Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters expect Marissa.
"So Marissa," Marissa's mother said. "How's school?"
"It's been okay," Marissa said. "I'm getting good grades and I got to stop someone's evil plan to take over the school."
"Oh," Marissa's mother said interested. "Who?"
"Some girl named Lanta. Her and her gang ruined the school play to hypnotize the whole crowd into working for her."
"Wow, how on earth did you stop her?"
"I became invisible and shut down her machine," Marissa said proudly, Jake smiled as he looked up from his food to her. "So mom, what's new with the magazine?"
"Oh that silly thing, I quit," Marissa's mother, Jane, said.
"You mean you got fired," Marissa explained.
"Yes, I did. But I see that you are doing just fine otherwise Marissa. Although your mother has lost her job you still seem to be able to snatch a guy of his feet and bring him to dinner." Jane said getting a little upset and angry.
"Mom, his name is Jake, and he and I were going out long before you got fired. And how is getting fired supposed to affect my life? You never were involved in it to begin with."
"Marissa, don't talk to your mother like that," Mr. Collingsworth said.
"Go on and defend the woman you still love," Marissa said as she got up from the table. "She's not my mother in any way."
Marissa pushed in her chair and ran up to her room. She heard both her mother and her father crying for her but she ignored them. She fell on top of her bed and began punching her pillow. She heard a knock at the door.
"Go away," she said.
"It's me, Jake, can I come in?"
"Sure," Marissa said as the door opened.
"That was some show down there," Jake said as he closed the door behind him. "Are you sure you want your parents to be together?"
"What parents?"
"The ones down there," Jake explained.
"Those aren't my parents. I wish I parents like Jinx's that didn't show up in her life until now."
"Yeah, but think, you would feel abandoned by your parents that you barely know."
"True, but without that it would have been great. Instead I'm stuck with a dad who is still in love with my horrible mother and forgets I even exist."
"Why don't you give them a chance? At least until tomorrow, if their still bad by then you could move in with me."
"In your shared flat?"
"Yeah, we could get you a bed, sheets, and a pillow or two," Jake offered.
"Thanks for the offer," Marissa said. "I'll see what else happens tonight, but I think you better make room for me over there."
"Can do, see ya tomorrow," Jake said as he kissed Marissa on the cheek and left.
"See ya," Marissa said as laid back down on her bed.
Her parents didn't once try to talk to her the whole night. Marissa was still hungry so she went down and grabbed some of her dinner and took it back upstairs. She was getting ready for bed when her parents started to argue. They argued the whole night through, causing Marissa to not get much sleep.
As Marissa got ready for school the next morning she hoped her mother would be gone, if not she would move in with Jake. Marissa got on the bus half awake and sat next to Jinx.
"What's wrong? How did last night go?" Jinx asked. Marissa explained to her what had happened.
"I wouldn't be surprised if I fell asleep in one of my classes," Marissa finished as they got off the bus.
Later that day Kevin bought Marissa a drink. Without her knowing he slipped something into it. He heard her conversation on the bus and didn't want her to move in with Jake. Besides that he had a plan and he was putting it into action.
In science class his plan started to unfold. Marissa walked up to the teacher to ask a question and suddenly collapsed. She was take to the health room, but awoke hypnotized into loving Kevin.
Kevin was filed with glee as the days went by. Instead of turning to lean on Jake she leaned on Kevin. Kevin knew this would come to an advantage in his big plan in the end.