A Love-Hate Relationship

A Love-Hate Relationship is a teen fiction romance comedy novel written by E. M. Rivera set in Bayfield, Wisconsin in November 2021 to February 2022. The story centers around a teenage girl moving from Iowa to Wisconsin and meeting a boy on her first day of school with a bad impression. It is told in a first-person viewpoint in past tense, and has two viewpoint characters. Rivera states that "love-hate relationships made up of trivial arguments and sassy teasing leading to loving hugs and kisses" are her "favorite romance stories that make her giddy", and reading different comedic love-hate relationships on Wattpad and seeing them in movies/TV shows inspired her to create her own romance. She describes it as a "rough outline of what she imagines the perfect romance story to be for her".

The book required her to do research on American public school systems and the experience in a public high school, since, given that she studied in private schools in Guatemala all her life, she never had a high school experience like most other American teenagers. She asked questions on Discord and Facebook, looked up blogs from actual students, and used ideas from teen films and novels to build a realistic suburban world of a teen.

She quotes: "'I want this book to be iconic and memorable. I want it to be quotable and funny. I don't want it to be a Disney Channel Original Movie, or some bad boy-good girl story on Wattpad. And I know the public doesn't need another F the Prom or Tall Girl. I want it to be relatable to other teens and realistic enough to be something that could happen in a real teen's life. Sure, it'll have its' share of unrealistic coincidences and occasions because it's fiction, but I don't want people to criticize it for being ridiculous or nonsensical.'"She began the novel at the age of 15, but left it on hold until she was 16. At 17, she rewrote the beginning chapters due to many mistakes and flaws that made it "unrealistic" and "copy-paste". She finished the second draft and published it on Wattpad on February 14th, 2021, now publishing it every Sunday until Christmas. She says: "As soon as I have a stable audience, this book, along with the others, won't be identified with Wattpad. Because I don't plan on parking there forever."

Logline
Marissa Baker's life suddenly changes when her father takes a new job in Bayfield, Wisconsin; forcing her, her sisters, and her mother to move from their childhood home in Iowa. Marissa is pretty excited about starting a new life in Wisconsin; finding a good school, and taking ballet on ice classes. But her mood changes when she meets the popular, handsome, ice-hockey playing jock in her new high school, Johnny Calloway. She's always thinking about how much she hates him every time they meet. But maybe it could be something else entirely. After all, there's a thin line between love and hate.

Plot
WARNING: ALL SPOILERS ARE REVEALED IN THIS SECTION.

At the beginning of November, 17-year old Marissa Baker is packing up and getting ready to leave her empty childhood home in Iowa. Her father just accepted a new job offer in Bayfield, Wisconsin, which causes the entire family to move there. Her younger sisters, 14-year old Gracie and 12-year old Brenda, are unhappy about the move and constantly complain during the process of leaving, while Marissa is excited for a new life.

That Monday, the girls go to their new schools. Brenda and Gracie are driven by their father to Burrow Middle School while Marissa walks alone to Brownbrick High School to continue her junior year. Her first day is initially uneventful; she is introduced to her first class and doesn't get called out like she did in her nightmare. After class, she goes to her new locker and enters her given combination, only to find that the door won't unlock. A boy behind her asks what she is doing in "his locker", and she realizes her mistake; she misread the locker number (hers is B33, his is B38). She goes to her correct locker, the one across the hall, and the boy accuses her of trying to prank him. She explains to him that she is a new student and he backs off, but leaves a bad first impression between them. As a result of the brief argument, Marissa arrives late to Geography class and is scolded, increasing her disdain for the jock boy.

In Marissa's Biology class, a boy named Jack Sydney explains why the boy, Johnny Calloway, is possessive over his locker, this being a result of a period of bullying he suffered from freshmen students on his ice hockey team; as a final prank, they left "something really nasty inside that left it reeking like rotten eggs and fish for a week".

Johnny, meanwhile, is struggling in History, his least favorite class. He leaves for lunchtime and has a brief confrontation with his recent ex-girlfriend, Clara Mayfield, where they argue and leave in the hallway. He meets his friends and mentions Marissa as "the new girl", who, for some reason, doesn't leave his mind. One of them bets him 20 dollars that Johnny can get her to flirt with him, and he reluctantly accepts.

Marissa coincidentally bumps into Johnny in the same spot, and Johnny attempts to charm her into flirting with him. After failing and losing the 20 dollars, Marissa humiliates him in front of the other students for being a flirt and leaves for the lunchroom. She then sits at a random table and makes new friends, two of whom are in her English class at the beginning of the day. She learns about a dance academy called Ringing Talent nearby, where she can continue her ballet career.

In her AP Calculus period, Marissa gets lost and is guided by a teacher to the classroom. She finds out that Johnny is in her class, and her teacher places her next to him. S Clara Mayfield then enters the classroom, making Marissa realize that she was Johnny's desk partner. Clara feigns compliance and goes to sit at the teacher's desk temporarily until she gets her new desk, but Marissa tries to give her her seat back so she won't have to sit next to Johnny. However, Johnny fake-defends Marissa and ends up forcing Clara to the teacher's desk to make her jealous, given that the reason they broke up was because she flirted with other boys in school.

After school, Marissa walks home with her new friends from lunch. Once they get to her street, they notice Johnny walking behind them, ensuing another argument between him and Marissa. They then realize that they live across the street from each other, much to their horror. Johnny goes to his house and vents his frustrations to his mother, who easily soothes him. He internally explains to the reader the complicated relationship between his parents, who met in high school, accidentally got pregnant with him, and got married too early, resulting in a hostile relationship between them that causes them to constantly fight.

Marissa hides the incidents with Johnny from her family during dinnertime. Her sisters are now warming up to their new home, thanks to their good first day of school. Marissa goes to Johnny's house to return his Calculus book to him, since he lent it to her so she could catch up. She hears his parents fighting inside and feels concern. When she innocently asks Johnny if they are okay, he says it's none of her business and they part on a tense note. That Friday, Marissa registers into Ringing Talent Dance Academy and meets two new friends, one of which is a cousin of two of her new school friends, the Zachary twins.

Throughout her second week of school, Marissa has hostile encounters with Johnny in the hallway, AP Calculus, Chemistry, and P. E. She also has encounters with Clara, who is nice to her but obviously fake. At the end of P. E. on Friday, Johnny makes fun of Marissa during a basketball exercise and pranks her by putting a squeaking rubber turkey between the hinges of her gym locker. She later retaliates with the same prank in his own locker in the hallway. They then locker-prank each other throughout the week.

On Wednesday, the school lets the students out early for Thanksgiving break. Marissa's mother announces that they are hosting Thanksgiving dinner for their entire street to get to know everyone better, including Johnny and his family. Marissa makes believe she is happy to have him over, seeing this as an opportunity to annoy him further. On Thanksgiving Day, she meets Johnny's parents and has a tense talk with him. While eating, they tease each other on the amount of food they have and eat off each other's plates, resulting in them feeling too full and going outside to make the food go down. They end up having a pleasant conversation about Marissa's Thanksgivings in Iowa and ensue a snowball fight, where Marissa's sisters later join in, and they begin a more positive relationship.

