Noatak
"Hey Noatak! It looks like those students from abroad have arrived!"
"Oh yeah, I've heard about that."
A large ship was approaching the shore. Inside of it were about ten students from Republic City. We were supposed to open our homes to let them stay and study for a while. We were supposed to make them feel at home, I don't know exactly why though. Why do they have to feel at home in order to study?
But it was whatever to me. They're only supposed to be here for a year and a half. I don't have any right to judge. I'm an outsider, too.
I ran away from my home in the Northern Water Tribe and boarded a few ships to get as far away from them as possible. The furthest place from the North Pole is the South Pole, so here I am. It took a while for me to get along with people, but eventually I befriended a guy named Tonraq once I joined in with the fishermen. Everyone knows that I'm from the North, but no one knows who I really am, the son of a monster. And no one is going to find out about my father either.
The ship entered the doc and the passengers exited. They didn't have anything but the clothes of their backs, and a lot of them were still wearing Earth Kingdom clothes from their last location.
"Hey, I heard that one of then is a waterbender!" Tonraq said.
"Oh joy."
"Well you sound excited."
"They're just people, right? Why is being a waterbender so special?"
"Noatak, you're one of the best waterbenders I've seen."
"Thanks." I wish that I could return the compliment. I mean, Tonraq was a great waterbender, but he had nothing on my father. My father could kill him, and so could I, but I just don't believe in murder.
"C'mon! Let's go meet them!" Tonraq tugged on my hair.
"We have to?"
"Yes! Come on, it's break time anyway."
"Fine." And suddenly we became a part of the welcoming committee. We smiled and shook hands with each person who came off of the ship.
And then there was her. She didn't seem like a person, more like a spirit. As if Yue herself gave birth to her. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but she was so lovely. Her brown hair was carelessly pulled up into a ponytail, and her bangs framed her soft face so perfectly. And when she smiled, the freezing snow under my boots even began to feel warm. And you would think that her ice cold blue eyes would freeze your soul, but instead they were like the ocean and the moon put together. Big and round, and clear and blue. They just seemed to be filled with hope and love and knowledge.
I soon realized that my heart was racing. I took a deep breath and bended my own blood to slow it down. It hurt a little bit, but it was the only way to ensure that my face doesn't start changing color. It seemed as if no one noticed all that was going through my mind when she smiled at me and shook my hand.
"Hya! I'm Kya!" How cute. She rhymed.
"Noatak."
"Noa…Tak. Hmm. Imma call you Noa."
"I'd rather be called-"
"Alright Noa, I gotta go unpack. I'll see you later!" And like that, she was gone. Her walk was graceful like the sea, but light like the air. It was so strange, yet so…
"Beautiful…"
"What?" Tonraq, who I completely forgot even existed, said. Apparently, I was thinking out loud.
"What?" I tried to cover myself.
"Don't try to get out of this, Noa."
"Get out of what? And don't call me that!"
"But it's perfectly fine if she calls you that."
"Who?"
"Kya."
"No."
"Liar."
Okay so I was lying my ass off, but he didn't have to know.
"She's just another person, Tonraq."
"Riiiiight."
"Let's go back. There is only a half an hour left in our break, and I still haven't eaten," I had to change the subject.
"Whatever you say, Noa." He laughed at me.
I decided to ignore him this time. However, the nickname didn't sound right coming from him. Only she could make it sound right. I spent the entire rest of the day thinking about this.