The Day I Moved to Mars

This is my story of the day that my family was told we would be moving to Mars, all because my dad said yes to being a part of an experimental emergency shelter program run by ISE, (Institute of Science Explorers) the company he works for. Normally, I probably would have been fine with it, because I enjoy everything that has to do with science and who wouldn't want to see Mars? But the fact was, I had just turned 16, had just gotten my permit and the hot boy from English was totally into me, and it was just not fair! Besides I couldn't admit to my friends that I actually wanted to see Mars, that would be totally uncool! I decided to devise a plan to keep my family here on earth, despite my secret to want to see Mars but it didn't go exactly how I thought.

"Sally, You are not going to believe what I just saw on the internet!" Jenny was literally in my face, her minty breath blowing at me, making want to smack her for being so close, knowing that I despised mint!. But I couldn't do that she was one my best friend forever, in case you did not know, and the only one that totally knew the real me. Well almost all of me. She didn't know that I've had on and off crushes on Josh, who was just coming up right behind her, mocking her."Yea Sally you are not going to believe what I just saw on the internet!" Jenny took a step back and glared at Josh. Josh saluted me, his way of saying hello. Josh was my other best friend, and for some reason since the day we turned 14, Jenny decided that she didn't like him. I wonder why.

Before I tell you what Jenny was trying to tell me, first let me give you a little background on Jenny and Josh. I have known both since I was five years old, and though they were my best friends, they did not really consider themselves friends.They tolerated each other because of me, and also because we secretly organized a club dedicated to space exploration, and were the founders and the only members. Also each of us had a parent who worked for NSA. I had my dad, Jenny her mom, and Josh had both. The reason why I had not told her that I have been crushing on Josh since the day after we all turned 14, was because that was day she told me that she did not like Josh and I shouldn't either. Another reason was that for the last few weeks, since school started, Josh had been acting very weird around me, and well it was kind of getting my hopes up that he probably was coming over today to tell me that he was crushing on me too. At least I had hoped. Now back to Jenny.

"OK, so Sally this is what I wanted to tell you. Lisa from English posted on her internet site that Leon from English was talking about a beautiful redheaded girl with earring on the top of her ear. I nearly died because the only person that could be is you! Which is why I had to run over here to tell you!" Jenny at this point was jumping up and down. I glanced over at Josh to see if he would give me any indication that he wanted me just as much as I did. And for a second, it looked as though he may have wanted to tell me something but then decided against it. So I decided that I would not waste any more time on him and did what any normal teenage girl learning of a potential love interest, would do. "Really?! I have to go to the site and see for myself." I opened my laptop and I was logging on, I heard Josh say "Later!" as he walked away. It made me sad, but it was his loss! Not mine.

Later that day, I arrived home ready to run to my room and cry, when my dad stopped me and told me that he wanted to see me in the dining room. When I walked in, sitting at the family table, was Mom, my older sister Sheila (18), and my younger brother Mark (14). "What is this about?", I said as I took a seat next to Mark. "Well....I have some news to tell all of you......You see......." Dad just spill it, I thought as I watched him squirm as he tried to tell us what I would later realize as the end of my world. "Dad just spill it," I said. "NSA has started an experimental emergency shelter program or as its being called EESP and asked me if I would like to be one of six families to go and spend time on Mars for three months and I said yes!" All in one breath. We all in one breath, started yelling on how Mark thought it was the worst idea ever, how Sheila couldn't leave her boyfriend now and how i couldn't leave without knowing whether or not Leon(secretly Josh) really had a crush on me! It was the most awesome and horrible news ever. Despite my huge interest in knowing what Mars was like, I decided to devise a plan to keep us here on Earth.

