Episode 40

The next two weeks consisted of Spencer stalking Kelsey.  Aislinn and Caitlin became self-appointed secret agents, scouting out Kelsey’s routes and checking for Spencer behind every corner.  The two of them were the only spots of joy in Kelsey’s life – they were so ridiculous that they made her laugh.

Today was a Tuesday, which meant that there was devotional at the Marriott Center.  Kelsey was on her way, but running late.  Her phone buzzed – it was a text from Caitlin.

It read, “Moonbeams shine brightly off the wheat stalks.”  Kelsey rolled her eyes.  She didn’t have the faintest idea what that code meant, but it sounded pretty so it must be safe for her to be at devotional.  She texted back that she was almost there.

In the Marriott Center, Aislinn and Caitlin kept a watchful eye out for Spencer.  So far, they had sent the all-clear text to Kelsey.  She was at the point that she didn’t even want to risk running into him by being in the same building as him and they fully supported that.  Then Aislinn noticed a figure running up to the stand, late, just as the announcer stated that it would be Spencer giving the closing prayer.  Caitlin gasped and whipped out her phone while Aislinn dictated their mayday code – “the sharks are eating the pickles!!!!!! RUN!!!!”  Kelsey texted back almost immediately and thanked them and headed off in the direction of her next class.

The devotional was very spiritual.  After Spencer gave the closing prayer, Caitlin and Aislinn gathered up their stuff and started to leave when they heard Spencer’s panicked voice over the loudspeaker yelling “wait!!  Don’t leave yet!  I need to say something before she leaves!”  The crowd quieted down and many people whipped out their camera-phones, smelling an opportunity to become YouTube sensations.  Spencer continued, “Kelsey Crawdad.  I know that we have only been on a couple of official dates, but I feel like I know you from following you around. And I know you have been busy and haven’t been able to see me, but I am sure that you feel the same way I do.  Anyway, I thought it would be nice if we just took care of this soon, so…do you wanna marry me?” Caitlin and Aislinn stared at each other in complete horror.  “I even have a ring.  Where are you?”  The girls ran to find Kelsey and break the news in person.  Spencer’s voice followed them out.  “Kelsey?  Come on, don’t be shy!”  Aislinn and Caitlin just ran faster.

Episode 39

The apartment door opened and Kelsey hobbled in followed by the repentant Spencer. 

“Kelsey, I am so sorry.  I mean, how was I supposed to know that your foot was there?”

“You just shouldn’t have dropped your bowling ball!!!”  Kelsey nearly yelled at the irritating man. He was shorter than her and made her go bowling – this would never ever work out.  Ever.

“Can I help you ice it?”  He really was trying to be nice, but Kelsey’s response was just to forcibly push him out the door and shut it before he could sneak back in.  Through the door she heard him say, “well, overall, I had a great time!  You are quite a woman…we should do this again soon.  How about tomorrow??”  She just pretended that she heard nothing and proceeded to stomp to her room.

“Bad date?”  Aislinn asked sympathetically as Kelsey strode past.

“You have no clue.”  They sat down on their beds to talk.  “He took me bowling.  I hate bowling!  He made me play one and a half games, but luckily we got to stop after he dropped his ball on my foot.”  Aislinn looked sympathetic.  “And then, of course, I fell on the slippery floor while trying to limp out of there, so he thought that carrying me would be a fantastic idea.”  The sarcasm dripped from Kelsey ‘s voice.  “He is a skinny little white boy, so he dropped me onto my hurt foot just outside the bowling place and then had to act as my crutch for the rest of the walk.”

“I am so sorry, Kelsey!” Aislinn said, caringly. “If he asks you out again, say no, okay?”

“Believe me, I will never go out with him again!” Kelsey fervently agreed.

Episode 38 (really?)

