My first reborn story of Mia. I hope you enjoy it!

The humming noise from the hard-working machines north of here wakes me from slumber. I push myself up and glance around the room. Filtered sunlight creeps through the curtains, casting small shadows in the bedroom. My wind chimes outside the window sings cheerily. I slip out of bed, stretch my arms and legs, and push the curtains to the sides. The sun hits my face directly which makes me squint and I immediately move out of its range; the factories' stench fills my nostrils and leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. I bump into the desk and sit on it, glancing at the heart-shaped clock that reposes on my night table, it's eight thirty-five already. I dash to the bathroom, yawning as I shake out my hair. At this rate, I'm making him wait, how rude of me. After I get out of the shower, I comb the wet, raven blue hair that merely reaches down to the middle of my neck. Water from my short hair drips onto the floor as I run my fingers through the soaked ends; I used to have much longer hair when I was a child, but it got cut off and now it barely grows. My bangs sit on my forehead, puffing out after I blow dry it and use my fingers to fix it up. While I throw my clothes on, I take a good, long stare at myself in my bedroom mirror. My deep emerald eyes glance at the clock's reflection then at me again, studying my olive skin that's been the retainer for my faded scabs over the years. "Seth is waiting for you, doofus," I smooth out my dress and dismiss my reflection, taking my mom's beach tote from the top step as I descend the steps.

When I finally make it to the populated side of Moonlight Town, I find Seth sitting on the wooden bench, spacing out to the smog-filled sky. I hope he hasn't been waiting for a long time, he doesn't deserve that. His left-pushed, cream bangs are kissed by the soft northern breeze; his milky skin is still tomato-burnt from when he fell asleep on the beach on that really hot day last week. Since I was born here, I guess the sun doesn't bother me much. "Seth, I'm sorry you had to wait," I apologize as I get closer to him. He turns to me and smiles as if he doesn't have a care in the world and then abruptly coughs, wrinkling his nose. I sit down on the bench next to him and apologize again, which he brushes off coolly."That tan isn't going away huh?"

"Don't worry about it," he insists. He has a tepid tone that has the capability of being cold, but he has never used it with me in our friendship. "Did you get something to eat?"

"No, I made palokis* last night for this morning though. I actually came prepared for once," I joke as I look at the pinnacles of the huge chain of factories that are facing us. I notice Seth wincing as the machines hum angrily and release dark grey smoke that gets pushed by the breeze over to us. "Should we head to the beach to eat?" he asks suggestively.

"Sure thing," I agree readily. Both of us rise and take the downhill west path to Moonlight Beach as we do every day. On weekdays, the plaza is practically empty since everyone's out working and at school so we don't have to push through crowds and vice versa. "You still haven't gotten used to all the noise and the smell?"

"No, I can't ever get used to it. Why would they put gross factories on a pretty island like this?"

"I don't know, I never really thought of it."

"And with all this machinery work you'd think this place would be ahead in the industry world, but it's not because everyone buys their weapons and precious metal resources from here and makes the island rich. Meanwhile, Moonlight Town can get rich off of just tourist sales alone."

"I guess," I reply with an indifferent shrug. A boy and a girl in Moonlight Town Academy uniforms snicker as they walk past me and the boy whispers something to the girl's ear. The two 4th levels glance back at me then keep walking, eyeing me hatefully. It's always been like this on this island, so there is nothing to get upset about anymore; I've gotten used to the glares, snickers, and gossiping. But when I was little I couldn't handle it and I couldn't stay in school for long, I had to spend most of the time at the library to have the intelligence of a 6th level student-all they teach are the basic subjects and then they throw you into the factories to work. Seth went to another school in his town where he moved from and doesn't talk much of it. "You okay?" Seth asks me, noticing my slight frown. I nod, humming affirmatively, "Just thinking." Seth shrugs and throws his arm around my shoulders. "Ignore them Mia. They have nothing better to do." It's amazing that he could read my mind so easily and already know what I'm thinking. We've only been friends for a year and he knows me so well.

Seth came across as aloof at first. He moved from a small, neighboring island to Moonlight Town with his mom and older sister for better job opportunities, his dad was out of the picture completely. Like me, he stayed away from the island festivals and social gatherings and always looked as if he was in his own world, us islanders are suspicious of new neighbors so I knew a lot about his routine when I was out. One day, as I took an evening stroll on Moonlight Beach, I saw him heading in my opposite direction. I figured he had somewhere to go and someone to meet since it had been three weeks since he moved and he probably had made friends already. Then I saw him coming back my way with his head turning in different directions. After he did it a couple of times, it occurred to me that he was lost.

"Excuse me sir," I tapped his shoulder. Seth turned angrily as if I had called him something derogatory. "Are you, um…lost?" I asked, trying to conceal my nervousness. His darkened, beige eyes narrowed at my eyes before he stomped past me. Had he already hated me too, I wondered, fearing he had already heard the rumors about me. I was heading home from the beach and decided to take the long way through the plaza. At night, it was full of tourists buying from the shops and native Moonlight Town denizens smoking transcenderies*. People were already beginning to whisper spiteful things while I walked among them. I wouldn't let them get to me I told myself. I spotted Seth sitting on the fountain, counting the pennies thrown in there. He was holding his stomach, keeping his bangs over his eyes so that no one could see his strained eyes. "You're okay?" I bent down slightly. He nodded forcefully, coughing a lot too. "Are you hungry?"

