We won't be caught up

The setting is the planet Mars. One year later (687 Earth days) _______________________________________________________ From the open doors of the giant room, he could hear the metallic clanging and scraping. The old mouse walked through the hall, bypassing the half-disassembled Martian vehicles, searching for someone. Finally, he saw a young mechanic bent over the open hood of a Martian jeep. The mechanic skillfully wielded the necessary tools with his long, flexible tail, which was covered in light gray fur. "Cross... Hey, Cross," he called out to the young man. Cross turned around, removing his goggles and picking up a rag to wipe his hands. "What do you need, Uncle Steele?" he asked the oldest mechanic at the Freedom Fighters' main auto repair shop. "Here, take on a trainee," the old man chuckled. Cross looked around, but there was no one else present. The boy thought old Steele was just playing a trick on him. "You're joking, Uncle Steele," Cross said, annoyed. "Why would I be joking?" the old man said, angry. A young mouse with light beige fur, blonde hair, and huge red eyes stepped out from behind his broad back. "Hi, Cross," she said, blushing. "Primer," he recognized her, surprised at how much she had grown since he last saw her. However, it was hard to miss her resemblance to Rimfire's sister. "You used to call me Prim," she said, slightly hurt. "Prim, so you're my intern. You've decided to become a mechanic," he said, examining her carefully. The mouse nodded in agreement. "Okay, let me show you around first," Cross said, closing the hood of the repaired Jeep. He led the girl through the garage. His colleagues, seeing Cross with a girl, started making jokes: "Finally, our Cross has a girlfriend." "Look, miss, he's a popular boy." "But he won't let anyone touch him." "You're the only one who's tamed him." "Now hold on to him by the... By the tail, so he doesn't run away." A round of laughter echoed through the hall. Primer blushed and paled at the words. "Very hasty. Better get on with your work," Cross reprimanded them. "Don't pay them any attention. You'll get used to it," he told the mouse. Primer quickly grasped everything on the fly and soon began to actively help Cross. He was pleased with her quick-wittedness and more than once offered her to do the repairs herself, but the girl refused, fearing that she would confuse something, because the presence of Cross gave her confidence. On one of his regular working days, he was habitually digging into the engine of another vehicle, leaning over the open hood. I felt a very noticeable slap on my lower back. The guy turned around, his purple eyes flashing with displeasure. In front of him stood a sultry beauty, about his own age, a brunette with brown fur and night-black eyes. From her clothes and equipment, it was clear that she was a rebel. "Check out my transport, handsome," she said, winking at Cross. He sighed heavily and went to her sandy jeep, opened the hood and bent down to look inside. Then he turned to the girl, feeling her burning gaze sliding over his body. "Don't stand behind me, you're distracting me," Cross said. "Or maybe I want to distract you," he heard her hot whisper in his ear and felt a touch on his tail. "I'm sorry, I don't have time for such nonsense," Cross replied sharply and turned to leave, intending to assign the repair of her car to another mechanic. "Come on, you don't understand jokes," the beautiful mouse stopped him. "My name is Speedy, by the way, and yours?" she inquired. "Cross," the gray mouse replied reluctantly, returning to her car. The damage wasn't too serious, and he quickly fixed it with the help of Nip, who kept glaring at Speedy. Once he was done, he got behind the wheel and started the engine. "It's all fixed now," he said, listening to the smooth hum of the engine. "Maybe you should run it for a while, just in case it stalls in the middle of the desert. What would I do then?" Speedy said, making a sad face and jumping into the passenger seat. Cross drove the car out of the garage and headed into the desert. The all-terrain vehicle responded well to the steering wheel and was incredibly stable on the dunes. Cross stopped the car once he was far enough away from the garage. "Are you happy now?" Annoyance crept into his voice. "Not really," she said, coming close to him. The girl suddenly pushed him, and the guy sprawled on the front seats. He felt his hands in the grip of her grip and the weight of her molded body on his. "Would you like to ride me?" With a sly twinkle in her black eyes, she whispered in his ear, lifting up his T—shirt. "Stop it," he said sternly. "Come on, stop breaking down. I've been watching you for a long time," Speedy said, running her fingers over his bare chest. "I'm sorry, but I have a girlfriend," Cross said, breaking her embrace and standing up, straightening his clothes. "I'd like to meet her," Speedy grinned, too sure she couldn't compete. Cross just sighed wearily. A couple of days later, he arrived at the workshop and barely heard the sound of angry voices over the usual noise. It was clear that two girls were arguing. "What are you doing to him?" Primer asked in an angry tone. "Cross said he has a girlfriend. I'd like to meet her," Speedy said arrogantly. "What if you're talking to her right now?" Primer persisted. "You? Don't make me laugh. A grown—up guy will never pay attention to a little girl like you," Speedy said with undisguised disdain. "Girls, don't quarrel," one of the senior mechanics tried to reason with them. "Fuck off," the brunette snapped. "Primer, don't you have anything better to do?" Cross asked sternly, approaching the epicenter of the quarrel. "Sorry, Cross," she apologized, and with a dejected head, she trudged over to the half-disassembled bike. "What are you doing here? If you're looking for something to do, you should ask Carabine. She'll be happy to find something for you to do," Cross replied, staring at her coldly. The mouse snorted in annoyance, realizing that she was being kicked out, and with a look of wounded pride, she departed, saying, "I'm not saying goodbye yet." Late in the evening, after dinner, he sat on the roof of the garage workers' barracks, strumming his guitar and producing enchanting, slow-paced melodies as he gazed at the stars. He didn't immediately notice that he wasn't alone on the roof. Nipple sat beside him, waiting for him to stop playing. "I'm sorry I called myself your girlfriend," she apologized quietly when the music finally stopped. "It's okay," Cross replied, putting his guitar aside. "By the way, why don't you have a girlfriend? You're so cool," she said, blushing deeply. "I did, but she broke up with me before I could ask her out," the mouse sighed sadly. "What?!" How dare she leave you, you're... I'd never leave you," Primer fumed. "I'm sure you wouldn't," Cross smiled.

