8. Zia's Apartment

As the rising sun casted a rosy hue across the morning sky, golden fingers of sunlight lit up the city. The just-risen sun shone softly on the streets, bringing with it a flurry of early-morning activity. As the light of dawn seeped into the cracks of the blinds on Gray's window by the living room, it touched Zia Scott's eyes awake who was sleeping on the sofa.

"Arghh," Zia yawned as she rubbed her bleary eyes. "Time..." She turned to her side to reach for her phone on the coffee table but to her surprise, Gray Stewart was sitting on the coffee table with her knees open, arms crossed and an annoyed expression.

Zia stared at her for seconds, then she covered her eyes with both hands. "This dream is too scary." She rolled over to her side, facing the sofa's back. "I need to wake up," she yawned, then closed her eyes again, encouraging herself to sleep.

"Zia Scott."

Zia's eyes opened wide to the cold and terrifying tone in Gray's voice. She rolled over as she whined, "whaaaaat? I didn't even do anything, I just woke up."

"Listen," Gray uttered. "Something just kept bothering me so I wanna ask you something."

"Whaaat?" Zia asked as she yawned and tried to force her droopy eyes open to continue the conversation.

"Why are you here?" Gray slightly tilted her head.

"What do you mean 'why', I've been sleeping here because you don't want to sleep next to a kid," Zia listlessly responded as she pulled on the comforter, tucking herself in properly since it slid down to her stomach as she slept. “I’m telling you, it’s child abuse.”

"No, I mean why are you in my house? You have your own apartment, right? You live alone so it shouldn't be a problem."

Zia looked at her as she blinked her eyes slowly several times to fight off her sleepiness. "Yeah, but if I go back there and someone visits me, worst case scenario they're gonna hand me over to the police as a lost child, then the police will look into my identity and when they realized that I don't have one because the little Zia only existed two decades ago, they're gonna keep me for further investigation and eventually hands me over to the orphanage where my every movement will be monitored. I'll have less freedom and less opportunity to sort things out and find a way to return back to my original body."

Gray stared at the white fur carpet as she visualized the scenario. "Yeah, that'll be more annoying, because in the worst case scenario I'll have to adopt you since I'm the only one that knows your identity. And when you'll return back to your original body, the registered girl I adopted will be reported as missing and with me as a prime suspect. Then I'll have to spend years in jail because of you. Okay, you win this one." She stood up and headed to the kitchen. "But did you know? You're still gonna pay rent for the place no one literally uses. And dust will eventually hijack the place and by the time you'll return, it'll turn into a place straight out of a halloween party," she said, provoking Zia who's a low-key clean freak.

"Oh..." Zia gasped as she shoved the comforter down with her arms.

***

Bothered by what Gray said, Zia eventually went back to her apartment. Successfully sneaking in acting unsuspicious and avoiding the eyes of prying neighbors, she finally stood before her unit. After punching in a series of numbers on the electronic door lock, it projected a beeping sound.

"I remember leaving in a hurry back then while trying to find clothes small enough to fit me," she thought to herself as she turned the doorknob open. "My clothes must still be all over the place."

However, to her surprise, the floor was empty. More like, it even looked cleaner than the last time she remembered.

With a feeling of uneasiness, she went on her way towards the bedroom. The last time she remembered, the bedroom embodied the very definition of mess. With her clothes all over, her wedding dress lying on the floor and scattered things everywhere trying to find a notepad and a pen in a hurry. But even as she already expected what she was about to see, her eyes still couldn't fathom the sight as she opened the door.

Contrary to what she remembered, the room was unexpectedly clean. The bed was neatly done with the pillows aligned and the blanket carefully folded. Her study table where she used to write her chapters and spent sleepless nights trying to meet deadlines, was fully organized with her laptop at the center. And as she opened her closet, her clothes were neatly folded and organized by types and even by color from lightest to darkest. And her wedding dress was hanging on the wall beside the closet.

She ran her fingers on the sequins of the dress as she lifted her head to study the patterns on the dress. "I'll wear you again, I promise," she whispered underneath her breath. As she was feeling the sentiment and dismay over the dress, faint noises could be heard coming from the living room.

With light careful steps, she tiptoed her way towards the living room. And as she arrived, she saw the back of a man's head sitting on the couch, and the TV was turned on. She could not see the face of the man, but the back of the head was enough for her to identify who it was.

"Come on, finish it up! She's gonna come any minute now!"

Her attention shifted to the familiar voice coming from the TV. She moved to the side to get a better look at the screen. And then she saw her brother, Regan's face shown on the screen. Her forehead wrinkled in confusion, but she just kept her comments to herself to conceal her presence.

