Cia Means Moon

It was late in the evening. Joey and Cia were sitting on a bench, outside a convenience store, near the airport, having their last cans of soda together. The moon was full, round and so bright, you can see some of the dark shadows of its surface.

"Will you be okay?" Joey asked, he didn't even turn his gaze from the moon to steal a glance at Cia who was lowering her head, he couldn't, knowing Cia was sniffling.

"I will be…" Cia's sound was barely heard, was just a weak murmur to herself.

"Do you know that in another language, Cia means moon?" said Joey, unsure whether it was Cia or himself he was trying to cheer up.

Joey and Cia have been bestest friends since their childhood. They lived in the same neighbourhood and their parents were even friends too. Joey who is a couple of years older than Cia had played a role as a very protective older brother to her.

Last year Joey lost his father in an accident, not so much longer from the death of his mother from leukaemia that had consumed her for years. Cia's parents had been taking care of Joey a lot ever since. But losing his father as well crushed Joey who was only 14 years old and was in middle school to the lowest point. Cia was deeply hurt too by the loss of Joey's parents, they had only Joey, a boy, and Cia was the adorable daughter-not daughter for the couple. Whenever Cia got scolded by her mom, Cia would run to Joey's house and cry to his mom, "I hate mom! Please just adopt me, please, please," Joey's mom always burst into very loud laughter and carried Cia in her arms. And instead, Cia's parents brought Joey into their family's house eventually.

Joey fought his suffering being a sudden orphan by studying even harder than he ever did before. He won a full scholarship by the end of middle school and decided to take the risk and grab the chance. It was going to be a whole five years living abroad, in the middle of nowhere for him, who was still very young. And there were they, that evening, two teenagers saying farewell to each other. His beloved little pony, her tremendous shelter.

Joey tried to smile and poked Cia's cheek with his finger, he accidentally found a trace of tears there. He leaned closer to Cia and sighed deeply, "I have to do this, Cia, it's not like I intend to leave you alone," he wiped the corner of her eyes.

Cia sniffed and nodded slowly, " I know."

"I'm an orphan now, I have no parents, it's not like your parents can keep supporting me for my school and everything, I have to be independent," Joey paused and sighed before continuing, "I have no home, Cia."

Cia pushed him away and stood up all of a sudden and shouted, "you have me, you idiot!!"

Cia ran away to her parent's car on the other side of the area, Joey stood up and froze, watching her jog away.

***

Joey stares at the full moon crawling up in the darkening sky of the dusk, outside the giant window of the airport. He sighs sharply, his fingers fidget against his phone, turning it on then turning it off and keep repeating it. He's way too excited to go back home to his hometown after spending years studying abroad on a scholarship.

"Cia, I'm coming home. To you," he whispers to the moon far away from him, his heart clutches making him hunched down a little. And yet smiles.

***

Cia opens her eyes lazily. She doesn't want to be alive today. She moans and whines rolling around in her bed under the covers, squealing loudly, "argh I hate Wednesday!! I don't want to go to the campus today!! Just kill me!! Argghh!!"

"Well your only problem is that no one is willing to kill you today, you have to go through this, get up!" Her mom is just suddenly there sitting on the bedside and tugging her covers harshly.

"Get up now, Cia!" She warns her again.

Cia's phone suddenly jingles loudly, it's the phone alarm. Mom reaches the phone, intending to switch it off when she reads a line on  the top of the screen, "Joey?"

Cia pushes the cover from her face, "what?"

"I don't know, it says Joey here, it's not a call though, like a date reminder or something," mom answers, giving the phone away to Cia's sight.

Cia seats herself up in surprise, widening her eyes and grabbing the phone from her mom's hand, "Oh gosh! Mom!! Joey is coming back today!!!" 

"Joey?" Mom stares at Cia, her brows furrow trying to process things and remembering the name, "hmm… Joey…" She walks out of the bedroom slowly and suddenly turns her body dramatically at the doorway, "Joey!!! That Joey!!" Mom widens her eyes in disbelief.

Cia gets up and hurriedly folds the blanket and spruces up her bed, a little far from neat though, and twists her body to answer her mom, "yes, mom, that Joey!! My Joey!!" Cia answers excitedly and just throws her dolls to the corner of the bed.

"Ahem… No, not your Joey," mom approaches Cia and holds her hands, leading those two females hopping and screaming together in excitement, "OUR JOEY!!!" They shout and laugh cheerfully for quite some time.

"Oh, mom, I have to get ready then." 

"When will he arrive?"

"Hmm… Not sure, he told me a few days ago that he would likely take a flight somewhere today, but he never told me the exact time," Cia curls her lips, thinking.

"Did you ever talk to him again afterwards?"

"No, not really, he barely replied to me, I think he's been busy because of so many things he had to prepare to go home."

"Yes, I think so too, well, we'll just have to wait then," mom shrugs and leaves the bedroom, "you better prepare for the campus, you have the assignment today you can't be late."

Cia hunches over and walks sluggishly, her soles are dragged along the floor, her head hung desperately as a depressing whine comes out of her mouth, "kill me, somebody please kill me…"

***

Cia walks along the corridor, with lines of lockers on both sides of her journey, some are occupied by the students who are taking or putting books in them. People are loudly talking, joking around and everything, making this and that sounds. Cia is being so busy repeating the sentences in the textbook in her embrace, she's going to do a presentation today, which she doesn't like because Cia hates to be in the public's eyes, be the centre of attention. She always prefers to be at the back of the desk, as if to be the director rather than the artist. 

"Ready, babe?" Audrey places her arm on Cia's shoulder and peeks at the textbook she's been reading.

"Never," Cia snorts and answers shortly in a very rude tone.

"Haha, I know you aren't," she chuckles, "but don't worry, I am not either."

"But you'll do better than me, I know that."

"Yes I will, that's why we're in the same group, you can't survive without me," Audrey shrugs and walks away praising herself.

"I'm gonna kick her butt someday, just see," Cia snorts then hangs her head in desperation, "I'm so dead."

***

Students storm out of the classrooms,it's noon, lunchtime for everyone. Audrey and Cia stroll heading to the campus cafeteria, linking arms and laughing cheerfully.

"I told you soo!" Audrey pinches Cia's cheek and laughs louder.

"Hahaha, thanks! What would I do without you," Cia laughs and places her head on Audrey's shoulder.

"So. Buy me food, you really, really have to pay me this time."

"Hahaha, anything you want today, and tomorrow, this whole week!"

"Damn, this is Wednesday! I wish the presentation was on Monday!!"

Both of the girls step into the crowd of students, enjoying their time.