“Happy 15th Birthday!” We yelled in unison as the then Branny blew out the candle from her cupcake.
I remember that day so clearly. She cried because her parents bought her new clothes, and Divine Legacy, our dance crew at the time, threw her a surprise barbecue party. She wasn’t expecting anything from anyone. And so did I, I didn’t think this person I intentionally avoided in 6th grade would ever be a friend I considered a sister. 6th grade was my very first interaction with her. She was a menace, every time I saw her, she would threaten to beat me up and call me ugly names. I mean, I did call her a “gay bitch”, so I understood the animosity towards me. But in 7th grade, that’s when we would become classmates for the first time and she wasn’t as scary anymore, in fact, she would become a good friend.
In 8th grade, that’s when Branny and I really became close. We spent a lot of time going to the mall with our friends, to Tumon, to the beach, and at one point we got stranded late at night at the mall and my stepsister had to pick us up. The memories flood my head, and I can’t help but smile.
I turn off the car engines and grab my coat from the back seat. I pull the key from the ignition lock and place it in my pocket. The coat feels extra snug today, maybe it's the weather. I get out of the car and take the bouquet of flowers with me that sat in the passenger seat and lock the car. I’m a few minutes late but these things normally don’t start right away anyways. A soft gale pelts my face. That feels familiar. The memory comes and I’m back to the day of the dance team auditions in freshman year.
The breeze rushed through us as other auditioners waited in line outside the Barn. The Barn was the dance classroom, taught by Mr. Medina, who will become an integral part of both our dance careers. Branny and I auditioned with a bunch of our friends, the same people who will make up Divine Legacy. This isn’t a happy memory; all I remember feeling was hurt for my friends. Out of 9 of us, I was the only one who made it that semester. The next semester came and at that time only Branny and I made it. We would then both have 4 years of dancing together.
Dancing did a lot for both of us. For me, dancing did more harm than good during our sophomore year. I was losing a lot of friends, and the people who I trusted, and thought were my friends, were the ones stabbing my back. But throughout all of that, Branny stood by me. She didn’t let anyone’s opinion take over her views, because, to her, I was a good friend. But I ended up reaching the low and when I was about to do the unthinkable and give in to the void, Branny saved me. Branny became my keeper. She held my hand through it all and danced alongside me.
From that day on, I made sure she was taken care of. Money never became an issue for me when it came to her. I made it a point to show her the world that she desperately wanted to see because I knew her situation at home, her situation at school, and her situation of figuring out who she truly was. Dancing was the only thing that allowed her to be herself. When I heard she had to walk to our friend Ara’s house just to change into the clothes she wanted to wear or tie her hair and wear baggy clothes at home because her parents didn’t approve of her lifestyle, it broke my heart. Branny was too busy helping everyone, and she didn’t know how to ask for help for herself.
I sigh. Remembering her struggles... I don’t like thinking about them. I start walking. The parking lot is full tonight. I’m a little anxious. I haven’t seen her in years. I mean, this was just like when I went to college.
The day I left; she couldn’t make it to the airport. I cried like a bitch because she was the one person I was really anxious to say goodbye to. We really did everything together and in the next 4 years to come will change all of that. But we did it anyways, long years of not talking to each other but when we did, it felt like it was just yesterday we last spoke. So, I’m hoping that’s what’s going to happen when I see her again.
I can’t help but think of the time I came back from college. Branny over the years wasn't in the right state of mind. There were numerous times I was called by people and could not do anything because I was in another country. I just thought maybe she became an alcoholic. I mean, I drank a lot in college too but Branny was drinking a lot, and not for fun reasons. But I found out the hard way because the problem was me. We were both drunk inside her car that night.
After she cried so many times for the same reasons, I finally blew up, which I never do to her. I shouted and screamed and complained about why she felt that way. Branny, with all the pain in her heart, confessed that when I left for college, I also left her behind after I told her I’ll never leave. I couldn't say anything or even fight back. Branny all this time, was always looking out for me, and I forgot I had also become her keeper.
We both cried it out. Both forgave each other, but most importantly, we learned to see distance as a chance to meet again.
I've never been to Kansas before, but the air is so chilly I'm about to enter hypothermia. This is a complete change of scenery from Guam. But I do feel the countryside of it all, almost like our home. The building is pretty standard but in a Guam lens, it's huge. I open the entrance door and the wind almost blows it away. I yelp, almost dropping the bouquet. I get inside and shut the door, the winds howl as if they missed the opportunity to haunt me.
"Hi, how can I help you?" A woman says and walks over to me.
"Hi," I fix my coat, "I'm here for the-"
"You must be Victor?" She points at me.
"Yes, I spoke with you on the phone. It's Liz right?" I reach for a handshake with my left hand but she ignores that and goes for a hug instead.
That takes me by surprise but I shrug and hug her back tightly. "I love hugs," I say as we pull away from each other.
"Yes, Luna told me everything about you. She's gonna be so thrilled seeing you here." She gleefully smiles.
"Wait, she talks about me?"
"All the time!" She wraps her arms around mine. "I'll follow you to the auditorium." We start walking through the hall with framed pictures that hang from both sides of the walls. "As I was saying, Luna never stops mentioning the one person who danced with her for most of her life. She said you both had dreams of dancing for Beyonce and Cardi B."
"Those were the days," I chuckle, "only now, I think she's the one that's gonna live that dream for both of us."
"That Luna sure is something, huh?"
Luna... I'm taken back to the sports complex. It's 2020, and the COVID-19 Pandemic has taken over the world. Thaddeus, Branny, and I have been running and exercising for the past two months. After our run, we would chill by their cars and either watch Tiktok, make Tiktok dances, or speak about life. Which we did a lot. In that particular 2 am conversation, Branny brought up something she was holding in for a while.
