupid.