It had snowed over night so we didn't have school Monday. The men couldn't go to work today. Everyone was home. My mom and Ander mom were making lunch and hot drinks for us since as we're kids we should go out to shovel.

Rosa and Xander threw snowballs at each other and wrestled around in the snow. I was just laying ontop of the pile of snow that we had started to build until they began to play. I stared up at the bleak sky and just wanted to hide inside the snow forever. The snow will turn to mush and ice in the next couple of days though.

Ander came outside and he started to join his siblings in the snow ball fight. Rosa jumped onto Ander back and he twirled around in circles quickly. They fell on their side but the snow was very high and cushioned their fall.

The door to the neighbor house and the blonde girl I saw with Ander before came out quickly. She was dressed in boots, jeans, a hoodie with another jacket on, gloves, and a hat. She had a big smile on her face, "Don't have to much fun without me!"

"Jamielynn!" Rosa cried out in excitement as she got up and ran over to her. She hugged her waist and Jamielynn hugged her back. Ander got up and began flirting with him. Jamielynn was amused by the thirteen year old charm and they started to all play with each other.

Ander came over to me and lay down next to me. His warm hand found mine and held onto it, making my hand warm even though they were in the gloves he gave me.

"Friday won't be so bad, Thalia." he said, turning to look at me and I looked at him.

"I wasn't thinking about that." I said.

"What were you?" he asked. "When mine was coming, it was all I could think about."

"Just. . .I'm not sure. Allot of things." I said, sighing. "Everything gonna change so quickly."

"Their not changing for bad reasons." he said. "Think of it as a positive things-you're growing up."

"I wish I could stay a kid forever." I said. I looked at Xander and Rosa before looking back at him, "Kavan and I alwayed played in the snow when we were young. We hated the cold but the first day when the snow was fresh we didn't mind it. After Kavan turned sixteen-he stopped playing with me. I would play with my dad or by myself. Sometimes with the neighborhood kids."

He propped himself up and looked down at me, "You're life isn't ending, Thalia. It's just gonna begin."

I scoffed, "How many times has that been used before?" I propped myself up, "I wish I could be as confidant as you, Ander. I don't think I'll make a good anything."

He brought his hand up to my face and took a strain of loose curl in his finger, "You look at life differently maybe after your first shift." he said before slowly leaning towards me and my whole body stiffen as I stared at him. A snowball was thrown at his face though, ruining it. "What the hell?" Ander asked coldly as he turned to look at his little brother who eyes widen before Zander pointed up at Jamielynn.

"Opps, sorry." Jamielynn said, chuckling playfully. She ran over and grabbed Ander hand, "Come on, Evander! You use to be much more fun." she said as she lifted him up.

Ander pulled away and Jamielynn looked hurt, "Sorry Jamielynn, I'm to grown to do this now."

"But you were just playing with them a moment ago. I don't understand." she said. She forced herself to chuckle and hit him playfully in the car, "Come on, it's not a bad thing to loosen up. You been such a stiffler lately. Why are you changing?"

"I have priorities now." he said.

Confused, she shook her head, "What kind of priorities? We were such good friends and after that night I thought-I don't know maybe. . ."

"I said it was a mistake." he said, confusing me now. "Jamielynn, I'm going to be getting married soon."

She scoffed, looking amused, "Married? To who?"

Ander looked down at me and I shyly-and awkwardly-bit my lower lip as I brought my sleeve up to my mouth. Jamielynn looked down at me with sad eyes and I felt so bad now for her feelings for being hurt because she had feelings for Ander.

"Oh." she said, looking at Ander again before nodding. "O-okay. I mean, I didn't know you had a girlfriend for this long. She just kind of showed up."

"Jamielynn, I'm sorry." Ander said, sighing heavily. "You know my family lives a little different from others. Different culture."

He opened his mouth but she spoke quickly, "No, it's okay. I uh-yeah you're right. You have other priorities now. Uh, I think I'll go back. . .yeah." she said, turning and quickly went back over to her house. I stood up as I watched her go inside and slammed the door shut behind her.