"I have something I want to tell you guys," Branny said, sitting down on the parking block that sat on the grass.
"Are you pregnant?" I joked.
"Shut up, you're so dumb." Thaddeus shoved me.
"I want to change my name."
Silence enters the chat. Thadd and I looked at each other and smiled.
"It's finally happening?" I walked over to Branny and leaned on Thadd's car.
"Have you thought of a name?" Thadd stood next to her.
"And is this like going to be legally changed or?" I place both my hands on the car.
"No, I thought about it and I want to keep my government name for the respect for my parents. But from now on I want to be called Serenity." Branny smiled.
Thadd and I looked at each other again and this time scrunched our faces.
"No..." Thadd and I said in unison.
"What? You guys don't like that name?"
"It's a nice name, don't get me wrong-"
"Yeah," Thadd cut me off, "it's not you though."
"Agreed." I nodded.
"Then what?" Branny looked up at us and Thadd and I thought of what is the best name for someone like Branny.
I glanced at Branny and the longer I stared at her, a memory flashed of her at my rooftop staring at the moon. Then another of us was at the beach, lying in the water gazing at the moon, then another of us was at a lookout, looking out at the moon as the waves crashed below. Branny and I are children of the moon. It was nice knowing I had somebody who also spoke to the lunar goddess. Then it hit me. I turned to Thadd and he also had the same reaction.
"Luna." We both said at the same time and pointed at each other.
"Luna?" Branny furrowed her brows.
"Yeah, it means moon." I pushed myself off the car.
"It just makes sense," Thaddeus said and looked up at the celestial body.
"Luna." I looked up and smiled.
"Okay, I'll be Luna. Rest in peace, Branny." She got up.
"Let's go, Luna!" I cheered. "Okay but, can we make a Tiktok now?" I suggested.
"Okay." They both agreed.
Branny changing her name was big but it felt natural. More natural when she asked us to stop calling her he. That was hard because all my life, that's what I would refer her to but as time went on, I got used to her and so did I with Luna. Luna changed that night. She started making necessary changes like transitioning. Her mental state was a big change too, but the struggles were still there. That year into being Luna was the hardest.
She had so much unresolved pain that it took a toll on her mental health and her best friends. She surrounded herself with people who she thought had her better interests but they all eventually left her. Us, her brothers and sisters, though haven't spoken to her the way we used to, still stayed beside her and when she reached out, we grabbed her hand. Our relationship runs deeper than blood because we all choose to be family.
On Luna's last birthday on the island, she made it simple. She chose to celebrate with us, the remainder of the Originals on the island. Thaddeus had left for the states already and Jeanell is a full-time mom. So it was Regine, Eileen, Gladys, Luna, and I that whole day. We spent time catching up, day drinking by the lookout and crying our hearts out. That was a special day for Luna, and so it was for all of us.
"Okay, here you are. Enjoy the show." Liz says and opens the door for me.
The auditorium is huge! Bigger than Southern High's own. "Thanks, Liz!" I hug her again.
"Your seat is reserved at the front, under "the author". She winks.
I make my way to the front, head low, hoping no one recognizes me. As I approach the front and look for my seat someone stands up to block my way.
"Sorry, excuse me," I say not looking at the person.
"Victor?"
I look up and to my surprise, Regine is standing in front of me.
"Regine? What the fuck?" We both embrace.
"Bitch, did you read the sign?" A familiar voice says to me.
"Thadd!" I let go of Regine and walk up to him. "Read the sign bitch!"
"It's the Bad Girls Club!" We both say in unison and leap into an embrace. I haven't seen him in years as well.
"Vicky!" Someone shouts behind me but I know that voice too well.
I turn around to see Gladys, still with her big ass watermelons, running towards me.
"What the fuck is going on right now?" I say as we hug tightly.
"Kuya," Eileen calls out to me and I shake my head.
"What, you too? Didn't we just snapped each other?" I reach my hand out for her and she joins the embrace.
"All we need now is Nellerbee." Eileen laughs and before we know it, we hear her voice.
Thadd has her on FaceTime and all of us squeeze in to say hi to her. She couldn't make it because her daughter is graduating middle school this year and she can't afford to miss classes.
We do a group hug and at this moment, the Originals are back. We take our seats and start catching up as much as we can before the lights dim. The show is starting. Music starts blasting and all the students from the Empire Dance Academy come out on stage. There Luna stands, all in her glory, about to kill that stage. She doesn't see us yet, but we all try to contain our excitement. Luna has a solo today, and when she's on, we all decided that's when we'll cheer her on the loudest. The academy is doing so well. Thadd and I were in Divine Legacy with Luna, so to me, and maybe Thadd, this is a nostalgic feeling. Luna has truly become a world-class performer, she always was anyways, no surprise.
Her solo finally comes and as the song starts to play, all of the Originals had tears in their eyes. This is the acoustic version of This Is Me by Demi Lovato. She did this song for her Senior year-ender video. It's a full-circle moment. All six of us got up and cheer for her, and to her shock, she begins to cry before she starts dancing but she smiles big and waves at us, putting on her proudest face.
Luna performed gracefully, after everything she has been through, the one thing she did for herself, has saved her yet again. Every movement, every lyric, she poured her heart into. I always talked to the moon, always asked if she understood me, but maybe, she sent me Luna. When I did stop talking to the moon, Luna was there. I smile big, and there she was, my best friend, the moon, waning her glow down on us. The music stops and everyone gets up and cheers at the top of their lungs. Luna deserves this. Luna deserves a chance to breathe.
In one big breath, I scream, "Happy Birthday!"
