For Jesse Wales

I know I should continue soemthing I've already started, but this is on my mind, so I'm going for it. I'm at a stalemate with the characters in my other works anyway.

By the way, I'm totally drawing on personal experience here. I just went to my aunt's wedding, and it was similar.

Timothy Lassiter looked on with dismay. Considering the lack of successful marriages he had witnessed, no one could fault the boy for being cynical about this wedding.

Of course, they hadn't exactly gotten off to a great start...

Hi, journal. This is weird for me... I'm Timothy, but you can call me Timmy. I'm 13, and a proud adopted kid. My dad, the tall man in the front of the shuttle, is my dad. His name is Carlton, and he's the Chief of Police at the Santa Barbara Police Department.

I don't really know why I'm introducing myself to you. You're just a book of paper, after all. Cattie told me to write like I'm talking to a friend, though, so that's what I'll do.

I've got brown hair, and I keep it combed nicely and parted down the center. That's how my dad wears his hair. He used to be a lot more uptight I hear, but my "Uncle" Shawn has loosened him up a lot.

Uncle Shawn is a fun-loving guy. I hear he used to be a lot different, though, too. Cattie - that's my best friend who gave you to me - is his daughter. When her mom/my ex-stepmom broke up with him and left Santa Barbara, it calmed him down a lot. It changed everyone. The old chief quit, and Uncle Shawn revealed that he's not psychic. Surprisingly, my dad didn't throw him in jail. It turns out he had known since about two years after he met him, but he had too much respect already by then to take the other man down.

I think it's odd that Uncle Shawn and my dad ever didn't get along. They, along with my Uncle Gus, are always hanging out nowadays.

Uncle Gus is my only actual uncle in California. He's married to my Aunt Lauren, and they have two kids. Rae is nine, and James is four. They're the ones making noise behind me.

Why are we headed to the Great Lakes, you may ask? Dad's step-sister is getting married at Lake Erie. The whole family is using it as an excuse for a family reunion. I echo Dad's sentiments; I don't understand why we have to fly across the country for some woman no one has seen in 10 years. By no one, I mean Dad and Aunt Lauren and my uncle called Victor.

I wish Cattie could have come. Dad says I should be happy my best friend/ ex-stepsister/"cousin" doesn't have to sit around a boring wedding. I still wish she were suffering with me.

I have to put you away so we can get through the airport.

Until then.

- Timmy

He had already been to two weddings in his life, and they went well enough. That wasn't the point, though. This wedding seemed ridiculous. The groomsmen were wearing shorts! The groom's bright purple tux seemed entirely out of place, and Timmy would have taken his peircings out before getting married.

Even their arrival hadn't been this ridiculous!

Hi, journal. We're waiting for Triple-A to get here. First, the air conditioning on the plane doesn't work. Now cousin Harry's car breaks down? Grandpa is yelling. Grandpa is always yelling. Everyone is hot, tired, and thirsty. We also haven't eaten since we left at four in the morning, so that doesn't help any.

Triple-A just got here, and so did Great Uncle Fred with his ratty yellow van. He smells weird, and creeps me out. We have to go with him to the Wedding Rehearsal and its subsequent dinner now that Harry's car broke down. I'm getting carsick, so give me a second.

We're at the church. My step-aunt doesn't even say hello to us. I totally feel like it was worth flying across the whole fricken country. This is ridiculous. Her husband-to-be, who is apparently 10 years older than her, is acting about 12. I've seen toddlers more mature than this loser.

I'm just going to busy myself keep Rae and James occupied. Later!

- Timmy

Timmy watched the bride make it to the front, then pulled out his journal to spare further agony.

Oh, journal. The groom's own father is wearing ridiculous costume glasses. This is a serious ceremony! If he can't even take his wedding seriously, how could anyone expect him to take life seriously? I'm not even 14 and I know there's something wrong with this wedding, so why is everyone being so supportive? Well, I guess you can't choose who other people marry. I wish them luck. I'm just excited to meet my cousins and my uncle. I've never met Uncle Victor. Dad says he lives in South America somewhere. He has three kids, and one of them is my age!

They're meeting us at the reception, which is where we're headed right now. Joseph is 14, and J.J. is eight. Since Grace is five, everyone has someone around their age to play with.

I have no siblings. Dad's been married, but he never had kids. He's been dating fairly consistantly, so I may have step-siblings some day. I probably won't have any half-siblings, though, because Dad is already 49 and not in a commited relationship.

Anyway, I'm gonna go meet my cousins. Until then, this is Timmy signing off.