𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 .•* 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐒𝐎𝐍

𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐈

Eleven Minutes to Takeoff

•••

Before anything else happens, I have to come clean about something - the world is a lot brighter when you have someone to share it with.

I spent way too many, like an embarrassing amount, of hours just thinking about Mark. Sometimes I almost felt like I had a bigger crush on him now that we were going out than I did ever before. I'd lay awake, thinking of him. I'd daydream in class, about him. I'd save the day, and the first person I went to for validation was him.

Don't get me wrong - I valued all of my other friends just as much as I had before. I made sure to never make William or Eve feel rejected, and I still spent time with my dad as much as possible. But Mark was always my first thought.

I felt pretty silly, but the more I tried to lie to myself the worse it seemed to get.

Each date we went on was a new wonder. Going to the mall, grabbing coffee, seeing Rome, doing homework together, going to Disney World, taking down small time villains. Even though Mark could honestly show me the world, it didn't matter where we were. I loved his company no matter what.

Which is why it came as a big shock when, after I had Mark pinned below me on my bed with our lips intertwined, he pulled away to tell me, "I'm going to Mars tomorrow."

I blinked, pushing myself up. "Woah, woah, woah. Mars?"

"Yeah," he replied sheepishly, his fingers rubbing up and down my waist. "I was going to tell you sooner, but it kinda... slipped my mind. You really have that affect on me, you know."

"...Yet you remembered it while you were kissing me?"

"You're a lot less overwhelming when I can't see you. I mean, I think better when you're not with me. I mean, oh, shit," Mark nervously fumbled over his words. A light pink blush blossomed across his face. "I mean I think you're really, really pretty.  Like, 'forget where I am' pretty."

I giggled, both at his awkwardness and the compliment. "I got you.  You're not so bad yourself," I replied. "What's happening up on Mars?"

Mark began to shift himself up into a seated position while I leaned back so I was sitting on my feet. He sighed, fixing his messy hair and misadjusted shirt while he thought about what he was going to say.  Already I felt cold, not feeling his chest against mine.

"Have you heard about the shuttle?" Mark asked, running a hand through his black hair. I nodded. It was just about the only thing anyone was talking about right now. "They need someone to come along and make sure everything is going smoothly. Since my dad is needed on Earth... they want me."

"How long will you be gone?" I asked, leaning forward to gently place a hand on his leg.

"At least a few days. Maybe a couple weeks."

"A couple weeks," I whistled. "That's a pretty nice trip."

"Yeah. I'll take lots of pictures, and I'll message you if I can," Mark stated. "I'll miss you a whole lot."

"I'll miss you, too," I stated, my eyes softening. "I'm really proud of you - that's kinda super awesome."

"Thank you. I'm hoping it'll be an easy mission."