***

The setting is planet Earth. Some time later (1 year, 10 months, 17 days) __________________________________________________________________ On the cordoned-off streets, bikers in brightly colored motocross suits were rushing by with the squealing of tires and the roaring of engines. Sitting on their motorcycles, they bent low over their machines, almost touching their chests to the gas tank, bent down to the surface of the highway on the turns, practically touching it with their knee pads, soared into the air with a slight rise, and all this at a furious speed. "The Deloren conglomerate is sponsoring our motorcycle race," the commentator said. Flora sat in the box next to Walter and looked at the monitor screen, watching the race. "Who are you rooting for?" the girl asked the head of her security. "For Henry Martin," the man replied without hesitation. "How predictable. I will then be rooting for Joe Laugher," the girl replied. "From the loser bottle of expensive cognac," the man replied. The girl looked at him with a sly squint. After receiving her well-deserved awards and being doused with champagne on the podium, Flora returned to her hometown, handing Walter the cognac she had lost. The academic year was coming to an end. On another day at the academy, she sat in the classroom, as always, standing apart from the others. She kept catching the gaze of a dark-haired, blue-eyed boy sitting in front of her. A pretty girl was sitting next to him, talking to him, but he didn't seem to be listening. Flora was paying attention to the professor, but the guy's attention was slightly irritating her. The bell rang, and the students started to leave. However, an elderly, energetic woman entered the classroom, preventing anyone from leaving. She stood behind the podium and announced loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, put your brains and muscles to work and hand in your textbooks from previous years of study." "Yes, Mrs. Smith," the students replied in unison and left the classroom. Flora left the academy grounds and walked down the street towards the parking lot. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a motorcycle engine. The guy who had been watching her during the lecture caught up with her. He opened the visor of his motorcycle helmet and smiled at her. "Do you need a ride, Miss Deloren?" he asked. "May I know your name, esteemed sir?" the girl asked. "Michael Rhyder, at your service, my lady," he bowed slightly, and his visor snapped shut. Flora laughed softly. "I thank you, Mr. Rhyder, but my guards are waiting for me in my car," the girl replied. "Well, I hope I'll have the opportunity to take you on my noble stallion again," Michael smiled. "I hope so, too," Flora said, continuing on her way, watching Michael disappear into the traffic. The girl got into a black Cadillac. "How was your day?" Walter asked. "Boring as always," she smiled. After returning home and taking a short break after dinner, the girl went to her study, remembering Mrs. Smith's instructions, and decided to review her textbooks. Under a stack of notes, she found an economics textbook. It was the same one she had taken with her to Chicago. Flora smiled sadly, remembering how she had thrown it at the biker on the balcony of his hotel room. She opened the book and flipped through a few pages. Letters fell out onto the floor. The girl picked them up and began to read. With each line she read, her heart ached with the pain of not being able to turn back time, and tears rolled down her cheeks, leaving streaks. She put the letters down, took a piece of paper, and began to write a letter.

