Who We Love

"Christine, I can't believe you just said that. He sat with you for twenty minutes, chatted you up, asked about your school and family, and even asked you on a date. Does that sound like something a guy would do if he had no interest?" demanded Melissa. "You need to get out more, Baby. You're going into your senior year. I know your grades are important and you want to get into pre-med at Stanford, but you need to have fun Sometimes, too. You'll do even better in your studies if you're happy and enjoying life. Mitchell seemed like a really nice young man. He didn't ask you out because of some pity he felt for you. I saw him looking at you before he realized we were headed to your table. Believe me when I say this: he liked what he saw. That much was obvious." "Yeah, Sis. I saw it, too. I was just kidding about getting you different clothes, and him not being interested in you. I'm sorry I said that. I was just jealous that he was sitting with you instead of with me. I don't know how y

"I can't wait for the dance tomorrow night," added Hailey. "I just want to see the faces of everyone when they see my sister with the best-looking guy in the place. He’ll dance with me a few Times. You won't mind, Will you, Christine?" "Please don't get all carried away, Maddie and Hailey. Mitchell was nice to me today. I admit that it made me feel pretty darn good. But he isn't my boyfriend. You saw how those girls looked at him. What are my chances of keeping him interested in more than a week or two? I never had a boyfriend, let alone one like Mitchell. I'm not good at playing games and using sex to keep him isn't even on the table. I'm not going to take a chance on ruining my reputation, or my future over some boy," insisted Christine. "Christine, sex should never be used to control a partner, so I can't argue with that attitude. But it doesn't have to ruin your reputation, or your life, if you're mature and responsible," counseled Melissa. "It can be a wonderful experience that

Christine was surprised both by Mitchell's response to her apology and his declaration that she had a great family. She thought it over and realized that she'd never given much thought to how lucky she was to have the family she had. Maddie had loaned her the red dress and spent hours helping her prepare for her first real date. What more could you ask from a big sister? Christine also realized that she knew almost nothing about Mitchell and really needed to learn more. It then occurred to her that that was the very reason people dated. She had underestimated its value. Mitchell had spent some time with Tim Smith in an effort to know what to expect at the benefit dance. It was important to Mitchell that he make friends and be accepted in his new town. He didn't want to ruin things because he didn't understand customs in the area. He felt as prepared as he could be for what he expected to be a very memorable evening. As Christine and Mitchell entered the VFW hall, a tall thin girl app

"Careful, Big Boy," chided Christine. "Remember 'the talk' my father gave you. He's watching us right now. You don't want to face his wrath, do you?" "I think I'd risk almost anything for you, Christine, but not your reputation. Can I give you a brief kiss when the song ends?" asked Mitchell. "It would be very quick, and no one would notice." "Yeah, right, you silver tongued devil. If you're willing to face the wrath of my father, go for it, Tough Guy. But don't say I didn't warn you," advised Christine. As the song ended, Mitchell bent over and briefly kissed Christine on the lips and then quickly pulled back from her. To his surprise, the entire building broke into applause and cheers. There were more than a few whistles and cat calls as well. Men slapped him on the back as he led Christine back to her seat. Mitchell was surprised to find both Ashley and Amy in tears. "That was the most beautiful, romantic thing I've ever seen," sobbed Ashley. "It looked like a scene out of Prett

"Oh, no,” cried Christine. "Could you see if anyone was looking at us?""It wasn't too bad," soothed Mitchell. "It looked like it was just your sisters, parents, Aunt Donna, and a few other people I don't know. All of them were looking at us. Other than that, I think we went unnoticed."The door slowly opened, and Melissa stuck her head out and grimaced. "Christine, Hailey is so sorry. She saw you coming up the drive and was so excited to see you and Mitchell. She thought you were going to walk right in, so she hurried to the door to welcome you. She wasn't trying to be cruel. She's just so excited she couldn't contain herself. Mitchell, will you please come in for a while and meet everyone. It'll be fine. We were all young once."With that, Melissa swung the door open and gestured for Christine and Mitchell to enter. Every person in the room was straining to keep a straight face, except Hailey. She had a look of utter dread. Mitchell grabbed her and pulled her to him."What should I