Mia lifted her book bag, shifting her weight to the leg underneath, not yet realizing yesterday would be the last normal day of her life. Waiting for school to start was torturous. Her lids scanned the hallways, eyeing peers, but the easy thing to do was not engage. She wasn't a morning person.

  She'd spent the last few minutes picking off nail polish. Mia kicked the flakes away and tapped the fitness ring on her finger. Three more minutes until first period. Get it over, she thought as the bell rang and a sea of high school students broke free from walls and lockers. Andrea blocked the door to Ms. Lawrence's room, her long arms and cheerleader legs forming a gigantic X.

  "Hey friend, I heard something you need to know! Ready to have your world flipped upside down?" Andrea squealed.

  "Hard pass," Mia replied, pushing past her friend.

  A dark cloud passed over Andrea's face.

  "No, listen, this is for real gonna mess with you. Brian and Chloe broke up."

  Mia stopped and looked at Andrea, whose hands were spread apart in question, gold bracelets dangling off each wrist.

  Flustered, Mia walked to an empty lab table, sat down, and dropped her book bag.

  "I know, right?" whispered Andrea, sitting beside Mia and pulling out her phone. "It's all right here."

  Mia scrolled through posts, witnessing a vicious, very public breakup between her ex-boyfriend and the trash he'd cheated on her with.

  "Oh God," Mia said, "Chloe didn't hold back, did she?"

  "When has Chloe ever held anything back? I mean, maybe her hair," Andrea smirked.

  The comment cut like a knife. Mia glanced up at Andrea. Brian's dating Chloe had wrecked her. Didn't she know that?

  And then, Ms. Lawrence rang a bell, and Andrea took her assigned seat, leaving Mia alone to cope. Her heart pounded as she replayed the hateful posts in her mind. Brian Foster was available. He no longer had a girlfriend. He wasn't sleeping with someone else. Ms. Lawrence was talking now, but her words stretched out nonsensically. Mia considered checking out early. But everyone would assume she'd left because of the situation. Andrea caught her attention and gestured for her to breathe.

  Mia nodded and slowed her breathing, panic slipping into annoyance as she watched Ms. Lawrence fumble with her laptop. The smartboard wasn't working again.

  "Smart Class, email Mr. Stewart and have him run a diagnostic on room 204," Peyton said, turning towards a dome-shaped device in the back of the room.

  The class began to chatter, sensing an opportunity to disengage, and a notification from Andrea buzzed in Mia's back pocket.

  "Would you take him back?"

  Mia stared at the text, numb. She hated Brian Foster. She'd made hating him her job. Why should anything change? They'd broken up because she'd refused to have sex, even though he swore that wasn't the reason. And she'd had sex before. It wasn't like she was a goody-goody, although there was nothing wrong with not having sex. Andrea had never done it. She'd honestly just wanted to wait until it felt right. But that hadn't been an option. No, she wouldn't give Brian another chance. Brian was dead to her.

  A droning voiceover disrupted Mia's thoughts. The classroom had gone dark, and a YouTube video filled the now-operational smartboard. Their teacher stood beside it, watching DNA unwind, her face smiling and awestruck as animated nucleotides coded for proteins no one gave two shits about. How could this possibly excite Ms. Lawrence? She was maybe thirty, with millions of other things she could be doing with her life. Mia was only seventeen, but she knew enough to understand that her could-be-hot teacher was an absolute zero.

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  "I hope you enjoyed that video. It does an excellent job of highlighting the differences between replication, translation, and transcription. Now, grab your computers and go to Smart Class," Ms. Lawrence said, navigating the dashboard projected on the smartboard.

  Mia reached into her bag, pulled out the Chromebook, and powered up. It felt like they were about to take notes. Ms. Lawrence liked her routines, although routines might help normalize today. She clicked the AP Bio classwork section, and just as she'd predicted, three pages of text sat, waiting.

  "You'll find I've posted material in the classwork section. Please turn this into a podcast where you interview the DNA involved in these cellular processes. I'm looking for three creative questions to demonstrate your understanding of the material we've been covering. However, for now, I'd like you to close your computers. I have an exciting announcement."

