HIS Entry on Her D.I.A.R.Y.

Pia's Kuya

I let the boy wait outside as I got some of the pasta I made for him. He finished it in less than a minute. Then he leaned back and sighed. Out of nowhere, he let out a burp. I had to giggle. He looked at me and smiled. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay.”

I hesitated before I asked him the next question.

 “Umm…so what’s your name?” He glanced at me and then stared at the ground. I could tell he was debating to tell me his real name or not. I didn’t want him to feel obligated to telling me his name.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Noah looked at her surprised.

“No! It isn’t that!” he yelled.

She stared back at him surprised too. Then he lowered his voice.

 “I’m sorry. Please don’t misunderstand.”

She nodded her head slowly and Noah can tell that she was confused. He felt that he could trust her and he wanted her to be his friend.

“My name is Noah  and you are?”

“Sophia, but call me Pia. It’s easier to remember.”

Then she gave him the sweetest smile. Noah felt his heart beat a little faster when she smiled at him. He blushed and looks away.

 “So uh, how old are you?”

“13,” she replied. “And you kuya?”

He smiled when she called him that. He knows that kuya is a Tagalog word that means brother, the name his nanny used when she was calling him when he was young.

“I’m 15,” he said turning back to look at her.

“15?” I asked in disbelief.

Noah nodded.

“Where are your parents? You’re too young to be living in the streets.”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“I can take care of myself.”

 I gave him a doubting look because he was trying to pull that tough guy act on me.

“It’s okay though,” he told me.

“I have a family. It’s just that things are bad at home so I’m just getting away from it for a while.”

‘So he ran away,’ I figured out.

I could tell that Noah was a good person.

“Do you have a place to stay tonight?”

He shook his head.

“How about staying in my room then,” I offered.

Noah couldn’t believe his ears. He stared at Sophia.

‘Did she just offer him a place to stay?’

“Noah?” Pia asked as she waved a hand in front of his face.

“Are you okay?”

Noah shook his head and snapped out of it. She placed her hand on his knee.

“Hey, I asked if you want to stay in my room for tonight?”

Noah was so touched that he felt his heartache. No one had ever cared about him so much but he didn’t want to feel as though he owed her.

“No thanks.”

Pia looked at him with her big sad eyes.

“Please kuya? I’m afraid of the dark.” Noah smiled.

He knew she was lying so he would say yes. For the first time in his life, Noah felt warm inside because now he is wanted. He let out a sigh.

“okay Pia. You talked me into it. But just for tonight though.”

She giggled and nodded.

“Okay.”