Chapter 4: Crushing Hugs

Pocahontas steps off the ship and is greeted by the smiling faces of her tribe. Nakoma plunges out of the crowd and delivers a crushing hug to her best friend. Pocahontas returns the hug with an equal amount of force.

"Oh my gosh, Pocahontas, I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too." Powhatan says. Pocahontas turns around to find her father standing with open arms. They embrace.

"We were starting to think that you liked England so much, you would never return." Nakoma exclaims.

"This will always be my home." Pocahontas grabs Nakoma's hand, reassuring her that she is here to stay.

At that moment, John Rolf steps off the ship carrying a crate in each hand. He places the crates on the ground and walks over to Pocahontas.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet John. John, this is everyone."

"Hello." John's greeting is met by several cold, confused faces.

"That's not John." Nakoma stares intensely at Rolf.

"No you don't understand. He is John. John Rolf."

"Where is John Smith?" Powhatan lowers his eyebrows. He turns to Rolf. Rolf, noticing that he had been looking at Pocahontas's father for a long while, quickly turns his head in hopes that Powhatan hadn't noticed him staring.

"He's in London." Pocahontas looks to the ground. She does not want to think of him, but just hearing the sound of his name makes her wonder about him, makes her wonder what he is doing right this instant, makes her wonder if he is thinking about her like she is thinking about him. She figures that he probably is not thinking of her and is most likely caught up in another adventure.

Rolf notices that Pocahontas looks upset, so he puts his arms around her shoulders. "Darling are you alright?"

"Oh, yes. I'm fine."

Rolf smiles and brushes a piece of hair away from her face.

"Ohhhh." From their body language, Nakoma realizes that Rolf and Pocahontas are together. She whispers something into Powhatan's ear and he suddenly comes to the same realization.

"Where is my head!" Powhatan exclaims to his people. "Pocahontas has brought a guest to us and we stand here frozen like the mountains. Please, John Rolf, we welcome you with open arms. Come. Let us take you to the village."

"Thank you sir." John Rolf walks with Powhatan. Two of the tribe people pick up Rolf's crates and then, along with the others, follow Rolf and Powhatan. Flit, Meeko, and Percy scurry along side the group. Pocahontas and Nakoma stay behind.

"You never mentioned him in your letters." Nakoma says to her friend.

"I know, I just-"

"He's cute."

"I think so too." Pocahontas smiles as she watches Rolf walking and talking with her father.

"What happened to John Smith though? I thought you-"

"Our paths were going in different directions. My path led me here. His didn't. "

"But I always thought your paths were guided by your hearts, and as a result they were leading you in the same direction, to each other."

"It's more complicated than that."

"But-"

"Nakoma, I don't love him anymore! I love John Rolf." After uttering these forceful words, Pocahontas scares herself; for it is the first time she has said such a thing out loud.

"Okay, no need to get upset." Nakoma is slightly frightened by her friend's sudden change of mood. "Let's forget I said anything."

"I'm sorry. I…I don't know where that came from. I didn't mean to talk to you that way."

"Pocahontas, please. I'm just glad to see you." Nakoma hugs her friend again, this time, less forcefully. "We've got a lot of catching up to do. You must tell me all about England."

"Oh I will. My letters don't do it justice."

"Great. Later though. Right now I think we should probably be catching up with the others."

"Race you to the village?"

"Pocahontas, aren't we getting to old for this?"

"Ready"

"Pocahontas-"

"Set"

"Pocahontas!"

"Go!" Pocahontas takes off.

"She hasn't changed a bit." Nakoma smiles at this and runs to catch up with her friend.