***

The setting is the planet Mars (some time later) ________________________________________ "What's the meaning of this? You're in trouble, and I'm the last one to know about it!" The Rimfire fumed, pacing around his bed. Cross had no hope that Primer wouldn't blab about his heart's secret to his brother. "And who is this proud and unapproachable girl? Who does she think she is? You're the best guy I know. Who is she? Tell me her name, and I'll find her and tell her everything I think about her. I wonder who she traded you for? Some kind of jerk!" He continued his angry tirade. Cross was lying on the bed with his hands behind his head, laughing softly. "First of all, you won't find her," Cross said. "Are you protecting her?" You're defending someone who's hurt you so much that you can't even look at a mouse," Rimfire said, pacing around his tiny room. Cross looked at his friend with incredible warmth, knowing that he was genuinely concerned for him. "Well, at least tell me the name of this natural wonder that's got your goat," Rimfire said, sitting on the edge of his bed. "You know her," Cross replied meaningfully. Rimfire started listing the names of all the girls they knew, even his sister's name, but he couldn't guess. "I give up. Tell me who she is," Rimfire almost demanded. Cross looked at him and smiled sadly. Patron stared at him for a long time, then his eyes widened with fear. "Wait... It can't be. Don't tell me it's Flora," Rimfire said in a broken voice. Cross nodded in agreement. "It's been a long time, and you still haven't forgotten her," he said. "Believe me, I've tried. I thought distance would calm me down, but I was wrong. She still haunts my dreams," Cross sighed heavily. Rimfire jumped up from his bed excitedly. "Then why are you sitting here? Why don't you fly to Earth and tell her how much you love her?" his friend was even more indignant. "I can't. I'm not human, and she's made it clear that she doesn't want me in her life," Cross replied. "He wants to, he doesn't want to. I don't recognize you at all. Are you a man or what? Fight for her. In the end, steal it, bring it here, and it won't go anywhere," the Rimfire suggested. "You're crazy. What can I offer her? Compared to her, I'm a church rat with no money," Cross chuckled. "A mouse," the Rimfire corrected. "what?" Cross asked. "A church mouse with no money,"the Rimfire explained. Cross laughed softly. "Okay, I'm flying to Earth in a couple of days. Uncle Modo needs spare parts and ammunition. You're coming with me, and without any objections," the Rimfire said decisively. "But what am I going to tell her?" Cross was taken aback. "That you love her, that you're crazy about her... It'll break Prim's heart," Rimfire sighed, looking at his friend. The latter nodded in agreement. A couple of days later, the space thunderbike departed Mars. Cross stood by the porthole once again, watching his home red planet slowly shrink in size, unsure of whether he was making the right decision.

