"Stop fidgeting!" Lizzie slaps Joel on the arm as he fiddles with his shirt collar.

"Owww!" he whines. "Leah, this sucks."

I grin. "Look, it's my mom's wedding. I have to be there. And I'm dragging you along because you're my best fwiend."

Joel pouts then sticks his tongue out.

"I hate you Leah." he sulks. I pat him on the head.

"I know."

We make good time and arrive earlier than expected. It's only a small thing, Mom didn't want a huge fuss. Seth is bouncing round like an overgrown puppy-which in a way he is. Both packs are there, plus Billy and Old Quil and the imprinted-Emily, Claire, Billy's daughter Rachel and Jared's Kim from La Push. On Charlie's side there's Bella and Edward Cullen with their devil spawn. Oops I mustn't think like that. Jake imprinted on the little monster...Renesmee. When I heard the name I couldn't help but laugh. Some freaky mix of Renee, Bella's mom and Esme, that Cullen bloodsucker. There's a few others from Forks, but that's it.

It's a short ceremony and then down to the beach. It's a nice day-sweltering in fact- and Joel soon removes his much hated shirt. I can't help but stare.

"Close your mouth Leah, you'll swallow a fly." says Rachel, laughing as she sits next to me. I blush and look in the opposite direction.

"So, is he your boyfriend then?" Rachel asks. Now it's my turn to laugh.

"Joel?" I snort. "As if! He helped me when I left here. I live in his house see."

Rachel looks keenly at me. "Do you like him? I think you do."

I shake my head. "No. He's my best friend, that'd be really weird."

"I wouldv'e thought that you'd be good with weird, seeing as your a werewolf." she teases. We sit in a nice silence until Paul ambles over. I quickly make an excuse and leave. I like Rachel, but I don't think I can handle Paul.

What Rachel's said is making me think. I don't like Joel in thatway, and I don't think he wants more than friendship, but I have to be careful. I'm still trying to get over Sam and I can't use Joel too much as a crutch. Look at what Bella Swan did to Jacob, the pain she caused him when she used him as a crutch to get over her leech Edward. She feel for Jake, but picked the bloodsucker over him and it ripped Jacob up. I wouldn't want anything like that to happen to Joel.

"Penny for them." Joe flops down onto the sand next to me and I give a start.

"Sorry, I was in my own little world back there." I lie back on the warm sand. I love the beach.

"What were you thinking about?" he asks.

"Oh, nothing." I say offhandedly. "Just about us."

"Us?" he repeats nervously.

"Yeah...I'm pretty sure everyone thinks we're dating." I laugh. "Don't panic I didn't mean "us" as in a lovey dovey couple "Us"."

He grins back relieved, but I catch an evil glint in his eyes.

"Shall we give them what they want?" he suggests with a wicked grin and he lunges for me and starts to tickle me.

"Joel, get off!" I yell breathless from laughter. "You dork!"

I push him off and stand and he does too. We face each other, waiting for the other to strike first. Joel moves quickest and he scoops me up and over his shoulder.

"Joel!" I start hitting him on the back. Unperturbed he carries me down towards the sea.

"No!" I scream through my laughing "Joel, don't you dare! Put me down!"

"Ok." he smirks and chucks me into the water.

"You are SO DEAD" I screech and I start to chase him. He runs into the woods and I follow, hot on his heels. Like a pair of kids we play catch and hide and seek in the woods. I haven't laughed so much for ages. I don't even know what's so funny.

Eventually we stop and head back, red-faced and breathing heavily. I try to smooth down my hair, but fail.

"Now they'll think we've been up to no good." he winks at me. "You know, "just good friends" and all that nudge, nudge, wink, wink."

I poke him. "You're sick." I tell him.

When we emerge there's wolf whistles and whoops from the pack. I notice Bella Cullen smiling at me. Joel beams at me and I narrow my eyes. There's music playing on portable set of speakers and Joel makes me dance.

"They're going to take the piss out of me forever now." I hiss. Joel just chuckles down my ear. Ouch. Due to my acute wolf hearing that really hurt.

The song ends and I pull away from Joel to get a drink. Paul bounds up to me.

"Hey Leah! Hows it going with Joel then?"

Grr. Damn Joe. Some friend.

"Joel is my friend"

"Suuure." says Paul dragging the word out. I ignore him and make my way over to Mom and Charlie.

"Hey Mom, Charlie. Congratulations." God, I sound unenthusiastic.

Mom leaps up and gives me a hug managing to hiss "Are you dating that boy?" in my ear. Typical. I'm never going to hear the end of this am I? I smile and even give Charlie a hug, which makes him blush.

Mom and I go for a paddle and I tell her all about my life at the minute, including Ashley, the girl I saved from the bloodsucker. She's still in hospital, but I visit her a lot. Course, she thinks I'm just the one that called the ambulance, not the wolf that ripped her attacker into bits.

the sun sets and the tide pulls in. Me and Joel are staying at Mom's-Joe in my old room and me in Mom's. Mom and Charlie are going for a week long honeymoon in the Caribbean. I didn't know Charlie had that much cash to treat Mom like that.

Me, Seth and Bella Cullen are the last ones to go, waving goodbye to Mom and Charlie as they drive off. Bella says goodbye and floats off to her husband and the little monster and it's just me and my brother. I suddenly feel strangely protective of him, and I want to tell him that I love him, and I'll give him any help he needs, but the words wont form in my mouth and in the end I decide it's the wine speaking and mutter goodnight and go to bed.