How can you love him? (Avatar Human AU)

Rest in Peace - Day 9

Trigger warnings for this chapter! Vaping, Swearing, Vandalism, Weed, and Arguing

Please let me know if I missed any!

The song for this chapter is - Dark Beach by Pastel Ghost

Enjoy!

Lo'ak POV

6:37 PM. January 19th, 2022.
"Can you get off my back!?"
We've been arguing for an hour. I just wanted to come home and relax since what happened with neteyam. I'm still wondering what the fight was about. But no, Dad decided that I haven't been paying attention enough, I haven't been taking my meds and My grades are already bad. I didn't want us to start arguing. I wanted to have a conversation with him about, Kerr. About how I feel like I don't have a right to miss her. I miss her so much though. She was Neteyam's best friend but she was like my big sister. I could go to her for anything, I could go to Tey but he's going through so much. I don't want to put more weight on him. "Lo'ak! Are you even listening to me?!" He's screaming at this point. "No sorry. I zoned out." I speak quietly because I don't want to raise my voice. I hate arguing, I only argue because it feels like I need to.

We finally stopped arguing but now I'm grounded for a week. He dismissed me from the kitchen. I'm sitting at my desk while listening to Kendrick Lamar. I only have a couple of things that could work to calm me down. Kiri has art and reading to help her relax and feel at peace. Neteyam has music, weed, and journaling to calm his anxiety. Tuktirey has roller skating to help calm herself. But me? I have vapes but they make me feel worse and anxious. Music only sends me spiraling in my thoughts. When I try to play my guitar, Dad says it's too loud. Why can Tey play his and Dad doesn't say shit? I could go to my siblings! But I don't think that they want to see me. I guess I could go spray-paint something. What if I get lost though? I don't know my way around and I don't know where I can safely do that without getting caught. Maybe Rotxo can help...

Curlyhead mf
L: hey. Ik this prob a weird question but do yk any places to spray paint? W/O getting caught
R: Sup man! Yeah, I do. can I come with you?
L: Sure. But I thought you'd be hanging w/ aonung
R: He's in a mood rn
L: Y?
R: Idk he gets like this sometimes. Shuts everyone out then stays in his room and gets snappy
L: I get it Tey gets like that too
R: yeah anyway! I'll meet u outside ur window
L: k see u soon dude

I pack a bag with spray cans and paint markers. Black, green, blue, pink, yellow, brown, teal, white, etc. I put on a plain hoodie and tie my hair into a low bun. I put in a stud nose ring that almost blends into my skin and I take out the beads in my hair. I put on a black mask and I put on black and white Jordans. I do all this just in case we do get caught I can run easier and not get recognized easily. The mask helps to not get spray paint in my mouth, don't question it. It's happened before. I turn on the music on my laptop and lock my door.

I sit on my window sill waiting to see Rotxo. I see him climbing up the weird hill that's beside our house. I jump and land on the hill. He's wearing something similar to me and he also has a backpack.  "Hey, man!" I put my hand over his mouth and point up to Tey's room. I can see a dim light coming from it so he's still awake. "Tey is awake! So are my parents so we need to be quiet!!" I start to climb down the hill with Rotxo. We finally make it down the street. "Okay! Now we can talk!" I pull out my vape from my pocket. "Why did you want to come?" I ask as I blow the smoke out in rings. "Reya is studying for a history test. Ao is in a mood and our parents are watching one of their shows. I didn't feel like being alone so I wanted to come!" Though we've only met a couple of days ago, I wonder why he's always so smiley. He never seems angry or sad. Always really happy and laughing about something. It's not a bad thing! It's just confusing to me. "Well, why do you want to go vandalize a place?" I cough loudly. I clear my throat before I start to speak. "S-Sometime it helps me calm down." I continue to follow him around the neighborhood. I never paid attention to our neighborhood when we walk through it or drive. I'm always on my phone or doing late homework. Every house is modern, We don't know any of the neighbors, Only the Kaihe's. They feel gloomy and gray. It almost feels like we are living in a rich TV show. In Nigeria, we knew all of our neighbors personally. Every house was lively and bright. Everyone loved plants and color. "Why do you need to calm down?" He sounds almost intrigued with my problems. It feels like he genuinely cares about my personal life and how I'm feeling. Unlike my friends back home, they never asked me how I'm doing. They only cared about themselves and partying. "My dad and I got into an argument and...I miss Mona and Kerrissa." My eyes form tears immediately just at the mention of her name. I blink them away quickly, not wanting to cry in front of him. "Oh, Do you get into arguments a lot? Kerrissa and Mona is the one that uhm...died, right?" Kerrissa and Mona are dead. I never want to hear Kerrissa or Mona dead or died in the same sentence. I like to just say that they're gone. The word gone could mean numerous things. Gone as in on a trip or not there at the current moment or dead. "Yeah, that's them. Where are we going anyways?" I don't want to talk about them anymore. Why am I trusting a stranger to take me somewhere at 9:23 PM?! "Well here! This is one of the stores here, that doesn't give a shit if you paint on it!" We arrive at a small shop. Many spray paintings are on the walls and ground. I have an idea of what I'm going to paint. "Go crazy man! Imma just watch!" He goes to sit on an empty crate. I pull my mask up and set my spray cans down. I'm going to paint a memorial for Mona and Kerrissa.

12:45 AM
I finished it. I pull my phone out and take a picture.

"It looks beautiful Lo'ak." I feel his hand rest on my shoulder. A couple of tears drip down my face. I blink the rest away and start to pack my bag again. I know my parents will see the post and see that I vandalized a building but I don't care. I wanted to do this, I needed to do this. It's helping me move on easier. It's not that I won't want to remember them and that I want to leave them behind me. I just want the process to be easier and less painful. Rotxo and I start our walk back to our respective houses.

We get into our neighborhood and I start to walk up the road. I thought that he would go to his house while I walk back to mine but no. He's walking me to my house. "Hey, you know that you can go home now, right?" I look at him while we walk. "I want to make sure you get home safely!" I just nod in response. We get to my window and I climb back in. "See you at school Monday Rotxo!" "See ya Lo'ak!" He climbs down the hill and I see him run back to his house. I unlock my door and turn the music off.

I lay down in my bed and try to sleep. I keep moving around and waking up. I know this is childish but I don't care. I walk to Neteyam's room and knock. "Come in!" I open the door with a blanket and pillow in my arms. "Can I sleep in here..." He nods and I lay down at the edge of his bed. I hear 2 more knocks, It's Tuk and Ki. They both ask the sleep here. They climb into his bed with us. It's pretty cramped but it's okay. Finally, I'm able to go to sleep. I feel safe with my siblings.

Word count: 1595
There you go! Sorry for not uploading for so long. I went into a spider man hyper fixation and forgot about my stories! I also was reading Aonunete fan fics. The year and days are all mixed up at the moment and I know that. But let's just say, The Sullys moved on the 2nd Friday of January 2022. Kerrissa and Mona died the following Monday. This chapter is on the 3rd Friday of January 2022! I hope that makes sense! I hope you guys enjoyed this one! See you soon my lovelies 🫶🏽 -Zion