Mia dragged her feet as she walked home from the hospital, emotionally drained after visiting Nina. She felt bad for her studious friend, but also conflicted about being chosen to go in her place. 

When Mia finally got home, she was greeted by the mouthwatering aroma of dinner cooking. Her younger brother James poked his head out from the kitchen. 

"There you are! We were wondering when you'd show up," he said, stepping outside onto the porch. 

"Hey James," Mia replied with a wan smile. She made her way up the front steps.

James leaned casually against the porch railing but his eyes were sharp with curiosity as he looked her over. "Whoa, you okay sis? You're looking seriously spaced out." 

Before Mia could reply, he asked gently, "How's Nina doing? Is the sickness getting any better?"

Mia sighed, dropping her school bag heavily onto the porch swing. "Honestly, she still seems really weak and out of it. I don't think she'll be on her feet for at least another week minimum."

."

James nodded, leaning on the doorframe. "Man, that really sucks. I know she was so pumped to go."

Before Mia could respond, their dad lumbered into the room. He gave Mia's hair an affectionate tussle. 

"Don't worry, your friend will be back on her feet in no time," he rumbled. "Why don't you go wash up? Dinner's just about ready."

Mia managed a small smile. "Sure, Dad." She turned and trudged upstairs to change out of her school uniform.

In her room, Mia peeled off her school wear as she stared pensively out the window as she pulled on leggings and an oversized sweater. The sun was starting to dip behind the distant mountain peaks. 

Soon she'd be seeing sunsets in an entirely different planet. The thought made her stomach flip uncertainly. With a shake of her head, Mia turned and headed back downstairs. She could fret about the implications later. 

Dinner was a welcome distraction, the savory smells making Mia's mouth water. She eagerly scooped heaping portions onto her plate. The familiar clink of silverware and her dad's deep rumbling voice soothed her rattled nerves. 

But Mia quickly lost her appetite when James said casually, "So with your nerdy friend laid up, I might actually have a shot at the exchange program now."

Mia paused with her fork halfway to her mouth. She hadn't told her family about the new development yet. 

"What makes you say that?" she asked carefully.

James shoveled dinner up his mouth, unconcerned. "Well with so little time left, they'll probably just randomly pick someone now. There's over 500 kids in our school, so I figure I've got like a 1 in 500 chance." He smiled smugly. "I'll take those odds."

Mia couldn't help an amused snort. James shot her a look across the table. 

"What's so funny over there?"

Mia debated how much to reveal. She opted to start slowly. "It's not random selection actually. The principal gave Nina a choice."

"A choice?" James looked thoughtful as he chewed slowly. 

Mia nodded. "Since she earned the spot originally, he said she could pick a replacement if she wanted."

James's eyes lit up. He leaned forward eagerly. "Whoa, for real? Hmm..." 

Mia could almost see the wheels turning in his head. She knew James was calculating if Nina might choose him since they'd met a few times during movie night and slumber parties they occasionally had. The thought made her want to laugh again.

Oblivious to her thoughts, James asked excitedly, "Did Nina tell you who she picked yet? I bet she went with that hot friend of yours, Selena. Or maybe the muscle girl, Tina, or even……..me"

He didn't even consider Mia as an option. She pressed her lips in a thin line, irritation flaring.

"As a matter of fact, she already decided," Mia said, keeping her voice casual. "She'll inform the principal about her choice tomorrow"

James's leg bounced under the table. "Well don't keep me in suspense! Who'd she go with?" His eagerness was palpable.

Mia fought to keep a straight face. "Hmm, well it wasn't Selena or Tina actually." She paused for effect.

Hearing that James head was already dancing to the fact that if it wasn't those two then it probably should be him

"And sorry to disappoint, but she didn't pick you either." She continued

James looked slightly offended that Nina didn't pick him, . "What? Come on, why wouldn't she pick me?" He waved a hand flippantly. "I'm just saying, since she's friends with you, and we've hung out a few times..."

He trailed off under Mia's pointed stare. After a moment he asked uncertainly, "...Wait, you're messing with me, right? Did Nina seriously not pick one of her friends ?"

Mia felt a flare of frustration at his words. She knew James didn't mean to be hurtful, but his assumption that she was an unlikely choice stung. 

"Nope, not messing with you," she said, unable to keep the bitterness from her tone. "Nina wants me to go. She chose me."

James blinked, then burst out laughing. "Yeah right, good one Mia! Like Nina would waste this opportunity by sending a shy homebody like you on a wild advent" He shook his head, chuckling. "Almost had me there."

Mia clenched her fists under the table, anger welling up now. "I'm not joking, idiot. Nina picked me to go. So you can shove your stupid assumptions about who's worthy, oh and I guess that makes me better than you then."