The next Tuesday, Marissa watches Johnny play hockey during study hall. She meets one of his friends named Kobe Wright who explains to her about the complicated relationship between his parents. In the locker room, Johnny's friends tease him with Marissa. He then meets her in the hallway after changing and they argue again, but this time with a less hostile tension. The next day, in Art class, the two impress their teacher with their impressionist paintings and are asked to interpret them to her in private. They are then put on cleaning duty while the teacher leaves to get some files. They both end up having a paint fight after Marissa accidentally squirts Johnny in the face with a squeeze paint bottle, and during their struggle, they accidentally squirt paint all over the teacher. They are sent to the principal's office and let off with a warning.

That Saturday, they run into each other in the local public library, where Johnny informs Marissa of his trouble in US History. She offers to tutor him every day after school, and he reluctantly accepts. On Monday, Marissa discovers that she accidentally switched her Calculus paper with her Geography paper, and runs to the teacher's lounge to switch them. When some teachers come into the lounge, Marissa hides in a supply closet, where Johnny is already hiding; he explains that he switched his Spanish and History papers. She then learns Johnny also has trouble with Spanish and offers to tutor him in that class as well as History; History on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and Spanish on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He accepts and thanks her, and they run off to Calculus class after the teachers leave and the bell rings.

After school, Gracie expresses that she is suffering cyberbullying at her school. Johnny comes over for the first tutoring session with Marissa and advises Gracie to report the bullying and show proof of the cyberbullying. He begins History lessons with Marissa and they continue building their new friendship. During school, they have other arguments, but without hostility.

Winter break begins and Marissa celebrates Christmas with her family. They all receive lovely gifts; Brenda receives a novel series, Gracie gets a new guitar and songbook, and Marissa gets a new ballet outfit. Towards the end of the night, Marissa notices Johnny standing alone in the snow and goes out to keep him company. She hears his parents fighting in his house and stays with him, and they wish each other a Merry Christmas.

On New Year's Eve, Brenda is caught wearing ridiculous clothes, which she claims are "in style", and makeup she stole from Marissa. As a result, her mother scolds her. They celebrate New Year's with their neighbors at an outdoor barbecue in the middle of the street. Marissa and Johnny tease each other with the noisemakers when midnight arrives, and they wish each other a Happy New Year.

Their relationship gradually improves, and they grow closer through their tutoring sessions and moments together at school. Johnny receives an A in History, they have a challenge in P. E. on who can stand a 2-minute plank, and Johnny's grades in Spanish improve. They confirm each other's relationship as "frenemies". After school one day, Marissa stays late due to the downpour of rain, waiting for her father to pick her up. Johnny finishes a practice hockey game and persuades her to go to the school's intercom and tell jokes to lift the spirits of the remedial students, who are taking after-school courses. She reluctantly agrees and they go up to the intercom, trying to share embarrassing stories about each other. Marissa gains more confidence and charisma, and the two are chased out of the school by the security guards.

Johnny returns home and receives texts from Clara, who inquires about him and Marissa being a couple, which is assumed thanks to the video of them being chased around school. He tells her they are "just friends" and she asks him to have a coffee with her with no romantic intent. He agrees, and they start to mend their relationship over the weekend. Marissa notices Clara's flirty tendencies are reduced, and she feels distrustful of her. That Friday, Clara proposes to try their relationship again, and Johnny asks for time to think about it.

On Monday, Marissa realizes she has developed a crush on Johnny, and wants to spend time with him. Upon arriving at school, she finds out that Johnny decided to try another relationship with Clara, and it is revealed that he texted Marissa for advice on whether to agree or not over the weekend, but due to Marissa being punished from social media from a fight she had with Brenda, she never saw the messages. She ends up in a bad mood all day because of the gossip and rumors about their rekindled relationship, and distances herself from Johnny, saying she "doesn't feel well". She returns home and reads through the messages before bursting into tears. She then distances herself from Johnny to dull the pain.

Wednesday morning, Marissa climbs a tree with her sisters wearing shorts, since the day is considerably hot for the winter. When she climbs down, she gets an allergy rash on her leg. Her mother treats it with Vicks and she is sent to school, scheduling a doctor's appointment for after school. After Swimming class, Marissa's rash is exposed in the locker room and inquired upon by her female classmates. She explains the allergy to them and they leave her alone. After school, one of the Zachary twins, Penny, texts her asking if something is true. When Marissa views the message, she finds a picture of herself in the locker room with her rash clearly exposed displaying on a blog post titled 'Herpes Awareness', implying that the girls in the locker room started a rumor of her having herpes and also about her being Johnny's "side chick", which also connects him to the rumors and makes it appear that he has herpes, as well.

At school, everyone including most of her friends avoid her and call her 'contagious'. The only friends who remain loyal to her are Felicia, a former friend of Clara's clique, and Emmary. Marissa confronts the Zachary twins, who run away from her after believing the rumors, and ends up falling in the hallway. Johnny attempts to help her, but she rebuffs him, afraid the rumors will get worse. She spends the rest of the day avoiding him, and the rumors affect her relationships in dance school, as well, given that the Zachary twins' cousin heard of the rumors through them and believed them.

Over the weekend, Marissa is relentlessly cyberbullied by kids in school, mostly freshmen, and she completely ignores Johnny at school on Monday. In the middle of the day, her locker is pranked by some unnamed sophomore students, who broke into her locker and stuffed a large pile of condom packets inside. When she opens her locker, the condoms spill out, and the surrounding students mock her. Johnny witnesses the incident and goes after her when she runs to the girls' bathroom in tears. He enters the bathroom, which is empty, and comforts Marissa, rekindling their friendship. After school, both Johnny and Clara walk her home, making Marissa suspicious about the girl's possible involvement in the rumors.

On Tuesday, the two find out through jeering students that the recent blog post exposed Johnny's "abstinence pact" to his parents and his parents' "marital struggles", which he had entrusted to Clara in confidence. With Clara's secret involvement exposed, Johnny and Marissa confront Clara, who initially denies it, but accidentally admits having spilled the secret to her friends, which are the girls who started the rumor. Johnny argues with Clara in the hall, she admits she was jealous of Marissa, and he breaks up with her as a result, humiliating her in front of the student body. Marissa goes after Johnny and thanks him for his kind words about her during the fight. Though the rumor isn't completely cleared, most of the school and the people that know her apologize for participating in the bullying, thanks to a video recording Johnny and Clara's argument in the hallway.

In dance school, she is appointed the lead role in the upcoming Valentine's Day dance, making the performance her debut, along with the male lead, Lincoln Masher, who is attracted to her. She does not return his affections. She stays late to rehearse and meets Johnny there, who comes to play hockey. Johnny offers to help Marissa practice dancing on ice with a partner, and she accepts his offer. The two freely dance together across the ice, with Marissa teaching Johnny a bit of dance, and he also shows her the basics of hockey. They return home after Marissa's curfew, resulting her in getting punished by her mother.

Marissa asks her sister Gracie to help her come up with a way to tell Johnny how she feels for Valentine's Day. After suggesting a few scenarios, Marissa settles for a card with a poem Gracie invented written inside, along with a paragraph in Marissa's words. Brenda joins the conversation, irritating them with her bad mood, and ends up having her first period. Marissa plans to put the card inside Johnny's locker on Monday, but changes her mind when she sees him "flirting" with another girl, assuming he only liked her as a friend. In Johnny's perspective, it is revealed that he is just "being friendly" to the other girl and that he does have the same feelings for Marissa. Marissa later finds a 'Secret Admirer' card in her locker that is not from Johnny.