The first month and a half of Kelsey’s final semester of university passed agonizingly slowly.  She was sick of being mopey and pathetic, so instead she was putting on a disinterested façade to the world.  She was sure her roommates appreciated it, especially Caitlin who was deliriously happy in her relationship with David.  The two of them were sickeningly sweet all the time.  Kelsey was just trying hard to focus completely on her studies and not think about Tom at all.  He was making that slightly difficult, however, as every week she received a letter, flowers, chocolates, or some other lavish gift in the form of an apology since he was still filming and couldn’t pack up and follow her.  The movie was wrapping up in just a couple weeks, though, so she knew that he would be persistent and that this issue would have to be addressed head-on soon.  She thought she might possibly be ready for that…but the prospect still seemed rather miserable.  She looked up from her boring literature book at the sound of keys in the door.

“Hey Kelsey!” Caitlin chirped cheerily as she and David walked hand-in-hand into their apartment.

“’Sup.”  Kelsey said, her attention no longer focused on the happy couple.  They looked far too in love and ecstatic for her tastes.  Caitlin just rolled her eyes at Kelsey.  In her despair, she was apparently attempting to act like a gangster (again).  Her baseball cap was on backwards and her clothes were…well…no more needs to be said.  She usually looked more presentable outside the apartment than inside (but that really wasn’t that hard).  David grabbed a movie out of his bag and put it into the DVD player on their tiny entertainment center while Caitlin microwaved some popcorn.  The two then started snuggling on the couch.  Disgusted, Kelsey moved to her room.  Their relationship was ridiculously perfect – it sucked.  She had just barely settled when a knock sounded at the door.  She heard Caitlin open the door and then heard a yell for Kelsey to come to the door.  She reluctantly stood up and went to greet her visitor.  It was Spencer.  Her jaw almost dropped.

“Spencer?”  She asked, still wanting to believe that this was not happening.

“Kelsey!” He replied enthusiastically (far too enthusiastically- Kelsey’s internal warning signs started going off).  “I am so glad to see you back in Provo!  And without that guy – I know he was a jerk.  You are better off without him.”  Kelsey stared at him in shock.  What the heck made him think that that was a good conversation starter under any circumstance???  But she composed her raging emotions before responding in a neutral tone of voice.

“It is good to be back at school.  Can I help you?”  Kelsey was trying her hardest to be polite.

“Actually, I want to help you!” He said perkily.  “I assume that you are feeling pretty awful after your break-up, so I thought that picking up where we left off would help.  How ‘bout it?  We could go out right now!”  Part of Kelsey was tempted beyond belief to slam the door in his face and hopefully he would catch that hint, but she restrained herself.  Where they left off was essentially nowhere, but apparently he was not familiar with that…this was not good.  But what choice did she have?

“Sure?” She phrased her answer as a question in a strangled tone of voice.

“Fantastic!”  He offered her a handful of weeds that he had picked on his way home and took her arm.  She stared behind her at Caitlin, pleading for help as she was pulled out of the apartment by her eager date.

Episode 38

Kelsey stormed angrily around her hotel room, grabbing handfuls of unfolded clothing and stuffing them into the oversize suitcase sitting on the unmade bed.  She was furious.  He had lied to her.  Not even just by omission, but right to her face, no less!  Throwing the last of her possessions into her purse, she zipped up her suitcase and wheeled it out of the room and into the elevator, all in an impressive 15 minutes.  She bet that Tom was barely even out of the shower and probably had not yet read her break-up note, which suited her just fine. She would be perfectly happy if she was long gone before he had a chance to follow her.  She arrived safely all the way to the front of building and managed to hail a cab, the rain soaking through her thin sweater, before hurried footsteps sounded behind her and a hand grabbed her arm and tried to restrain her.  She nearly screamed words that cannot be repeated and yanked her arm out of Tom’s grasp.

“Don’t you dare touch me!” Kelsey spat, angry tears mingling with the heavy rain falling from the oppressively black sky as she spun to face him.  He looked hurt and concerned at the same time, but Kelsey refused to let that derail her righteous indignation.