James's laughter died away as he took in Mia's stony expression. His eyes widened in dismayed realization. 

"Whoa... you're actually serious?" He ran a hand through his hair. "Crap. I mean, that's...congrats?" His attempt at sincerity came out more like a question.

Mia stood abruptly, chair legs scraping across the floor. She was too upset to indulge her brother's fumbling attempts to save face. 

"Just forget it," she muttered. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, bro. I'm going to my room."  

Ignoring her dad's concerned questions, Mia stormed off and shut herself in her bedroom. She threw herself on the bed and glared up at the ceiling, fuming. 

After a few minutes, a hesitant knock came at the door. "Mia? Can I come in?" James called tentatively. 

Mia huffed in exasperation. "Go away."

"Come on sis, don't be like that," her brother cajoled. "I'm sorry, okay? I was being a jerk." When Mia didn't respond, he slowly opened the door and peeked in. 

"Really, that was super uncool of me," James said sincerely. "I don't actually think you're, like, unworthy or whatever." 

He hovered uncertainly in the doorway as Mia continued glaring at the ceiling. 

Finally she sighed, her anger abating slightly. She knew James was just thoughtless at times, not malicious. 

"Fine, apology accepted," Mia muttered. 

James hovered a moment longer before asking "So...you're really going to the human world soon?"

Mia nodded, sitting up on her elbows. "Yup. Day after tomorrow."

James let out a low whistle. "Crazy. Well, congrats I guess. That's actually pretty awesome." He managed a lopsided smile. "Sorry again for being a jerk about it."

Mia's lips quirked in a reluctant grin. "Thanks. And don't worry about it. I know you're incapable of not putting your foot in your mouth sometimes."

"Hey!" James protested with a laugh. After a moment his smile faded. "But seriously sis, be careful over there, okay? I hear the humans are super hostile." 

Mia nodded, touched by his concern. "I'll be fine, I think. And I'll tell you all about it when I'm back."

James's eyes lit up at that prospect. "Deal! This is gonna be so cool, my sister getting to experience adventure" He held out a fist. "No hard feelings?"

Mia bumped it with her own. "We're good." 

After her brother left, Mia lay back down, feeling drained but also a bit excited. In just a couple days, she'd be embarking on a journey no one, not even herself, expected her to take.

Morning came swift, mia got up feeling a little tired she had slept late as her mind couldn't rest with all the constant thinking of what ger life would be in a couple of days

She stood up from bed to get ready for school, when she was done, she eat some delicious breakfast made by her dad before heading out for school with her brother

She approached the school gates and look around for her friends Selena and Tina, but they weren't there, maybe she was to early she thought, so she decided to stand there  and wait for them, after a while of waiting, she decided to go in since lessons were about to start, as she didn't see them, she thought maybe they had gone into class without her. Then  she sported Tina from afar power walking, I mean she was huge so it was easy to identify her anywhere

In no time she reached Nina panting, she held out an index finger up as a gesture that she needed a bit of time to catch her breath

"Why did you come so late" mia began

"I,,,,,, I went to go meet Selena as usual so we can we can come together,,,,,,, but" tina said breathing heavily

"But what" mia said

"She said she wasn't coming, so I asked why,,,,, she said she didn't want to miss a special episode of her favorite series 'calivantis awakening," Nina said

"What, couldn't she just watch it another time" mia said

"Well that's the thing, she says, it's the last day it going to air, and it wouldn't be shown again until end of season recap which is next month or something" Nina said

"Ok but that doesn't explain why you're late" mia said

"Well, I decided that I should have a little peek of what the series was all about, then I got carried away, and by the time I checked the time, I was already late so I had to run to school, I got tired so I had to power walk the rest of it" Nina said

"Ok then but I still don't get why Selena would miss class because of a movie, I mean she could like search for it on 'METUBE' Someone must have uploaded it" mia said

"I guess she did want to take chances or wait" Tina said

"Anyways let's get going" mia said

Mia hurried to class, making it just after the start of lessons when the bell rang. As she slid into her seat, the teacher gave her a stern look but proceeded with the lesson. Mia tried to focus, but her leg bounced restlessly under her desk. 

When the lunch bell finally rang, Mia gathered her things and headed for the door. But before she could exit, the teacher called out, "Mia, the principal wants to see you in his office."

Mia felt a flutter of nerves as she changed course and headed down the hall. What did the principal want? Did I get in trouble for coming late to class?

The secretary waved Mia through when she arrived at the main office. Taking a deep breath, Mia stepped into the principal's spacious office. 

Principal Oswald smiled kindly at her from behind his massive desk. "Ah Mia, thank you for coming. Please, have a seat."

Mia perched tentatively on one of the giant chairs opposite him. 

