My Favorite Part

Have we talked about this before? I can't remember. Anywho...

You know that time right between "just met" and "I love you". The part where you're trying to decide, to analyze, to decipher all the looks, actions, words of that special someone?

I LOVE that part. Be it real life, a book, a movie, someone else's story. I eat that stuff up. It's why I love young adult lit. I love reliving that time in my life.

In fifth grade there was the boyfriend of my soon-to-be-ex-best friend who was trying to decide if she was right for him and I was good friends with him and thought he was cute and was, of course, trying to help him decide what to do.... Naturally if I hadn't been scarred by the "you will marry who you date" idea, I might have considered stealing him. As it was, the flirting was fun enough and she ended up dumping him first anyway. (Besides, I wasn't ready for a husband at 10.)

In the sixth through 11th grades there was that one boy, RJ, who was perfect. Sporty, tall, blonde hair, blues eyes -what more could a girl ask for? Other than to actually be noticed by said tall, blonde guy. Yeah, there was a lot to be analyzed there (actually there wasn't, but teenage girls are remarkably resourceful when it comes to finding made-up clues that He knows you exist).

In twelfth grade, there was the case of mistaken "like" and the less said on that subject the better. Let us just say that the guy I had a major crush on was happy to hang out and do stuff but not much else so when another guy came along that wanted to be more, well my ego was totally up for it. In hind site, not my best moment.

In college there was that really tall, really smart, totally hot guy who asked me out a few days after we met. Then Christmas break happened and I didn't get to watch him at church or in passing to see if any of the "signs" were there. However, we ended up having an odd connection, in that his aunt is friends with my sister and his family lived in my brothers ward. Dude. Connections don't get any better. My family liked him before they'd even met him (btw, Grady Tripp -you raised an awesome family. Loved on reputation only).

That guy was my favorite story. Parties held on made-up excuses just to get him over to my apartment. Spur of the moment skipbo matches to keep him there. I even recall a "French Kiss" party that ended up just being me and his roommate. (Mom- the movie, not the action). My friends and I had a ball reliving every word and look -"did he or didn't he?", "did I or didn't?"

Man, I even had it worked out, on the advice of a close friend, that he was only looking for a friend and not a girlfriend so I had to play it totally cool. Until.. another girl stepped in and I had to totally stake a claim.

Flowers after our first kiss. Little notes and plenty of Riesen. Comedy Troupes, the Blazers, long walks and Valentine's at an antique shop. And don't forget the most righteous Reverend Al Greene and velvet pictures. Good times, all.

Where was I? Oh yes, I love love stories. More even than flowers on Valentines (which I also heartily love).

What's your favorite part?