She finds another card at the end of the day and discovers that Jack Sydney, the boy from her Biology class, is the one responsible. He asks her out on a date, and she hesitantly accepts. She lets Johnny know their tutoring is cancelled, and his hope is crushed. He is revealed to have also made a card for her, but loses it when it flies into the wet street and is run over by a car. While Marissa is on her date, Kobe Wright alerts Johnny about Jack Sydney having a girlfriend, making him realize that he was cheating on her with Marissa. He tries to warn her by calling her and texting her, but she turns off her phone's Wi-Fi and ringer to not disturb the date. When she gets home, she goes to read Johnny's messages, but her phone runs out of battery and the ongoing thunderstorm causes the electricity to go out.

She reads his messages at school and decides to confront Jack. After their class together, she publicly humiliates him by loudly calling him out for his disloyalty. His girlfriend then confronts him and breaks up with him, embarrassing him further. After school, Marissa goes to the park river, where Johnny meets her, and expresses that she is tired of people lying to her and being fake. After a brief heart-to-heart talk, they return to Marissa's house for dinner.

The teachers remind the students about the upcoming Winter Formal dance, which will take place on Monday. The reminder prompts Johnny to ask Marissa out to the dance, which gives them both great joy. Johnny tries and fails to convince his father to buy a new tuxedo for the dance, which ensues an argument between his parents, and Marissa goes out with her two best friends the next day to shop for a new dress for the dance, as well as having a makeover. Johnny's father later agrees to buy him a new tux. Marissa's father gives her a "talk", telling her to remain cautious, and this instills slight doubt towards Johnny's loyalty.

On the day of the dance, the two enjoy themselves all night. Marissa makes up with some of her former friends while others ignore her, but chooses to remain at "arm's length" with those who believe the herpes rumors. During the slow dance, they almost kiss, but Marissa grows too nervous and unthinkingly rejects him, resulting her fleeing to the bathroom in embarrassment. Clara talks to Johnny in the meantime and argues with him. When Marissa comes out again, Clara purposely kisses him, catching him off guard and upsetting Marissa. Marissa jumps to conclusions and argues with Johnny as she tries to leave the party, and they both admit their feelings and ask each other why they didn't say anything earlier. She goes home and leaves him upset.

As an aftermath to the previous night's events, Marissa ignores Johnny the next day, stating she wasn't sure about the situation in itself. She encounters Clara in the girls' bathroom, who tells her half-truths about Johnny, and later goes to his house when Marissa is watching from her window before going to dance school. Clara also posts old pictures of them as a couple on her profile, further fooling her. Johnny's point of view reveals his conversation with Clara, which consists of her trying to convince him that she was protecting him from a "toxic relationship" with Marissa. He rebuffs her and makes her leave. He then calls Felicia for advice and gets an idea of how to confess his feelings for her in a "special" way. He meets her and Emmary at the park along with his friends and devises a plan to dance with her in her debut dance to talk to her.

With the help of both his and Marissa's friends, they set out a plan for him to replace Lincoln in the Valentine's Day dance and talk to her. Her ballet friend, Bella, helps teach him the steps to the dance, and they plan a scheme to get Lincoln out. On the day of the dance, Lincoln makes himself incapacitated after getting drunk as a celebration for his dance career, and Johnny pretends to be his assigned understudy. During the performance, he surprises Marissa and continues to dance with her while explaining his true feelings for her. At the end of the dance, she believes him and they share their first kiss, giving her debut a perfect ending.

They officially become a couple and return home to celebrate. At Marissa's house, they celebrate her debut over dinner with Johnny and his parents. Gracie sings a love song she wrote for them based on the poem written in Marissa's card, winning a bet she made with Marissa before, and Brenda starts to change her newfound tween personality into a more pleasant one. Marissa's father finally approves of their relationship. They go out to the park for a romantic, late-night walk afterwards.

The story concludes with the two meeting each other in the morning to walk to school, holding hands and acting smitten while once again arguing over something completely trivial.

Development and Inspiration
Rivera was inspired by many factors; she liked the love-hate relationships she read in other stories on Wattpad, and she also enjoyed such relationships in movies. She reluctantly admits that a select few Hallmark movies also gave her ideas:"'Though I usually hate most Hallmark movies because they usually have the same premise over and over again, there were a few that featured comedic and healthy love-hate relationships. Every time my mom watched one of those Christmas movies, I would groan, but I do admit, they do pack a few good ideas, despite the lack of originality and uniqueness in most of their films.'"She was also inspired by various love-hate relationship examples in a few Disney Princess movies, like Tangled, Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, and, mainly, The Princess and the Frog. Another inspiration was the love-hate relationship between the characters Ron and Hermione in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. She also did some research on comedic, healthy, love-hate relationships in order to make the relationship between her main characters cute and funny, and to avoid any possible toxicity.

While writing the first official draft of the story, she initially placed it in between November 2020 and February 2021, since she started writing the book in late 2019. After the events of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was compelled to change the set dates mentioned in the book so it could make more sense and not appear as though she was "pretending COVID never happened". She set it between November 2021 to February 2022 in the final result.

She also changed a few events in the beginning chapters, including parts like Marissa and Johnny's first meeting, Marissa and Clara's first meeting, and the rumor spread in their school, as well as a few minor changes and added parts. She said that in the first draft, she made Clara too much of a "copy-paste queen bee" and tried to make her more like a real mean girl would be. She also changed the impression left by Johnny, since in the first draft, he was supposed to be a bully to the other kids, but his personality didn't fit the bully character. She also stated that it would be "too cliché to put in a mean popular girl and a jock that gives other guys wedgies". She quotes:"'Since I've never experienced American high school, I obviously don't know what it's like. But I still wanted to make this story realistic and relatable, and I was being too much of a Wattpad writer by making Johnny a supposed bully and Clara a mean girl who overreacts about everything. Plus, Johnny isn't a bully. He's a genuinely nice guy who's just possessive of his locker because of what happened to him in his sophomore year.'"She took a few tips from the movie Mean Girls, this being the "most realistic teen comedy film there is, and also one of the most iconic and quotable films", and also implemented ideas from Rainbow Rowell's novel, Eleanor & Park.

She also changed most details about the character's school system; being oblivious to a real high school experience, she'd implemented the Guatemalan curriculum in their system, not knowing that the classes taken are different. After finding out through Discord that the curriculum wasn't the same, she went back and changed the classes they had.

She states:"'In Guatemalan high school, you only go for two years, 10th and 11th Grade. You choose a career you're interested in and take the standard classes as well as other classes related to the career. Here, we don't have AP classes, honors classes, or electives. Calculus is Math class; Geography, Government, Politics, and History are all in Social Studies; English, Literature, and other language-related classes are Language; Biology and Health class were Science up until high school, where it was simply Biology. It's simpler here, and as much as I enjoyed school, I would've loved to study in USA. I've never even read a Shakespeare play in my life!'"She set the story in Wisconsin, since it takes place in the winter, and she needed the weather to be snowy and cold throughout the whole book. The frigid weather would be enough to have her skate at the rink all the time, as well as Johnny having scheduled hockey games. She initially used real high school names, but later changed them because of the copyright names. She also had Marissa and her family be from Idaho, but after accidentally writing Iowa as their home state, she decided to keep it that way.

