I swear I told Derek I would meet him at the park at 4:30, it's 5 O'Clock and I can't find the little brute. I fumed silently as I paced before the small wooden park bench on which my best friend Monique sat texting on her cell phone.

"Jessa, chill," Monique said looking up at me with her dark brown eyes. "He's probably just caught in traffic."

"Yea, bedroom traffic." I scoffed. Derek is one of my best friends, he's a player, he has the looks and charms that will make a nun drop her panties. But punctuality is not a quality he has. Hence me waiting on him for over half an hour. I swear if this was anything else, I would have just left his ass and told him to go get ducked but this is important, not just to him but to me as well, Monique couldn't care less.

My three best friends and I are werewolves, every year, on the day before Christmas Eve there is a ball meant for wolves to find their mates, you find your mate when you turn eighteen. I'm currently seventeen years old so I've never been to the ball but I have to go today because Monique and I will be Derek's escorts tonight. The ball starts at 6:30, dinner at seven and then mingling. So I've heard.

Derek turned eighteen about five months ago so if he meets his mate, he will have to abandon his playboy lifestyle and be devoted to her. Then again, it probably won't be a problem because I heard that when you meet your mate you won't want anyone else.

Finally Derek showed up in his black Mark X and Monique and I got in the car. I jumped in the front while MoMo got in the back.

"Where the hell were you?" I ask angrily as I strapped myself in.

"With my mother" Derek sighed as we sped off down the road to my house so we could get ready for the ball. That piqued my interest, Derek doesn't hang out with his mom, and she's often busy with her other eight children to realize her third eldest is missing.

"Why were you with her?" I asked "Not that you shouldn't be with her or anything but its just strange, you barely even talk to her."

"What happened Der?" Monique asked leaning between the two front seats.

"I went to go get my stuff for tonight and she saw me with the suit bag and shoes and stuff and asked what I was doing, so I told her I was going out then Diandra shows up and reminds everyone about the ball and mom asks if I'm going and I spent the past two hours lying and when that failed I told her I don't want her to come as my escort. She was hurt so I reminded her that when I asked her to be my escort to the Regimans ball she said she can't because she had Carrie's dance recital to go to. So I told her that when I needed her she was busy and that I don't need her now." Derek said stepping on the accelerator as we turned a corner.

"I'm so sorry Der." I said understanding how neglected he felt. I am a middle child so I know how it feels plus my parents have eleven kids and I fall in the middle. I've learnt to deal with the extra space I have, less family to pry into my business.

When we got to my house, we went inside and upstairs to my room which is the last room along the hallway. We closed the doors and got started getting ready. Monique and I got in the shower and bathed really quickly. When we came out wrapped in towels, Derek was already half dressed while Todd sat on my bed reading a book. He looked up when we came in. Flashing me a smile, he came over and hugged me. Pulling the towel from my body. Luckily, I was wearing a blue matchng bra and panty set. Todd laughed, his green eyes twinkling as he did.

Suddenly the door of my bedroom burst open to reveal my mother. We all turned to look at her, Monique who was attempting to pull on her blue dress with Derek's help froze and turned to stare at my mother in shock. She has been here night and day for the past three months and she has not seen my mom once.

"Hi Mrs.Archer." She said smiling at my mom who entered the room and closed the door.

"Hello Monique." She said "I haven't seen you in a while." She smiled as Monique finally got her dress up and made Derek zip it up.

Mom turned to me and smiled "Jessabell" she said looking at me as Todd let go of me and walked back to the bed.

"Mom" I acknowledged as I lotioned my body and applied my makeup and other things before pulling on my dress, Todd zipped it up for me as I adjusted the skirt part of my green hi-low dress. I pinned up the front of my red hair and left the curly back part loose then I doned green pumps which matched Monique's.

"You all look lovely." Mom said and I finally turned to look at her. She wore a pair of blue sweat pants and one of my dads white t-shirts which stretched over her seven months pregnant belly. Her bright red hair was left in unruly curls a around her head. I have her hair, however I had washed and dealt with my hair this morning so it would be presentable now.

"Thanks mom" I replied looking into her grey eyes, I had my father's golden eyes. "We have to get going now so later-laters." I said wiggling my fingers as Todd, Monique and Derek said bye and made their way downstairs leaving mom and I alone in my room.

"Jessab-" She began and I cut her off not really in the mood to hear anything she has to say to me at the moment.

"I have to go. Bye mom" I said grabbing my green clutch purse and made my way to the drive way where Derek had parked the car. It was agreed that I would drive as it is now 5:55pm and the ball starts at 6:30 and I am the only one capable of making a forty minute drive in twenty minutes. I took off my heels and got in the car as everyone put on their seatbelts. I started the car and took off to the hotel Marabelinea.

Hello!!! This is my first story on Wattpad, or any website for that matter. So if you read this please comment and tell me what you think. Later-laters :-)