May 16

Dear Diary,

I'm just gonna get it over with.

You know how in a couple of entries ago I mentioned Jared's eagerness to meet my mom? Well, unfortunately today was the day that he came around for dinner to meet my mom. It was dreadful beyond belief. I guess I'm just lucky I got to go so long before this happened.

Isn't family weird?

They frustrate you and annoy but at the end of the day you have to love them no matter what because you're related. Although there are times that you really wish you could change them, you wouldn't have it any other way.

That's what I kept repeating to myself throughout the meal with Mom and Jared. Unfortunately, it didn't help.

Jared turned up (actually wearing a top!) and was polite and charming and wonderful. Any usual mother would be rolling around on the floor in glee about how perfect he was.

But my mom doesn't care if you're the worlds nicest or charismatic person, she still thinks you're going to find a way to fuck her over. Maybe it's her job that's made her cynical or all the shit that's happened to her throughout her life, because, if anything, Jared coming across perfect makes her dislike him because she believes if you can't automatically see anything wrong with a person then she assumes their faults must be hidden deeper within. You have to have a fault. She can't just accept that he's an okay guy.

Well, he is a werewolf so in some ways I guess she does have the right to be cautious, but his personality is great!

"So, what do you do, Jared?" she asked after she frostily shook his hand, had awkward introductions and eventually sat down to eat.

Note that there was no warm, inviting hug when he walked through the door.

Jason was bouncing about in his seat in excitement. I hate him so much. I was sympathetic when he bought both Bimbo No. 1 and Bimbo No. 2 home.

"Err…"

"Do you have a job?" she pressed.

"I help around the reservation for the council, but apart from that, no."

"Oh, well, it must be very rewarding to help out around the place that you live. Have you always lived in La Push?"

You could tell from her tone she didn't think 'helping around the rez' was worthwhile in the slightest. What she didn't realise was that what he's doing is actually a billion times more significant than what she does.

Mom then quizzed him on a thousand and one things. His hobbies, his friends, his family, his 'reason' for making friends with me and, probably the most surprisingly awkward question, his grades. Why would you ask someone that? You just don't. It's too nosey. All of her questions were too nosey. But you can't just ask someone what grades they get, how the hell is that supposed to make Jared feel? And my mom is… urgh. She's disappointed when I get a B. And if it's an A- she asks me where I could have improved.

I'd love to describe in detail every strenuous question that she shoved down Jared's throat, but I can't. I'm trying to forget it. It was awful. Jason was just laughing and Scott wasn't any help either – he just had that 'you know what your mother's like' look on his face whenever I tried to get her to shut up.

It was the epitome of awkward.

She doesn't even realize that she's being rude. And when I told her off after he left she just got pissy and said she was 'just trying to get to know him' and apparently if he wants to spend time with me then she has every right to quiz him on his intentions and personality, as she doesn't want her daughter to be 'hanging around with the wrong people'.

She is literally a boyfriend's biggest nightmare. She's the type of mother that scares boys shitless. And he's not even my boyfriend! She knows he's not my boyfriend!

I walked Jared to the front door after the interrogation had ended and closed it behind me sullenly, taking a deep breath.

"I'm so sorry…" I started, because I didn't know how else to begin. I was mortified. I felt so guilty that I could cry.

He laughed and shrugged. "It's fine, Kim. I wanted to meet her."

I shuddered. "I'd say 'I told you so' like you did to me, but nobody deserves that."

He laughed and shook his head at me. "She just cares. That's not a bad thing."

"Yes it is!" I groaned. "Your mom was so nice to me…"

"My mom doesn't have anything to worry about, yours does. My mom knows all about this and she knows you're my soul mate so she knows it's gonna work out. Your mom just thinks I'm some stupid kid from the rez with the hots for her daughter. I know I'll have to prove myself to her that I deserve you and I will."

I glared at my feet, my cheeks heating up. One, because she's so embarrassing, and two, because he's not even my boyfriend, so him saying that he wants to prove 'he deserves me' is highly embarrassing. And don't even mention the 'hots for her daughter' bit because I don't know whether to sing from happiness, die from blushing too hard from embarrassment, or just cry. The latter sounds most likely.

"I should go," he said, stepping closer and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders tightly, unwilling to let him go. I could feel him smiling as he held me close.

"I really am sorry. She'll grow to love you, I promise; she has to. She's just a bit… cautious. It's not you, I swear. She's like this with everyone."

He squeezed me tightly and kissed my head before placing me down. "Don't apologise, you little stress-head."

I stared at him, still feeling guilty.

"See you later, beautiful."

I blushed again because he hasn't seemed to realise that, however delightful, I do not want to be complimented! He doesn't do it a lot so when he does it it's all the more embarrassing as it's unexpected.

"Jared…" I said softly.

"Yes…" he replied in the same way teasingly.

"You know how you mentioned popping in through my window after patrolling…"

"Yeah…"

"Would you perhaps want to do that tonight?"

He smiled. "I'd love to."

I smiled too and after a moment he sighed.