The novel took her a total of approximately one year and two months for her to complete. She plans to edit out any mistakes and possibly change some parts in the story, but published the current version as the official Wattpad version.

She has considered a possible sequel, but has decided to keep the book as a stand-alone for the moment.

Main Characters

 * Marissa Baker is a 17-year old girl in her junior year of high school who moves with her family from her hometown and birthplace in Iowa to Bayfield, Wisconsin at the beginning of November. She is the main viewpoint character of the story. She is described to have "long, chestnut brown hair that curls slightly at the end" with "hazel brown eyes" and a "honey tan skin tone". She is depicted as a beautiful girl with a "dancer's body". She has a passion for dancing, mainly ballet on ice, and is a professional ice skater. She attends Ringing Talent Dance Academy after moving to her new town to continue her dance career, and she aspires to study dance in university. She expresses internally that she wants to experience her first love before high school is over while traveling to her new home, foreshadowing her romance with Johnny throughout the rest of the book.
 * Johnny Calloway is a 17-year old boy who lives across the street from Marissa's new home in Bayfield, Wisconsin, and is also Marissa's classmate. He is the secondary main viewpoint character of the story. He is described to be handsome, with "curly, dirty blond hair" and "piercing green eyes". He is a popular student in his high school, being the best player on the school's ice hockey team. He has a passion for hockey and is a professional ice skater. He has a smirk that is repeatedly described by Marissa as annoying, condescending, and arrogant; what annoys her most about the smirk is that it admittedly makes him look even more handsome. She copies his smirk later in the book, letting him know how annoying it is. He has a habit of bothering Marissa because it is "so much fun", and is possessive of his locker due to bullying he suffered from his freshmen teammates the previous year.
 * Clara Mayfield is a 17-year old girl who is Johnny's ex-girlfriend and childhood friend. She is a rich, popular girl who is generally nice to everyone and has a high reputation. Her main friend circle is a tight-knit circle of rich girls with "Chanel and Gucci clothes and accessories". She is described as a "tall, pretty, blonde girl" with "sea green eyes". In the book, Marissa's friends identify her as the "queen bee of the school" and mention her previous achievements, such as winning Homecoming Queen with Johnny the previous year, throwing fun house parties that "even the upperclassmen went to during her freshman and sophomore year", and involving herself in many school events. One of Marissa's friends, who is a former friend of Clara's, describes her as a "two-faced witch" and the secret "mastermind" behind rumors spread in school.
 * Gracie Baker is Marissa's 14-year old sister. She is described to have "long, light brown hair" and presumably shares her sisters' brown eyes. She is the "singer of the family" with a "gorgeous voice". She initially disapproves of the move from Iowa to Wisconsin until warming up to the idea. She is more partial to Marissa and likes to give her romance advice. She later writes and sings a song for her and Johnny at the end of the book, facing her fear of singing in front of a large crowd or other strangers besides her family.
 * Brenda Baker is Marissa's 12-year old sister. She likes to read, watch anime, and wear clothes and accessories from Justice, where all the "cool stuff is sold". She is initially angered about the move until she becomes more social and ends up being part of the "popular group" in her school. She is more distant from the other two girls. She goes through a phase of puberty, making her irritable and easily angered, and winds up getting her period early, explaining her behavior. She has a tense relationship with Marissa, leading them to fight most of the time, but still maintains their sister bond. She strongly approves Marissa and Johnny's romance.
 * Elena Baker is Marissa's mother, whose name is not mentioned in the book. She is of Mexican descent and has taught all three of her daughters Spanish their whole lives. She makes Mexican food for the family and has a special hot sauce that is supposed to be eaten in small quantities due to its' intensity. Naturally, as a mother, she is Marissa's mentor and advisor, and approves of her relationship with Johnny, since they are "just kids" and should have the "experience". Rivera says that Elena reminds her of her own mother, and implemented Latina roots to be able to relate more to Marissa and have a "deeper connection with her main character", despite her culture being distinctive from Mexican culture, given that she is Guatemalan.
 * Austin Baker is Marissa's father, whose name is not mentioned in the book, either. He is offered a new job in Wisconsin, causing the family to move. He is overprotective of his three daughters and initially does not approve of Johnny and Marissa's romance until the end of the book, stating that "it's not like she's getting married".
 * Kara Calloway is Johnny's mother. She is said to be a Christian woman and a great mother to Johnny, being a good listener and letting him choose his own path. She is the more liberal parent, since her husband, with whom she tends to argue with, is more strict with their son. She is described as a beautiful woman with blond hair and "piercing green eyes and a beautiful smile". Her eyes match Johnny's. She is implied to be a stay-at-home mom.
 * Jerry Calloway is Johnny's father. He is described as more "atheistic", which is where Johnny leans in terms of religion. He is more strict in terms of parenting and tends to scold Johnny, which is often the basis of his arguments with his wife. He works in business, having studied business in college and earned a doctorate, but his job is not specified.

