Little Mr Perfect

competition day

The next day Neteyam wakes up and gets ready for school. He's free from his classes today due to the competition and them setting everything up in the morning, the competition would be in the afternoon. Neteyam helps setting up the targets at different ranges. Once everything is done they get to practice. Today he doesn't mess up as much during practice as yesterday, but he keeps count of how many mistakes he made so far he's by 4.

Afternoon arrives and so do other schools archery teams and guests. Ofcourse jake and Neytiri are here aswell. Ao'nung walks over to Neteyam "Hey good luck ". "Thanks " He smiles and soon it's time to start the competition. He gets into position same as the others and they start, he hits straight in the middle of the target each round he's in until the last where he hits the ring that's next above the middle. That's 7 counting the mistake as two sinice its a mistake during the competition and disappointing after seeing the look on his parents face, he knows what they are thinking because he's thinking the same 'How could he have missed this one " now he can only hope its still enough for first place. He gribs his bow tightly as he makes his way back to where the team is. Trying to avoid looking back towards his family.

After a certain time the winners get announced. In 3rd place is a student from another school further north from here, 2nd place is Nadya one of his teammates . "And in first place we have .....Neteyam Sully!" He sighs in relieve and gets onto the podium to recieve the medal. Afterwards they all celebrate at the school, Tuk hugging Neteyam happy that she gets to brag to her friends and classmates that her brother is the best archer. They decode to let parents also have a go which makes the Sullys laugh because Neytiri doesn't need to be told twice to show off. She just uses Neteyams bow since the two of them have nearly identical ones, hitting the center every single time. Neteyam and her laugh a bit at the faces of the others. Nadya walks over to Neteyam "well now we know where you got your talent from " she chuckles and playfully punches his upper arm Neteyam looks at her and nods " she's been teaching me ever since I was little and is trying to get Tuk into it but with not so much success "

Jake looks at Neteyam happy that he made first place but isn't to pleased with the mistake at the end. Neteyam notices it and sighs, back at home he takes a shower doubling the count of his mistakes for cut, 7 on each side. He feels relieved knowing he deserved it, he's skipping out on dinner aswell, going straight to bed after the shower. He wakes up in the middle of the night and sneaks up on the roof looking at the stars. Suddenly he's phone vibrates he looks at it and sees its a text from Ao'nung

>> Hey can't sleep wanna go for a walk ?<<

>>sure I'll be right over<<

He leaves the house to meet up with Ao'nung, they walk along the beach occasionally looking back up at the stars. Now they just sit in the sand its 1:30am. Neteyam looks at the dark water which reflects the sky "How are you holding up ? Even when you won you didn't seem so happy about it" Ao'nung speaks up Neteyam looks over at him " I'm just a bit angry at myself I could've gotten a perfect shot at all of them but no I had to mess up the last one ". "And that's totally you ok. Neteyam you need to learn that these things are normal there are days where you just cant be 100% perfect... let me guess you skipped dinner ?".  Neteyam tenses up "h-how do you know about that?". " Mostly Loak...he told me..that he noticed you skipping meals whenever you made a mistake ". He notices the shift in Neteyams mood, the archer is hugging his knees now making his pants slide up a little revealing the bandages around his ankles, he went back earlier and cut there. "What did you do there ?" Ao'nung asks, and points the flashlight he took with him towards the bandages "I was clumsy and um....well....uh...kinda slipped in the shower and there was a piece of plasticfrom the door and well i cut it there" He tries to find an excuse eventhough knowing it's a dumb one.  Ao’nung looks at Neteyam " may I take a look at it ?". " don't worry it's ok I got it patched up" Ao'nung keeps looking at him "I think if I remember correctly the last time you patched something up yourself you ended in the ICU ". Neteyam sighs he has a point there but tries to talk his way out of it " well I know that happened but that was something different these are just scratches I just kept them covered so nothing gets on them  ". Ao'nung getting more worried " You're lying to me ". " I'm not lying ". " Tey it's the dumbest excuse I ever heard, yes maybe that could've happened but then it would probably be on only one foot ". " twisted the other one ". "You'd be limping if you did " Neteyam sighs and gives up, Ao’nung unwraps the bandage on one of Neteyams ankles stopping when he sees the cuts "why?" He just asks. Neteyam looks to the side "because I didn't hit the last target, missed 5 during warm ups and the last one counted as a double mistake.....also practice the day before was a disaster ...." He doesn't know why he's telling this to Ao’nung but feels guilty that he did because he can see the worry of him "Tey just as I said yesterday....you need help...there is no need for you to be perfect all the time and you have to understand that it's ok to make mistakes. It's ok to look after yourself before others and to do things others don't agree with ". " I have it under control..."." Tey you're getting thinner and thinner every day and now you're cutting....You can tell that you need help!!". " Why do you even care so much. I don't need help ! I got it under control!!". Ao'nung freezes it reminds him of a few years prior when Tsireya tried to convince everyone she didn't have an eating disorder. "Tey....I know you think that you got it controlled but you really don't....you have to talk someone....My mom knows someone who could help...but please don't keep these things bottled up ". " what's the point...non of them even cares!!" He snaps getting up " they don't care If I'm starving or hurting myself !! They only care about me having the best grades, being a good brother who always gets blamed or takes the blame for his siblings ! Remember when you said you were jealous of me back at the first few days of knowing eachother ? Well I'm jealous of you!! Jealous of how well you get along with your parents, Jealous about the fact that your parents even care about you and your siblings equally....I'm jealous about how confident you are....I'm jealous because you are or have everything I wanted to have to be...." He blurts out I guess Ao'nung finding out was the tipping point on the scale and he reached a moment where everything just spilled out. "Eywa it's pathetic.....I'm pathetic...." He looks down tearing up " why do you even bother being my friend?"

Aonung is speechless at Neteyam spilling a lot of what's happening to him and in his mind. He hugs him "come let it out....let it all out " he keeps holding him and lets Neteyam cry in his chest. "Why...why do you care so much?". "Because you are my friend and maybe more than that but I and the others care about you....Neteyam I don't want to lose you...that day on the roof..you really scared me...I just want you safe"
Neteyam looks up "again maybe more....what do you mean by maybe more?". Ao'nung looks at him " I don't think this is the best time to talk about that ". "When isn't it the right time to talk about anything important...." Neteyam states "touché" Ao'nung takes a deep breath " I well....at first I was just jealous and mean to you...but then the more I got to know you the more I noticed some feelings I haven't felt before....when I talked with Reya about it she laughed and said it's the same feelings she feels for loak....Neteyam I care about you so much because I like you..." Neteyam looks at him a little confused and Ao'nung finishes the sentence

" I love you"