  Suddenly, every eye turned to Ms. Lawrence, and the sound of laptops closing bounced around the classroom. They'd all known it was coming, but until now, today had been just another day.

  "At 8:30 am, Principal Fields will announce who was chosen for the M6 mission. I read every essay myself, and many of you did a fantastic job explaining why you should go to Mars. Of course, only two students get a spot on the team."

  The class began to chatter and then roar with excitement. Andrea slid back beside Mia, grabbing her hand. Mia barely registered the physical contact.

  "I can't believe this is happening. Someone we know is going to Mars!"

  Mia couldn't think about stupid Mars. All she could think about was Brian. He was in her fourth period. What if he wanted to talk? A terrible ache began to grow in her stomach, and more than anything, she wished she were home in bed.

  Principal Field's voice crackled over the intercom, and the chaotic buzz in the classroom morphed into silence.

  "Good morning, Spartans! I'm excited to finally announce the M6 essay contest winners. Of course, you know these deserving students will be headed to Mars to complete the second semester of this school year and spend their entire senior year abroad. These lucky SHS representatives will be away from home for over two years! Honestly, this is as much a sacrifice as an opportunity for these kiddos, and we couldn't be more proud of you."

  Ms. Lawrence took a sip from her turquoise tumbler, smiling and scanning the room.

  "Before I announce the winners, I want to publicly thank Ms. Peyton Lawrence for her efforts in allowing Southern High School to be part of this prestigious essay contest. We're one of only six schools in the nation from which Red Rock Incorporated selected its candidates. Given her involvement with the company, this is quite an honor and hardly a surprise. You may not know that Ms. Lawrence has also been designated as the academic advisor for the upcoming M6 mission. She'll be going to Mars as well."

  Mia looked up at Peyton, whose face had gone pink at the mention of her name. She continued to smile but blew out a long stream of air, which made a swooshing sound, audible in Principal Field's pause on the intercom. It was hard to imagine Ms. Lawrence anywhere outside a classroom, much less on Mars. Mia glanced over at Andrea, who was whispering with girls at the next lab table. She prayed they were talking about Mars and not Brian Foster.

  "And now, without further delay, I'd like to announce our winning students, Mr. Trevor Bell and Ms. Mia Roberts. I'm positive they will both make The Class of 2029 proud!"

  Andrea's scream jolted Mia as much as the shock of hearing her name.

  "Holy shit, " Mia said, surrounded by classmates who lifted her chair off the floor.

  Mia grabbed the chair's seat, horrified and trapped. Annonymous scalps bobbed beneath her calves until they finally lowered her, and she stood and walked to the back of the classroom. Ms. Lawrence stood, too, and began to clap. This was not at all what Mia wanted, and she winced as the clapping spread like a replicating virus. Eventually, the room quieted, and Ms. Lawrence spoke.

  "Mia, we're so proud of you. There were many wonderful essays, but yours was especially moving. That's why Red Rock selected you. I know this is all overwhelming, but try to relax and come sit down."

  The class erupted in laughter, and Mia felt the color drain entirely from her face. Uncrossing her arms, she returned to the lab table, where Andrea awaited her arrival.

  "Oh my God, Mi!! Congratulations! Are you freaking out? You've got to be freaking out. You're going with Trevor. That's going to kill Brian! Who has first period with him? I have to know what he said."

  Mia tried to smile, but all she could think was, Why? HOW THE HELL had she been selected to go to Mars, and with Trevor Bell? He was Brian's best friend. Had she wanted to go to Mars? No, absolutely not. What had she put in that ridiculous essay? Mia opened her computer and went to Google Drive. She clicked on a document titled M6 Essay and read the opening paragraph.

  I know Red Rock only picks two students from each of six high schools, but I need you to understand this mission will change my life forever. Being one of the first kids to live on Mars will likely be the most significant thing I ever do. I don't know how to put my hope into words. I've been longing for an opportunity to go somewhere new, to become someone else for so long. Even the slightest consideration of my desire to be a part of this is beyond treasured.

  What a load of BS, Mia thought. Clearly, what had started as just another day was turning into a total nightmare. Brian wouldn't use this as an excuse to talk to her, would he? What would he even say?