Page 52 of The Dating Game

Maybe that’s crazy—and it’s almost certainly unobtainable since I recently found out that I’m a total bore—but it’s still what I want.

And Will can’t be that guy, not when he’s the amazing, unobtainable one. The ten. Well, aside from a few annoying quirks, none of which I’ve seen in a while.

So maybe he’s more like a 9.5. 9.7 when he smiles.

That’s pretty darn good.

I only wish I had realized all of this before I decided to go on a mission trip with the man.

No. I reject this last thought because I did not go on this mission trip for Will. I went because God convicted me to go. I’m supposed to be here regardless of how things turn out with me and Will, and I am going to show up for Jesus. I am going to show up so hard that by the end of these ten days I’ll be moving mountains.

Although I’m not sure Port Isabel has mountains, but I’m sure I can move something.

Maybe.

The point is I’m going to be intentional. I’m going to move forward with purpose. I’m going to show people the love of Jesus.

With this decision made I force myself to focus back on my book.

***

We’respendingthefirstnight in a church. Well actually we’ll be spending all the nights in a church, but this first night is a different church since we still have seven more hours of driving to do. There’s a girls’ room (the gym) and a boys’ room (the basement), and me and the other two female chaperones will be in charge of getting the 30 girls on this trip to settle down for the night. Meanwhile Will and the other two male chaperones get to rein in the 24 boys.

First though, the church hosting us prepped dinner for us. Which is just so nice. Then we’re going to have a worship service with their youth group followed by some large group games Will organized.

With only one bathroom with three stalls, it takes all 33 females quite a while to prep ourselves for dinner after ten hours on a bus, so the boys make it to the dining hall before us. They're all situated around the various rectangular tables set up for us, waiting for our arrival. Immediately I spot Will sitting with a group of boys. They’re laughing as they play some sort of game with a piece of paper folded into a small but thick triangle.

“Of course, Will had the boys wait for us,” Pattie Shay, one of my fellow chaperones and a regular worship team sub, comments as she pulls up next to me. “Always such a gentleman.” She bustles by, taking command by ushering the girls to their seats.

Feeling like I should be helping, I turn to the group of girls nearest to me and say, “You guys want to sit with me?”

There are about six of them which means 12 eyes give me a thorough once over before the girl in the middle says, “Yeah, sure.”

Guess I passed their test.

“Are you like dating Will?” one of the girls asks as soon as we’re sitting down.

“Um,” I begin uncertain how to answer that.

“He’s so dreamy,” one of the other girls enthuses, swiping her brown hair behind her ears as she sighs. “You’re so lucky.”

“Not like she isn’t gorgeous,” a third girl says, sounding slightly bitter about this. I’m not sure why; with her bright blue eyes and pretty red hair, it’s not as if she’s some sort of slouch in the looks department. Then again, I remember being a teenager and never being fully sure of myself.

“True,” the original speaker says. “You are very pretty.”

“Oh, thank you,” I say, slightly discomfited. I quickly add, “But it’s what’s on the inside that really matters.” And sadly nothing about my inside self has ever been enough to keep a guy.

Or perhaps I’ve never let them close enough to find out if they’d stay.

All six of them roll their eyes in such perfect unison; it’s like they’re part of some sort of synchronized teenage disapproval team.

I’m about to inform them that I’m not just saying that, when Will calls everyone to attention for a prayerbefore the meal.

The girls are dismissed first for food but I make sure to go last, just like Pattie and Amelia, the third female chaperone.

On my way back, I chance a glance Will’s way only to find him watching me. He seems unperturbed to be discovered staring, on the contrary a smile spreads across his face as our eyes meet. I smile right back before lowering my gaze to my plate and hurrying off to my table, my body buzzing with delight.

“He’s still watching you,” one of the girls says as I sit down, my back to Will thanks to the table configuration.

---