*

I was on my hands and knees cleaning the kitchen floor because Geskiah doesn't believe mops clean well enough and should be worked the old fashion way. It was annoying but I did it anyways as all the girls cleaned up the house. It was a routine though to clean and I better get use to it.

The backdoor slammed open and Zander ran into. He trailed dirty snow in and I scoffed, throwing at the rag near him but little punk was fast. I rolled my eyes and went over. I grabbed the rag and started cleaning his mess.

Ander came into the kitchen and I stood up, "I was about to say you better take off your dirty shows." I sarcastically said.

He chuckled, "I know my mom rules. Shoes off before stepping into the house. Zander a brat and likes to piss people off. Get warmed up, I'm taking you out."

I scoffed, "News said it isn't very smart idea to drive in this snow. And where do you wanna go?"

"Luckily my truck tires are built to drive in this kind of weather." he said. "I wanna take you out. Since friday didn't go very well, I want a redo over."

"Oh." I said. "Really? You don't really have if you don't want to-"

"I want to." he said quickly. He grinned widely, "I think you might like it. So come on."

"I have to finish cleaning first before I can go anywhere." I said.

"Don't worry, my mom already knows. I'm saving you from chores." he said, chuckling. "You're really going to argue about skipping chores?"

I stared at him for a moment before shrugging and threw the rag into the bucket, "You're right about that."

*

I looked around nervously as people around ice skated. We were at outdoor ice skating in the city and since it snowed allot of people like to ice skate. I use to do it allot when I was younger. I had found an old pair of skates at a yard sale when I was seven and I waited until winter and a nearby lake to freeze up. I taught myself how to ice shakte but I stopped when I was ten.

Ander came over with my skates and I turned to look at him unsure, "I don't know about this, Ander. I haven't ice skated for a long time. I'm not sure if I can still do it."

"It'll be like riding a bike." he said. "I'll help you remember." We sat down on the bench and he quickly put a pair on his feet. He turned to me and chuckled, "I'll be holding your hand, Thalia. Relax." he said. He got up and kneeled down in front of me. He took one of my shoes off and slipped my foot into the left skate. He laced them up, "When your mom told me you use to skate I knew I had to bring you here."

"I probably suck." I said as he started to put the other one on and when he finished I forced a smile, "Thanks." He stood up and held his hand out. I took it and he lifted me up. I was unbalanced for a moment but he put his hand on my waist until I could hold myself up and I nodded, "I'm okay." We stepped over towards the rink and got on the ice.

It was weird a little and I felt like I was gonna slip here and there. It took me awhile to get in the hang of it and falling a few times. I was actually starting to have fun as we skated around the rink and I remembered why I liked skating when I was young. In the beginning it was very fun and thought it was so different from walking. I just kind of grew out of it but it was fun again.

"Who taught you how to skate?" I asked Ander.

"Some old friends from school." he said.

"You have human friends?" I asked. "Most of us tend to aviod them. My dad always told me making friends with humans were never a good idea. Because they wouldn't understand me."

He shrugged, "I guess if you move around allot but if you stay in one spot you can if you can get the secret. They all wanted to go skating and I told them I didn't know how. They help taught me. Good people. They're all in college now."

I had to get something off my mind, "Was Jamielynn one of these friends? You can tell me, Ander. I'm not gonna get mad like three weeks ago."

He looked down at the ground awkwardly, "Jamielynn is a childhood friend but we're not children anymore. Before I turned sixteen, we had kissed a few times and I sorta have made her believed me we were dating. Horrible I know but I was confused about allot of things. I told her we weren't and even though I knew it hurt her she still continued to be my friend. Well a week before you and your family came I had gotten a little drunk and kissed her. It was a mistake because I was also angry at my dad and knew if he would find out it would piss him off. Jamielynn had boyfriends before though, I thought she had moved on from her crush."

I took his hand and we stopped before I turned to face him, "Did you ever have feelings for her?"

He groaned, "Thalia, it was nothing. Seriously."

"No, I'm just curious." I asked. "I'm not mad, I'm just wondering if it's possible to have feelings for humans or not."

