Apollo in Starlight

Chapter 3 - Blue lipstick

I could hear the distant patter of footsteps of the eccentric yet inexplicably creepy billionaire until they faded to nothingness. I finally let myself go and kind of relaxed and started to giggle until my laughter swelled into hysterics and I couldn't stop laughing and plump tears were streaming down my face. The laughter was definitely partly due to nerves but there was something genuinely hilarious about a strange billionaire and her mysterious accomplice looking for me, Ollie Ramirez, a biology nerd and cheesy rom-com enthusiast, on planet Mars. 

After a couple of minutes, the buzz of the hourly alarm signalled it was 9:00 AM - I was going to be late for the leaving ceremony at school. I wiped my face with my sleeves, held my breath, and darted through the door, luckily to a vacant corridor. Almost sprinting down the tree-lined walkway of the main pathway I eventually reached the two cramped classrooms that were apparently a whole school, despite there being only 9 students and 2 teachers. As I entered the room, the door seemed to creak extremely loudly and everyone (consisting of about 15 people - a lot for Mars) glared at me. There were the nine students, the two teachers, Myra Moon's infamous face, her eerie sidekick, and two nervous-looking men wearing bright blue jumpsuits imprinted with a huge moon with eyes - the ubiquitous yet nonetheless creepy logo of Moon Industries.

A wide grin grew on Myra Moon's face as I entered the classroom where her cream pantsuit (they'd seen a revival down to her wearing one at the ISS gala) and golden blouse seemed extremely out of place. Her signature glossy blue heels, the colour identical to her lipstick, clicked elegantly against the scuffed parquet flooring and everyone was in awe of her grace and charm, despite whatever they said to insult her whilst waiting at the coffee machine.

"Hello. Is it Apollo Ramirez?"

"Yes, Ms Moon"

"What a fantastic name. I really do love mythology. I'm sure you know this already but Apollo was the God who was thought to make the Sun rise every day, riding in his golden chariot. How extraordinary mythology is!"

I did not know this at all and was never really interested in mythology, despite my parents' obsession, so I just smiled and nodded. 

"My name is also Greek, so I guess we have a lot in common."

I didn't see how both our names being Greek made us have a lot in common, but I smiled and nodded again. I was usually proficient in meaningless small talk but Myra Moon's power and confidence were enough to make anyone tongue-tied. Her smooth voice makes you anxious about how comfortable you become. 

"Well, I suppose you are wondering why I'm here. This day is enormous for you - bigger for you than most," she paused here and sharply inhaled. I started to bite the inside of my cheek. "So, I decided to greet you in person, with a warm smile and an offer for you to ride in my private spaceship, faster and more comfortable than those... quaint little shuttles. What do you say?"

I had worried about this day for months and thought I had considered every possible scenario. however, this was never even a fleeting thought. Myra Moon is offering a ride in her private spaceship. It was equally terrifying and exciting. Myra Moon's private spaceship - known as Spaceship Mercury - was rumoured to be the base of her entire operations, more secure and heavily guarded than even the most secretive government building. She barely knew me, so why would she ever allow me to get so close to her deepest secrets?

"I- I'd love to" 

"Wonderful. Please get Mr Ramirez's bags from his quarters, Felix" She gestured to one of the men wearing the blue jumpsuits, and he promptly nodded and left. "I'll meet you at the spaceport... Make sure you take your time saying your goodbyes," Myra Moon left the room with a swift motion, leaving the air heavy with shock. Nobody else seemed to notice, but I sensed a warning in her voice.

I looked at the crowd (yes this constitutes a crowd on the red planet) that was staring at me, some with watery eyes - some with barely-concealed smirks. I hugged everyone there like it was my last day alive: Hugo, Cheche, Ben, Darya. The two teachers, Mrs and Mrs Burhan, got a huge hug - I wouldn't have gotten into Kepler without them. Next, their son and my amazing best friend, Julian, got the world's biggest hug (probably not hyperbole as Mars has a pretty meagre population).

"Text me every day," He demanded and let out an exaggerated scowl.

"I will," I gave him another hug for good measure.

Finally, I had a huge group hug with my parents. I closed my eyes and tried to picture all three of us in a warm embrace on a hot summer picnic on Earth and I realised just how much I was going to miss them. We must have glued together for a few minutes because I heard a few people clearing their throats awkwardly.

"I love you," Mum said, holding back tears. Dad was sobbing too much by that point to even say anything at all but all three of us knew nothing else needed to be said.

"I love you, too"

My feet felt rooted in the ground and I knew once I pulled myself out of the earth I wouldn't be able to fit back in the hole where I once was.