Students

 * Emmary Barton is Marissa's best friend, who she meets in the cafeteria on her first day of school. She is described to have "long black hair and brown eyes, with freckles on her cheeks". She is in Marissa's English class. She has a boyfriend named Marcus, who she breaks up with during the herpes rumor about Marissa and Johnny that spreads around school. She proves to be a true friend to Marissa and has a "passion for fashion". She picks out Marissa's Winter Formal dress.
 * Felicia West is Marissa's other best friend, who also meets her in the cafeteria. Her last name is not mentioned in the book. She has blond hair usually tied up into a "messy ponytail" and "bright green eyes behind large glasses". She has a quiet, slightly antisocial personality, and Marissa commented that she "didn't seem that talkative", unless she is talking about Clara Mayfield. She is later revealed as a former member of Clara's clique, which is composed of six rich girls with expensive clothing and Chanel and Gucci accessories. She was left out of the group in sixth grade after refusing to spread more rumors for Clara in order to make Clara look innocent and uninvolved, and was bullied after apologizing and befriending their victims. She stands by Marissa's side during the rumors and shows her "girlier" side when shopping for Marissa's Winter Formal dress. She lives a block away from the Zachary's on Stickler Road.
 * Penny Zachary is Marissa's friend, later former friend. She has a fraternal twin named Karen. She is described as a girl with "ginger red" hair cut into "a bob reaching her jawline" and "pale blue eyes". She has "freckles all over her face". She is also in Marissa's English class. She has a cousin, Yvonne, who studies in Ringing Talent Dance Academy, which impulses her to suggest the dance school to Marissa after she mentions she is a dancer. She is displayed to be gullible when she instantly believes the false rumors of Marissa having herpes, and rejects her friendship as a result. She later apologizes to Marissa along with her sister at the Winter Formal dance, confessing she felt "too embarrassed to say anything before", but should have. Marissa accepts her apology, but does not plan on being close friends with her, wanting to keep her at "arm's length" along with the others. She lives on 317 Steinfeld Avenue, which is "right around the corner" from Marissa's street, with her family. She quotes: "Just turn right to Steinfeld Avenue, and go two blocks until you reach the brick house on the right. It’s number 317."
 * Karen Zachary is Marissa's friend, also former friend later on, and Penny's fraternal twin sister. She looks "a lot like Penny, with the same ginger red hair", but her hair is "long and wavy", as opposed to her sister's short bob. She has "brighter" blue eyes. She also is displayed to be gullible, but seems to "follow her sister around a lot", given that it was Penny who convinced her that the rumors about Marissa were true, and that she stuck with her during the Winter Formal dance, letting Penny speak for her when apologizing to Marissa.
 * Marcus Hummer is Emmary's boyfriend, later ex. His last name is not mentioned in the book. He is said to be a handsome boy with "a tuft of brown hair". He breaks up with Emmary after believing the rumors about Marissa and disapproving of Emmary's continued friendship with her. He is mentioned to have apologized to Marissa after the rumors are confirmed false, but Marissa does not rekindle a friendship with him and Emmary does not reinitiate their relationship.
 * Shari Keppler is Marissa's friend, later former friend, and has a crush on a boy named Jordan, who later becomes her boyfriend. Her last name is not mentioned in the book. She is later mentioned to be in Marissa's History class. She is said to be "dark-skinned and brown eyed" and around Marissa's height, which is "average". She has "black dreadlocks draping down her shoulders" and is presumed to usually wear "tiny, glinting earrings in her ears". She is noted to be "too much of a wannabe" by Felicia, who explains that, despite being bullied by Clara's clique, she still wants to join their group. She expresses that Clara "isn’t the nicest person in school" but is "sweet when she needs to be", and argues that Felicia's perspective of her is exaggerated because of the incident between them in sixth grade; she mocks Felicia for not being "over it" and secretly resents her for being part of that group before, despite the fact that Felicia apologized to her and befriended her after leaving the clique. She later believes the rumors about Marissa and Johnny and stops being friends with her. She is mentioned to have apologized, and reiterates her apology in the Winter Formal dance.
 * Jordan Fitch is Shari's crush, later boyfriend. His last name is not mentioned in the book. He is said to be "almost 6 foot", seeming very tall even while sitting down. He has "dark skin and dark brown eyes", and his hair is buzz cut and described to be "perfectly shaped around the edges". He also believes the rumors about Marissa and is mentioned to apologize to Marissa after the rumors are cleared.
 * Kobe Wright is one of Johnny's best friends. He meets Marissa during her study hall while she watches Johnny play hockey. He is also in her P. E. and Mandarin classes. He is said to be a "tall boy with broad shoulders, dark skin, and brown eyes". He is known to be charismatic, funny, and well-known in the romance department. He explains to Marissa about Johnny's problems at home with his fighting parents, garnering respect from her for Johnny. He remains loyal to Johnny during the rumors and encourages his relationship with Marissa, usually advising him on what to say to her. He is responsible for informing Johnny, and in turn, Marissa, about Jack cheating on his girlfriend with Marissa when he asks her out on a date. Rivera said that she named him Kobe in honor of the deceased basketball player Kobe Bryant.

She states:"'Even though I was never into basketball, and I didn't know Kobe Bryant all that well, when I heard of his death, along with his daughter's, I couldn't help but feel for them. And Kobe seemed like such a nice, charismatic person who appreciated all his fans. He seemed like the type of guy you really want to be best friends with, and I figured the story needed a character like that, so I gave him his name.'"


 * Kevin Lasseroff is Johnny's other best friend, whose last name is not mentioned in the book. He is mentioned in Johnny's conversations with his teammates in the locker room, and remains loyal to him during the rumors. He is shown to be more reckless in the romance department and often counters Kobe Wright's wiser advice to Johnny, even suggesting that he tell Marissa how he feels over text after finding out of her date with Jack. He also suggests for Johnny to lie about Jack and feed a bad impression to Marissa, an idea that Johnny rejects.
 * Jack Sydney is Marissa's first friend in school. He meets her on her first day in Biology class after asking to borrow a pencil sharpener, recognizing her as the person who accidentally tried to open Johnny's locker in the hallway. He is later mentioned to be in Marissa's AP Music Theory class. He explains to Marissa about the bullying Johnny suffered the year prior from the freshmen on his hockey team, which resulted in his locker being trashed, hence the reason why he is possessive of his locker. He later asks Marissa on a date, seemingly having developed a crush on her, but is later exposed to have cheated on his girlfriend, Ellinda Easterpine, by Marissa after Johnny tells her. He is said to have a passion for music and aspires to enter Lawrence University to study music. He plays many instruments and is in the school marching band and orchestra, and also has a band formed by his friends, who play in his garage from time to time.
 * Eve Ross is one of Clara's supposed best friends. She is in Marissa's Swimming class and has a blog where she posts false informative articles to spread rumors for Clara, taking responsibility as the source. She first appears in the cafeteria as an unnamed character who rejects Marissa's attempt to sit with them on the first day, placing her backpack on an empty seat, and she spreads the rumor of her and Johnny having herpes when she sees Marissa's allergy rash while changing in the locker room. Clara gossips about her to ward off suspicion of her involvement in the rumors, saying she bullied a girl in ninth grade for "lying about being a virgin" when she was allegedly doing the same, also having a secret romance with the victim's boyfriend, and Clara also mentions a group of zits on her back that could be mistaken for a herpes rash, much like Marissa's allergy rash. She calls her "a fake" and makes fun of her hypocrisy.
 * Macy Beamer is Clara's other supposed best friend. She is also in Marissa's Swimming class and remained unnamed in her first appearance, when she sees Marissa's rash. Her name is revealed when Clara states that she took Marissa's picture while her back was turned, and when she posts another article targeting Johnny, which exposes Clara's involvement. Clara gossips about her almost getting pregnant once, also calling her "hypocritical".
 * Dora Eastman is Marissa's Chemistry lab partner. She is initially friendly with her until she distances herself from her during the rumors. She is said to have "dark skin". Rivera describes her as the "nerdy type, with short black hair and pink, thick rimmed glasses", though in every appearance, she is wearing her lab goggles like every other student in their Chemistry class.
 * Lupita del Monte is Marissa's Salvadorian friend in P. E. class. Her last name is not mentioned in the book. Her physical appearance is not described in the book, though Rivera personally imagined her to be "light-skinned with long, wavy, light brown hair, and beautiful green eyes". She often says things in Spanish while conversing with Marissa. Marissa is closer to her than most kids in her P. E. class because of their similarities in Hispanic culture, Hispanic moms and disciplines (such as la chancla, which relates to when Hispanic moms use their sandal or slipper to spank their misbehaving children), and knowledge of the Spanish language. In the Winter Formal dance, Lupita has a brief conversation with Marissa, where it is stated that she didn't believe the herpes rumors, but was forced to ignore her outside of P. E. class, which is the only time they see each other, by her friends. Marissa graciously forgives her. She also ends up singing during the dance when a Latino song (Marc Anthony's Vivir Mi Vida) starts playing. Rivera made her Salvadorian to remind her of her own childhood best friend, and her Salvadorian uncle.
 * Ellinda Easterpine is Jack Sydney's girlfriend, who breaks up with him after Marissa publicly exposes him for cheating on Ellinda by asking her out on a date. She is said to be in Marissa's Government class, which is not mentioned in any of the scenes in the book, and appears briefly during the Thanksgiving dinner at Marissa's house, being a neighbor to her and Johnny.
 * Bruce Justin is one of Johnny's friends who briefly appears in the book, and whose last name is not mentioned. He is said to be on Johnny's hockey team, and teases Johnny with Marissa in the locker room. He is mentioned to have also stayed loyal to Johnny during the rumors, but does not appear afterwards.
 * Lennon Treavor is one of Johnny's teammates who appears briefly in the locker room scene, whose last name is not mentioned. He is said to have been "the worst" during the rumors, since he was "the source of dirty jokes related to the rumors". Johnny internally mentions that he tried to beat him up in the locker room after he made obscene jokes about him and Marissa, the subject of the rumors being that they had herpes and a secret romance, but was restrained by Kobe and Kevin.
 * Arthur Doug is one of Johnny's teammates who appears briefly in the locker room scene, whose last name is not mentioned. He is displayed to be lovesick, since it is implied that he always uses himself and his girlfriend Lucy as an example for romance. In the locker room, his friends stop him from elaborating on their romance, and Johnny mimics him dramatically, making him stand down.
 * Lucy Jennings is mentioned as Arthur's girlfriend, and her last name is not mentioned. She does not properly appear in the book. She is said to have "dumped her lunch" all over Arthur when first meeting him before evolving into his girlfriend, which implies that she and Arthur experienced a love-hate relationship.
 * Ethan Davidson is a student with glasses in Johnny and Marissa's Chemistry class who has an eidetic memory, but refuses to take AP classes due to laziness.
 * Colton Appleman is one of Johnny's former friends. He appears briefly when Johnny makes a bet with his other friend, Rex, to flirt with Marissa.
 * Rex Jacker is one of Johnny's former friends. He bets Johnny that he can get Marissa to flirt with him since, according to him, "every girl" wants to be his girlfriend. Johnny accepts the bet, but loses it, and pays Rex 20 bucks as a result.