"Right, I'm off. Don't worry," he reminded me before kissing my nose and walking to his car. I waved to him and slipped inside my house again. I then argued with my mother (no other guy could sustain that but Jared, they'd all just run a mile). Now I've written this dreadful memory down I am going to dispel it from my mind forever. Like I've said twice before, I really just want to cry.

However, there is something else that makes me want to cry.

Later on, at about nine tonight, I retired to my room (after cheering myself up with watching Will Smith's new film), fully believing that the worst of the day had gone. Nothing worse could happen. I didn't suspect anything.

But what did I find when I wandered innocently back into my bedroom?

Jason. Reading my diary.

He saw me and a devilish smirk lit up his face.

"Oh, dearest diary, the most wonderful thing happened today!" he said in a high-pitched, pathetically girly voice. I don't sound like that. "Jared kissed me on the cheek! He looked up into my eyes and it felt like the Earth stopped spinning. He's the most gorgeous man I've ever seen in my life! Oh, Diary, I can't stop thinking about him!"

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" I roared and ran at him. He chucked the diary up into the air and scurried out of the room. I caught it and dropped it on my bed before I barrelled down the stairs after him.

"I can't believe you keep a diary!" he giggled. "This is rich! A whole new level of pathetic, even for you!"

I jumped the last couple of steps and pounced like a cat onto him, taking him down with me.

"I can't believe you read my diary!" I screamed as I pulled at his hair. "You're so out of fucking order, Jason!"

He shoved me over and we wrestled for a bit more, shouting abuse.

"Jared's chin dimples are now my all-time favorite things!" he said in the annoying voice as he kicked me in the face. I dug my elbow into his calf as hard as I could. For anyone wanting to hurt someone: this is a great technique if you have pointy elbows. Take your time to really dig it into the muscles for maximum effect.

"Aaargh! Oh, Jared, you're so gorgeous – but you'll never like an ordinary girl like me!"

He managed to push me off and pinned my arms under his knees. He stuck his finger in his mouth and licked it. I screamed in terror.

"No! Anything but that! Anything!"

He stuck his wet finger right in my ear. I squirmed and shoved and shrieked.

"I hate you so freaking much!" I screeched as I eventually pushed him off.

"Jared is so perfect. Jared, Jared, Jared! How ever am I going to stop thinking about Jared?"

We fought and hit some more until freezing cold water splashed over our heads.

We both pulled away abruptly and rubbed our faces in shock to see Mom standing there, one hand on her hip and one hand wrapped round a glass. An empty glass.

"Mom! What the hell?" Jason and I screamed but piped down when she pulled out The Scary Mom Glare.

"Jason, you're nearly nineteen! You should be doing better things than fighting with your sister – like getting a job or a place to live! And Kim, you should know better too, you're about to go into your last year of high school. Both of you start acting your age," she huffed and then marched off into kitchen.

I stood up and held my hand out to help him up, offering a truce. He grabbed it and pulled me down onto the ground.

I punched him. "You're such a child!"

Mom stuck her head round the corner and we silently got up and went and sat on the sofa.

"I can't believe you read my diary," I whispered angrily.

He just had that shit-eating grin on his face as he watched TV. I glared at him. He pinched me.

"You shouldn't have left it on your desk. Rather thoughtless of you."

I huffed and left, walking upstairs to my bedroom, where I then experienced déjà vu.

A guy, standing in my bedroom, my diary in his hands. Apart from this was Jared, so maybe a hundred times worse.

"Oh my god!" I tackled him onto the bed, whilst trying to be quiet as to not alert my family he was up here, and ripped it from his hands.

He laughed. "What? What is it?"

"Did you go through my underwear draw?" I whispered in horror.

"I'm sorry, what?" he spluttered, looking truly embarrassed and petrified.

"To get this?"

"No!" he exclaimed in a panicked voice. "It was just on your bed – I just now picked it up when you walked in! I swear I didn't!"

"Oh," I said, my voice not as high pitched and horrified, but instead quite embarrassed. "Right. Sorry."

I'd forgotten that when I had chased after Jason I hadn't put it back in its safe hiding place. Jason wouldn't go through my underwear, even to get this diary, so I knew it was the one place that even if he did find out I wrote one, he would never go there. I just assumed it was back in it's hiding place.

I can't get over the fact that I said that to Jared.

Jared laughed awkwardly and rubbed his neck. "Err, it's alright."

"So you didn't open it?" I asked, clutching it to my chest and turning my body away to shield my diary (and my blushing face) from his sight.

"No I just picked it up when you walked in, what is it?" he reached around me and tried to get it out of my grip but I didn't let go.

"Jared! Leave it!"

He laughed and then he thought we did some cute little flirty wrestling thing, whereas really I was having a heart attack and being dreadfully serious when I told him to get te hell off.

"Please, Kimmy, tell me what it is!"

I smacked him on the head with it and eventually slipped out of his grasp.

"Is it a diary?" he guessed.

I said nothing.

"Aww, it's a diary, isn't it? You're so adorable. Will you let me read it?"

"Absolutely not!" I scoffed. He pouted and looked up at me with his gorgeous eyes. "Nuh-uh, buddy. That's not working this time."

"Pretty please? With sugar on top?"

"No. N. O. No."

