Eleanor Marleron ‘Mars’ Knight

Even though Eleanor aka Mars told every one of her friends that her name is Eleanor and they should just call her with that name, no one really followed her order and they called her Mars instead.

Ever since when Mars was a kid, she always lived under her best friend’s, Kara, shadow. It was easy for her to live, because, well, she was a kid, and she was extra shy and self-conscious but now that she’s 18, she has to go to a college, get a job to pay for her tuition, and with Kara trailing all along and ‘accidentally’ trying to apply for the same job as hers, she needs to stand out and she needs to find out the answer to the most important question in her life, “who am I” and that shit needs to get an answer soon.

Turns out that it’s not that easy to get the answer, with her, meeting the mysterious guy from the bar at her 18^th birthday party, Francisco aka Franc, and the guy Kara’s desperate to set-up with Mars, Diego.

Looks: lip piercing, nose piercing, tragus piercing, and a tattoo at the back of her neck, jet-black middle length hair, grey eyes.

Kara Casilda Faux

Kara is the boldest girl you’ll ever meet. She’s easily impressed, very active and dominating in every conversation and extremely loud. She’s the complete opposite of Mars but unbelievably innocent and naïve about most things in her life. She’s very outgoing but she feels lost all the time. She wants to travel the world and become a famous photographer / videographer but with her Dad pushing her to go to college and chasing the opportunity to continue his business, she really doesn’t have a lot of choices.

Kara has a long distance relationship boyfriend named Alejandro Buentello whom she met three years ago from the chat roulette and he lives in Spain.

Looks: tattoo at the back of her neck just like Mars’, taller than Mars, tan skin, blonde hair, green eyes, and petite body.

Francisco ‘Franc’ Rudford

The meaning of his name ‘Franc’ is ‘free’ and just like the meaning of his name, Francisco is a free spirit too. He does what he wants and he takes the live your life quote way too serious and in a negative way too. He takes drugs, well, he used too. He’s clean now, but he smokes, a lot. He smokes to die. He wants to die. He’s mysterious, no one knows about his family, even though he’s filthy rich. He lives all by himself in his luxurious apartment. He studies art and he’s good at it. He doesn’t care and even though he is, you’ll never know it. If he likes you, you’ll never know it either.

Looks: dark brown and messy hair, hazel eyes, tanned skin and spots on his face.

Diego Graziani

Diego is a nice guy, he lives in safety in his whole life and family is the biggest part of him. He’s studying English literature, very smart but like most smart people, he’s extremely boring. Even though Kara likes the whole thing about him, Mars doesn’t really keen at building any romantic relationship with him. For mars, Diego is way too perfect ‘cause, boy, do that guy have the whole package. He’s smart, he’s friendly, very nice, hot body, cute face, down to earth and all the useless blah, blah; a thing that mars doesn’t want.

Looks: curly dark hair, tanned skin, green eyes, bulky and tall.

18

I’ve been waiting for this day practically for my whole entire life. The moment when I hit the number of age when people will look at me and they’ll think that I’m grown up already to talk to, to solve problems with. No more underestimation, no more the ‘you’re too young’ sentence, finally, I’m eighteen years old.

My Dad saw this as a miracle that I could live until today without getting knocked up or addicted to drugs. He looked at me that morning, with tears of pride swelling on his eyes.

“Darling” he stated and we hugged each other for one minute before I wiggled myself away from him. “I’m just pure proud that you’re not pregnant like Johnny’s daughter or getting high on daily basis like Patricia’s son” Johnny was my uncle aka my Dad’s brother and Patricia was his sister.

“Do we have to bring those things up again, for Chris sake, Luke?” Mom shouted but then she hugged me and she continued. “Finally, eighteen at last. Applebee tonight to celebrate this occasion, darling?”

She looked so excited but I just had to turn her down.

“Eh, no, actually I have a plan already” I told her and she looked so disappointed but she forced a smile.

“Oh yay but what plan?”

“Leave her alone, Naomi, it’s her 18^th birthday, she could go with anyone she wants to and do whatever she wants to do, BUT, no drinking or strip clubbing or smoking pot, alright darling?” Dad cut me off before I could answer my Mom. I rolled my eyes as an answer to that remark.

“No Dad, no strip clubbing, alcohol or anything illegal, I’m going out with Kara that’s all” which was a lie. I’d go to a bar, I wouldn’t drink anything because beers are just straight up gross and I wasn’t going to do anything illegal that night. We’d go to a bar just because I could without a fake ID and Kara would bring a plus one and it’s gonna be a guy, no biggie really.

“Alright then, just come home before midnight, OK sweetie?” mom asked and I nodded.

“Sure Mom.”