Teachers

 * Ms. Hemsley is the Art teacher. She is considered the toughest teacher, described by Marissa's friends as "the most strict and frightening teacher in Brownbrick High." She is a Southern woman who was "born and raised in Texas until she graduated college", with a "strong accent" that makes her "even more scary". Her physical appearance is widely described, saying she is "shorter than most, and skinny", but with a very loud voice that grows louder "especially when she is angry." She has "dirty blond hair tied up into a loose bun, dark blue eyes, and a straight nose", which makes her her look "serious all the time". She has thick, triangular eyebrows that give her the "impression that she is always frowning". She does seem to take a shine to Marissa and Johnny when they paint high-quality Impressionist paintings during class, but her approval diminishes when they accidentally dowse her in paint while play-fighting during cleanup. She also appears when she scolds them and brings them back into the school after they were chased by security guards, having played on the school's intercom, and she shows a more "wild side" when she dances with the principal to a pop song during Winter Formal.
 * Mr. Felton is the AP Calculus teacher. He is a "stocky man with a balding head and round glasses", and is said to be a nice, well-liked teacher among the students. It is noted that Marissa and Johnny are the star students of his class.
 * Mr. Fleming is the US History teacher and one of the most disliked teachers in the school. He is Johnny and Marissa's least favorite teacher. He is a British man with a "snobby English accent" that makes him "more jerkish". He is described to have "round glasses", through which he stares at students, especially Johnny, who has low grades in his class, "disapprovingly". He dislikes tardiness and is unfair to most of the students. He is implied to be related to the Geography teacher, Mr. Roster, who is rumored to be his American cousin.
 * Mr. Roster is the Geography teacher, who is also a disliked teacher of the school. He is rumored to be Mr. Fleming's American cousin. He is unfair to his students, and chastises Marissa over being late to his class, taking five points off of her grade, even though it was her first day and she was new to the school and its' layout.
 * Coach Greg is the P. E. teacher. Marissa describes him as a "nice guy" and not "a jerk, like some P. E. teachers are portrayed to be". He is said to be married with three kids, who go to the unnamed local elementary school. He appears in all of Marissa and Johnny's P. E. classes.
 * Ms. Amber is the English teacher. She is a friendly teacher who introduces Marissa to the class on her first day, since she has her first class with her. Marissa states that English is one of her favorite subjects, and that Ms. Amber seems to "make it more fun". Her last appearance is when she accidentally spills coffee on her co-worker Mrs. Sierra's sweater, giving the latter an excuse to not wear it.
 * Mr. Evans is the Chemistry teacher. He is a well-liked, funny, friendly teacher who likes to give his students experiment competitions to determine who is the best student in class. Marissa internally identifies him as "the funny joke and story guy". His first name is mentioned by his co-workers, making his full name Charlie Evans.
 * Mrs. Sierra is the Biology teacher. She only appears twice in the book. She appears in Marissa's first Biology class and when the two are hiding in the teachers' lounge closet. She has an accidental coffee spill on her sweater, caused by Ms. Amber, and she insists to keep it stained so she can "have an excuse to not wear this thing", since it is described as hideous. Her first name is mentioned by his co-workers, making her full name Natalie Sierra.
 * Mr. Herbert is the Physics teacher. He is described as a "fun teacher" on Marissa's first day of school, and gave her an "impossible physics question" that was, in reality, "impossible", since she was the new student, and it is mentioned that he gives all the new students "impossible" questions on the first day. He does not appear in the book and is only mentioned in Marissa's internal thoughts to the reader.
 * Mrs. Murphy is a teacher that shows Marissa to her AP Calculus class after getting lost on the way on her first day. She is described to have cheeks so rosy that it seems as though she "painted circles on her face with some blush". She only appears once and is not mentioned as Marissa or Johnny's teacher.
 * Principal Bean is Brownbrick High School's principal, who appears twice in the book and is mentioned other times. His first name is Stanley. He is a friendly, lenient man who only gives the main characters "warnings" and light detention when they are sent to his office for play-fighting in the Art classroom, resulting in Ms. Hemsley getting drenched in paint, and for playing an unauthorized prank on the intercom and being chased by the security guards, who were enraged after Marissa made fun of their responsibility in their jobs. His lenient way of discipline is shown when he reacts to Ms. Hemsley's painted appearance with suppressed laughter, and he also laughs at their joke on the intercom. He gives them warnings under the circumstance that they won't repeat their actions. He is also mentioned to have handled the cyberbullying and rumors against Johnny and Marissa later in the book. At the Winter Formal dance, he dances with Ms. Hemsley in front of the students to a pop song, impressing the student body and implying a romance between him and the teacher.