He shrugged, "Yeah it's possible. We may be different from them we have one thing in common which is a soul. We can be attracted to them but it will never work out. I did have some feelings for Jamielynn but that was over three years ago. I grew out of those feelings. You start to remember that they aren't really suppose to be mate with but their actually food. It's strange like a wolf wanting to be a deer."

"Oh." I said, nodding. I thought back to Rian and saturday night when I started to believe I had feelings for him. Sure it was weird to have my heart racing for him but it must have been my adrenaline rushing. I turned to start skating again but he grabbed my hand and I looked at him confused as I turned to face him.

"Are you having fun?" he asked.

I nodded, "Yeah, it's really fun. Thank you."

"Good." he said. He reached into his pocket, "Look Thalia, I know it was strange that our parents arranged us together but I want you to know I'm very happy we're getting married. It just seems weird though that I didn't ask you." He pulled out a box from his jacket pocket and my eyes widen as my mouth slightly parted. He opened the lid and held the box out towards me. Inside was a gold band ring with a big diamond in the middle two smaller diamonds on each side of the big one, "It only feels right to ask so Thalia Blackthrone, will you marry me?" he asked. He nervously chuckled, "I would bend down on one knee but it's very uncomfortable."

I chuckled, waves of emotions running threw me since it weirdly made me happy he asked. I should have taken the chance to say no, that I don't want to get married but him asking me made me very happy. Even I knew this still means if I say no we're still engaged anyways.

I picked the box up and stared down at the sparkly ring, "I love diamonds, they're so sparkly and enchantching looking."

"And what Jaguar doesn't love gold?" he asked, chuckling. "My question though, Thalia. Come on, you're kind of leaving me hanging and people are staring."

Really? I lifted my head and indeed people we watching us. My face quickly heated up shyly but I tried to play it off. I nodded quickly as I smiled, "Yes Ander, I will marry you."

He took the box from me and took the ring out. He held the band as his fingers brushed over some words, "'With Equal Steps' since Thalia I will treat you as my equal and let you choose how to want this marriage to work." he said, making me smile shyly up at him. "And on the inside 'Two Bodies, One Heart'." He took my left hand and slid the ring on my fourth finger before bring my hand up to his mouth and kissed the back of my hand before leaning down and kissed me on the mouth.

*

I stared into the mirror in the bathroom for a moment. I touched the spot on my chin and groaned since they were making their way up to my face and tomorrow more will appear. Right now I had one low on my cheek and near my ear. I looked at the makeup my mom had bought for me to use to cover up my face and neck. I never wore makeup before while most girls start when their like thirteen. My skin was clear though and I never had a reason to use makeup before.

I started to apply some the way Geskiah showed me but it looked very caky on me. I was having a hard time because I'm starting to think I used to much. The door opened and Geskiah looked surprised. She chuckled, "Oh dear."

"This stuff isn't working." I said.

She walked over chuckling and grabbed a pack of makeup wipes. She began cleaning my face, "A little goes a long way, Thalia." she said. She opened the cabinet and pulled out a bag. She grabbed a makeup brushed that looked like a small paint brush and began doing my makeup. "This kind is made to cover so that's why it looks very thick. You don't need allot, just a little. Gotta cover up these spots. School will be hell if we don't."

After she finished as turned me to face the mirror and no spot that was once visable was gone. It didn't even look like I had makeup on but when I did it you could tell I was. She grabbed some other makeup stuff and started to do it. When she finished, she smiled at me,"What a very pretty girl you are. But I can say you look amazing without it." she said. "You make Evander very happy, Thalia. Please don't ruin that."

"I won't." I told her.

After I finished getting ready my father drove me to school. We had a two hour delay and it was nice a little to sleep in.

"You think I would look nice in a tux?" my dad suddenly asked, suprising me.

"I suppose. Why?" I asked.

He shrugged, "I don't know. Thought maybe after your wedding in a couple of months I'll give your mom that big wedding she always wanted."

"Really?" I asked.

He nodded, "Yeah. I mean this new jobs is making us good money and we didn't have a very romantic wedding the first time. We went to the justice of the peace and then I took her to a very fancy resturant. After a few years she admitted she wished she could have a big wedding by a lake, with family, and a reception. We'll be married for twenty-two years, she deserves it."

