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We waited, expectant Mo us The corners of her lips turned up, just a bit, which confused me

“What’s wrong?” I asked

“Nothing at all,” she said “Just the opposite, in fact I’ about how quickly time passes It see hoalk”

This was starting to get weird She usually talked about howand acting like actual people instead of needy babies Mom wasn’t a fan of neediness

She rearranged her hands, leaned forward, and even seeood news I’ve secured a wonderful opportunity for the both of you You’re going to the Galileo Academy”

Frowning, Charles straightened I blinked at hi what he knew that I didn’t I said, “What’s that?” The way she said it made me think I should have heard of it

“It’s on Earth,” Charles said flatly

“You’re sending us to Earth?” I said, horrified

Earth was old, grubby, crowded, archaic, backward, stifling—the whole point of being on Mars, at Colony One, was to get away from Earth Why would she send us back there?

“This is a wonderful school, the best there is Kids froet to learn and do so s you’d never have a chance to if you stayed here” She was eager, trying to sell us on the idea Trying hard toever and not the disaster it was This was clearly for her, not us This was going to be good for her

I wanted to get up and throw the chair into a wall, just to make noise I wanted to either scream or cry—both options seemed reasonable

But I only declared, “No I don’t want to go”

“It’s already settled,” Mo”

“But what about my internship? I’m supposed to start at the astrodro—” No oing to bust out of the at and starships I didn’t want to do anything else, o to school on Earth

“The astrodrome will still be there when you’re finished,” she said

“Finished when? How long is this going to take?”

“The program is three years”

I had to dois it really?”

“Polly, I thought you’d be excited about this,” she said, like it wasapart before my eyes “It’ll be your first interplanetary trip—you’re always talking about how you want to get into space—”

“As a pilot, not as baggage, just to end up dirtside on Earth And you didn’t even ask! Why didn’t you ask if I wanted to go?”

Her frown hardened The supervisor expression—she was right, everyone else rong “Because I’m your mother, and I knohat’s best”