Ringing Talent Dance Academy

 * Bella Harris is Marissa's best friend in dance class, who arrives at the academy the same day Marissa does, along with two others. She is said to be "a dark-skinned girl with dark brown eyes and long, beautiful black hair". She interacts with Marissa after registering into the school and stays loyal to her when their other friend, Yvonne, also spreads the herpes rumor from Marissa's school among the class. She teaches Johnny the steps to the Valentine's Day dance when he plans to surprise Marissa during the performance to talk to her.
 * Yvonne Zachary is Marissa's friend, later former friend, in dance class, and Penny and Karen's cousin, who has trained at the academy for some time, which is not specified. She is initially friendly to Marissa, having heard of her through her cousins, and is said to like "making the new students in the academy feel welcome". She is described as a beautiful girl with "fire engine red" hair that "cascades down her shoulders in beautiful curls". She has "light, barely noticeable freckles and pale green eyes", and resembles her cousins. She has a crush on Lincoln Masher, a popular dancer in their class. She distances herself from Marissa during the rumors, which reached her through her cousins, and advises Bella to not go near her, but the other girl refuses. Marissa later rebuffs her when she tries to rekindle their friendship by acting like nothing happened, and asking for Lincoln's number "as a favor" when Marissa receives it.
 * Caitlin Samuels is one of Marissa's dance classmates, who later befriends her and replaces Yvonne as Marissa's other friend. She has a large crush on Lincoln Masher. She carries herself with a pleasant, perky character, and she also helps and teaches Johnny the Valentine's Day dance.
 * Arista Sherman is an unpleasant dance classmate in Marissa's class, who is said to be "the most spoiled, annoying, entitled brat". She has "golden blond hair and brown eyes". She is supposedly the mean girl of the class, but is not taken seriously due to her childish attitude. Yvonne explains that she "lives in a huge mansion, she goes to an extremely small, all-girls private school, she loves Disney Channel movies, and she thinks she’s the queen of the world or something". Arista and two of her friends attempt to bully Marissa, Yvonne, and Bella after class one day, and make deprecating, but weak comments on Yvonne's physical appearance, but are shut down by Marissa, who begs her to "quit humiliating herself" and get out of her "delusion" of being "the most powerful girl in class". She also has a crush on Lincoln Masher, and grows jealous of Marissa when she is appointed the lead role with him in the Valentine's Day dance. As a result, she pranks Marissa before leaving class one day by putting glue in her gym bag, but unwittingly ends up turning the entire class against her for the mean prank. Rivera says that the character's purpose is to "satirically mock the usual 'mean girl' portrayed in many teen movies".
 * Lincoln Masher is a popular top dancer in Marissa's dance class. He is described to have "slicked black hair", a "straight jawline", and a "handsome face" by Yvonne. To Marissa, he is only "attractive", with "black hair that is brushed down his forehead, giving it a shaggy appearance, sharp blue eyes, and a dimpled smile". She doesn't understand what the other girls "see in him", and does not return his affections when he expresses he is attracted to her and even asks her out. She sees him as "creepy" and "intrusive". He is appointed the lead role in the Valentine's Day dance alongside Marissa, to her dismay. He gives her his number, which she keeps, since she states inwardly: "You never know when you might need someone’s number". She later gives it to Caitlin when she asks for it.
 * Mrs. Samuel is Marissa's dance instructor. She is a serious, but friendly woman that doesn't tolerate Arista's outbursts in class when she complains about not getting something she wants.

Schools

 * Brownbrick High School is a fictional public high school in Bayfield, Wisconsin that the main characters attend. It has over 2,000 students from grades 9 to 12. It is said to have a newsletter, where Johnny and Clara participated, and has a Winter Formal dance at the beginning of February. It also funds an ice hockey team that represents the school, the star player being Johnny. It does not fund a dance club, since the nearby dance academy replaces it. The principal is Stanley Bean.
 * Burrow Middle School is a fictional public middle school in Bayfield, Wisconsin that Marissa's sisters attend. It has over 500 students from grades 6 to 8. Brenda is stated to have been influenced negatively by popular girls at the school, while Gracie suffered bullying and cyberbullying from her popular friends that turned on her and spread rumors about her after she was paired with Aaron Appleman in her Science Lab class, because the boy's girlfriend, Julia Delgado, was jealous. The bullying was quickly resolved by the school's principal. It is implied that the kids in Marissa's school attended that school.
 * Harris Elementary School is a fictional public elementary school in Bayfield, Wisconsin mentioned briefly as an unnamed school that Marissa's P. E. teacher, Coach Greg's children attend. It is implied that the kids in Marissa's school attended that school.
 * Thompson High School is a fictional public high school in Bayfield, Wisconsin mentioned by Johnny. They were supposedly his hockey team's opponent, but their game was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts. Johnny describes their team as "scary", implying that they were a challenge for them.
 * Avery High School is a fictional public high school in Bayfield, Wisconsin that Marissa's dance classmate, Bella attends. It is mentioned to have a dance club that is nearly empty, and Bella says it "should be defunded", since the dance academy replaces it.
 * Pinewood High School is a fictional public high school in Iowa that Marissa used to attend before moving. It has over 1,000 students from grades 9 to 12. She mentions a similar event to Winter Formal in January that involves a costume party, that involves the students getting dressed up in different outfits every year, to differentiate it from prom.
 * Jenkins All-Girls School is a fictional private girls' school in Bayfield, Wisconsin that Marissa's dance classmate Arista Sherman attends. It has over 200 students from grades Pre-K to 12. The name is not mentioned in the book or elaborated upon, but Arista's school is mentioned to explain her childish behavior of a rich girl.
 * Ringing Talent Dance Academy is a fictional public dance academy in Bayfield, Wisconsin that Marissa attends to pursue her dance career. It has over 900 accepted students in the Bayfield building and is known for its' outstanding performance in theater and dance on ice. It has installed branches all over Wisconsin. It accepts students 6 to 18 years old, and the students 'graduate' when they go to college to pursue dance. They have a variety of schedules that the students choose at their convenience. It is known to be difficult to get in, since every student must perform in front of a panel of judges and pass the requirements to enter. It mostly accepts students that are not beginners.

Restaurants

 * Pizza Mustacho is a fictional pizza restaurant in Bayfield, Wisconsin that most students from the local high schools go to in their free time. It is mentioned that Marissa and her friends had a "pizza day" at the restaurant every Tuesday after school. Marissa also has her date with Jack Sydney there, and has her date with Johnny eating pineapple pizza at her insistence at the end of the book. Rivera took the name from a pizza stand her fourth grade class ran in school when they had to raise money for a project. In the Spanish version, the name is changed to "Pizza Mostacho", as it was originally in real life.
 * Starbucks is mentioned in the book as another hangout, and also the place where Clara and Johnny go as friends over the weekend. Rivera plans to change the name to avoid copyright.
 * Johnny Rocket's is also mentioned in the book once, where Johnny and Clara go to eat together and where Clara proposes to restart their relationship. Rivera plans to change the name to avoid copyright.

Other Places

 * The Bayfield Town Ice Rink is a local ice skating rink used for recreation and for Ringing Talent students to rehearse and perform minor shows. Marissa frequents the rink to rehearse by herself, and Johnny goes there to practice hockey. The rink allows the dance academy up to 10 hours of free rehearsal time, if the students or dance instructor submit a coupon confirming their membership. The rink cabin is run by a grumpy, goth-type girl.
 * Bayfield Figure Skating Rink is the official figure skating rink used for formal performances by Ringing Talent. It is used for Marissa's Valentine's Day debut. It is described as a rink similar to the Olympics figure skating rink, but smaller.
 * Obelisk Public Library is a fictional local public library in Bayfield, Wisconsin that Marissa's family regularly goes to on Saturdays. Marissa and Johnny meet there and discuss tutoring for History. Marissa likes to read her favorite novel series there.
 * Bayfield Park is a fictional public park in Bayfield, Wisconsin that most residents frequent. Marissa goes to the park often with her family, and goes there to think when she feels sad. It has a river that is Marissa's second favorite thinking spot.
 * Lizzie's Dresses is a fictional rental dress shop that Marissa and her friends go to for their Winter Formal dresses.
 * Pearl Catering Hall is a fictional catering hall that Marissa's school uses for the Winter Formal dance.

