Not the same

you can kiss who you want

chapter eleven.

"Neteyam!" Za'nara yelled following Neteyam after he walked off from the beach.

"Wait up please!" Za'nara yelled.

Neteyam stopped in his tracks and turned around to her.

"What?" Neteyam asked.

"What you just saw, is not what you think." Za'nara explained.

"You can kiss whoever you want Za'nara, I'm not your keeper." Neteyam replied.

"It was in the moment, Neteyam. I thought he was dead or hurt, I was worried about him, I was vulnerable." Za'nara explained.

"Yeah I was worried about him too but I didn't kiss him." Neteyam explained.

"It was just a kiss."

"Just a kiss?" Neteyam repeated.

"Yes." Za'nara replied. "I'll prove it to you."

Za'nara walked up to Neteyam and grabbed his face with her hands and pulled him in to kiss her. They kissed for a moment, Neteyam was shocked at first but leant into it after.

Za'nara pulled away after a few seconds.

"Just a kiss." Za'nara whispered.

Neteyam who was still in shock, smiled out of excitement.

Za'nara walked off and smirked back at Neteyam as she left.

~

[Later that day]

Za'nara was out riding the ilu when Ao'nung swam up to her.

"Hey can we talk?" Ao'nung greeted Za'nara.

"Nope." Za'nara brushed him off.

"Please?" Ao'nung begged.

"What's there to talk about Ao'nung? You were a dick to everyone yesterday." Za'nara replied.

"I'm sorry, I was jealous. I didn't mean any of that, if you get to know me, you'll see that I'm a good person." Ao'nung explained.

"Good person? You nearly got Lo'ak killed!" Za'nara replied.

"It was just meant to be a joke. To teach him a lesson." Ao'nung tried explaining.

"No, that was just straight up mean." Za'nara replied and swam off in the opposite direction.

"Za'nara!" Ao'nung screamed after Za'nara.

Za'nara rode off and completely ignored Ao'nung as he screamed after her. Tsireya rode up next to Za'nara, staring at her brother in confusion.

"What does he want?" Tsireya asked.

"To apologise for almost getting Lo'ak killed." Za'nara replied.

"Did you forgive him?" Tsireya asked.

"Nah I'm way to stubborn for that." Za'nara laughed.

Tsireya laughed with her.

[That afternoon]

"Relax your elbows." Neytiri directed Za'nara, as Za'nara practised her training.

"Kanfpìl." Neytiri instructed.

[ Kanfpìl- Focus ]

"Syeha si."

[Translated to breathe]

"Kä!" Neytiri yelled.

(Translates to Go!)

Za'nara stood her stance, and took her shot, hitting the bullseye on her first try. Neytiri stood there, amazed and proud. Za'nara turned to Neytiri and laughed.

"I did it!" Za'nara yelled.

"I'm proud of how far you have come, my dear child." Neytiri complimented, resting her hand on Za'nara's shoulder.

"Neytiri?" Za'nara turned to Neytiri and spoke.

"Yes?" Neytiri replied.

"I know you might not fully trust me, but thank-you." Za'nara thanked. "You are the closest thing to a mother i've ever had as the memories of my mother have faded over the years. Thankyou Neytiri."

Neytiri brought her in for a hug.

"I trust you Za'nara, what happened to you was not your fault, you were only a little girl. Nobody deserves that, especially not you. That's what makes you so strong." Neytiri whispered in her ear as she hugged her tightly.

A tear ran down Za'nara's face.

"Irayo." Za'nara whispered.

[Irayo- Thankyou]

"It's time for dinner." Neytiri said walking Za'nara back to their hut and sitting down with everyone else.

{In the hut}

"Cause any trouble today kids?" Jake joked, looking over at Lo'ak and Za'nara.

"Why you only looking at us, dad?" Lo'ak asked.

Everybody laughed.

"I rode the ilus with Tsireya, Za'nara and Kiri this morning!" Tuk couldn't wait to tell her parents.

Neytiri smiled and placed her hand on Tuk's hair, pushing it behind her ear.

"Neteyam? What about you?" Jake asked.

Neteyam was looking directly at Za'nara, when his father was asking him questions.

Za'nara put her head down and continued eating, praying that Neteyam wouldn't bring up their kiss and brag about it to Lo'ak as Za'nara was already feeling guilty about kissing the both of them.

"Nothing much, dad." Neteyam replied.

"In a few days, Tsireya said she's going to show us their spirit tree, once we have perfectly mastered holding our breaths under water." Za'nara explained.

"I can't wait!" Kiri replied.

"I know, it's going to be my first time connecting to the spirit tree in ten years, so." Za'nara told the family.

The family all looked at her and smiled.

She looked up at them.

"What?" Za'nara asked, with a mouth full of food.

"We are just happy that your back where you belong, with your kind, your home." Jake explained, still smiling.

"None of this would've been possible unless you guys were willing to give me another chance, for that i'm grateful to all of you." Za'nara replied.

Kiri grabbed Za'nara's hand and held it tight.

"I'm just happy to have my bestfriend back." Kiri expressed.

"Yeah, me too." Lo'ak also confessed.

Neteyam's smile, turned into a frown slowly as jealousy came over him once again, he shrugged it off and continued dinner with his family.

After they all finished their meals, Lo'ak approached Za'nara.

"How about a night ride?" Lo'ak insisted.

"That sounds dangerous." Za'nara replied as a joke.

"There's someone I want you to meet." Lo'ak explained.

"Who?" Za'nara asked curiously.

"A Tulkun." Lo'ak replied.

"Don't be dumb, the Tulkun haven't arrived yet, don't you think that the clan would be celebrating if they had." Za'nara explained.

"He was alone." Lo'ak explained.

"I don't have time for lies, Lo'ak." Za'nara brushed him off.

"It's not!" Lo'ak yelled. "He saved my life."

"I think you just lost consciousness and started hallucinating." Za'nara replied.

"Out of all people I thought you would listen." Lo'ak expressed, sadly walking away from Za'nara.

"Lo'ak!" Za'nara yelled.

"Fuck! I'm so stupid!" Za'nara spoke to herself.

end of chapter eleven.