After that we had breakfast and the whole day just went into a big black blur mode. It was just those boring Saturday afternoon, I did my math homework and surfed the internet and when the clock hit 7 pm, I got up, wore a white tank top, black cardigan and a dark blue skinny jeans and when I was wearing my blue flip flop, Kara stormed into my bedroom, wearing a tight black dress and a cute high heels.

“Oh my God” she said in her usual ‘you did not just…’ tone. I felt so insecure just like that and I hunched my back instantly. “DO NOT HUNCH YOUR BACK!” she shouted.

“Okay, okay” I murmured. “But keep your voice down!”

“No freaking way, darling” she shouted again. That’s the thing with Kara, you couldn’t and you wouldn’t be able to make her shut up or at least decreasing her voice’s volume, it was just an impossible task. “Tell me you’re not going to wear that to this c—“

“DON’T SAY IT HERE” I hissed panicky, wrapping my hands around her mouth. “My parents don’t know that we’re going to ‘that’ place,” I continued.

“Oh God forgive me, really, it’s not illegal or something. You’re 18 already, cut me some slack please” she said, rolling her big green eyes dramatically. “Just change your outfit!”

After that, without waiting for my permission, she stormed towards my closet and she rummaged through all my stuff while I sat on my bed, watching her messing around.

“Uh, this is bad, this is really bad” she murmured quietly but after a while, she sighed and she grabbed a dress and she gave it to me.

“The only thing that will look OK for tonight but will not good enough, but OK will work just fine, wear it” she ordered and I did.

It was a dress that I got when I was sixteen for my Grandma’s funeral. It was black, knee-length and very appropriate looking. I didn’t have a lot of dress and some of them are really short because I bought most of them when I was fourteen back in those days when I acted like a real girl and I’ve grown taller of course.

When I’m done, Kara was observing me then she nodded real calm.

“Wear your black glittered flats,” she ordered, once again and she continued. “And please, I’m begging you, Mars, take those awful piercings off of your face” and this one time instead of ordering me to do things, she begged.

“Why?” I still asked her.

“Because they’re awful and you’re eighteen and I’m inviting a guy for you to meet, a real man, not a boy” she grabbed both my shoulder and she looked at me in the eyes. “Please?”

And just because she begged me to do it and because I was just a good friend, I took off my piercings. I didn’t have very many of them, I only pierced my lips, my nose and my tragus. After that we went downstairs, I said goodbye to my parents and once again, my Dad warned me about not to take drugs, smoke pots, drink alcohol and stuff like that. Kara said that we wouldn’t because we might be young but we’re very responsible about everything and my Dad said that he believed her.

My Dad could be wrong about a lot of things and trusting Kara was one of them.

Kara might look nice on the outside, but she was very much a badass inside. It was her issue with her Dad that made her becoming who she is now. She smoked like a lot, she took drugs once and she didn’t like it so she didn’t do it again. She was a party animal and even though she invited me to follow her steps, she never actually pushed me to do those things.

“So where are we going?” I finally asked her after we got into her old white truck. It was her grandpa’s, she drove them because her Dad wanted to give her a car but she hated her Dad and she needed a car, so she took her grandpa’s instead of accepting her Dad who happened to be the biggest sadistic egoist bastard.

“Uhm, I really don’t remember the name but I know the place cause I’ve been there for a few times before, it’s near the lake” she said, struggling at turning on the car. “Piece of shit!” she yelled but then the car burped noisily and it jolted backwards. She pressed the gas and the car was very much on and alive.

It took us fifteen minutes before we arrived at the club. I read the blue neon words on the building; it said ‘The Toolbox’ and some loud dub step music was roaring from inside the building. There was a long line of people in front of the front door and a big guy was checking their identities. He nodded to let the people in and murmured in a very deep and threatening voice “get the hell outta here, kid” if they’re not old enough to get in.

I was already standing at the end of the line when Kara dragged me right towards the big guy.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“If you’re going to wait in that line, you’ll not going back home at midnight, stupid ass” she mocked me. “Hey Jake” she said to the big guy flirtishly.

“Hi, Kara, how you?” he said in his deep threatening voice but he looked a bit relaxed and I could see the slightest bit of smile on his face. At that moment, he didn’t look so threatening as he was.

“I’m fine, my sister said hi to you,” she said and Jake nodded, smiling widely.

“Alright, you want to get in?” he asked, followed by some protesting voices. “Shut up!” he yelled at the crowds.

“Sure, it’s her eighteenth birthday,” Kara nodded at me and Jake examined me with her jet black eyes.

“Happy birthday girl, but can I see your identity card?” he asked and I gave him my student card. He looked at me and back at the student card then he nodded. “Alright, get in.”

Kara blew him a kiss and he grinned. The crowds booed at him but he shut them up with his eyes as he shouted, “NEXT!”

“That was impressive” I said and Kara beamed in pride.