Free Mars by Jasmine Rose

seat belt and takes out a pack of gum from his bag and hands one to me.
     
    “Why?” I ask.
     
    “Didn’t you ever go on a plane before?”
     
    “…”
     
    Logan gasps. “You never went on a plane before?! Take the gum, woman!”
     
    I stuff the strawberry-flavored gum in my mouth and chew on it.
     
    “You traveled before?”
     
    He nods. “My grandparents live in New York; we visit them every two years.”
     
    The plane starts to move and I find myself clutching on Logan’s arm. There’s a building up of pressure in my head and it makes me feel like when you go on the amusement park ride that slides up, then down.
     
    Logan pokes my cheek. “We’re flying now, scaredy cat.”
     
    I look out the window and gasp. “We’re flying.”
     
    “I just said that, don’t you ever listen to me?” says Logan in a highly exaggerated white girl voice.
     
    “Oh my gosh, I’m sorry, it’s just that, like, I’ve like never been flying before,” I answer in the same tone.
     
    “Such a white girl, psht. Where’s your Starbucks?”
     
    “You’re one to speak, you can’t live without coffee.”
     
    “True. Remember when we went out for, as you said, a hot beverage together?”
     
    I smile. “Yeah. That seems like forever ago.”
     
    “It was only a few months ago,” he says pensively. “I never thought falling in love could take only a few months. You proved me wrong.”
     
    I take his hand in mine. “Ever so cheesy. Do you have a movie?”
     
    “I’m so cheesy, Swiss cheese gets jealous of me. And of course, who do you think I am?” he says.
     
    He reaches into his backpack and takes out his tablet, earphones and two neck pillows.
     
    “The Breakfast Club?” he says.
     
    I nod, putting one of the neck pillows on. “I’ve been wanting to watch it.”
     
    “I know.”
     
    He hands me an earplug and puts one. He places the tablet on the tray and presses  play.  I put my head on his shoulder and his head rests on mine. We watch the movie together.
     
     
                  Faster than we realize, the plane lands. It hits me; I’m in Las Vegas. With Logan. About to see a Coldplay concert.
     
     
                  Can life get any better?

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    26
    Te quiero
     
     
     
     
    Walking to the taxi, I hold onto Logan’s hand, whom I feel will faint of excitement any moment now. His eyes are big and sparkly. His cheeks are red from the slight Las Vegan winter, but he looks warm, all bundled up.
     
    “Logan?” I say as he stops walking.
     
    He turns to me. “We’re seeing the greatest band tonight. Together. Do you know how happy I am right now? Oh God, I love you,” he suddenly lets go of my hand and picks me up to spin me around.
     
    Giggling, I tug him to the taxi, where our parents look shocked, but proud for some reason. His mom sits between us in the back seat, which made me want to laugh.
    Now though, we are heading to the motel and catching up on an hour of sleep or so, to be wide awake at the concert tonight. We’re staying a night here, and flying back first thing in the morning.
     
    We arrive at a small motel named  Renais  and check in. Logan gives my hand a squeeze as he leaves to his room, beside mine. Jane smiles at me and sets her bags on one bed; I set mine on the other. I close the curtains; it is still 10 a.m. in Vegas.
     
    Jane goes to the bathroom and changes into baggy pants and a plain blue shirt. She ties her wet hair up in a pony tail.
     
    I change into a pair of leggings and a big  J’adore  shirt and settle into my bed, seconds away from sleeping. The pillows in the motel are like clouds cradling my head.
     
    “Amy?” says Jane.
     
    “Yes?”
     
    “Thank you.”
     
    I smile. “For?”
     
    “Giving my son a miracle.”
     
    “Isn’t that from the movie A Walk to Remember?”
     
    She let out a chuckle. “When we found out about his cancer, I watched every movie about cancer