"Holy Crap! You're Maria Gonzalez!"

"Language!" His mom called out.

"That's fine," Maria said, "I hear far worse when I'm on tour."

She had her sunglasses because it was bright out today but removed them to see in this car. It was hot and sunny, and she loved it. She wanted to find a pool to swim in before nightfall.

"I'm Cole. This is Hope and my mom." He pointed to a red-faced girl with strawberry-blonde hair.

"It's nice to meet you." Maria recognized each of them from the show. She was most eager to meet Hope, but she was asleep and red. "She does not look good at all."

The metal on the car burned her skin, so she backed away from the window.

His mom said, pressing, "We need to get Hope inside, and Skye passed out on our couch, earlier."

"Oh, really." She moved around the vehicle and met them in the driveway when they parked. Maria opened the door Hope was nearest. Then the three of them lifted and carried her inside.

Maria continued, "Poor Hope, it's gonna blister and peel. Do you have aloe?"

His mom said, "Yes. I was thinking the same thing."

They laid her on the couch.

"Skye was here," Julie said.

A blonde-haired woman with gray streaks entered the house and pushed Maria out of the way. "Oh, my little girl. That must hurt." She placed the back of her hand on Hope's forehead.

Cole shouted, "She's dehydrated too. I think that's why she passed out."

Her mom had a saline bag and she hooked it to the chandelier above her. Then she stuck Hope's arm with a needle and ran an IV line to it.

"Her dad said she needs it. Wow, Julie you were right. They're both in bad shape."

Julie said, "Her skin is pale, so it's gonna be worse for her."

She recognized Hope's mother too. Although the woman was an older mirror image of Hope. So, she could have guessed.

Hope's mom applied cream to her face and arms.

She announced, "Message Dave." She waited for the beep then said, "We need your help. Bring Hope and Cole ointments for their burns." She aimed the camera toward Hope for a second. Then stated, "End message."

Julie said, "She's fine here for now. We can let her sleep."

Hope's mother got to her feet and faced Maria. They had never met. What should she call her?

"Mrs. Anderson?"

"Yes?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you. You must be proud to have a genius for a daughter."

Hope's mom shook her hand, "Yes, I am. Although Hope does all the work. My name is Angela." She knew that and that her friends and husband Dave called her Angie.

"You are?"

"Maria. Skye's friend. Have you seen her?"

"Who?"

Somebody tapped her shoulder.

She rotated and Skye was behind her. They hugged, spun in a circle, and screamed. Then she kissed Skye's cheek and said, "I missed you." The aroma of her cherry blossom scented fragrance and sweat emanated from her. The perfume did not cover up the odor, it made it more potent. She did her best not to be sick.

Maria inspected her friend. "You look terrible, and you smell bad."

She spoke to Angela, "It was nice meeting you. I have to take her home, so she can shower. Would it be ok if I stopped by later to check on Hope? I pray they feel better."

"Yes. Although, I'm not sure which house we'll be at. Check both. If we're not here, we're there." She motioned to next door.

Maria and Skye headed back to her house. She gestured to her driver to let him know she made it. She had forgotten about him until now. There was way too much going on.

When they were inside, she closed the front door and laid into her friend. "So, you're still wearing last night's dress. Your hair is a mess, and you woke up at some guy's house. You big slut."

"Screw you! It's wasn't like that."

"It never is..."

"I was sad and lonely, so I spent the night with him."

"Meaning?"

"I didn't screw him," she responded. "We went dancing." Skye twirled around in place.

"I saw that part. Before I forget, thanks for playing my song."

Skye was cheerful and Maria was pleased to have her friend back to her old self. Maria wondered how long it would last. The last year, she was mostly dark and depressed with rare moments of joy.

"Fine. I love you, but I will not hug you again until you take a shower."

"That's why you're my best friend. Nobody else would talk like this."

Skye ambled to the bathroom, started the shower, and hollered, "Marcus, take Maria's bags to her room."

Skye got in the shower and continued talking with Maria. "Why are you here early?"

"When I spoke to you yesterday, I was crazy jealous. I could not believe you were going to this school."

"I knew you couldn't wait to get here. You always make me watch the most boring shows about space and saving the planet."

"Albert Einstein is not boring and you're the only person who doesn't get choked up when watching those poor baby polar bears."

"I think it's sad, but I'm not gonna fly to the North Pole to save them."

"We've already argued about this. Anyway, I asked my parents if I could join you and they said I could, but I need to finish my tour first."

"So, when your dad called me and asked for my help, he said it was an emergency. Which is a best friend's dad code for she's gonna kill herself without you."

"Whatever." Skye chuckled.

"I mean, I joke that you can't live without me, but you only made it one day."

"Everyone else is over-reacting. There's nothing wrong with me."

