𝑀𝓎 𝑔𝒾𝒻𝓉 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝐸𝓌𝓎𝒶

Chapter Nine

Raya spent all night getting ready. She took her long hair out of her braids and let it fall into its natural straightness.

She found one of her flower clips from the forest and used it to clip back two twisted strands of hair, leaving some loose hairs remaining.

She wore her favorite top with white stones and pink flowers embedded into it, and her matching bottoms. She wore vine laces that wrapped up to her knees, and some on her arms up to her elbows.

She had heard Tsireya talking about a bonfire some of the teens were having on the Westside of the island so she figured that's where Neteyam was taking her.

"Well don't you look gorgeous." Neytiri said when she walked out of her area where she was changing.

"Thank you, Neytiri." She smiled.
"Lo'ak, Kiri, and Neteyam have already left for the bonfire." Jake said as she stood beside Neytiri.

"Please for the love of Ewya make sure they stay outta trouble." Jake pleaded as she left the pod.

She just giggled in return.
——

When she made it to the spot Neteyam asked her to meet her at, she saw a talk figure in the shadow.

She quietly walked closer to the figure but soon realized it wasn't Neteyam.

"Ao'nung?" She asked once she had stepped closer. He turned around and the moonlight hit his face, showing his bright sea green eyes.

He scanned her body up and down, taking in every bit of her.
"Wow Raya. You look," he paused taking her in once more.

"Beautiful." He whispered as he stepped closer to her.
She blushed, not because she liked him. But because she liked the attention.

"Thank you, Ao'nung." She smiled as he stepped closer again.

She looked around trying to find Neteyam.

"Where's Tey at?" She asked looking back at Ao'nung.
"Who?" He asked.
She sighed, "Neteyam? Where is he?" She asked again.

"Oh right, he asked if I could meet you here and take you to the party."
"Why couldn't he meet me here?"
"Kiri didn't want to wait for you." He said as he turned to walk along the beach.

Typical Kiri, always impatient. That's one thing she loved about Kiri.

As they walked along the beach Raya started to hear voices. People were yelling and having fun. She could hear people playing music on some shells or whatever they could find.

She spotted Lo'ak and Tsireya by a tree, then she saw Kiri walking along the shore with Roxto and another boy and a girl.

Then she saw Neteyam. He was talking to a Metakyina girl.

She was laughing at something he had said, and he was smiling at her.

Ao'nung saw her looking at them and grabbed her hand. "How about we go dance, we can make him jealous." He said as she gently pulled her into the forming dance circle.

"I don't like him, Ao'nung." She said as he pulled her closer.
"Still! I wanna dance with you anyway." He said as he put his hands on her waist and she put hers on his shoulder.

Raya softly smiled. "It wouldn't work out between me and him even if we tried." She looked over at Neteyam and saw him talking to that girl still.

She looked back at him and he smiled.

"Just sway to the beat!" He yelled over all the noise.
"What beat?" She yelled back.
"Make one up and we'll dance along as we go!" He said as he started to sway her hips with his hands and she smiled and began to laugh.

"There you go! You got this!" He yelled at her, catching the attention from Neteyam.

Raya let go of Ao'nungs shoulders and put her hands in the air and continued swaying.

Ao'nung grabbed her hand and twirled her, pulling her even closer. He rested his forehead against hers as they continued dancing.

Neteyam was full of jealousy. That was his girl and someone else had his hands on her.

"But what was it like in the forest?" The girl he was talking to asked but he ignored her and walked over to Raya and Ao'nung.

They were still dancing but he grabbed Raya by her waist and twirled her to face him, and they began dancing instead.

Ao'nung stood there confused.

"Someones jealous." Raya smirked at him.
"Don't ever let him touch you like that again." Neteyam said between gritted teeth, glaring at Ao'nung who was watching them.

She threw her head back and laughed.
"I mean it Raya." His voice was more stern, almost demanding. "You're mine. Not Ao'nungs, mine." He said before he twirled her again.

"I'm yours." She repeated once she was facing him again. He smiled and they continued dancing.

"You're driving me insane, Raya." He said as he looked down at her.

Raya looked around as they were dancing, then looked back at Neteyam.

He was smiling at her.

She loved his smile.

She loved everything about him if she had to be completely honest.

The way his tail swings back and forth when he gets excited about something.
The way he sighs whenever he knows he's wrong.
How his hair sways when he walks fast.
The way he looks at her compared to anyone else.

But what she liked about him most of all, was that he was hers.

And she was his.
——
Almost everyone was too tired to keep dancing.

So, people just started laying down on the beach and watched the stars.

Lo'ak took off with Tsireya some point throughout the party but they were back now.

Roxto and Kiri laid next to eachother on the sand.
Tsireya and Lo'ak a few feet away.

And Raya and Neteyam farther away from them.

They had received some odd glances but nobody questioned it.

He was laying on his back and she had her head resting on his chest. His arms were wrapped tightly around her and hers were wrapped around him.

She looked up at him and he had his eyes closed. But she could tell by his breathing he was still awake.

"Neteyam?"
"Yeah?" He said opening his eyes.
"Do you ever wonder what would've happened if we didn't leave the forest?" She looked away from him to look at the ocean.

"Yeah, I do." He said letting out a small sigh. "But I'm glad we did." Raya looked back at him.

"You are?" She asked.
"Yeah, I am. If we never left, me and you probably wouldn't be where we are right now." He said stroking her hair.

She smiled up at him. "But maybe we would've."
He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, maybe not. But I'm thankful that Ewya gave me you." He said kissing the top of her head.

"Me too, Neteyam." She said smiling as they laid on the sand watching the stars.
———