"Guys, that one star is a little bit off the side." This time it was Gray's voice with her hand pointing at the top as if she was ordering someone.

Judging from the background, Zia figured it was the gymnasium of the university the three of them graduated from. The footage was shaky and unprofessional as if it was filmed by an amateur on a phone camera.

The camera shifted back to Regan who was holding an artificial rose. "This should be here...I think?" he said as he placed the rose down on the floor. 

Then the camera went back to Gray. "Okay, that's good enough. Now, cover it up," she said, still looking up at the high ceiling.

Then a voice from the distance could be heard. "Hey, what song is it again? I already prepared the speakers." It was Edward's friend from college, Drake, with his hands fiddling on the laptop connected to the speakers.

Then Gray's shout caught everyone's attention. "Guys! I got a text! They're coming here! Now, everyone, hide. Hide!" she shouted as she gestured her hands around and ran on a corner. Everything suddenly went black.

"Can we really do this? The school guard will definitely report us. This is obviously trespassing."

Zia was surprised to hear the voice coming out of the footage. It was hers.

"It's fine, we're alumni here anyway," this time, it was Edward's.

"Where are we? It's so dark, I can't see."

"It's fine, I'm here."

"You know what? You're being weird. You're usually afraid of ghosts.”

"Uhh, y-yeah, now that you reminded me, I'm kinda scared," his voice trembled, "can you sing for me?"

"Sing? Let's just go home, it's already past seven, and you have work tomorrow."

"Just sing three verses then we'll go home."

"Okay, what song do you want?"

"That song."

"Okay." She cleared her throat. "You're my always...you're my forever...you're my reality." Her angelic voice echoed all throughout the gymnasium. "You're my sunshine...you're my best times...you're my anomaly. And I'd choose you...in the hundred lifetimes I'd choose you...In a hundred worlds I'd find you..."

And before she could sing the chorus, the continuation was played over the speakers along with the lighting of roses aligned together in a vertical line, as if it was beckoning her to follow the light.

"What's this?" She softly chuckled. She followed the lit roses until it formed an arrow. "Huh?" she uttered.

"Look up, baby," he said and as she looked up, glowing stars appeared on the ceiling, forming letters.

"Will you marry me?" She read the words on the ceiling. "Did you run out of stars? There's only a dot beside the 'E' instead of a question mark." She giggled.

"Because I'm not asking, it's an order, baby," he said in a soft voice that tickled her ears.

"Okay." She giggled.

"So what is it?"

"What's what?"

"Your answer."

"I thought that's an order, not a question?"

"I still need an answer for assurance purposes and formalities." He laughed.

"Hmm." She exhaled deeply then she started to sing, "and I'd say 'I do'...for the rest of my life...with all that I have, I do..."

"She said yeeeees!" With his shout, the whole gymnasium lit up and revealed all the friends and family members hiding.

"Wooohooooo~" the crowds cheered along with their applause and the popping of flying confettis.

Edward sniffed as he held the TV remote in his hand. "I was planning on surprising her with this video on our wedding," he uttered in between his sniffing. "But I guess it'll have to wait." He sighed. And as he turned off the TV, he heard another sniffing coming from the back. When he looked behind him, he saw little Sophia with teary eyes.

"W-wha--Sophia? What's wrong? Why are you here?" He abruptly stood up and approached the little girl. He crouched down to level her eyes. "Why are you crying?" He touched her wet cheeks.

Zia, on the other hand, was having a hard time controlling her tears from falling. Perhaps because she had turned into a child that it also affected her ability to hold her tears in like most adults do. "I--" Her mind was still filled with emotions for her to come up with an excuse.

"Calm down, I'm here." He smiled to reassure her safety. "Are you lost?"

"H-huh?" She hiccuped, as she finally stopped herself from crying.

"Are you lost?" he repeated in a calming tone. "How did you end up here?"

"I..." She paused, still finding the right words to say. "Y..yes...I was looking for a friend's house, and I thought this is the house."

"Don't worry." He wiped her tears with his thumb. "I'll help you look for your friend."

"N-no, it's fine, I can do it on my own," she immediately refused.

He stood up. "Wait, let me just get my phone." He turned to the couch and grabbed his phone beside the remote. But when he turned around, Zia was no longer around.

"Sophia?" he called and looked around but he could no longer spot her, then he stood as he pinched in between his eyes. "Was I hallucinating? Is it because that little girl reminds me so much of her?" He sighed. Then he went back to the living room and dropped on the couch. "Sapphire eyes, golden hair, she looks just like her when we were young." He chuckled. "How coincidental."