"Now, I'll get right to the point," the principal began. "I received a call from Nina's mother this morning. She informed me that Nina has chosen you as her replacement for the exchange program. Is this correct?"

Mia nodded, relieved it wasn't what she feared. "Yes sir. Nina told me yesterday at the hospital."

The principal smiled. "Excellent. Well, I have the paperwork right here for you to formalize the selection." 

He slid a thick sheaf of papers across the desk to Mia. "Just flipped directly on to the last page and that will seal the agreement."

Mia accepted the intimidating stack. She scanned the dense legal jargon, looking for the signature line. Finding it at the very end, she dutifully signed her name in her loopy handwriting. 

The principal nodded in satisfaction as Mia passed the contract back. "Very good. Let me be the first to formally congratulate you. The exchange will begin in three days. Please come back here directly after school and we'll go over the final details."

With that dismissal, Mia hoisted her bag and left the office in a daze. Only three more days of normalcy remained. Then her whole world would be upended. Right now it still felt surreal, like she was sleepwalking towards her strange destiny. 

When Mia entered the bustling cafeteria, she quickly spotted Tina at their usual table. Sliding onto the bench across from her muscular friend, Mia smiled wanly. 

"Hey Tina. So Selena did not make it to school at all today?"

Tina shook her head, mouth full. After swallowing an enormous bite, she replied "Nah, she's still obsessed with that finale episode. But how about you? Get chewed out for being late this morning? Because I was"

Mia laughed dryly. "No, actually I got called to the principal's office." She proceeded to fill Tina in on the meeting.

Tina let out a low whistle. "Damn, so it's official now, huh? No going back?" She shook her head in amazement. "Gotta admit, still pretty wild shy little Mia is getting this chance and not me" 

Mia just nodded mutely. It was all still sinking in. She picked at her food, appetite fading as her nerves grew.

Soon the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. Mia bid Tina a subdued farewell as they split off for afternoon classes. Mia went through the motions, taking minimal notes. Her mind kept skipping ahead to the daunting days looming ahead. 

When the final bell rang at last, Mia slung her bag over one shoulder and retraced her steps to the principal's office. Her earlier nerves had solidified into a hard knot in her stomach. Each step down that plushly carpeted hallway felt like a march towards her destiny.

The principal smiled kindly as she entered. "Ah Mia, right on time. Please, have a seat." 

Mia settled uneasily into the chair across from his imposing desk. She listened with growing trepidation as he detailed the schedule for her impending departure. The specifics about exactly what to do and not to do when she crossed over left her lightheaded. This made it all terribly real.

After reviewing the paperwork, Principal Oswald smiled sympathetically. "I know this is a lot to process. But try to view this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." 

Mia nodded, wishing she shared his optimism. Thanking him in a small voice, she gathered her things and stumbled from his office in a daze.

Once home, Mia immediately began sorting through her belongings to decide what to bring. She carefully selected her most versatile outfits and packed up her school supplies. From her savings she went shopping and purchased a few key items she hoped would aid her survival like a solar powered charger, seeing it was the only way to use her phone over there, a sleeping bag and blanket. She knew she'd likely be sleeping outdoors since no buildings would accommodate her giant frame over there.

The thought sent a shiver down Mia's spine. She set the special gear aside and busied herself rearranging clothes until footsteps sounded on the stairs. Her dad lumbered in, home from work.

"Hey sweetie, how was school?" he rumbled. Noticing her open bags, his expression grew concerned. "You all set for your big trip?"

Mia managed a tremulous smile. "Hey Dad. School was fine. And yeah, I think I've got everything packed up now." 

Her dad gazed at her steadily for a long moment before drawing her into a gentle hug. "You'll do great," he murmured. "I'm so proud of you."

Mia hugged him back tightly, drawing courage from his unwavering faith. She could do this. With her family's love backing her, she would face the unknown future bravely. The human world awaited.

The next day dawned all too swiftly. Mia rose early, stomach churning with anxiety. Today was her last full day here. Tomorrow morning, she would be vine from this planet she knew and loved 

After dressing and eating breakfast, Mia headed to school. She had to meet with the school board one final time to finalize the details of her exchange. 

The board members greeted Mia politely as she took a seat at the huge conference table. Principal Oswald folded his hands on the polished surface beside her.

"Now Mia, we just have a few remaining items to discuss," he began. "First, the issue of provisions. We want to ensure you are comfortable over there."

One of the board members spoke up. "The humans have offered to provide your meals. However, we thought you might prefer supplies from home."

Mia nodded emphatically. "Yes please! I'd really appreciate food from here. No offense to the humans, but I don't really want to eat their food." She suppressed a shudder at the thought. "But I do love their chickens".

