I looked out the window when Mick left. As she was about to get in the car, Damian pulled into his driveway. He ran up to her. They talked for a second then he went up to my house. I heard the door open and shut.

My bedroom door opened and Damo walked in. "Micky said you're upset with me," he said, standing in my doorway.

"She talked me out of yelling at her," I said.

He smirked. "Thank God for McKynleigh," he said, laughing.

"She's a life saver," I agreed. I patted the space on my bed next to me. He happily sat down. "I'm still mad at you- but only for not telling me before hand."

"I'm sorry," he said, putting his arm around me.

"You're forgiven," I said sarcastically. I grabbed my laptop off the bedside table and snuggled in next to him. Damian gave a satisfied smile. I turned on an episode of Bones and put my head on his chest.

In fact, I was relieved that he had told everyone. It took all the pressure off. I hadn't wanted to get up to everyone and tell them, but I also hated lying. I was glad I had someone brave in my life to do what I was too cowardly to do.

Lindsay came up to me in the hall. "Can I talk to you, Marissa?" She looked at me pleadingly, I couldn't say no to her.

"Yeah," I said, smiling sadly.

She grabbed my hand lightly, leading us out of the way of the between-class transfer. She looked into my eyes. "Are you and Damian serious?" she asked.

I sighed. I had expected a confrontation with Lindsay. "Yeah," I said, running my hand through my reddish orange hair, "We're pretty serious."

Lindsay nodded. "I knew this was inevitable," she sighed, "There's obvious chemistry between the two of you. It was stupid to pursue him, just like you said; he wouldn't give me the attention I want. I've been told I'm very high maintenance. I guess I'll never find anyone who'll want all this," she said, gesturing to herself.

"Lindsay!" I exclaimed, "Don't talk like that! You're amazing! You're smart, pretty, and you have talent to kill. This is high school, Lindsay! None of these guys can see what an awesome person you are! They're all blinded by boobs and cars and they don't see true inner beauty that you have. You're better without them. You have music and a voice. You have the potential to be someone great; these guys would weigh you down anyways."

Lindsay smiled. "Thanks, Marissa," she said, "You're really cool. I'm happy Damian's with you rather than some…" she paused as Emily walked by, flaunting her breasts in a low cut shirt, "Well anyways," she started again, "I'll see you later." She hugged me then smiled, walking away.

Damian walked up to me as I was stuffing books into my locker. Her put his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. I shrugged him off. "Stop it," I said, pushing him off me playfully. I hated public displays of affection and definitely didn't want to be one.

"What were you and Lindsay talking about?" he asked. He grabbed my backpack and we started walking.

"Nothing," I said, nonchalantly shrugging. Damian put his eyebrow up, inquiring further.. "Simple man-bashing." Damian nodded as we opened the front doors. He opened my car door.

"My dad's got the night off," I told him as he started the car, "So we should go ov-," Damian cut me off.

"Hang out with him tonight," Damian told me.

"But I-"

"No," Damian said, "we've hung out every night this week. When was the last time you and your dad watched a movie?"

I crossed my arms and scowled, not knowing the answer. Damian and I drove through the iced streets. A few times I was scared we'd spin out but he delivered us home safely, like always. I leaned over to his side of the car and kissed him goodbye. "Love you," I said, opening the car door.

"Bye," he said. I stomped through the wet grass to my porch. I opened the door to find my dad, ginger hair, nerdy glasses and all, with a beautiful, young girl.

"Oh Marissa," he said, turning to face me from his position on the couch, "This is Sydney." I walked up to them.

"Hi!" Sydney said perkily.

"Hi," I said, my voice flat and emotionless, "Dad," I said turning to my father, "I thought you said we'd watch a movie tonight?" I perched myself on the arm of the couch and looked at him expectantly.

"We can," he said, nodding, "Sydney, what would you like to watch?"

"Oh, how about a romance?" she asked, stroking my dad's chest. I gagged- but only a little.

"I'm out," I said, throwing my hands up.

"Marissa!" my dad exclaimed as I got up.

"No," I said, "it's fine! I need to prep for Regional's anyways. I'll go over to Damian's so I'm out of the way."

"Marissa," my dad said, getting up, "You don't need to do that."

"It's fine," I said, shrugging, "Besides, Regional's is only two weeks away."

"Okay then," he said. I rolled my eyes and walked up to my room to get my sheet music on the way back down I stopped to hear them talking about me. "Yeah, Marissa never shows her emotions. She gets that from her mother. I could only read her when she was really emotional. Marissa's even worse. She's a totally closed door. I can't tell when she's happy, sad, annoyed, or mad. The only clues are her laughs and eye rolls, but even those are confusing! That and she's a master at sarcasm."

I smirked, that I was. I made myself known. "See, you later dad," I said, opening the door, "It was nice to meet you, Sydney."

"Bye!" Sydney said with pep. I was getting serious cheerleader vibes off this one.

"See you," my dad said, not even looking at me. I scowled at him and slammed the door behind me.

I stomped to Damian's house. Samuel was there, strumming his guitar. Damian and he were playing some rock-a-billy on his stereo system. "Hey, Mars," Damian said, waving. Samuel nodded, too into his music to say anything, "Thought you were going to hang out with your dad tonight?" He looked at me, his eyebrow up.

"I was," I said, crossing my arms. "Damian, I don't feel like answering questions," I said pleading to him, I let my arms fall to my side. "Can we just sing, please?"

"'Course," he said, patting the couch. I sat on the arm and watched Samuel strum the guitar.

Outside the first snow of the year started to fall, bringing me to the window. Sam started strumming a Christmas song.

"Angels we have on heard high
Sweetly singing ore the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains"

I sang, smiling at the snow.

"Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo

Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord the newborn King"

Damian walked up to me, grabbed me by the waist and started dancing. He sang to me.

"Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo

See him in a manger laid
Whom the choirs of angels praise
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid
While our hearts in love we raise"

Sam, Damo, and I finished the song.

"Gloria in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria in excelsis Deo!"

"Let's go outside," Sam said, putting his guitar down. Damo and I smiled in agreement. We sprinted outside where the snow was falling down hard. We started having a snowball fight with the snow that had already accumulated on the wet ground. Our snowballs were weak and fell apart as soon as they left our hands.

Giving up, we just played freeze tag. I laughed as Samuel was tagged into various positions. I ran after Damian and jumped on his back. "Freezed!" I called, laughing.

"Oh, yeah?" he said. I jumped off his back and put my hands on my hips.

"Yeah."

"We'll see," he said. He grabbed me around the middle and put me over his shoulder.

I squeeled. "Put me down," I said, laughing.

He complied, putting me on me feet and kissing me.