I was wiping the steam off the mirror in my bathroom when I noticed it. A quarter sized red and brown hickey on the front right side of my neck. Apparently my latest love interest had gotten a little too aggressive the night before.

At first I didn’t really care if anyone saw my love bite at work or school. I knew my boss would be concerned if I came to work with a visible hickey – but only because she would want to hear the gossip about who I got it from, how I got it and if it was from one of the other residents at the apartment complex we live and work at.

Then I found out my family was coming to have dinner with me that evening. Time to panic. I had never had a hickey I felt the need to hide from them before or couldn’t play off as a “rash.”

I knew I was doomed. Makeup didn’t cover it up entirely, I hate turtlenecks, and I you can’t wear scarves inside the house without looking like you’re trying to hide something.

My family ended up taking me to dinner at a cold restaurant, so I kept my coat zipped up the entire time. But my friends and I came up with a wide array of original excuses for my hickey and ways to get rid of it or cover it up.

Here are a few we came up with:

Excuses:

A dog bit me. I went to a costume party as Bella from Twilight and wanted to make it seem real. I got my neck caught in my coat zipper. A mean child I babysat this weekend bit me. I babysat a kid last weekend who was just weaned off the teat and he got really confused.

Ways to cover it:

Have the same person give you a couple more light ones so you can claim it is a rash. Go outside and rub leaves and grass on it — give yourself a REAL rash. For girls, wear a necklace ... then claim it’s irritating your neck. For guys, shave and “accidentally” nick yourself.

Ways to get rid of it: Put a bag of ice on it like you would any other bruise. Put a hot pouch or heating pad on it to get the blood circulating.

And most of all, contrary to popular advice, we decided it was best not to tell truth about it. Having a fresh hickey in the middle of the week is not going to get your parents to give you extra cash during their visit or convince them you are taking the test you had that day as seriously as you should have.