"No, no. You have to let it come from the back of your throat, like this: Rrrrr.”

"Arrrrr.” I tried, but ended up laughing. Marco was valiantly trying to help me with my Spanish pronunciation during homeroom, but my Spanish R’s sound more like an angry pirate than anything else. As we cracked up, and everyone stared at us, the world I would have to face after school slipped away. The final bell brought me back to earth. Suppressing giggles Marco and I got our books. I was sandwiched between Marco and Jake’s lockers. I greeted Cassie and Rachel as they came over like they always did to walk home with Jake, while Marco and I usually walked together.

As I slammed my locker shut, Marco said, "Oh yeah, Mercy, I need to borrow your history notes. I sort of fell asleep in that class.”

I grinned and nodded. "Sure.” It was then that Jake caught me off guard.

"Are you sure you can trust her?” He said cynically. "She might end up telling her boyfriend.” I just stood there for a moment.

"Jake!” Rachel scolded. He muttered an apology and stuck his face in his locker, looking for some books.

I must have looked hurt because Marco said, "Don’t worry about him.” Then he continued to say something in Spanish about Jake that wasn’t in Jake’s favor.

"Marco!” I said trying to sound mad and not laugh at the same time and failing at both. Jake was not stupid; he knew when someone was making fun of him. He banged his locker closed and then stomped away. Cassie and Rachel followed him, most likely to try and calm him down. Marco strolled casually out the door. I ran after him and was greeted by a gust of winter air. The snow had begun to fall and outlined the dark trees in its fluffy whiteness. The snow muffled all the sounds of the world, until my voice broke the stillness. "You shouldn’t have said that,” I told him. "And Jake shouldn’t have said what he said either.” He had a point. "Why is he so mad with me?” I was still shocked by the anger in Jake’s words.

"Probably because this has been a secret for so long and now that it has been told, even to one person, he’s not sure who to trust.”

"Right. Trust no one,” I commented, giving a wry grin. "You know, this sounds a little too much like an X-files episode. Too bad we don’t have any cute FBI agents to save the day.” If anyone could make me laugh when I was upset, it would be Marco, and he started to exercise his talents.

"No, but you have a very sexy animorph,” Marco said, clearly meaning himself. I gave him a little push, which must have made him slip on the snow because he tumbled over and crashed into a small tree. This allowed the tree’s branches unload their burden onto me in a shower of snow.

Marco chuckled. "Oh, you’re gonna get it.” I threatened and then before I knew it, we were having a snow fight. I threw snow at him and put it down his neck until my hands were numb. He, of course, turned around and rubbed the freezing whiteness in may face. The silence of the falling snow and winter air was broken by our wild shrieks. In the end, we laughed so hard that we collapsed on the frosty ground. Eventually, we started our trek to our homes. As we walked Marco suddenly brought up the other night. "What was it that made you so angry?” I looked down, still reluctant to tell anyone, and still not sure why.

"Um, well Jessica and her little followers were on dates with some of Steve’s friends so we sat with them.”

"Oh,” He said, as if I’d explained everything. There was a pause as we walked in silence for a moment. Then Marco said, "What did they say to you?” I smiled at the hint of big brotherness in his voice.

"Nothing about me...” My voice trailed off.

"Ok, well then who? You’re parents?”

"No.”

"Sisters?”

"No.”

"Friends?” I avoided his questioning eyes, but he persisted. "Friends, then. Who? Kriti? Tobias? Cassie?" I kept shaking my head slowly. "Me?" I didn't move. "Me. They were talking about me?" Any other day I'd tell him to get over himself, but today was somehow different.

"Uh, yeah, you and um," I paused for a moment before continuing. When I did, my voice was low. "your mom." Marco's face grew hard and his eyes were filled with an all too familiar pain. The grief on his face made me realize why I didn't want to tell him what happened.

"What did they say?" He suddenly sounded very tired.

"It doesn't matter, they were all lies."

He sighed. "Maybe they weren't lies."

"What? Of course they were. You have no idea how much they were." What was he thinking?

"Well, that depends on what they said doesn't it?"

"Um, I guess." I could tell he was trying to bring himself to tell me something, so I waited for him to continue. Suddenly, he turned towards me. He took a deep breath, struggling. Then, abruptly looked up and into my eyes as if searching for something in them. Apparently finding what he was looking for, he began.

"She's a controller," Blinking, I let that sink in for a moment. He continued after swallowing a few times. "Visser One. When Jake and I stuck in space, we saw her. She's one of them, Mercy!" He spat out the word "them" with such a mix of pain and hatred I hardly knew what to say.

"Oh wow. I can't say I know what you're feeling but that's gotta suck. But at least she's alive. I mean, when we win, you could get her back."

"WHEN we win? Since when have you been so sure of our victory?"

"Since I moved here. It's a great feeling to find allies wherever I go and friends." I smiled at him, and he attempted a weak grin back.

"You are really something, Mercy." He said shaking his head.

"I like to think of myself as an optimist." I said.

"I'd prefer to think of you as a good friend myself."

"Works for me." I said kindly. The old Marco was coming back, and as we walked back, I wondered if that was a good thing.