That was two days ago and today I decided to call Jenny and Josh so they could meet me at our Club Headquarters AKA the school track field. Once there, I would let them know that I was going to Mars and that I needed to find a way to keep my family on Earth. But when I got there I only saw Jenny and immediately wondered what had happened to Josh. I had spoken to both of them yesterday and had told them that I wanted us to meet so we could talk. "Where's Josh?" I asked Jenny as I walked towards the bleachers where she was sitting. "Josh, looks like he left." Jenny said, showing a little more enjoyment than I would have preferred. "What do you mean he left?", I asked. "My mom said that his parents decided to leave for three months and I wasn't supposed to know where." "Really?" That is just weird, how would he just leave without telling me, his best friend, that he was leaving! It just wasn't like him.

I looked at Jenny, half thinking and half listening to what she was telling me. "Sally, I told you he was acting weird, and it was probably because he was moving and was going to ditch you as his best friend. He obviously doesn't care what you think or he would have told you he was leaving." Jenny said. I couldn't believe it and in my racing emotions, I blurted to Jenny "No I can't believe that! I won't believe that! Josh and I were supposed to end up together, I know because I saw how he looked at me, and I know that someone who loves you will look at you that way, And I know that because I have loved him for two years!" No! I could not believe that I had said the L word about Josh! Jenny stood up and looked at me with her mouth wide open and told me "Really? Why didn't you say something before? I thought I was supposed to be your best friend too!!" And sat back down.

I sat down next to her, and as I started to feel my body relax a little, I turned to her and told her "You're right. I'm sorry. I didn't tell you before because I knew how much you disliked Josh and I thought that If i told you that I loved him, you would hate me too." Jenny stared straight ahead for a few minutes and finally she said "Josh loves you too.", My eyes widened as I tried to grasp what she was telling me. "I know because he told me." She said answering my mental question. No way! "What do you mean he told you?" I said as she started to cry. "Remember the day that I told you Leon had posted something about a redheaded girl?" She wiped her face with the back of her hand. "Yeah?" I said,my heart beating faster than ever before in my life. "Well Josh was coming over to tell you that he loved you and had asked me if I could be there too. I told him that I would, but after-wards became angry at him and called Leon and told him to post that to stop Josh from telling you that day, that he loved you."

I didn't understand why my best friend would do that and as she continued crying and I heard the words she was starting to say, I knew why. "I did that because, I loved Josh and was going to tell him the day he told me that he loved you. I was mad at Josh for telling me that he loved you, even though I had known it all along, since the day we turned 14. And as the years went by and you still did not tell me anything, I became angry at you for not trusting me enough to tell me. So when Josh called me yesterday and said that he had to tell you, because he wanted to know before he left if you felt the same way I told him that you didn't and that you decided to go out with Leon. I was jealous, and I was wrong."

I couldn't believe that my very best friend would betray me like that and that Josh had been in love with me too! It was happening all too fast and despite the fact that Jenny was crying and had apologized. I was angry that she would say that and I stood up and told her the worst thing that a best friend could ever say to each other. "I'm going to Mars for three months, and I don't ever want you to call me again." I walked away.

The next few days went by smoothly and we landed on Mars without any problems. Once there, my dad's boss walked us over to an area lined with hut like buildings, and showed us the one we would be using for the next three months. It had four bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room and kitchen, and was so nicely decorated, I wanted this to be my home on Earth. Later that day, my dad said that some of the other children were going to a party and that I should go. I really didn't but decided it could be a great opportunity to explore the rest of Mars. So I walked out the door in my t-shirt, shorts, and sandals and reached the party in no time at all.

As I was approaching the area, guess who I see? Josh. I ran to him and hugged him. He took my face in his palms and told me "I have something to tell you, so please don't say anything until I finish. I love you. Always have." And gave the most awesome kiss in Mars and Earth, that I didn't want it to end. But once it did, I told him. "I love you too," and we kissed again. Then he walked me over to another area where Jenny was coming from behind a stall. I apologized so many times, she had to tell me to shut up and that she forgave me. I told her that I wanted us to be best friends forever again and she agreed. We then walked together to the dance floor as the best friend forever and now boyfriend forever that we were.