He was just 8 when his mom said she'd packed his bags, and they had to run. Truthfully, this was already the seventh time (he was only in third grade), and kids started to pick up on this. They thought he might be getting expelled and was a terrible person, but he didn't mind the rumors. When he was waved in by his teacher, he stood in the front center of the room, hugging his armful of school supplies. He introduced himself to the class before a boy raised his hand.
"He can sit by me, Miss!"
Some kids whispered and giggled, but all the kid could make out was the word "Pluto." He'd asked the boy about it when he gotten to his seat, and his response was:
"Oh! Pluto's my name. It's not my real name, but that's what everyone calls me. Did you hear they made it a dwarf planet? Well, that's why they call me that. I'm short. You know, it's kind of lonely being the only planet."
"I want to be a planet."
Pluto glanced at him, smiled, then thought about it for some time. Soon, he'd gasp: "I know! Mars. Your hair suits it perfectly!"
Mars smiled big: "Mars. Yeah, I like it! I'm gonna make everybody call me Mars."
Pluto was his first real friend, Mars thought to himself, his first BEST friend. And that sentiment was enough to make his life ten times better. Or, at least, for a moment.
Pluto and Mars were hanging out at recess when his mom came up to him and grabbed his arm.
"Come on, Kid."
Mars' eyes shot open with fear. What if he'd never get to see his best friend ever again? What a lonely solar system it would be with only one planet. Would Pluto make more friends? A Venus? A Saturn? A new Mars...?
In the car, watching the trees roll past and listening to 90s rock, he couldn't focus on the lyrics. He only thought of two things: one being not to cry in front of his parents. Two, though, was Pluto. It hurt so badly to lose a friend, his only friend, that he never ever ever wanted to be friends with anyone ever again.
All that remained of their childhood together was their names.
Pluto and Mars.
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Pluto&Mars
RomancePROLOGUE: There was a man sitting at home, fiddling with his pencil, trying his best to do his job. This man sat back and sighed. He was famished and in an empty house. He was about to move. Boxes littered the hallway. He had gotten a new job in ano...