"Well, I postponed my concerts and left to help you."

Skye stepped out of the shower and put her fluffy crimson robe with matching slippers.

"You have it all backwards. You couldn't live without me," Skye pointed at herself. "I think you hid in my dresser and waited for the perfect moment to pop up and pretend to save the day."

Maria chortled, "You're hilarious."

The doorbell chimed.

"I'll get it." Maria went downstairs, danced over to the door, and opened it. Cole lingered in the doorway.

"Hello, Maria," he said.

"Hey, Cole."

"I wanted to see if ..."

"... we'd be up for a threesome?" Maria interrupted him. "No. We wouldn't." She shook her head.

"Actually, since you brought it up," Cole winked at her.

She slammed the door in his face.

"OH MY GOD!" Skye rushed downstairs, pushed her out of the way, and opened the door again. "He's not like that. He's a nice guy."

"I've heard that before."

"No. You haven't."

Maria understood Skye knew she was lying. Maria held out her hand and counted while stating each name. "Mike, Vinnie, Adam ..."

"He's different." Skye disrupted her list.

"Fine. Think what you want."

She motioned him inside and said, "I'm Skye's disapproving best friend and you're a guy, so I don't trust you. OK?" Her best friend obligations came before her obsession with the Mars School reality show.

"OK." Cole responded.

She also aware of how intelligent Cole was, read many of the papers he had written, and they shared a passion for finding the humor in any moment. Cole always had the funniest lines and she loved to crack jokes with people. And she assumed that they would be friends if they ever met which they just did.

"Second, your section in Hope's Perfect System, was groundbreaking. Plants and trees should not grow in perfectly ordered rows. Let them fight it out. I also, can't stand when people complain about weeds. It does not make sense that a plant which is perfectly fine in your garden, magically turns into a weed when it is on your grass. Everything green is good. That's my motto too. Don't tell Hope."

"Totally." They high fived.

"Call from Jacob," her viewer announced.

"Answer call."

Her viewer projected the hologram of an attractive young man with crazy brown hair and brown eyes in front of her. Cole strode passed Maria and hugged Skye.

Maria shrieked, "Get your hands off my friend!"

He leapt backwards and raised his arms in the air.

Maria laughed, uncontrollably. She was only joking, but his over-reaction made her hysterical.

Jacob said, "Holy crap. That was insane." He rolled back and forth.

"I'm gonna have a lot of fun with him." She told Jacob. Chis must have been better at giving the jokes than taking them.

"Dude don't take her seriously. She jokes a lot. That just means she likes you."

Cole turned to Jacob.

"You're Jacob Hunter."

"Wait, are you dating Jacob Hunter?" Cole asked Maria.

"We've been on a few first dates."

"Like ten," Skye added.

Jacob said, "We were on date number eleven, when she rushed over here to save Skye. I'm calling to see if you landed safely, since you didn't message me." He frowned at her like she was guilty, and she was because she promised him to call when she arrived. He continued, "I'm worried you might be dead, or God knows what else."

"I'm sorry, because my best friend is more important than some guy." She stuck her thumb out at Jacob.

"Some guy?" Cole asked. "Jacob starred in the number one film two weeks ago."

"Yep. That was me," Jacob said, boasting, "I don't know you, but I like you, already."

There were a few seconds of silence, which Jacob broke up when he stated, "I wanted to check on Maria. Now that I see she's OK. I'll go."

He said to Maria, "Text me when you're alone."

Then he addressed all, "I will see the three of you soon. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Jacob."

Jacob's hologram disappeared.

Skye and Cole laid together on her leather couch. He leaned in to kiss her.

Maria wanted to continue agitating him. It was entertaining. She hopped over the back of the couch and landed in between them. She used her legs to separate them.

"I want to hear all the details of your first date."

Cole groaned. "Are you joking with me again? I'm confused."

"Nope. This is just me being a good best friend. Which you are not by being here, hitting on this girl. Right?"

Cole rose and said, "Fine, be that way. I'm going to go and take care of my friend. The four of us need to wake up early for school."

He hugged Skye and Maria yelled, "Hands off!"

Skye kissed him instead.

"I'm not tired. I just woke up," Skye declared.

"Hah!" Cole shouted at Maria. "We already did that. I'm off duty. That sounds more like a best friend's job." Cole left and slammed the door.

She moved next to Skye and said, "He really is a nice guy, but he isn't a good fit for you though."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he's dedicated his life to live on Mars. You're only going there because your dad told you to."

"Just wait, you'll see," Skye said.

Maria was about to say the same thing to her.

Sometimes her friend was too stubborn. She had to learn this one the hard way. "OK. I'm excited about starting classes tomorrow. Did they give you a list of books?"

Skye returned a confused stare.

"I'll text Cole and ask him. I can't wait to begin."