"I think you two should. She'll love the idea but what about Kave?" I asked. "He won't be there and it'll be strange."

He sighed heavily, "Thalia, you're brother-he can come but I doubt he would. Peter will be there so Kavan won't come."

I scoffed, "So tell Peter not to come so your son can."

"Thalia." he said. "I can't tell Peter that after everything he's done for us."

"Kavan your son, Peter just your friend." I said. "Daddy, you can't be serious."

"Kavan is rebellious, he'll just ruin it." he said. "Enough about it, Thalia."

"No."

"No?" he questioned, looking at me surprised before he drove into the school parking lot. "May I remind you he was the one who wouldn't listen to Peter and got himself in trouble. He could have respected Peter rules and behave but he didn't."

"Whatever Kave did you should be able to over look. He is your son, not Peters. You should have defended him!" I said angerily. "Maybe Kave would still be here if you defended your son that day."

He pulled into a parking space, turned off the car, and turned to look at me with a cold look, "Kave is a grown man and he can handle himself. I have tried many times to control him and tell him what is right from wrong Thalia. You think I was never hard on him but I was. He didn't listen to Peter and respecting Peter I followed his decision. Kavan could have done what he was told at work but he decided to leave and get in trouble with the law. I would love to have my son next to me that day but he choosed to go a different way."

"I wonder if you would give up so easily on me if I did something so wrong." I said before turning and got out the car fast. He started to speak as I slammed the door shut.

His door opened as I walked away and he quickly came over. He grabbed my arm and made me look at him, "I would give me life up for you, Thalia. You're my daughter and you won't talk to me like that. I have had enough of your attitude you've been having. I always over looked it before since you were behaving like a child but now it's different. I won't take it anymore."

I pulled my arm out of his hold, "What are you going to do, huh? Tell me to go away if I keep 'desrespecting' you? You'll lose both your kids." He stared down at me surprised and I turned around, walking towards school. When I walked inside and I saw Rian by the staircase. He was near and probably saw me agruing with my dad. He walked over but I spoke before he could, "Don't ask."

He grabbed my arm and pulled me aside so no one would hear. I quickly looked out out the windows to see my dad had already turned away and got into his car. He pulled us over to a cornor and stood close to me, "Well can I ask about this?" he asked quickly as he pulled the collar of jacket aside and showed me a very bruised neck where I had bitten him and I made a face. It wasn't very big but it was very bruised and ugly looking. I didn't think it would get that bruised but it did. "What the hell is this? It's not some bad hickey, Thalia!" he whispered coldly.

"I'm sorry!" I said quickly. "I uh, well uh-"

"I had chicks do some rough stuff like nip at my neck or lightly bite my lip but never like this." he said. "You literally bit me and drew blood."

"I uh-I'm weird. Whatever." I quickly said coldly back so I could leave as pressure, nervousness, and embarrassment rushed through me. I turned to leave but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back, "Rian!"

"You're strange, Thalia." he said.

I shrugged as I dramatically threw my hands up, "So what! It's a damn hickey and I accidently bit to hard."

"How'd you know he was there, huh?" he asked raising his chin. "That boyfriend of yours, how'd you know?"

"Gut feeling?" I tried but he didn't believe me. I rolled my eyes, "I don't know! Sorry I bit you, Rian. Trust me, it won't ever happen again."

"What were you and your dad fighting about?" he asked.

I scoffed, "You're so damn noisy!"

"Lets get out of here." he said, taking my hand but I held my feet roughly on the ground.

"I can't just leave school!" I said. "Even I'm strange, remember? Let go!" I said as I pulled my hand out of his.

He put his hands on my waist and pressed me against the wall, "I'm strangly into you though." he said, kissing me right there. In school, where everyone could see. I wanted to push him away and I was about to. I even got my hands on his chest and started to push but he pressed himself against me as he kissed me. "You really wanna be stuck here?" he asked as he kissed me.

Stuck here at school? No. Stuck between him and a well. Ehh? Do I really wanna be stuck in school while I wanna enjoy my last week of school and apparently my dad won't kick me out if I do something bad. He would do anything not to lose me.

I brought my hand up to his cheek, "No." I said.