Goodbye Earth

My mother is going to be the first woman on mars. I know you probably think that I’m lying, but it’s true. I know it’s crazy that my mother is going to be the first woman on mars, but that’s not even the crazy part. The crazy part is, I am going to be the first girl on mars! It was always my mother’s dream that we go to mars together. See my mother’s father—my grandfather—was an astronaut, but he died before he had the chance to get to mars. It was a car accident. Funny how that’s what killed him when everyone said that he’d probably die in space, get blown up or suffocate. I never got to meet my grandfather but my mother said he was a good guy. It’s hard to know if that’s true or not since you can't speak ill of the dead. Anyway, I think I'm getting a little off point here. So my mother finally made it possible to get to mars. She's kind of a genius. Well, it wasn't all her she had a whole team of scientists helping her. And I am so excited, I mean how many teenage girls get this kind of chance? It was kind of against a lot of rules sending a minor through space, but my mother is kind of big thing here on Earth, so they let her bend some rules. The only problem about all of this, is that I'm probably never going to see Earth again. What with the time it takes to get to mars in the first place and the very high chance that we might blow up on the way, it’s easy to say that I’m not coming back here again. And even though I'm super excited, I'm also super sad. It will be cool that I won’t have to go back to school this fall, but I'll have to leave all my friends, my dog, my house, and everything else on Earth. But I guess that’s okay because I love my mother more than anything on Earth and if I stayed here I’d never get to see her again, and that is SO not happening.

This weekend will be my last on Earth, so I'm saying all of my goodbyes.

I’m at my BFFs house to say goodbye.

“I can’t believe you’re actually going to mars Sandra! It’s, like, so awesome!” My best friend, Vasiliki says.

I can’t believe Vasiliki doesn’t even seem to care that I'll never see her again!

“You know I probably won’t come back, right? “ I ask her.

She just shrugs and pops a cheese ball in her mouth.

I just don't understand why she's acting like this.

“So, since your leaving can I have your bike?” Vasiliki asks.

“I guess?” I say.

I take a fistful of cheese balls, this stress is killing me man.

Next I go to my oldest friend’s house to say goodbye.

Me and Adan have been friends since we were four. And no his name isn’t a typo, it’s actually Adan which means of the earth—which is kind of ironic —. A lot of people get his name mixed up with Adam or Aidan, it’s really annoying. Anyway, Adan’s always lived right next door so I just walked over this morning to say goodbye.

When I knock on the door Adan’s mom—Lucy—answers. I'm going to miss her. Lucy has always been kind of like family to me.

“Oh Sandra, hello. I’m really going to miss you.” She says.

“Me too, Lucy. Goodb—” but Adan’s dog—Elmo—(his little sister named him)runs out through the open door and starts barking at a jogger.

Lucy runs after him and apologizes to the woman who Elmo was barking at.

“Adan is in the backyard.” Lucy says to me, Elmo—a miniature poodle—in her arms.

I walk through the kitchen and out the back door. Adan’s throwing a basketball through a hoop.

“Sandra, I was hoping you’d come today.” Adan says, setting the basketball on the picnic table.

“Yeah, I've been saying my goodbyes. Tomorrow’s going to be my last day on Earth.” I say.

Adan frowns, but then he gets a text and takes his phone out of his pocket.

So there's something I didn't tell you. Ever since the fifth grade—that’s five years ago—I’ve had a huge crush on Adan. I know it’s kind of weird, since we’ve been friends since we were four. I've kept it a secret even from my mother, and I tell her anything. Because me and Adan have always been great friends and I would never want to risk messing that up. Plus it’s obvious he doesn’t like me that way, he even had a girlfriend for a few months last year, that was really hard for me.

He puts his phone back in his pocket and turns to me. “Just my grandpa. He just learned how to text. I'm pretty sure that he doesn’t know the meaning of ditto.”

I laugh, but I'm still sad on the inside, I never realized how amazing Earth is.

I don’t mean to, but I frown.

Adan smiles sadly. “Can’t you just stay here? Aren’t you scared? Your mom will totally understand if you want to stay here. The chances of dying in space are like 90%.”

“Actually it’s one in twenty, but yeah I guess that’s still pretty high. I mean, I want to stay here. It’s just I need to be with my mother.” I say.

“Sandra, I don’t want you to leave.” Adan says, his voice almost whiney.

I sigh. I really don’t want to leave either. I love Earth. But my mother.

I stand up. “I have to go.”

I walk up the steps, about to open the door.

“Wait!”

I turn around.

Adan holds up my cellphone. “You forgot your phone.”

“Oh.” I walk over to the picnic table.

I take my phone and start to leave, but Adan grabs my hand.

“Adan I have to go.” I say.

“I like you.” Adan takes a breath. “I mean I really like you, not like a friend. I love you.”

