Calling Dibs

"Mo! Over here!"

Moana spotted Aka and raised her arm in acknowledgement.

"You actually made it! It's so good to see you, Moana." Akenehi hugged her tightly and the chief happily returned the gesture.

"I know. I'm sorry I have been so busy. I've missed you guys so much." She apologized.

Hemi squeezed her shoulder. "No worries, girl. Being Chief must be so tough and exhausting."

"Yeah, I feel tired just by thinking on everything you have to do."

"Oh, it's not that bad." Moana shrugged. She didn't want to have all the attention on her or talk about the hardships of being chief. "So, what are you guys been up to?"

They all smiled and started rambling about their lives.

Moana missed this. She had neglected her friendships because she was always busy. Gossip wasn't exactly her thing but she adored her friends and wanted to spend time with them and talk about things she could only share with them.

Apparently, they went through a lot on the past few months. Aka was the disciple of one of the dancing teachers. She was aspiring in mastering different dance styles like hula and haka to entertain the whole village. She had always loved dancing and was considered the best dancer in the her generation.

Akenehi just started teaching young kids about music. She is a fine singer and loves children.

Celebrations and dance performances were always accompanied by music and songs so Aka and Akenehi were close.

Hemi wasn't so inclined for the arts. She was good at fishing and helped with the elaboration of traps and fishing nets.

"I have something else to tell you." Hemi smiled and bit her lip to contain herself and let the expectation build up.

"What is it?" Moana asked excited.

"Nahera presented many gifts to my parents the other night and our families gathered to talk."

Moana gasped and smiled in disbelief. "That means… did they…?"

Hemi squealed. "Yes! They all allowed it! We will get married!"

"No way!"

"Oh my goodness!"

Moana grabbed her hands. "That's wonderful news, Hemi! Congratulations!"

"Thank you! We just need your blessing and it will be official after the feast."

"But of course you have it! I'll make sure to have everything beautifully decorated and the best food just for you!"

"Thanks. I'm just so happy."

They couldn't contain the need to plan Hemi's wedding. The flowers, the lights, the performances, the music, the food, their vows, her attire.

After daydreaming together how Hemi's wedding would be, Aka caught Moana's attention with a tap on her arm.

"So, talking about love birds: what's going on with you and Maui?"

Her curious friends moved closer.

Moana laughed. "What? Nothing is going on."

Aka snorted, not believing her words.

The chief rolled her eyes. "He is a demigod, remember? Besides, he's far from being husband material."

"Who said anything about 'husband material'? Doesn't have to be serious to have some fun." She winked.

"Aka!" Moana always knew her friends were more liberal than her. She doesn't mind open minded perspectives but sometimes she would find her shy personality clash with their boldness.

Hemi intervened. "Mo, everytime I look at you together you're smiling or laughing."

"So? Maui's funny, I'll give you that, but that doesn't mean I have a thing for him."

"Well, you should!" Said Akenehi. "He's gorgeous!"

Aka and Hemi nodded in sync. The former then got serious. "Look, if you are not interested, then let me go after him. I won't let such a specimen go to waste."

All eyes widened and jaws dropped.

"Oh my! I knew you like him but I didn't know you were thinking of hooking up with Maui." Akenehi nudge Aka with her elbow.

Moana blinked twice. She shouldn't mind. She shouldn't care… but something was telling her to say 'no'. She had no claim on Maui and he was free to do what he wanted. So, why was she feeling so… conflicted?

What's wrong with me?

Moana slightly shook her head to gain back her composure and smiled.

"You don't need my permission. Go ahead."

Aka wasn't so convinced. "Are you sure?"

No.

"Yes! Don't hold back."

Aka smiled from ear to ear. "Thanks, Mo!" She glanced at the sun. "Excuse me, girls. I'm going to practice... and then demigod hunting."

Hemi and Akenehi giggled and teased their friend before she left.

As Aka walked away, Moana felt as if she just did something she would regret later.

Some new characters! Ooff! Kinda nervous about that. Haven't decided how much they will appear in the future. Again, I don't plan much this short stories.

I did a little research and I found that many cultures in the Pacific were really open about their sexuality and marriage. Formal relationships were rare and usually marriages were celebrated, especially if they were for political reasons. Some cultures didn't celebrate unions at all, choosing to have multiple partners which were socially accepted.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. That's what I read from a few articles I found on the matter.

Thank you for reading! Review! I love reading your comments!