Residences

 * 273 Lakeview Drive is the Baker residence, where Marissa lives with her parents and sisters. It is a two-story green house with a large backyard and a tree to climb in the front yard.
 * 254 Lakeview Drive is the Calloway residence, where Johnny lives with his parents. Rivera does not describe the house in the book, though she imagines it as a two-story white family house.
 * 317 Steinfeld Avenue is the Zachary residence, where Penny and Karen live with their parents. It is said to be a brick house, presumably a two-story house. It is two blocks to the right of Lakeview Drive.
 * 812 Stickler Road is the West residence, where Felicia lives. She lives a block away from the Zacharys.
 * 695 Ames Street is the Mayfield Manor, where Clara lives. The address is not specified in the book. It is described as "a big, beautiful, white, three-floor house with large windows", given that the family is considerably rich. She lives near Marissa and Johnny.

Inspiration Soundtrack
Rivera created a YouTube playlist of songs to give her the correct inspiration in writing the book. The list is in this respective order of songs:


 * Rewrite the Stars— Zac Efron, Zendaya (from The Greatest Showman)
 * Home— Daughtry
 * Call Me Maybe— Carly Rae Jepsen
 * Brave— Sara Bareilles
 * Alone— Avril Lavigne
 * New Rules— Dua Lipa
 * New Rules— Dua Lipa (Instrumental)
 * Payphone— Maroon 5 (cover by Megan Nicole and Dave Days)
 * Forward— Duumu
 * Rewrite the Stars— James Arthur, Anne-Marie (from The Greatest Showman: Reimagined)
 * Rewrite the Stars— Zac Efron, Zendaya vs. James Arthur, Anne-Marie (Original vs. Reimagined)
 * Rewrite the Stars— James Arthur, Anne-Marie (Instrumental)

While some of the songs were used in the book, others were purely for inspiration for the teen genre. Rivera also listened to various versions of the same songs, most of all, versions of Rewrite the Stars, this being deemed the theme song of the book.

Songs Used in the Book
Rivera featured most of the songs in the playlist in her novel, though not all of them. She introduced them in her scenes by having her characters sing along to it on the car radio, playing it as party or dance music in the background, or listening to it on their phones.

Soundtrack Songs

 * Daughtry's Home was used in the prologue, when Marissa listens to it on her iPod on the way to her new home in the car.
 * Carly Rae Jepsen's Call Me Maybe was used in Chapter 25, when Johnny and Clara are singing together (badly) in the car on the way to Clara's house.
 * Sara Bareilles' Brave was used in Chapter 33, when Marissa and Jack Sydney are singing in the car on the way back to Marissa's house, as a reprise of Johnny and Clara's scene together.
 * Avril Lavigne’s Alone is mentioned in Chapter 37 as party music in the school's Winter Formal, to which Marissa and Johnny dance to.
 * Dua Lipa's New Rules is mentioned in Chapter 38, also as party music in Winter Formal, after the slow dance song. It presumably plays in the background while Marissa and Johnny are falling out.
 * Megan Nicole and Dave Days' Payphone is used in Chapter 37 when Marissa and Johnny sing in the car on the way to Winter Formal, once again reprising the 'singing in the car' scenes they had with their other love interests.
 * James Arthur and Anne-Marie's Rewrite the Stars was featured and used in Chapter 29, Chapter 41, and Chapter 42. In Chapter 29, Marissa hums and imagines the music playing while practicing her Valentine's Day debut dance. Chapter 41 features Johnny humming the song in the shower after rehearsing the dance to surprise Marissa. In Chapter 42, the full song is featured in the background as the song for the debut dance, also describing the conversation and situation between Marissa and Johnny.

Other Songs

 * A piano instrumental of Swan Lake is mentioned in Chapter 8 when Marissa presents a dance to the judges to get into the dance academy.
 * The Nutcracker song is briefly mentioned in Chapter 9 when the Christmas dance group in Marissa's dance class rehearses on the other side of the room.
 * Marc Anthony's Vivir Mi Vida is used and sung along to by the students, mainly Lupita, in the Winter Formal.
 * Loren Allfred's Never Enough from The Greatest Showman is featured in Chapter 37 as the slow dance song for Winter Formal.
 * Loren Allfred's Never Enough from The Greatest Showman is featured in Chapter 37 as the slow dance song for Winter Formal.

Original Songs
Rivera wrote two songs for the book, but later melded them both into one. It is meant to be Gracie's song, which she writes in the songwriting book Marissa gives her for Christmas and practices on her guitar. It originally seems like two different songs, but it shows that Gracie later fused them together, just as the author did.

Part of the song is first featured in Chapter 19 when Gracie starts singing with her guitar to tease Marissa, briefly singing a few verses of a romantic song. It is presumed as the original song she wrote.

I don’t want to admit that I love you…

But the truth is that I do…

I don’t even have an answer…

To the feelings that I stir…

The next part is featured in a fantasy sequence she and Marissa have in Chapter 30 when imagining how Marissa will confess her love to Johnny, one of these being a song on the guitar.

I have something… something I want to say,

It was something simple that I hid every day,

I should’ve said this a long time ago,

But I never thought you made me feel so,

Happy… you make me happy,

You stretch my lips into a smile bigger than any I’ve worn, yeah,

Happy… you make me happy,

You make the sky brighter and the feeling inside me is never going to fade away.

It is then converted into a poem for the Valentine Marissa makes for Johnny.

I have something I want to say,

It was something simple that I hid every day,

I should’ve said this a long time ago,

But I never thought you made me feel so…

Happy.

You make me happy, you stretch my lips into a smile bigger than any I’ve worn,

You make me happy, you make the sky brighter and the feeling inside me is never going to fade away.

In the epilogue, Gracie sings the full song, presumably named "Happy", to Marissa and Johnny after they solidify their relationship at the debut dance.

Happy
"Happy" by Gracie Baker lyrics:

Verse I

I don’t want to admit that I love you…

But the truth is that I do…

I don’t even have an answer…

To the feelings that I stir…

Pre-Chorus

I have something… something I want to say,

It was something simple that I hid every day,

I should’ve said this a long time ago,

But I never thought you made me feel so,

CHORUS

Happy… you make me happy,

You stretch my lips into a smile bigger than any I’ve worn, yeah,

Happy… you make me happy,

You make the sky brighter and the feeling inside me is never going to fade away.”

Bridge

Every time I look at you, you’re my light,

You’re the reason why I’m standing here,

Everything’s so dull because you’re so bright,

I am completely sure…

That it’s you who lights my day.

So I need you to stay, yeah.

Pre-Chorus

I have something… something I want to say,

It was something simple that I hid every day,

I should’ve said this a long time ago,

But I never thought you made me feel so,

CHORUS

Happy… you make me happy,

You stretch my lips into a smile bigger than any I’ve worn, yeah,

Happy… you make me happy,

You make the sky brighter and the feeling inside me is never going to fade away.

Final Verse

Oh, happy… yeah, you make me so happy…

Everything’s brighter, all because of you…

Happy, whoa, you make me happy!

I think of you and now the sky seems more blue… so much more blue… ooh…

I love you…

Yeah, I love you…

‘Cause you make me… happy.



Links

 * 1) https://www.wattpad.com/story/217235168-a-love-hate-relationship
 * 2) https://www.wattpad.com/user/electrawhittaker
 * 3) E. M. Rivera
 * 4) https://emrivera.wixsite.com/blog