Authors Note: Okay, a little quicker this time- hopefully I haven't lost too many fans of this series. Kinda sucks how I am not getting alot of reviews I know it is starting out slow, but it is going to get better. I hope.

Chapter Six

I Had an Earthquake on My Mind

And you would think being two and a half hours away, trapped in the thick farm land that no way reminded me of the metallic city I loved to hate, the boy with the cherry color hair would be nothing more than a faded memory. That's what's supposed to happen, right? Leave for college- party all night, study all day, high school life becomes a lost note in an old song. Forgotten. But Reno seemed to be the song stuck hopelessly in my head.

I thought of him during my conscious time- his image distracting me from boring lectures and endless homework. When I slept, my dreams were slashed by broken memories of me and the boy. I would awake with the tingle from his lips still lingering against my wanting mouth. It was truly torture and my need for his voice only grew with every second I was away.

I attempted to drown out his thought with mindless activities with Cid- only to have every activity remind me of what Reno and I had. Had…before I fucked it up. Maybe my father was right; maybe I was running away for all the wrong reasons. Maybe I had wanted to get away from Reno- because maybe in that fucked up little head of mine I thought somehow I was missing something. A relationship meant restrictions- and Reno and I set those young, sixteen…babies. There was a whole world outside Staten Island that I needed to explore…and I thought I couldn't explore it with Reno by my side. Maybe I was wrong…because I have come to believe I am often never right. I hated to think I was regretting my decision...no…I was regretting not including my love in my journey.

But that was over now, right? Because I was already two and a half hours away physically and years away emotionally.

I sat in the lounge area of our dorm, with Cid, half watching some stupid show that a couple of girls forced us to put on. The curse of sharing a TV room with about a fifty other people; the fights for control of the channel…something an only child like me wasn't particularly used to. Especially since Reno and I shared the same taste in television. Of course, I don't exactly think they were as interested in the show as they had previously hinted to, as their flirtatious giggles regularly reached my ears and forced me to look in their direction; only to see them eyeing me up like I was some fucking piece of jewelry they wanted daddy to buy. I could feel it…it was only a matter of time when the show would be over, and they would prance towards Cid and I, and attempt to start a conversation…

Flirting…

Touching…

Winking…

The entire thought made me cringe in disgust. I didn't want some chick who looked a damn Paris Hilton clone even to look in my general direction, let alone try to lead me into her fucking pants. I glanced at Cid who seemed to notice the two girls were eyeing him up as well, and to my surprise…wasn't exactly ecstatic about it.

"You see those chicks right?" I whispered.

"Yeah, they ain't my type," he shrugged and returned to fiddling with his phone.

"Didn't you bang chicks like them in high school?

"No!" He shifted uncomfortably, throwing another glance at the two girls- who had proceeded to fix their hair mindlessly- and returned his gaze on me. "Okay, maybe, but my type has changed. Plus, I am with Tifa!"

"Since when has that ever stopped you!"

"Well now it does, I love her," he gently punched my arm, "now shut the fuck up!"

"I can't, what if they come over here, what am I supposed to say?"

"Uh, how about: 'Hi, I'm Cloud and I'm fucking gay," he whispered harshly, rolling his eyes at me. I scoffed and pretended to suddenly be interested in the sidekick I had gotten for my birthday.

"I'm not just gonna announce my sexuality to a bunch of chicks I just met," I argued, playing with my phone.

"Oh grow up, Strife," Cid countered, "it isn't that big of a deal. If anyone has a problem with it, you punch them in the nose. The End. Don't act like being gay is that much of a taboo anymore."

"Uh, need I fucking remind you, my boyfriend and I were almost killed because of our sexuality!"

"Well you aren't in Staten Island anymore. You aren't in High School. You are in college and things are different."

Cid pulled his gaze away from his own phone and placed his greenish blue eyes on my somewhat smaller form, "and he is your ex-boyfriend, Cloud."

"Yeah," a sigh escaped my chapped lips and I looked back at my friend, "I forget that sometimes."

We sat in silence for the duration of the show- he talking to Tifa via text messaging and I staring at my phone, debating whether or not I should sign onto AIM, where no doubt Reno's screenname would pop up immediately. That screen name…CherrySodaBoy1115…the name I would call him during our down time; the date he and I first went out. The first time I admitted my growing feelings for him. It was stupid…such a stupid fucking screen name; I mocked him for a week after he chose it! But he didn't care…he just smirked and told me he liked it…because I called him that.

My Cherry Soda Boy.

I winced as the memory attacked me; pouring salt in the wounds that had not yet been healed. Opening the scabs. Creating more cuts. More wounds. It was so utterly dramatic, but I guess that's what love does to someone. It tears them apart, before stitching the up...only the rip the thread again. But in between those times of pain, there was that beautiful moment of bliss…where everything finally falls into place. Where your heart only flutters against your chest, where your eyes shine against the deep darkness of life. Where even the worse possible day could be saved with nothing more than a glance and a touch. And fuck, how I longed for those days to return to me- to heal these painful wounds once and for all.

No, I didn't want to be numb…I wanted to feel. I had grown up…I wanted to live- with him by my side.

"Talk to him," Cid's voice reached my ears, "IM him and just tell him how you feel. Just because you are far away doesn't mean you can't together somehow."

"I thought you hated him?" I looked at Cid, his normally rough features softened under my still gaze and I could feel that paternal aura erupt within him.

"Yeah, I do…sometimes, but I saw how happy he made you and well," he sighed, running his fingers through his choppy hair, "and honestly, I am sick and tired of you being all fucking down and dramatic. Honestly, these are the best years of your life, and here you are, acting like it's the end of the fucking world. Seriously, either talk to the damn kid or I will have to fucking kill you."

I stared into Cid's dull eyes trying to figure out if he was serious or not. I mean, Cid is kind of like…crazy…I mean, I could totally see him murdering me and hiding the body. He is Irish or something. Don't they have a mob? Yeah! And they are a little crazier than the Italians, so lord knows what he would do to me. Shoot me in the head, have wild cats maul me to death, lock me in a room with Britney Spears. I mean, the ideas are endless!

"You aren't-"

"Oh, yes I am! And my father is a cop…just remember that."

We stared at each other for a few more minutes- he was clearly enjoying the mock staring contest we were engrossed with, since he knew he was about to win. He was write- that fucking son of a bitch was right. I was brooding over a boy who wasn't millions of miles away; who was practically five minutes away once you think about it. He wasn't dead! Our relationship wasn't dead even if I was in college. I was fucking up my life because I thought I murdered his. I didn't…not yet at least. Not ever I hoped.

I brought my gaze back to the phone, and took a deep breath. I hadn't spoken to him in close to two months; would he even remember?

Hey, Reno…I miss you terribly…

So simple…no I love you because this wasn't the time for "I love yous." Because we both knew it would be too melodramatic and cliché. Because I did that before right? I didn't want to throw that word around anymore- no more giving false hope. Not to me or him. I pulled my eyes away from the IM box, to the TV were the show had finally ended. The credits rising up, and the theme music played- filling the small lounge with the obnoxiously upbeat music. Upbeat…because it wasn't over. Because even though the closing credits were flashing on the screen, next week that show will be back…the characters still alive. Maybe there was hope…

Wow, that a fucking stupid analogy. God, I am getting rusty with this shit…

The sound of the IM brought my eyes back to the phone, where flashing on the screen were equally simple words…

Come back to me…

Even if the ending credits had risen…there was hope we would be back…