By: Daniel Deng
In the village of Wood, where the hills were always green and the sky stretched wide, something amazing happened at Wood Middle School. Everyone whispered excitedly about a new student who wasn’t from Earth, but instead from Mars–the first since the humans landed on the red planet.
The alien, who had a name that sounded like a mix of squeaks and clicks, arrived looking like a tall kid with sparkly green eyes that changed color. Their skin was a reddish hue, as if they had a permanent sunburn, and they wore clothes that looked like what humans wore but with a funny T-shirt that said “Greetings from Mars” in cryptic letters which puzzled the other kids. Kids would stare at the alien’s shirt and whisper. On the first day, the alien felt totally lost. The air smelled different than on Mars—like a mix of cafeteria food, sweaty gym socks, and perfume. He tried to listen in class about human bodies, but almost blurted out that on Mars, they didn’t have blood, they had crystal fluids and many organs were either missing, or just in a different place for the alien, and it noticed that it itself had other organs that the traditional human body didn’t. So, to keep up, he scribbled notes like crazy, trying to fit in.
At lunch, the alien had no idea what to eat. On Mars, they ate nutrient paste, but here there was pizza, burgers, and weird salads. They picked a sandwich and tried to eat it like the other kids, even though chewing felt awkward. Making friends was super hard too. Humans had all these weird rules about talking and facial expressions. The alien watched closely, trying to copy smiles and nods. Sometimes, he got it wrong and got strange looks.
Sports were the craziest thing of all. On Mars, they didn’t play soccer or basketball—they did mind games! The alien tried his best but kept bumping into other kids or missing the ball. He didn’t give up, though. As time went on, the alien got better at pretending to be a regular kid. It went to class, joined clubs, and even started to understand jokes and human emotions by watching lots of TV shows. By the end of the school year, the alien wasn’t just a weird new kid—they were part of the gang. He still wore their “Greetings from Mars” shirt proudly, reminding everyone where they came from. Looking out over the playground, the alien realized that being different wasn’t bad at all—it was a chance to learn new things and make friends.
And so, with a smile that was a little bit Martian and a little bit human, the alien from Mars knew that they had found a place to belong in Wood Middle School, bridging the gap between Earth and Mars, one greeting at a time.