Surface| Neteyam

21.

(If you want to listen to something this chapter I'd highly recommend West Coast by Lana del Rey, whatever version you would like will work)

Turning my body away from him, I tried to cover up my tears with some excuse.

"What" I snarled, still facing away from him. I did a quick fake yawn to make it seem like my eyes had just watered up from it. But I knew Neteyam, I knew he wouldn't believe a word.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the forest, something just came up" He sat beside me, his arms were close but he knew it would be best to not lay them on me.

"Let me guess, her name was Riuwe." I rested my chin on the top of my knees, not wanting to engage with him or anyone at that moment.

"Yes.. And i'm sorry, she just really needed my help"

"Well what about me? My best friend just died in front of us, my father wished Eywa would take me away, and the only person who ever truly cared about me has been missing for eight years!"

I stood up and looked at him; his soft expression said a thousand things yet I could only hear one.

"I care" He stood up slowly, keeping eye contact as the words escaped his mouth.

"Really, cause you're making that very hard to believe"

I began to walk past him but he quickly got in the way, holding his hands out like he was trying to tell me to wait.

"I'm here now, aren't I?" He took one of my hands but I pulled back instantly.

"You should have been here hours ago" As I glanced at him for a moment I could see the panic in his eyes trying everything in his power to make me stay.

"Please Sira, just let me explain, I'll do anything." He begged, the sincerity in his voice kept me from leaving, I was curious to see what was so important.

"Fine, tell me why you went to her?" I demanded.

He paused but didn't look away from me, there was a pit in my stomach that was telling me I wasn't going to like what he was about to say.

"She was asking me about you."

What? The last time I checked she was ready to bury me in the sand. I stayed quiet, signaling him to finish.

"Riuwe talked so fondly about your past friendship, she said she regret letting you go and thought that you would listen to what I would have to say rather than her."

Well, she was right about one thing.

"Just tell her to stay away from me, if she wanted to stay friends she shouldn't have been such an asshole." What a skxawng, using him as a messenger, I was getting more and more fed up with her by the minute.

"I can't tell her that"

"Pfft, why not? Too scared of hurting her feelings?" I retorted.

"No, because I already did that."

Everything fell silent, suddenly his motives were unclear to me.
"I told her she couldn't expect that from you after what she had done. Look I don't know what went down before I came but I know she's been horrible to you. I try to avoid her but tonight she came to me saying it was urgent. And I'm sorry it was my fault that this all-"

"Stop, Neteyam, stop" I raised a hand and immediately he went quiet.

"You said you'd do anything to make it up to me right?"

"Mhm" he nodded, his ears folded back nervously.

I stared at the sand before looking back at him,

"Let me stay with you, just for one night, until I can smooth things over with my father" I shuddered thinking about how he would react the next time we would encounter but I knew I couldn't avoid him forever.