"hey hey! It's Julie!" grinned Alex. Marissa knew that this maybe wasn't the best situation for her to introduce Alex as her girl friend. But let out a small giggle at the drunk on the lawn she was in love with.

"Marissa? What's this?" exclaimed Julie.

"We were just leaving Mom" she said. Grabbing Alex's hand and leading her away.

"It was lovely to meet you, Mrs Cooper-Nichol!"

"Whoa! Wait one minute!" Julie's heels clicking down the steps toward them.

"I know you! You're that bait shop girl! Do you care to explain to me what exactly you are doing with my daughter?" Marissa edged in stopping a drunken Alex before she could string two words together.

"Alex was looking for me, and she came here, I'd just come back from Summer's house" Julie looked suspicious, there was a look on her face which didn't believe Marissa at all. Marissa sensed this and continued, "Call her if you don't believe me."

"Both of you…come in. it's freezing out here. Maybe you and your friend can "hang" here today while it rains." Marissa looked reluctant, but Alex nodded in approval.

"ok" she sighed and they both went indoors. Alex looked awestruck, she had never been inside Marissa's house before, she loved it, it was so big and full of grandure. It scared Alex slightly, put her on edge. Simply because she felt she didn't belong. She looked at Marissa and saw acceptance. She smiled and continued to follow Marissa.

"Mom, we're going to my room" Julie hesitated.

"Ok, I'm going to a meeting now, make sure you're here when I come back" and Marissa heard the door slam.

"Caleb!" Marissa yelled. No answer. "Looks like we're alone" she smiled. she draped her arms around Alex and led her into her room, forcing Alex to walk backwards. Giving her tiny kisses as they moved. After entering the bedroom in the same position Marissa slammed the door, and pushed Alex up against it.

"Marissa" she moaned. "Stop". Marissa did. She looked puzzled. "Sorry honey but I'm far too drunk to know what I'm doing". She kissed her again.

"It's ok." Marissa laughed.

"Hey Marissa" Alex said through kissing.

"Yeah?" she said.

"We're in love!" she laughed.

Marissa stopped from pinning Alex against the door, and led her to the bed. Marissa layed down, and Alex layed next to her and put her head on her chest.

"Do you not think it's odd considering it's so soon?" she said as she played with Alex's hair.

"No, considering how gorgeous you are, and how you make me feel from when we weren't even dating…I'd say it's about time."

"How can you tell it's not just an infatuation?"

"You can't with love…it's tricky. You just have to trust me."

"I do…it just feels too perfect" Alex smiled and sat up and kissed Marissa passionately biting down on her bottom lip. They continued that way for hours. Laying and smiling, inbetween bouts of major kissage.

"Marissa!" yelled out Julie.

"Shit" Alex quickly put her top back on, but sadly, not in time.

"What the hell!" yelled Julie, walking in on the two. Marissa bit down hard on her own lip, a tiny trickle of blood emerged.

"Mom, Alex is my girlfriend" Alex was still facing Marissa and glared angrily at her.

"Oh I see…she's your new way to get back at me. I thought I saw you kissing before. Now I know"

"No, mom. I love her"

"Sure you do Marissa, why would you love this wino" Alex clenched her fists and sighed deeply.

"I am no alcoholic"

"Stay out of this, this has nothing to do with you"

"It has everything to do with her mom!"

"How exactly?"

"Because I love her!"

"Oh please." Julie sniggered.

"Don't fucking patronise me!" Marissa yelled standing up.

"Alex. Leave." yelled Julie.

"I'm staying to take care of her."

"if she's such a big girl she can look after herself" Alex shrugged and looked at Marissa, Marissa closed her eyes, sighed and nodded. Alex turned to leave. Stood in the doorway she mouthed "I love you" at her. And duely stuck two fingers up at Julie's back before walking out.

"take note of that Marissa, it's the last time you'll see her for a while"

"You can't stop me!" she yelled.

"I think I can. I am your mother"

"I wish you weren't"

"But I am. And you need discipline. I'll leave you to think about that one" and julie walked out. Marissa put her music on loud and lay sleepy, and cried herself to sleep, after all she got little sleep the night before.

Alex couldn't rest. She paced her apartment, she tried to sleep before, but nothing. She walked around, wondering why Marissa hadn't called or picked up when she did. She put on a green parka and pulled up the hood, her face wasn't visible. She lowered her head and picked up her keys and went for a walk. She was glad she wore boots and not her usual canvas shoes, which would have been soaked by now. She pulled her parka over and sat on a bench. She must have been there a while by now, and went to a diner for a coffee. She sat and sighed, she felt clearly miserable. She hated how julie treated Marissa, but was thankful in a way because if she had been nice to Marissa, Marissa wouldn't have spent half as much time with her. What Marissa needed was a knight in shining armour. Clutching herself she decided that was her, and went back to the house. Stood outside Marissa's house she threw pebbles at her window. Julie came to the window.

"What do you want?" Julie said impatiently.

"Is Marissa there?"

"have you never heard of a doorbell…and no she's not. She left a note saying she'd gone to your place"

"I don't believe you…Marissa!" she yelled. "Marissa!" she kept yelling. Julie's head dissapeared from the window and appeared at the door.

"Come in" Alex obeyed

"Where is she?" Alex demanded

"I don't know, she said she was going to your house"

"She's not there as far as I know." There was a prominent pause, as Julie filled two glasses with juice and passed one to Alex.

"Don't hurt her"

"What?"

"Don't you dare!"

"I don't know why you think I would"

"Because I know your type…you'll just up and leave when you feel like it. You don't have enough responsibilty"

"I'm responsible for Marissa now"

"So I see"

"Why are you like this with her?"

"I won't lie to you, I'd much prefer she was with Ryan and not you. I think you're bad news, but my daughter clearly likes you. And I can't stop her. But she seems to be shirking her responsibilty to be with you"

"If this is about school…I keep telling her to go"

"Not just that, caleb's parties, and dinners. She's never there, our friends have complained. You could even come if that would tempt her there. I feel like I'm losing my daughter"

"And it's your own fault."

"I don't want to! Being away I realised that I had messed up with Marissa, I want it to be right again."

"I don't know how sincere you are Julie, and I don't know if I can trust you, purely on the fact you don't like me, and I'm dating your daughter. But if you want to win Marissa back, I won't say anything to Marissa, or try and stop you. But you have a task on your hands"

"I understand this, and I hope you understand I don't want her seeing you. But I can turn a blind eye if you can." She winked at her.

"I'm not some alcoholic punk you know. I have feelings and I love your daughter." She said, standing up for herself.

"I don't want to know about you and my daughters gay lives."

"You're daughter isn't gay!"

"And you?"

"I'm not so sure. Marissa is just curious, and she fell in love over it, she won't be this way forever. It's not just a phase either. If you like someone, you like someone, personality prevails over sexuality everyday. There is no straight or gay, only narrowmindedness"

"I understand, I've been there myself." Julie winked. "Go find her then, make sure she's home tonight for school Ok?" Alex nodded and pulled her hood back up. She wandered towards her house she noticed a massive plume of black smoke. And smelled burning. She thought nothing of it until she turned the corner and realised it was her apartment. Flames lapped allover the apartment, her heart pounded. Then it almost stopped when she realised.

Marissa.

She ran towards the door and kicked it down. She found Marissa's heart shaped necklace poking out from beneath a fire. She kicked off the debris of the fire and reached to pick it up. It scalded her. The shape of a perfect heart in the palm of her hand.