CHAPTER SEVEN. ✧˖*°࿐
❝ BEACH PROTECTORS. ❞

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"Leave us alone!"

Emea watched at the way her brother made fun of Lo'ak and Kiri. She kept her stoic expression as usual as Neteyam stalked towards them, clearly angry that they weren't listening to his siblings.

He pushed Ao'nung away from Lo'ak, glaring at him. "You heard what she said. Leave them alone."

"Ah, big brother coming," Ao'nung's friend taunted Neteyam, the group not having noticed the eldest watching. Emea knew that Neteyam could handle his own battles. She'll step in if they won't listen or when he leaves.

"Back off," Neteyam warned, pointing a finger at Ao'nung. "Now."

Ao'nung didn't take serious conversations without laughing and Emea knew. He couldn't take anything serious. So, she watched at the way he reacted as he stuck out a hand out for his friend who was ready to jump in if Neteyam hit him.

Ao'nung backed off.

"It's your choice," Neteyam continued, "from now on, I need you to respect my sister." At hearing no response, Neteyam gestured for his siblings to walk away. "Let's go."

Neteyam gave her a nod and Emea walked towards her younger brother, slapping the back of his head.

"What is the matter with you?" Emea hissed at them all and Ao'nung let his face drop, afraid of the way she handled things. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves."

"It is not our fault they are freaks!" Ao'nung's friend, one Emea isn't fond of, yelled after the group of siblings. She didn't catch on to Lo'ak halting in his steps. "Bye, bye."

"The whole entire family are freaks," Ao'nung complained, receiving another slap from his sister. He winced.

"Respect them," Emea sternly told him. "You do not get to harass a group of people we have welcomed. A group of people our parents have welcomed. Have some respect."

"Lo'ak," she heard Neteyam speak and she looked behind her to notice that Neteyam's brother had turned around to face them.

"I got this, bro," Lo'ak walked closer to them, glancing at Emea. He stuck out his hand. "I know this hand is funny," he stuck out a finger, wiggling it, having caught Ao'nung's attention. "Look, I'm a freak. Alien."

Emea sighed as the others laughed, clearly agreeing.

"Shut up."

"But it can do something really cool, watch," Emea gave up to keep the situation in peace and let her brother handle his own battles.

She glanced at Neteyam as his brother continued talking, her eyebrows furrowed. They were both obviously just as concerned on what was to happen. And they were right to be concerned.

As soon as Lo'ak finished talking, his fist made full on contact with Ao'nung's face repeatedly, making him fall to the ground.

"That's called a punch, bitch!" Lo'ak exclaimed at him. "Don't ever touch my sister again."

"Emea, get out of there," Neteyam told her, realizing that the whole situation was going to be escalating and she was in the middle of it.

He was right, as predicted, because as soon as those words left his mouth, Ao'nung had jumped on Lo'ak.

"Lo'ak, get up!" Emea let out an irritated breath. "You know what? Handle it on your own. I will tell Mother and Father about this."

Ao'nung listened to her and she knew. The way he gave her a side glance was enough and she easily dodged one of the punches he was going to throw at Lo'ak. She headed towards Neteyam and Kiri.

"Do not get in it," Neteyam warned, scratching his head. "Both of you."

He jumped into the fight to protect his brother, punching and throwing off the ones jumping Lo'ak. Emea and Kiri stood by, watching the situation.

"You're so stupid!" Kiri commented to both her brothers before laughing at her brother getting his tail pulled and another boy getting his ear tugged.

"Stay here," Emea sighed. Kiri looked at her and she looked annoyed, heading towards the group of boys before they could drown one another. "Stop!"

They all looked at her and Kiri eyed her with such awe, eyeing the way she glared at them all. Ao'nung and his group immediately did so, dropping Lo'ak and Neteyam on the floor.

"Emea—" Emea glared at her brother and he looked down. She heard footsteps and looked over her shoulder to see Tsireya heading towards the ruckus.

"Go with your sister to get the blood cleaned up," Emea ordered him and he nodded, his friends following after. Tsireya helped him, not before slapping him on the side of the head. "And you two, I'll take you to your parents."

Neteyam and Lo'ak looked at each other in worry and nodded, following after her. Kiri helped Lo'ak and Emea helped Neteyam as they both struggled to stand up.

Having seen the chief's kid passing by him wounded, Jake immediately looked for his own kids. He cursed under his breath at coming to see his bruised and bleeding children heading towards him, being helped by the chief's daughter and his own.

"I'm sorry," Emea bowed her head, making sure Neteyam was okay to stand on his own. "I'm sorry on behalf of my brother."

"Don't apologize," Jake softly spoke to her. "You don't need to apologize to me."

Jake led them away and Emea and Kiri stayed behind. He obviously didn't want them to hear the scolding he would be giving them.

"That was so cool," Kiri noted after a moment of silence. Emea glanced at her, smiling a little. "You need to teach me how to do that voice when my brothers annoy me."

Emea chuckled, adrenaline pulsing in her veins. They both walked slowly behind Jake and the boys. "You just have to be stern and do not exactly yell. Be stern and loud. Yelling will not make you be heard. To be loud is to raise your voice to an extent where people will listen but not be annoyed."

"I totally need to remember that."

They both stood outside her pod, hearing Jake scold Neteyam and Lo'ak.

"Do they always get in trouble?" Emea asked. Kiri nodded, listening.

"It's a daily thing at this point."

"But dad," they both heard, "Ao'nung was picking on Kiri. He called her a freak."

Emea eyed the way Kiri's ears twitched and the way her gaze turned to look at the water below their feet. She sighed and nudged her shoulder.

"You know," she started, "I think having five fingers is cool."

"Really?" Kiri turned to look at her and Emea looked away, shrugging. "Thank you."

"Do not let my brother's words affect you," the girl tried her best to reassure, trying to come up with words that will make her feel a bit better. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. I think you and your family are cool. It's not something we see a lot and it's an honor to see you all having something unique. Don't feel ashame."

Kiri smiled at her, letting her words sink in. They both turned their heads at seeing Lo'ak walk away, his head hanging low.

"So what the other guys look like?"

They both listened to Jake ask Neteyam, moving closer to their own pod.

"Worse," Emea heard his voice. "A lot worse."

Kiri separated from Emea, waving at her. As she went inside the pod unannounced, Emea headed where Neteyam stood, talking go his dad.

"Get out of here."

Neteyam turned around and saw Emea. His face beamed at coming to see her face, but he didn't exactly expect her to shake her head, gesturing towards her pod.

"I'll clean you up."

He nodded, feeling her hand wrap around his arm, guiding him. As they walked inside, Jake watched them. He smiled a little.

He's glad his son has someone to patch up his wounds.

AUTHOR'S NOTE.

This so unedited forgive me 😭

But I hope you guys are
liking this book 🫡 if the
dialogue from the movie
isn't fitting the dialogue from
this chapter... it's not my fault.

The movie I'm watching on a...
site has the cam version and I need
subtitles or I feel like I can't hear 😭