“Can we please talk?” Tom pleaded, his eyes imploring hers, but she broke eye contact.

“No.  I’m leaving and I never want to see your dirty, lying face ever again.” She tossed over her shoulder as she picked up her suitcase that had fallen during their little tussle.  Tom was suddenly right behind her, brushing tendrils of wet red hair from Kelsey’s face.

“Please?  At least tell me why…”  Tom begged, gently, his fingers caressing her face.  She turned away sharply and his fingers stilled.

“You want to know why??”  Kelsey yelled hysterically, “I’ll tell you why!  You…and that woman…you lied to me!”  She was having trouble with coherence now but she didn’t care.  “Your phone…and the shower…lies…I’m not stupid, you know!”

“I know you aren’t stupid, Kelsey.  I just wanted you to not worry about me and Bridget, so I kept it secret. I realize now…” 

Kelsey cut him off.  “You should have realized sooner.  I would rather have worried.”  Her voice was now just cold and emotionless, tears still mixing with the icy rain.  “Goodbye.” She threw her suitcase into the cab and hopped in, leaving the heartbroken Tom standing alone with the black rain soaking his body.

Episode 37

The next couple days, Kelsey was understandably a little tense.  However, things after 3 days had passed, she was feeling fine about everything again – they were back to normal.  Actually, better than normal!  She had never felt so happy before in her life.  Tonight, she and Tom just planned on having a movie night in his apartment while painting a banner advertising a charity comedy show that Tom was participating in next month.  He had arranged all the funds to go to children in Africa, but he needed to get the word out and Kelsey was determined to help in at least some small way.  She tried not to think about how ridiculous her little banner was next to Tom’s advertising and media power.  Regardless, she took the lids off of a couple little cans of paint and carried them into the living room which she had already covered (including the furniture) with newspaper to protect the couch, carpets, and table.  However, this very preparation proved to be her undoing.  As she carefully walked, one foot got caught under a flap of newspaper and sent the girl sprawling onto the floor.  Unfortunately, the paint also went flying – Tom, the lucky man, happened to be right in the path of the paint.  His startled face sported splotches of orange and green.  The disaster was not confined to his face, however.  It extended head to toe, completely ruining his clothes and dying his hair similar to a clown’s.  Kelsey felt horrified for about a quarter of a second before a tiny smile escaped her pursed lips.  Then she burst into laughter, still lying on the floor.  He looked ridiculous and she tried to tell him that, but she couldn’t regain her breath.  Tom watched his girlfriend rolling around, laughing and snorting, on the floor and finally couldn’t resist.  He let out a laugh too. 

Once both had regained composure, Tom headed off to the bathroom to shower off the paint while Kelsey attacked the mess in the living room.  The lyrics to “You Look Great in Corduroy Pants” caught her attention – Tom’s phone was ringing.  She could clearly hear the sound of water running, so she picked it up and was going to answer it until she saw the name on the caller ID –Bridget Tamoulsen.  Her heart sank.  She pushed reject and then went to the call log – it displayed a number of answered calls from the vixen.  She scrolled down and the number multiplied.  Most calls were reasonably long and there was one almost every day for the past couple weeks.  She realized that her knuckles had turned white from clutching the phone too hard and she threw it angrily on the couch.  She knew what she had to do, and she had to do it fast.  She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a quick note to Tom:

                Tom,

I know you lied to me about Bridget. It’s not okay – I’m leaving. Don’t follow me. I hate your stinking guts.

            Goodbye,

            Kelsey

She left the note on the paint-splattered table and ran off in tears to pack and catch the first plane back to Utah.

Episode 36

The summer of paradise was drawing to a close.  David was returning to Utah today for recording purposes and Caitlin and Aislinn had decided to go with him, as their final semester at university started in just two weeks.   They were at the airport now.  Kelsey, making the most of the time she had left with Tom, decided to linger until the last possible second – aka the day before the semester began.  He would join her in Utah as soon as possible (as 4 months was too long of a separation) but first he had to finish up about another month or two of filming. 