***

The setting is planet Earth (some time later) __________________________________________ Charlie and Modo greeted Rimfire with a warm embrace. Cross stood aside until he was noticed. "Cross, my God, I'm so glad to see you," Charlie said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Me too, Miss Charlie," Cross replied with a smile. They spent the rest of the day unloading supplies. In the evening, Cross prepared for the journey. It was a long trip. He used his GPS to navigate the route. Flora's house was not so difficult to find, one could only hope that she was at home. He started his bike, and then Charlie came up to him and hugged him. "It's good that you decided. Good luck to you," she said, following him with an anxious look as he left the garage. The journey was long. The roar of the engine and the rapidly changing landscape provided some entertainment on the road. He rode through the main streets of the city he was searching for until he reached the two-story mansion surrounded by a garden, the Deloren estate. Cross rode around the fence until he stopped the bike in a place where it would be difficult to see from the house, removed his jacket and helmet, and hid them in the trunk. Cross jumped over the fence and approached the house, hiding behind the tree trunks. He walked along the walking path until he reached the terrace on the second floor. She was standing by the railing in a light summer dress. The night breeze played with her light blonde hair. She was looking up at the starry sky. "Flora," he whispered, and his heart skipped a beat, causing him to feel pain. Doubt crept into his soul. Did he have the right to disturb her peace by invading her life again? "I've been trying to ignore my thoughts about you. Your presence takes my breath away. Please understand that you're tearing my heart apart. Please stop. I'm no longer willing to deceive myself. I love you," he said to her in his mind. After standing under the starry sky for a while, the girl returned to the house. After a short pause, he climbed onto the terrace. The girl lingered in the hall for a while, then remembered that she had left her textbook outside. She needed to retrieve it. What if it started raining and the book got wet? Flora turned towards the terrace exit and saw a dark silhouette standing by the railing through the swaying curtains. The girl froze in surprise. The man standing on the terrace now seemed like a ghost, a ghost from the past. "Flora," he said quietly, looking up at the moon. The light of the moon reflected in his purple eyes. On the table by the chair, he saw a book. A similar image flashed through his mind. Cross smiled and opened the book. An envelope fell out, and he recognized it as the one he had sent to her. Cross removed his letters from the envelope, but there was another letter that he had not written. Something compelled him to unfold the sheet of paper, which was filled with a beautiful handwriting, and read it. "Cross. It's been almost two years since I've uttered that name, even in my thoughts, to avoid blaming myself for my cowardice. Yes, I was simply afraid back then. Instead of finding a solution together, I chose the easier path and erased you from my life and memory. However, as I write these lines to you, I realize that I have not fully forgotten you. I felt a connection with you that I have never experienced with any other man. But what's the point of talking about it now, since you'll never receive this letter. Forgive me if you can, and be happy wherever and with whoever you are. I’ll step out quietly onto the balcony And gaze up at the night sky. I remember it all, like a sweet dream That ended… so absurdly, When I decided we couldn’t be together. Those tender feelings I can’t forget ever. They once sounded in perfect unison, Like the strings of your guitar, in tune. You’re there, to the left of Aldebaran, While I’m here, suffering on Earth. I felt I was dying when we parted, My heart was bleeding, torn apart, And followed you, never departed From where you left — a broken start. The wound still lives deep in my heart, All because, so unexpectedly, You turned out to be from that star To the left of Aldebaran, so far. And I’m left behind, on Earth, alone, Still gazing up, still calling your name." He ran his eyes over the lines again, and stopped at the verses. She seemed to be saying goodbye to him, as if she were sorry. Gradually, the paper began to blur as tears filled his eyes. Did he have the right to disturb her, or would it be selfish of him? A gentle breeze swayed the delicate curtains of the open balcony doors. They reminded him of something beautiful and heart-wrenching. He took a couple of steps towards the door, but then he remembered her parting words about how they couldn't be together, and how it was better for them to part ways and never see each other again. He had tried his best. He had tried to convince himself that it was for the best. He had tried to see things from her perspective. She wasn't a Martian, and they weren't destined to be together. He had tried to appear completely happy and engaged in his work. But why did it all fall apart in an instant when he read those words written by her hand? "What should I do now?" he asked himself, but he had no answer. Why had he come back, why had he come to this city, why had he found her? Something invisible, an irresistible force, drew him here, to this planet, to this city, and in the end, Cross could not resist this attraction. "Give me back my soul," he thought, knowing that no one would answer. The guy, with a sad sigh, realized that he would not dare to remind himself again, no matter how much he wanted to, and he would not go against her wishes. He turned to the parapet to disappear as quietly as he had appeared, but for some reason he hesitated, counting the seconds that he was here, just a few steps away from her. "Cross," he heard a quiet voice behind him, and froze, growing cold inside. His heart was pounding like a blacksmith's hammer in his chest. A soft, gentle, seemingly completely forgotten voice. A sweet languor spread through his entire body at the sound of it. He suddenly felt hot. He stood there, not daring to move, convincing himself that he had imagined it. "Say something else, call me, or send me away," he pleaded silently, but she remained silent. How much she wanted to say: that she had been dying of longing all this time away from her, that she would give anything for a second to be with her. Suddenly she felt her hand touch his back. She ran her fingers lightly over the hollow of his spine. He shuddered, his fur stood on end as if he had been electrocuted, and his legs almost gave way. "Please spare me," he thought, afraid that she would take her hand away and he would no longer feel it. Realizing that he could no longer bear this sweet torture, Cross slowly turned around, unaware of the large tears streaming down his cheeks. He turned to look into the most beautiful blue-green eyes in the universe, which were so close to him.