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But the best thing about Jordan Jury's parties is that there are girls there, which means his parties are totally different from the kind I usually get invited to. The point is, this is a real party we're talking about, and not like the Lock-In, where there were a million

chaperones running the show. I have no idea why Jordan Jury invited me and Rowley to his party. It could've been my math book or Rowley's zit or both. But it was pretty clear that he thought me and Rowley were friends and that the invitation was a package deal. And I didn't want to do anything that might change his mind. WE ACCEPT! I can definitely pretend I'm friends with Rowley for one night if it means I get to play "Spin the Bottle" with a bunch of girls who are a whole grade ahead of me.

Thursday You'll never believe this, but Mom's not letting me go to Jordan Jury's party. And it's not because it's a boy-girl party or because a bunch of older kids are gonna be there. It's because Uncle Gary's WEDDING is this weekend.

This has got to be some kind of world record for bad timing. I begged Mom to let me stay home and go to the party, but she wouldn't budge, even after I promised I'd go to Uncle Gary's next wedding. Mom said I can't skip it, because I'm in the wedding party and I can't let Uncle Gary down. The thing is, I've been in Uncle Gary's wedding party every single time, and I'll tell you exactly how THAT'S gonna go. Uncle Gary's gonna ask me to be a "reader." Adults always pick a kid to read something from the Old Testament at weddings because everyone thinks it's cute when the kid can't pronounce the names.

AND THEN EZEKIEL SAID TO ZEDE-... ZEDY-. ZEKID-... WHA? I knew Mom wasn't gonna change her mind, so I didn't spend a lot of time trying to fight it. I just went up to my room and called Rowley. I told Rowley I couldn't go to the party so he couldn't really go, either. I explained that it wouldn't be fair for him to go while I was stuck at my uncle's wedding. But Rowley said he's practically a grown-up now and he can make his OWN decisions, so he's going to the party no matter what.

I got so mad that I hung up the phone. Now do you see what I mean about Rowley? That's just the kind of selfish move that makes me glad we aren't friends anymore. Saturday Yesterday my family piled into the car and drove down to Gammie's for Uncle Gary's wedding. I was in a really bad mood because of the whole party thing, and because of something else, too. I remembered that I'm supposed to get "the Talk" from Gammie this weekend, and I am seriously not in the mood for a lecture right now. The last lecture I got was from Dad's brother Uncle Joe, who told me that since I'm in middle school I need to start thinking about my "future." Uncle Joe drew up a chart that showed me