Tom was sitting next to Kelsey on the couch in his hotel room.  They had the TV on – the celebrity news.  Tom actually found it pretty interesting as a lot of these people were good friends of his.  Kelsey didn’t really care, but they were talking over the program anyway.  Tom had one arm around her shoulders as they generally maintained some form of physical contact constantly now.  She snuggled into his broad chest.  They sat there, chatting and content, for quite a while.  However, Kelsey sat up abruptly as she heard the TV mention Tom Hiddleston.  They both tuned in to listen.

“…is supposedly cheating on his current girlfriend, the red-head Kelsey Crawford.” Kelsey turned to stare, open-mouthed in shock, at Tom.  He was still as a rock.  The annoyingly cheerful woman continued.  “The sexy stud has been photographed with Bridget Tamoulsen on many occasions as of late.  It is rumoured that there is a little…something something going on between them, if you catch my drift!”  Kelsey pulled away from Tom, tears starting to build-up.  She tried to say something, but no words would form in her dry mouth.  Words continued from the TV.  “…confirmed by Bridget herself that she and Tom were ‘special friends’ – this leaves no doubt in our minds….”

“Kelsey.”  Tom started.  She cut him off with an angry shake of her head.

“No.  Don’t say anything until you explain exactly what is going on here.”  She said, her voice breaking.

“Okay.  That’s easy.”  Tom said immediately.  “Bridget and I are just friends.  We have run into each other a couple times lately, and you know the media…”  He trailed off, waiting for her reaction. 

She took a deep breath.  “Promise me that you haven’t spoken to her or spent any time with her at all?”

Tom seemed to hesitate for a second, but then replied, “I promise.  I have not so much as spoken to that woman.  Are we okay?”  He reached his hand out to Kelsey, who smiled weakly and accepted it.  They turned the TV off and just relaxed, hand-in-hand.

The Value of Examples

We are discussing the Book of Ether in my Book of Mormon class today.  Chapter 8 verse 26 reads: “Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come into the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.”   I really liked this verse because it explains the reason why there are so many wars and so much iniquity in the Book of Mormon.  Moroni was told that he needed to put in all this conflict as it would be applicable to our day and the spiritual war we are engaged in currently.  Brother Griffin presented an object lesson to demonstrate the value of these contra-examples.  He introduced a made-up concept and showed the class examples of it – no one had any clue what the concept could possibly be.  However, once he had shown the class a couple examples of what the concept definitely was not, the entire class could confidently state that they knew what concept he was attempting to describe.  The Book of Mormon is full of both examples and counter-examples so that we have no confusion about the precise nature of righteousness and wickedness.  With this knowledge, we then have the power to eventually defeat evil and become Zion, pure and clean.  At this point we are able to be accepted into the fold of God.  I am so grateful for Moroni’s writings and the lessons that I have and will learn from his words.

Final Blog Post

This blogging assignment has helped me to develop my writing skills.  The requirement to write often forced me to push myself to make writing a habit and to find enjoyment in the task.  I think that my biggest gain from this experience has been the discovery of my voice while writing my story.  As my story developed I was able to push myself and allow my voice to come through.  It was really nice to experience this less formal writing because I was then able to relax and follow whatever train of thought I felt like following - essentially, it felt much less like a chore.  I also grew creatively.  Before, I always felt so constrained by writing assignments that I was unable to ever go "outside the box" and express myself.  I have now discovered the more creative writer in me and can use this to enhance future writing opportunities.  This blog assignement has significantly improved my writing style.

Answers to Prayer - Extra Credit

This is an extra credit post.

