June 5, 2027 was the exact date. I still think about him every now and then but I know that he would want me to look at the future and not the past. He loved me and I will always be grateful for him. He’s my one and only love. 
It was the beginning of senior year and that’s when I heard the big news. The news that was to change my life forever. It was nylosic intendrum, also known as cancer. The doctors said that it was a rare type which is kind of cool if you think about it. I mean come on, research shows that there are only fifteen other people that have it. I out of all the people in the world have this rare cancer; I’m one of the chosen ones. My parents don’t think of it that way though, but there is nothing I can do about it but try and keep a positive attitude. The doctors haven’t found a cure for it yet but they say it’s similar to another disease, which is how they try and treat me. I get two doses of saritopsin daily and I take a couple of pills. I still go to school and I still get treated the same way, well for the most part.
I remember it like it was just yesterday. A new kid who had perfectly quiffed dark brown hair, ripped skinny jeans, and a loose top on was registering at the front office. Because I didn’t have a first period I got to help around there. I was making copies for the letter that was being passed out later when I heard his deep and raspy voice. I had to escort him to his class because Mrs. Humel, the front office lady, asked me to.
“Hi, my name is Michael. Michael Clifford,” he said with his hand held out.
I gladly shook it back while saying, “My name’s Estella, but I go by Stella.”
“Nice to meet you Stella,” he said while a half smile slowly lifts on his face “I’m supposed to be going to Mrs. Kurt’s class.” He sounded very unsure so I took a peek at his paper and he was right, he had first period with Mrs. Kurt and surprisingly we had the same exact schedule.
I walked him to Mrs. Kurt’s class and then headed back to the office where I finished my copy making duty. From the short walk we had to that class I learned that he was from Rhode Island, which is a long way from Seattle. He moved in with his uncle about a week ago. I didn’t bother to ask him where his parents were because I thought it was going to be too awkward if he said that they both passed on or something similar to that. The bell rang which indicated that I had to go to Mr. Lopez’s class, which I was so looking forward to because I not only had my two best friends, Tony and Stephanie, there but I also had the new boy Mr. Michael Clifford.
“Oh my gosh, have you seen the new dude? He’s so mysterious and cute, also look at his hair. Perfect for me don’t you think?” Tony asked us with a little smirk on his face which resembled a cheetah that’s ready to pounce on its dinner.
“Yeah, I have his number and everything. Actually he asked me to marry him and the wedding’s tomorrow!” I say with a sarcastic tone.
Tony playfully glared at me while saying, “Yeah, whatever.”
“Hey shh Mr. Lopez is coming,” Stephanie warns us.
That class went by surprisingly quick because I was barely paying attention. It was in the middle of third period when I started to not feel well. I had to see the nurse and from there things went downhill. The school called an ambulance and from there I was brought to the hospital.
When I got to the hospital I didn’t remember much except having my parents by my side. There was food on the table across from me and a flat screen television hung above that table.
When I woke up I was, bombarded with questions from my parents, mostly my mom, asking if I was feeling alright or if I needed anything. I shook my head weakly. I didn’t know what was going on. Last thing I remember was lying down on the bed inside the nurse’s office and now I’m in a hospital bed feeling like I just got trampled by 501 elephants. The doctor and a couple nurses came in the room to check on me.
“Hi Estella, my name is Dr. Fibray.”
“Stella.”
“I’m sorry what?” the doctor said with a confused tone.
“I go by Stella.”
“Oh I see, well Stella, we have some good news and bad news for you. Which would you like?”
I thought they only asked that question in the movies but I guess not. 
With my heart beating fast I told him to tell me the bad news first.
“Stella. You have nylosic intendrum,” he says with a stern voice.
My parents looked really concerned as they said, “Sorry we don’t really know what that is. What is that? Should we be concerned? What’s going to happen? When do we start treatment?”
The doctor had a concerning look on his face and this worried everyone in the room as well.
“Well you see Mr. and Mrs. Brown, this is a very rare type of cancer. Only fifteen other people have it in the whole world. We actually have not found a cure for this. But, the good news is that this type of cancer is similar to lyphonindrum which has a cure.”
“So what does that mean for my daughter?” my mom questions with tears forming in her eyes.
“We’ll be giving her two doses of a medication called nisoria, which is actually what people with lyphonindrum take. This will balance her system and will help slow down the process. She will also have to take a couple of pills but other than that this is all we can do for now.”
After hearing the depressing news the room was silent for a couple of minutes.
“I’ll give you guys a moment,” the doctor says with a straight face.
I started taking the medication which inevitably made me lose my hair. I didn’t mind that much because I got to buy a lot of cute headbands and bandanas to try and distract people from my bald head.
  Since Mike and I basically had the same schedule we became really close. Tony, Stephanie, and Mike have been there for me since the whole cancer thing and they are the only people that have treated me normally. I was really falling for Mike and I think he was falling for me too. It’s been two months into the school year and the school dance was coming around. Everyone was getting asked or had been asked but me. Just when I thought nobody was going to ask me Mike came to the rescue. I was beyond ecstatic when I found a box of chocolates and a dozen long stem roses at the front office. There was no card or sign from who it was from though, that was until I walked into second period where Tony and Stephanie were holding a seven foot sign that said “Be my date?” on it. That’s when Mike popped up with the biggest smile plastered on his face. Of course I said yes. That night was so magical, so much so that we went out on many dates after that. We were officially a couple and I’ve never been happier.
