My back hurt when I woke up. I realized that's because I was sitting. My eyes flashed open and I found myself in the living room. Mark was still next to me, asleep. The sun was already shining through the front window. The ornaments on the Christmas tree made fun colors reflect across the entire room. I gently woke Mark up and he seemed lost at first.

"What time is it?" he asked groggily, running his fingers through his hair a few times.

"Do I look like a clock?" I asked him rather rudely. He held his hands up in innocence. I heard a few people walking around upstairs. There was a knock and then my dad's voice.

"Anna, it's already past seven, you need to get up already," he snapped at my empty room. I frowned.

"I should really be going this time," Mark whispered.

"That's probably a good idea," I said, just as quietly. He stood up before helping me up. I deemed myself too lazy to clean up the living room as I walked Mark to the front door.

"There's a party on Thursday," Mark told me as I opened the (unlocked) front door. "You should go with me."

"Mark, I don't do parties," I sighed out. He frowned slightly but tried to cover it was a smile. "I'll think about it."

His fake smile turned into a real one. He kissed my forehead before standing to his full height. He'd seen something behind me.

"I'll see you later," he said before leaving.

Inside, I groaned as I closed the door. I turned around and was surprisingly relieved to see Hailey behind me. She had a small smirk on her face and I knew why. I opened my mouth, about to say something and she just smiled and shook her head.

"I thought you didn't want him," she said as I passed her to go up the stairs. I turned to look at her smiling face. I felt myself smile back before I continued up the stairs.

I was careful to avoid my dad as I went into my room. I changed quickly, not paying any attention to what I was putting on. I still hadn't done my laundry and I was mad at myself for that. I was putting on my eyeliner when there was a slight knock on the door. I turned around to see Hailey.

"Hey, Anna, can I get a ride to school?" she asked slowly.

"You have your own car," I reminded her, turning back to the mirror.

"I'm kind of avoiding Shyrah and she'll be watching for my car."

"Why are you avoiding your best friend?"

"We had a small fight yesterday. Because of you."

"What did I do this time?"

"Nothing," she told me, shaking her head. "Shyrah was upset about what you said to her and she got mad when I said you'd made a fair point."

"Hailey, you're not invisible, you know," I told her.

I capped my liner and put it in front of the mirror. I pulled on my plain red Chucks. From behind my door, I grabbed my backpack. I frowned when I realized I didn't know where my jacket was. I sighed and went to my closet and grabbed a random red one. Gently, I pushed Hailey out of my room. I picked up my phone and keys off of my nightstand as I followed her out.

"It'll be hard to hide from Shyrah all day," I said as we went down the stairs.

"I'm not going for all day, per se," Hailey said slowly. "Just in the morning and during lunch. I can deal with her in between classes if I have to. It's not hard to ditch her in the halls. I've been doing it for years now."

I went to the living room and grabbed Chance's secret Santa present, barely remembering it.

"You amaze me," I sighed, opening the front door. "You're a pro at avoiding your own best friend."

"Yeah, well, she's not exactly the nicest best friend."

"You don't say," I nodded.

Hailey rolled her eyes at me as we walked to my car. I had to drive with my left hand because it still hurt to raise my right arm higher than my elbow. Hailey kept going through all of the radio stations and wouldn't just pick one. I got annoyed and put it on my new All-American Rejects CD. Hailey huffed at me and sat back.

"Walk next time," I told her, turning into the school. "Oh look, Shyrah is looking out for you."

"Yeah, and Mark is looking for you," she retorted. I turned in the direction she was looking as the mother in front of me stopped to let her son out.

"That's not Mark, Hailey. That's Chance."

"How can you tell?"

"Look at the way he's standing. His shoulders are down more. Mark is like, rigid all of the time. Not to mention Mark is over there, hitting on a freshman."

Hailey looked in the direction I was pointing. Not far from where Shyrah was, Mark was talking to a girl. I knew she was a freshman, but she could pass as a junior. I had the theory that's what she was going for. I finally parked and Hailey didn't make a move.

"You are not staying in my car until Shyrah leaves," I said blankly.

She let out an annoyed sound before exiting the car, slamming the door behind her. I made a face at her even though she couldn't see me. Her door slamming had made quite a few people turn towards my car in time to see me get out. I grabbed my backpack and the present out of the backseat before gently closing the door. Shyrah was already making her way towards my car and I rolled my eyes.

"Catch the bus home," I told Hailey as I walked away.

I considered not going to where Chance was standing, leaning against a tree. I felt his eyes on me and I knew I couldn't avoid him. With a sigh, smile, and eyeroll, I changed my direction to where he was. I stopped about a foot in front of him and he smiled down at me.

"My brother never came home last night," he said knowingly. "Well, he was there for a few minutes, long enough for me to tell him that he had your things. He got them and left. He came back a little after seven this morning and wouldn't tell me where he was. Would you happen to know?"

"It wasn't even like that and you know it," I informed him.

"Actually, how can I be too sure? You did make out with the guy."

"That was different. And who says making out with someone automatically makes me easy? And what would make you think he spent his entire night with my anyways?"

