Friday, June, 21st, 1957

Dear Diary,

Yesterday was boring - until lunch time anyway. I spent the morning helping Granny make preserves to sell at the farmer's market. We only took a break late in the afternoon when Jacob came in and ate lunch. Most of the other workers brought their own, but Granny insisted on making Jacob's everyday. I think it had something to do with the fact that both his parents were gone, and Granny had that nesting thing going on.

We sat on the porch, talking about random things while he ate the sandwiches Granny made him. He asked where I was really from, and I told him a little town in Washington. He said he had relatives who lived up there, but his family had moved down south when he was a little boy. Turns out, my dad had been the one who helped most of them find jobs here.

I found out that he liked to build cars. He wanted to go to school for business so that he could run his own garage one day. When Harry came up to the house and explained that Papaw was on his way back, Jacob left.

I didn't talk to him for the rest of the day, but instead watched him out the window from my room as he and another boy his age helped Harry build a new chicken pin. I almost think he knew I was watching because of the way he'd glance up at my window every once in a while.

Dinner was just Pawpaw, Granny, and I last night. I helped wash the dishes before going out on the porch to watch the fireflies dance in the darkness. I must have fallen asleep because Pawpaw was shaking me awake while the sun was coming up over the fields of Milo this morning.

It was terribly hot so I asked Granny if I could go down to the pond to swim for a while. She said it would be okay, and told me to be back before dark. I changed into my bathing suit and threw on a pair of shorts and a tank top. Granny said I should take my backpack to carry my towel and books with me, so I had to run back upstairs to get it.

Once I left the house, I grabbed my old bike from the barn. The farmers were in there whispering about plans to sell the farm. I was never aware of such a thing, but it seems that Mr. Masen was still hounding Pawpaw to sell his land.

I really hope that doesn't happen. This is where I spend my summers, and Granny and Pawpaw have lived here since they got married. I've practically grown up here. I'm not sure how I would deal with them selling. I crept out of the barn, staying unnoticed by everyone. Everyone except Jacob.

He said that there wasn't much for him to do today, and asked if I'd mind company at the pond. I wasn't sure how Granny and Pawpaw would feel about it, but I told him he could come with me anyway.

We walked down the dirt road, him holding his t-shirt, and I holding up my bike with my backpack heavy on my back.

He talked about his sisters and his friends, telling me all about how funny they are. I told him how boring it was to be an only child, and that if it weren't for the summers I got to spend at the farm, I might have gone insane from the monotony of life in Washington.

The pond was warm, having soaked up plenty of heat from the sun. We swam together and splashed each other. At one point, I ended up in the deep end. I had forgotten how deep it was and began to struggle. It was scary at first; the feel of air leaving my body. I was unable to take in anything else, but water. Luckily, Jacob was there to save me. He pulled me to him and to the shallow end of the pond.

There was one of those awkward moments when you think that the guy that you're squished against is going to kiss you. I was scared. I had never kissed anyone before. I know that sounds dumb, being fourteen and all, but there had never been anyone that I had wanted to kiss. And for some reason, at that moment, I had really wanted him to kiss me.

But, he didn't.

I wasn't sure why, but he pulled away and swam to the other end of the pond, daring me to come back over there. He knew I wasn't coming over there, not after I had almost drown, but he didn't seem to mind.

We left a little later, after having air dried on my towel under the sun. We lay there silently with our eyes closed, just...being.

I've never admitted to anyone before, but that was the closest I had ever been to someone else intimately or whatever.

Could you really call it that? What we had done? I mean, we had just lain there together, not even touching, just soaking up some sun next to each other. Regardless of what you could call it, it was the closest I had ever been to someone of the opposite sex in my life.

He walked me home then left once we put my bike in the barn. All of the workers were already gone for the day, and Jacob said he had to go, too. When he told me goodbye, he called me something I had never been called before in my life.

He called me Bells.

I was smiling when I went in the house and found Granny sitting at the kitchen window that looked out at the barn. She didn't say anything, but I have a feeling she saw me with Jacob. It's not like she saw much of anything, I mean he waved at me and smiled. Maybe it was us coming out of the barn together?

I really like Jacob for some reason. He was nice and easy to talk to. I think I've written that in here before, but he is. He makes me laugh, and he just seems like a really great guy. I've never met anyone quite like him, and he's so beautiful. Yeah, I think he's beautiful. Is that weird? Probably, but right now, I really don't care.

I don't own the characters, SM gets all that glory. Except for Granny and Pawpaw, those two are MINE!

beta: ImaginaryHeartx

Prereader: luvinj

Those two are the besties. :) Next update should be the day after tomorrow. Hope you liked it. :) -km3-