CHAPTER IV:

( boy talk )

      "OKAY, TELL ME ALL ABOUT YOUR DAY WITH TEACHING LO'AK," Su'leio sat attentively with her legs crossed in Tsireya's end of her Mauri pod. It was slightly larger than Su'leio's, with many trinkets around the place—large seashells she found during her diving adventures, bioluminescent vines hung around for multicolored lighting at night, and many woven pieces for decoration around her bed.

Tsireya giggled sitting down in front of her on her bed recalling the events from the day. "Is it too soon to say I like him?" she asked.

Leio predicted for her friend to fall for the boy so early on in their introductions to each other. "I would say yes but I knew it would happen so my word says no," she replied with a brittle laugh.

"But what about you now?" the periwinkle-eyed girl questioned, a tease evident in her words as she grinned.

Su'leio stared at her confused. "I wasn't with Aonung today?" The two girls had speculated from time to time that their fathers had wished for their eldest children to be together in the vast future. Leio hadn't done anything to prevent the theory, but she hadn't exactly been sure she wanted it to happen.

      "Not Aonung, Neteyam! He has been staring at you since the day you met and you stare right back." Leio's jaw had unhinged itself and dropped. Su'leio—The future of the Awa'atlu reef's protection and security, always de-escalating or escalating arguments, and reason for her own curfew—smitten with Neteyam? A complete stranger she had met four days ago who just so happened to have the most enticing eyes she had ever seen. Not that she would ever admit that last bit.

"How would you even know he was staring at me if that is all you have been doing with Lo'ak?" she attempted to change the subject but Tsireya knew her better than to fall for it.

"You did not deny it!" the girl gasped. "You like him," she teased.

Su'leio scoffed, eyes widening, "You like Lo'ak."

      Tsireya giggled at her friend, "I already know this!"

      "But you don't know that I don't like Neteyam!" Leio defensively said. "How can I prove that to you?"

"There is nothing to prove, Leio, just admit that you like him and then we can talk about how much we like Toruk Makto's sons." Tsireya was keen on Su'leio admitting her nonexistent feelings for the eldest Sully boy. Leio hadn't been known to have crushes or be fascinated with them. Of course, she had her fair share of confessions, but she knew in her heart that when the sea brought her someone worth keeping, she would know.

"If I admit that I think he has nice eyes, will you be finished with this?" Leio bargained a beg. Tsireya smiled nodding her head. The girl sighed, "Fine. Neteyam has a very nice smile and pretty eyes." She regretted what she had said as soon as it slipped past her mouth.

"You said he has nice eyes but now he has a nice smile and his eyes are not just nice but pretty as well?" Tsireya continued to tease, laughing while her friend flopped on her back with a loud groan covering her face with her hands.

"I am going to sleep, Tsireya! Your bed is now mine, you can go share Aonung's bed because I am already sleeping and not listening to you anymore!" the older friend covered her ears squeezing her eyes shut.

      The best friends only went on like this for a few moments more before the sounds of their melodic laughs had drowned out to sea.