Love Story, Part 6

That night, I was talking with my friend. I told her how I thought this new guy was cute. She shrugged her shoulders and started talking about something else. I did notice that after choir practice was over, the new guy went over to my friend Tricia and talked with her. My friend Tricia, was JUST getting ready to sent off her missionary, and I knew that she wasn't interested in this new guy, but I couldn't help but feel possessive of the new guy, even though I knew I had no claim to him at all.
For the next few weeks we would practice our songs and I would silently drool over the new guy, who I learned was named Steve or "Stephen" as he had it put in the program. I talked with Steve and learned that he really liked my friend and he would often come to me for advice.
Tricia came to me and told me flat out that she was NOT interested in Steve and that she knew how interested I was. We plotted and planned and schemed. We were GOING to change this guy's view of me.
As we got closer to the performance, I became better friends with Steve. He would confide in me about his plans for Trish, and I would slowly, slightly lead him another way. He asked me, in all seriousness, "Do you think I'm moving too quickly with Tricia?" UM, YES!! I honestly told him that he was. I don't know exactly if that was the turning point, but it was a major event in our beginning.
I continued to flirt with him while struggling to be his friend. The time came for our performance in "Greater Than Us All," it went wonderfully. We decided that once the performances were over, we'd have a party, the guys would bring drinks and the girls would bring the treats.
After our first performance, Steve asked Tricia to go out with him on a date. She agreed, but BEGGED me to come with her. Not being one to argue, and finding that I really wanted to spend time with Steve, I agreed and invited 8 more friends. We were going to go to the campus theater to watch "You've Got Mail," then going to the institute dance afterward.
When 10 girls showed up on Steve's "date" with Trish, he was a little shocked, but took it well. In the theater, it was arranged that Tricia would sit with the large group of girls on one side of Steve, and I (by myself) would sit on his other side. He even shared his large box of popcorn with all 10 girls.
At the dance, we all clumped together, like most girls at a church dance do, and Steve danced 2 dances with Tricia. Suddenly, my favorite song came over the speakers, "Don't Take the Girl" by Tim McGraw. I KNOW that I over-reacted, but I instantly began jumping up and down calling out, "This is my FAVORITE song!!" Tricia pushed Steve my direction and told him to dance with me, and he did.
While dancing he talked with me and serenaded me, singing the song better than I could, and with such a beautiful singing voice. We talked a little bit about his mission, which he'd only been home from for a month and a half, and soon the song was over. More giggling girls and talk ensued, and then the last song came on, and again, Tricia pushed Steve my way. It was "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing," by Aerosmith. Again, he serenaded me and we were happy. I believe THIS was his final turning point. He realized that he was being manipulated and he quite liked the reason WHY.