A firm hand grabbed my shoulder and almost pulled me off my feet. It was an adult who assumed I was threatening him. "You know your kind shouldn't be talkin' to folks like that. Gettin' the kid worked up."

"I just asked him if he was hungry."

"Don't go makin' up stories." That's when Seth surprised me and the man named Clausso. "She's not making up any stories." The man, clearly dumbfounded, took his hand off me and backed away from Seth's menacing gaze. Seth didn't even look at me when he stood up and breezed past us with a vexed pout. I saw him again the next day on my way downhill from my house, still wandering around, lost like a puppy but with a cross expression. When our eyes met, we both became tense-I looked around everywhere but at him and Seth glared as if he wanted to hit me. "What're you looking at?" I dropped my head and was about to just strode away from him, but to my surprise, he stopped me. "Where's the internet cafe?" he asks earnestly. Hesitantly, I answered him.

"It's far from the plaza, opposite from where the factories are. Want-um, me to show you?" he didn't say anything back, but his eyes did read: yes. We've been the best of friends since that encounter; later he told me he looked angry all the time because he was trying to remember where everything was and he hated the factory noises which he lives right next to.

I lay on his chest as we take shade under the umbrage of the shrubs and skewed tree trunks that obey phototropism. Moonlight Beach is well known for its uncanny turquoise sand that can't be found anywhere around the world. The waves are at peace as the radiant sunlight beams over us, if the factories were removed this place would be totally beautiful. We finished eating our palokis and now we're just gazing silently at the sea. When I glance up at him, his dark beige eyes are focused on the waves. "Why are you so quiet? You normally are but-" I start to say, but he isn't paying me any mind. He must be thinking about something intense, he looks upset. In times like these, it's best to leave him with his thoughts. He's such a deep thinker, I wish I could be as smart and secular as he is-he told me once that maybe when he's older, he'll run for mayor of Moonlight Town. "I was thinking," he says abstractly, gazing at the crashing waves.

"Hm?"

"How many islands surround this one?"

"I'm not sure," I begin counting in my head. "Seven others, maybe?"

"Are there other islands surrounding them?"

"A couple. There are the Dragonfruit Islands, then Kip's Island…"

"And them?"

I can't keep counting. "I have no idea."

"How many of those islands have you been to?"

"Just this one."

"Haven't you wondered what they were like? How the people are like? The animals and stuff?"

"Well I imagined they would be all the same," I assume as I adjust my bangs while getting comfortable on Seth's polo shirt.

"What if they're not?" he looks down at me, getting serious about this random conversation. "What if they're beyond either of our imaginations?" I sit up, taking my towel out of my mom's tote, and shake out the sand from yesterday away from Seth. Then I lay it down and I lie down on it, letting the sun only hit my calves and below. "And?"

"Don't you want to see them?" his tone is suddenly urgent as if it's a life or death question.

"Er, I guess so. Where is this coming from though?"

"From-never mind, you wouldn't understand," replies Seth with a distant sigh that slashes my heart with guilt. I sit up and watch his face go from apathetic to irate. "Help me to, Seth," I request politely.

"Haven't you ever wanted to leave this place? Just run away and never come back?" he gazes at the sky. "Well I have-there's more to the world than these islands. Hell, I'm sure there are other countries or other worlds that are bigger than this smelly place."

"Are you moving or something?" I wonder sadly. That's the only logical reason I can come up with as to why he's asking these questions, or he's going on a cruise with his mom. He shakes his head, continuing his little anti-Moonlight Town speech.

"I've heard stories of other kids being whisked away to other worlds. Why do we still have to be here? I want to venture out there and see what there is to see. Being on this island sucks, the noise, the pollution-I really can't stand it sometimes." I raise my eyebrows perplexedly. What is this sudden spark of hatred towards Moonlight Town? I knew he didn't like it at first but I thought since he had befriended me, those feelings were gone. And then what's this about being "whisked away to other worlds"?

"Honestly, they're just stories to me," I reply truthfully. I've always had an issue with lying, so I never try to lie, even if the lie is comforting. However, the honest answer vexes him further and he pouts.

"I'm tired of people telling me that all there is to life is being stuck on this smelly island. I want to believe that there's more than just these islands and the other ones!" Furiously, he takes off his sandals and stomps towards the seaweed-filled water, folding his arms. Without hesitation, I get off the towel and join his side. Whatever he wants to do, I will do, whatever he believes, I will also. I owe him that much-he took me out of a horrible, lonely house and brought light into my life. "For a while, I've-been missing home a little and before I see it again, I want to get off this crummy island and see other stuff. You get me?"

"I do," I affirm as if I'm making an unbreakable, blood pact with him. To see Seth smirk is common, to see him smile slightly isn't that ordinary, to see him beam like a child on Christmas morning is something out of this world-and he is beaming at me. "Hey, do you want to stay until midnight?" he nods, knowing very well he can't resist being on Moonlight Beach at midnight, that'll restore his Moonlight Town patriotism.

J.G.P.

Key

Palokis- a very chewy bread kind of substance that is packed with raisins and fruits. Moonlight Town delicacy is kinda weird and healthy.

Trascenderies- the general term for drugs that make you higher than a spaceship making a trip to Mars. Well it is an island guys.