The board members chuckled knowingly. They assured her packaged shipments of food and other provisions would be sent weekly to support her stay. Mia thanked them profusely, relief washing over her. At least she wouldn't starve over there.

The rest of the meeting passed swiftly as they confirmed the next day's schedule. Mia did her best to focus despite her racing thoughts. This was all really happening. Tomorrow she would vanish from this world and reappear impossibly far away in the realm of the humans.

After the meeting concluded, Mia headed immediately to the hospital. She had to say goodbye to Nina in case she didn't get another chance before departing. 

Nina sat up in her hospital bed, looking tired but alert. Her drawn face brightened at the sight of her friend. "Mia! Come on in."

Mia hurried over to squeeze Nina's hand gently. "Hey you. I won't stay long, just wanted to see you one more time before..." She trailed off, not needing to finish the sentence.

Nina nodded knowingly. "Of course. I'm really going to miss you Mia! Living out all our dreams." Despite her weak state, her eyes shone with enthusiasm on Mia's behalf. 

Mia laughed softly. "I'll try my best and tell you everything when I'm back." A comfortable silence lingered between them, both aware this could be their final farewell but not needing to say it aloud. 

Finally Mia stood reluctantly, blinking back tears. "Get better soon okay? I'll see you in six months." Impulsively she bent down to hug Nina tight. Then with a last brave smile, Mia turned and hurried from the room before she could lose her composure.

That night, Mia lay awake long after the rest of the house had gone to bed. Thoughts chased each other endlessly through her mind until she was forced to do something to distract herself. Carefully opening her window, Mia climbed nimbly onto the roof overlooking their yard. 

The cool night air helped soothe her turbulent thoughts. Mia took a deep breath and gazed up at the dazzling blanket of stars overhead. She remembered many nights spent up here stargazing with her brother, chatting and dreaming about the wide universe surrounding them. Now she would traverse unfathomably far across that void.

Lost in thought, Mia didn't hear the window below creak open. She startled slightly as James's tall form hoisted itself onto the roof. 

"Hey sis," he said, shuffling over to sit beside her. "Mind if I join your little pity party?"

Mia snorted softly. "Misery does love company." Together they sat in companionable silence for a while gazing up at the glittering sky.

Eventually James spoke, voice hushed as if fearful to disturb the peace. "It's gonna be so wild looking up at the sky from over there. Like, literally another planet." 

He glanced over. "Are you scared?"

Mia pondered the question seriously. Was she scared? "Mostly just nervous," she finally replied. "It doesn't seem quite real yet. Tomorrow's gonna be rough."

James shoulder-bumped her lightly. "Hey, you got this. Just think of all the cool stories you'll have when you get back."

Mia smiled gratefully. Her brother always knew how to ground her nerves with infectious optimism. They passed another hour chatting lightly about classes and gossip until the fresh night air worked its magic, leaving Mia pleasantly drowsy. 

She slept deeply that night, without the plaguing thoughts that usually kept her awake. Morning came bright and clear. Mia dressed methodically in her most durable traveling outfit and ate breakfast, savoring the familiar tastes. Her family kept the atmosphere light, not wanting to burden her departure.

Mia hauled her overstuffed bags out to her dad's truck, needing his help to load all her supplies. She had tried to anticipate every need, from nonperishable food to her warmest blankets. Each bag was the size of a small blimp, overflowing with necessities for her imposing frame. 

At school, a crowd was already gathered when Mia arrived. Students and staff wished her well, some tearfully saying goodbye while others pressed gifts into her hands. She set the collection of good-luck trinkets carefully inside the cavernous truck bed.

In the school courtyard, final preparations were underway on the mystical portal. Technicians bustled around making adjustments while awestruck students watched. The shimmering gateway was easily four stories high, ringed by intricate runes and crystals that pulsed with power. This would be Mia’s doorway to another world.

Just then, Tina and Selena arrived, pushing their way through the crowd to Mia. Selena immediately pulled her into a tearful hug. 

"I can't believe you're actually leaving," she sniffed. Tina enveloped them both in her muscular arms.

"We're gonna miss you so much!" the tough giantess boomed, sounding choked up. “You come back in one piece from those savages, hear?"

Mia felt her own eyes well up. "I’m gonna miss you guys too,” she said thickly. “But I’ll be back before you know it."

They clung together until the final countdown began. As the portal powered up, the girls stepped back, waving bravely. 

With a blinding flash, the gateway opened. After a while, a tiny figure emerged, stumbling slightly in disorientation. He stood no taller than her smallest ankle. The human representative gazed up at the looming giantesses with naked fear. 

Mia felt her heart clench. In just moments, she would be the titan terrifying these little folk. She took a deep steadying breath and approached the portal. Her friends’ cheers followed her as Mia stepped into the shimmering light, entering a strange new world.