"I actually didn't know, but I mean, you've all but told me straight up that he did. So what's in the box?"

"You'll have to wait to find out," I told him. I began to walk away but he caught up with me easily.

As we walked into the school building the first bell rang. Chance walked with me to my locker so that I could leave his present and my backpack. I got my math book, which I dropped because I used my right arm to pick it up. I smiled when Chance got it for me.

"What's wrong with your arm?" he asked as he also took my notebook from me.

"I went to the batting cages yesterday and I always hurt my shoulder when I play now," I told him, closing my locker. We began our walk to class. "That's where Mark found me yesterday."

"And where you made out?" he countered.

I rolled my eyes. We were almost to the door when I looked down the hall and saw Mark. He was walking with a few of his friends and people were just moving out of his way. I met his eyes and he changed his direction to going towards me. I smiled at him before going into my class.

"You are so going to drive him crazy," Chance said from right behind me.

Since Chance didn't have his notebook, he stole mine so he could take notes. I allowed him and fell asleep. I was happy that he actually woke me up when the bell rang. Again, he carried my items. We stopped at my locker, where he deposited my books. He also retrieved my notebook and I grabbed his present. We silently walked to his locker, where Mark was standing.

"Hold this," Chance said to Mark, handing him my notebook. Mark took it, looking down at all of the colors on it.

"It's very… colorful," Mark said, looking at me.

"I have a colorful personality," I shrugged as Chance took out his own notebook. He took mine back from his brother. I noticed Chance also had a small gift bag. I smiled at Mark before walking away towards my class.

"Why are you playing hard to get with him?" Chance asked as we entered our class.

"I'm not playing," I scoffed. "I'm just not going to fall at his feet. Oh, so he asked me to go to some party with him on Thursday."

"And you said?"

"That I'd think about it."

"You should go," he told me. I rolled my eyes as our two tablemates joined us. "Steve, don't you think Anna Nicole should go to your party on Thursday?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't you?" Steve said, looking at me.

"Because Mark asked her to go with him," Chance answered for me.

"Just go with him," Steve and Sarah said. The three were staring at me.

"Fine," I agreed loudly. Chance grinned as the final bell rang.

"Let's exchange now," Sarah said. "And then we'll study for the final tomorrow."

"Good idea," we all agreed. Sarah counted to three and we all exchanged with the rightful person. I smiled when Chance put his small gift bag in front of me and I put my box in front of him.

I opened the bag and pulled out a small white box. I opened the box, ignoring everyone else as they opened theirs. In my box was a pendant for a necklace. I could tell it was made of jade. It was carved to be two children, a boy and a girl kissing. It was about an inch long and it made me smile.

"What did you get, Anna?" Sarah asked. I looked up, realizing they had already showed each other the presents. I held the pendant to show her. "Oh, it's pretty." I turned to Chance who grinned at me.

"Thank you," I said sincerely. He shrugged with a smile and opened his notebook.

Later in the day, after lunch, I went to my locker and was surprised to find Mark instead of Chance. He grinned at me and I couldn't help but smile as I rolled my eyes.

"What class do you have right now?" he asked me as I opened the locker in front of me.

"Government," I told him. He pulled the notebook I needed out and handed it to me. "Does your offer to take me to that party still stand?"

I looked up at his surprised face with amusement.

"Yeah," he said, taken back. "I'll pick you up around nine. And please don't be like Hailey and be ready on time."

"We're only related by marriage," I reminded him. The warning bell rang and my class was on the second floor. "I have to go. You know, I have class and a final today."

I hurried off before he could respond. I had to run, but I made it to the door for my class as the bell rang. My teacher shook her head at me in mock disappointment as I took my seat next to Chance. She began to pass out the packets for the final and I let out a sigh.

"What did Mark want?" Chance asked. I raised my eyebrows, wondering how he knew. "Honestly, Anna Nicole. Isn't it normally I who waits at thine locker and not my brother?"

"Fair point," I nodded. "I don't know what he really wanted, but he's now taking me to Steve's party."

"I'm happy for you," he said, but it didn't sound as happy.

After class, we turned in our notebooks before making our way to our piano class. We didn't need to go to our lockers and we already had our final. Mostly, it was a slacker's day. We sat at the two keyboards in the back, the same places we'd sat in all year.

"Chance, I've never actually been to a party before," I said halfway through class.

"I couldn't have guessed that," he retorted.

"Honestly though. Will I even have fun?"

He frowned for a minute, as though in thought. He let out a sigh before answering.

"You're going with Mark, Anna Nicole," he said slowly. "I've never known a girl who went with him anywhere and didn't have fun. But since you're different from all those girls, I really don't know."

"Are you going to the party?" I asked and he shook his head. "Why not?"

"Because I have other plans," he shrugged. I rolled my eyes and turned to the keyboard. I began to play something I had begun writing during the free time Mrs. Elms, our teacher, had given us. I could also be found in the piano room during lunch.

"You're an amazing pianist, Anna Nicole," Chance told me just before the bell rang. I felt myself smile as we stood from our seats.