He pouted again but for once I wasn't backing down, there was far too much incriminating shit in this diary. I would die in the spot. Fortunately enough I got Jason before I talked about the werewolf stuff. At least I hope so. He only looked like he was on the second or third page and he didn't mention it, and he would definitely mention that if he had read it. Oh god, I really hope he didn't read more.

"That's so unfair!"

"No it is not, Jared! It's my diary! It's not something for people to read!"

He reached his arms out and gently stroked my hand. It was a very seductive stroke. He looked up at me innocently.

"But we're soul mates… we should share everything…"

I shook my head. "Not a chance in hell, Thail."

"Ooh, on last name terms now are we, Conweller?" he grinned and I nodded, glaring.

"You shouldn't have touched my diary, Thail."

"Well, you shouldn't go leaving it around places, Conweller," he replied, trying to pull me onto my bed.

"You shouldn't be sneaking around my bedroom when I'm not in here, Thail."

He managed to pull me down to sit next to him on my bed and he leant into me. "You shouldn't leave your window open, Conweller," he replied softly, his lips nearing mine. I stared at them, feeling myself lean into him slowly.

Unfortunately, I also felt the diary being gently tugged from my hands and I pulled away from the distraction of his mouth and regained a tight clasp on the diary in my hands.

"Naughty Thail!" I whispered angrily as he laughed at being caught out.

"I'm sorry. But you've whet my interest."

"Well that's unlucky for you, you little shit, because you'll have to live with that interest for the rest of your life. You will never ever get to read it, okay?"

He pouted and I put it in the draw of my desk before going back to my bed. There was no point putting it back in it's usual hiding spot now that he knew where it was. I can't believe I accused him of going through my underwear. Oh god. I'm such an embarrassment.

"You're no fun," he mumbled and I shook my head.

"I don't care. This is one thing that you cannot get me to do. Not now, not ever."

He frowned and I breathed a breath of relief and sat back down.

"Now," I said. "Have you gotten over today's disaster?"

He smiled as I sat down, leaning against the backrest of my bed, pulling my legs up.

"You're still worrying about that?" he asked although didn't sound surprised.

"Of course I am, I thought you weren't ever going to speak to me again."

He laughed and rolled his eyes as he laid down, his head on my pillow next to me.

"Nothing could ever stop me from speaking to you, Kim."

"Promise? Because I'm a bit of an idiot and I'll probably do more than a million things to annoy and anger you…"

"I promise," he said, taking my hand in this. "Although if you don't let me read your diary in the next week then I won't speak to you."

I shrugged, smiling. "I don't care. I'd rather you never spoke to me again than you read my diary."

He whined and I shook my head defiantly.

For once I wasn't going to be a doormat and I was going to stick to what I want. Nobody else is gonna get their hands on my freaking diary. Never.

On a lighter note, the wonderful Quil has finally phased. I think I was the happiest out of everyone when he did because I no longer have to see his sad little face as he traipses around school without the other two musketeers flagging his sides. I also felt so incredibly guilty about knowing and him not. I don't know why I had the right to know when he didn't, so unfortunately I was so overwhelmed with joy that when I finally saw him, all smiley and happy and joking with the other guys, basking in the feelings of togetherness, brotherhood and bromance that is emitted off of the 'pack', that I hugged him. Yep. I wrapped my arms around his (recently sustained) burly frame and hugged him like we were good ol' buddies. I don't know why. I've been a bit of an emotional wreck lately and I can't control myself when I'm like this. I cringe thinking back to it.

He awkwardly patted me on the back and I pulled away.

Quil wagged his eyebrows at Jared, who then protectively pulled me under his arm.

"Is that gonna be the new welcome for pups?" Paul asked me, grinning as I blushed.

"I didn't get a hug when I phased," Jacob pouted.

"Me neither," said Embry sadly.

"Yeah, but you're not as hot as me. Girls just can't resist this," Quil grinned and Jared punched him hard in the arm.

"Watch it, you may be a newbie but that doesn't mean you get any special treatment. I will tear you up if you step outta line," he growled but yet somehow managed to keep it light-hearted and jokey. The testosterone flowing around the place was so overwhelming I was afraid that I'd start to grow a moustache or something.

I also felt so tiny next to these five massive guys, but it didn't feel anywhere near as intimidating when I was under Jared's arm. In a way it felt like I belonged there.

Quil shrugged, grinning with a twinkle in his eyes that was even cheekier than the one in Jared's. "Hey man, she hugged me..."

Jared's eyes narrowed at him and they dissolved into some brotherly, affectionate fight. They're very cute. I adore all of the boys. They're so close and connected – even with Quil after such a short time.

It really was so embarrassing that I hugged him, though. I haven't ever spoken to him before in my life. Urgh. Jared's friends probably think I'm such a freak.

Kim Conweller

Okay, so I know some of you feel like this is dragging, so I think you'll all really enjoy the next chapter! Please share your thoughts on this as I'd really appreaciate it :)

Thanks again to everyone for reading and sticking with this!

Sugar-Ice - Thank you! And thanks for taking the time to review, I'm glad you liked it :)

Ashley C - Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!