It’s been about three months since taking the medicine and everything was fine except for that frightening night. It was about three in the morning and I woke up throwing up blood. My parents rushed me to the hospital and I woke up the next day with test tubes in my body and my friends snuggled on the couch to the right of me. Mike woke up and walked over towards me, I tried to speak but he kissed me tenderly but securely as if he thought he was unable to again.
He looked at me straight in the eyes and said the three words that every girl wants to hear.
“I love you.”
“I love you too,” I said faintly.
I came home that night and there was a little surprise party for me there. Hanging from the hallway was a sign that read “Welcome back!” and in the kitchen Tony, Stephanie, and Mike were all there. There was an abundance of food as well and not even the healthy kind the doctors tell me to eat. We spent the night watching old childhood movies. It was only about six at night when Mike said he had to go home. I found this very odd because he left at this time whenever we go on dates too.
I walked him to the door and said, “Why do you always have to leave this early?”
He was a little hesitant to answer but he said, “Oh um, my uncle doesn’t like me getting home late.”
He kissed my forehead and told me he loved me before he left out the door. 
When Tony and Stephanie left I stayed up all night not moving around on my bed, wondering why Mike always had to leave so early.
The next day I went back to school and didn’t talk to Mike the whole day.
He came up to me after school and said, “Ok, what did I do this time? Why are you ignoring me?”
“Are you cheating on me or something because I’ve been up all night thinking about why someone would have to leave so early and I came up with absolutely nothing. So tell me, are you?”
He just stood there laughing so I walked away.
“Wait Stell, Stell slow down.”
“What? If you’re just going to stand there laughing at me I’d rather not talk to you.”
He held me close and looked me straight in the eye and said, “I’m not cheating on you.”
“Then why do you leave so early? It’s not even about last night, it’s every single time we hang out or if we’re on a date. You leave right at six, why is that?”
“I can’t tell you, I’m sorry,” he said letting go of me.
I walked away, done with all his lies. But little did I know what he was doing was for my own good.
I haven’t talked to him in a couple days which concerned me a little. Tony and Stephanie stopped by my house to tell me that Mike was taken away by the police. We immediately got in a car and drove to the police station.
“Hi officer, we’re looking for Michael Clifford.”
The officer just looked at us with no amusement in his face at all and said, “Listen, I know that having an alien here is cool and everything but you kids need to go home. He’s not here anymore. They’re taking him to Washington D.C. to get tested, now go home before I call your parents.”
We walked out the office really confused. We sat in the car in silence thinking about what the officer said.
I broke the silence by saying, “An alien. Like the ones from space? No, he couldn’t be. The officer’s lying.” I tried to keep my cool but I just couldn’t, small tears started rolling down my face then more and more came until I just broke down crying. I wasn’t crying because of the fact that he was an alien I was crying over the fact that he was gone.
Stephanie and Tony dropped me off at my house and when I got upstairs in my room I was completely shocked.
“Hi,” Michael says with an ashamed tone in his voice.
I ran to him and hugged him like he has just risen from the dead.
“What are you doing here? Is it true? Is it true that you’re a-”  
“Stell. I’m so sorry I had to keep this from you, it’s not that easy to tell the girl you love you’re an alien.” He tried laughing it off but I didn’t care, I loved him and that’s all that matters but he wouldn’t know that. Right as I was about to talk I fainted and that was the last I saw of him.
I woke up in the hospital once again with tubes connected to my body. My parents had just walked in with some food.
“Nurse she’s awake!” my mother yells outside “How are you? Do you feel okay?” she asks me with a face full of concern.
“I feel okay, where’s Mike?” I say, slightly sitting myself up on the hospital bed.
“Wait, who is Mike?” my dad said with a concerning look.
“My boyfriend, remember you really liked him.”
“Boyfriend? No no, my daughter does not and will not have a boyfriend until she’s fifty.”
“What are you talking about? Stop joking with me, dad. Seriously where is he?”
“We really don’t know who you’re talking about sweetie,” my mom coos “I think you should go back to sleep.”
The nurse came in and injected me with something that made me fall asleep.
I woke up in my bed with Tony and Stephanie by my side eating pizza rolls and watching Glee on my television.
“Hey, how are you?” Tony asked.
“I’ve been better,” I say with a halfhearted smile.
“Hey look, we’re watching your favorite show and I actually really like it,” Stephanie laughs.
I laugh and say, “Have you guys seen Mike around? I haven’t seen him since that day we went to the police office.”
Tony and Stephanie looked at each other really confused. “Who is Mike?”
I looked at them very confused and just let it go.
When they left that night I found a letter on my table by my bed, it was from Michael. It was a letter telling me that he had to leave back to his home planet and that he had to wipe the memory of my friends, family, and everyone that met him.
Now I’m here, lying on the hospital bed unconscious, listening to my parents whisper “It’s ok to let go.” That’s exactly what I did; I let go of all the pain and suffering but that’s alright because I lived a wonderful life full of love with family and friends that can never be replaced.