Suddenly I feel like I need to sit down. I don’t know what to say. This is what I always wanted, but it’s already too late. I’m not going to be on Earth tomorrow.

“Adan I like you too, but I don’t know…” I trail off.

He leans in to kiss me, but I jump away when my phone rings. Honestly I’m a little relieved for the distraction.

“Hello.” It’s my mother. “There are some of your friends here to say goodbye.”

I nod, but then remember that I'm on the phone. “Okay I will be right there.”

I hang up. “Bye Adan.”

“Bye.” He replies.

When I get home my friends Hanna and Wesson are there. Hanna and Wesson are twins and I met them at school two years ago. Hanna is really loud and Wesson is really quiet. Also my not so much of a friend Emily is here too. Emily has always been kind of mean to me, I mean we’ve always been kinda friends, but she’s always pulled pranks on me and spread rumors about me.

Hanna sits down on our couch. “I can’t believe you’re going to Jupiter! We are all going to miss you so much! Won’t we Wesson!”

Wesson nods.

“Thanks guys, but I'm actually going to Mars.” I say.

“Right!” Hanna nods. “You know me, always mixing stuff up!”

Emily is just sitting quietly at the other end of the couch. Oh! I hope she isn’t plotting a prank on me!

“Emily! Are you crying!” Hanna yells.

“No. I am not.” Emily sniffles.

“OMG! You are!” Hanna exclaims.

“Oh Hanna leave her alone.” Wesson whispers.

“Emily do you need something?” I ask.

Now she’s full out crying. “I.. just…I'm so sorry Sandra!”

I raise my eyebrows so surprised.

“I’ve been so mean to you all these years and now you’re leaving forever!” Emily says sobbing.

“It's okay Emily I forgive you. All that matters is that you try to be nice from now on.” I say.

Emily smiles and wipes the tears off her face with her arm. I hand her a tissue. She hugs me. “Oh I’m so glad you forgive me! The truth is I’ve always been jealous of you.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Your life is so cool. You have an awesome astronaut Mom. You have a dog. And you have a huge house!”

“Well I don’t think my life is that great.” I say, but Emily just shakes her head like I said something silly.

Then we all eat cookies.

The next day I get all my stuff packed and ready. My mother makes us a special breakfast since we’re going to be eating gross astronaut food out of tubes from now on.

“These pancakes are great Mom!” I say and then take a bite.

“Thanks they’re Aunt Jemima’s recipe.” My mother says, pointing to the box of pancake mix on the counter.

I laugh and pour more syrup on the pancakes.

“Come on Sandra! We have to go!” I grab my special space-grade luggage and open the door.

But Helen barks at me. Helen is my dog. She’s a golden retriever and is the sweetest. She’s getting kind of old, nine, but she still has so much life left in her. It breaks my heart that I have to leave her. I wish we could bring her with us, but my mother says that wouldn’t be fair for her, that dogs belong on Earth. Well don’t teenage girls belong on Earth too? Is it fair to me? I take those thoughts out of my head. I love my mother with all my heart. I have no choice. I’m going to mars.

I sit in the passenger seat of my mother’s little red car watching my childhood get smaller behind me.

Now I’m walking into the spaceship my space suit on and everything ready. A take one last look at Earth, tears blurring my vision.

“Goodbye Earth.” I whisper.

I strap myself into my seat and wait.

After a few hours my mother turns to me with a smile on her face. “They’re starting the count down!”

Suddenly I realize something. “No! Mom, stop this thing. I have to get off this Spaceship!”

My mother’s face falls. “What, why?”

“Mom, I love Earth. I can’t leave. I want to have a life. I don’t want to waste it sitting in a spaceship.”

Mom’s face softens and a tear forms in her eye. “Oh honey. I understand. Why didn’t you say so sooner?”

“Because I love you Mom. I don’t want to be away from you.” I say.

“I love you too dear, but you have to get off NOW!” She pushes a button on the dashboard. “Jefferson we have to stop the spaceship!”

My mother pushes another button and the door opens. I grab my luggage and run out.

The sky is bright orange and pink and red. I didn’t realize it was so late. I peel off my spacesuit (don’t worry I’m wearing leggings and a tank top under the spacesuit) and sit in the grass next to the launch pad. I watch as a pair of birds fly across the sunset, and I know I made the right choice. I hear the space engine start and watch as it takes off and gets too small for me to see. I tear rolls down my cheek.

“Bye Mom.” I say quietly.

All this time I thought I was going to say bye to Earth, but I had to say goodbye to my mother.

A shadow falls over me. I look up.

“Mom!” I jump up and hug my mother, who is still wearing her spacesuit.

“You didn’t go to Mars?” I ask.

“They had backups that went instead. I couldn’t leave you. You’re my baby.”

“What about Grandpa’s dream?” I ask.

“It was his dream honey. And I have a feeling that he’d be happier with this ending.”

THE END