We started Ether this week in my Book of Mormon class.  Verse 19 of chapter 2 presents some of the questions that the brother of Jared presented to the Lord after building the barges.  It reads, “And behold, O Lord, in them there is no light; whither shall we steer? And also we shall perish, for in them we cannot breathe, save it is the air which is in them; therefore we shall perish.”  The three problems in this verse are:  1) No light, 2) No way to steer, and 3) No air in these boats.  Then we discussed in class that the Lord responded to these questions in three different ways, and that all our answers to our questions will fit into one of these categories.  The first category is that of specific instruction. Concerning the lack of oxygen, the Lord gave directions to the brother of Jared to cut holes in both sides of the ship and put in plugs.  The next category is when the Lord just wants us not to worry about the situation – He will take care of it.  This is the example with the issue of steering as the Lord just told the brother of Jared that he did not need to worry about it.  The final category is when the Lord takes a step back and allows us to use our agency to make a decision, and then He will step in and assist.  This is shown through the problem of having light in the barges – the brother of Jared came up with a solution and then the Lord made his solution work.  All of our questions that we bring to the Lord will always be answered in one of these three ways, which is very comforting to know that we are receiving answers, even when it doesn’t feel like we are.  I am very grateful to have the story of the brother of Jared to parallel my situations in life.

Episode 35 - Extra Credit

This is an extra credit post.

That night, Kelsey and Tom ran into another familiar person – Bridget Tamoulsen, a famous actress.  She was the kind of woman that, when she entered a room, all the other women in the room took a huge hit to their ego.  Needless to say, the attractive brunette was not top on Kelsey’s list of people she wanted to see when on a date with her famous and ruggedly attractive boyfriend.  They only stopped to chat briefly as they were on their way to get dinner, however, during that short chat Bridget managed to weasel her way into getting Tom’s number – for “acting tips” (or so she said).  Kelsey was rather uncomfortable with the situation – she felt that the woman was going to be manipulative.  However, Tom obviously gave her his number reluctantly, so Kelsey put it out of her mind.  She went to an enjoyable dinner with Tom.

Meanwhile, Caitlin and David were sitting alone at a table in a quaint little café.  They had just finished eating dinner and ordered chocolate mousse cake for dessert.  As they waited for their order to arrive, David reached across the table for Caitlin’s hand.  He looked deep into her eyes and Caitlin felt her heart flutter.  “Caitlin.” David said, completely entranced in her gaze.  “I know that we have just barely started dating, but I feel so strongly for you and…I was wondering if you would be my girlfriend.”  The last part came out in one nervous breath.  Caitlin, stunned by this unexpected question, took a second to process before she smiled breathtakingly at David.

“I would love that!”

Late into the night, Kelsey and Tom arrived in front of the hotel room.  “Good night, beautiful.’ Tom whispered, then leaned in and kissed her tenderly on her slightly parted lips.  Kelsey swayed into his muscular frame – she always was unable to keep her balance when he kissed her. They stood there for a second, Kelsey’s head against his chest, until they heard the sound of approaching footsteps.  David and Caitlin walked up, holding hands.  That kind of put a crimp in Kelsey and Tom’s affections.  The two girls bid a slightly awkward goodbye to the guys and entered the apartment.  Aislinn was sitting on the couch, her lap covered with tissues and holding a jar of Nutella and a spoon.  Sad music emanated from the movie playing on the TV.  Kelsey, super excited, declared, “I met Zachary Levi and Tom kissed me again!!!”  Caitlin took a second to be enthusiastic for her before she announced her news.

“David asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes!!!”  Both girls were now jumping up and down in their joyful state.  Aislinn tried to be cheerful for them, but it wasn’t working.  She was just feeling much too pathetic.  As they readied themselves for bed, Caitlin and Kelsey made a pact that they were going to get Aislinn a boyfriend.

Episode 34 - Extra Credit

This is an extra credit post.

The next morning, Kelsey, Aislinn, and Caitlin were left to themselves as Tom was busy filming and David was recording.  They took this chance to catch up on their sleep and just relax – a day of pampering, featuring home facials and manicures. 

That afternoon, however, Tom and Kelsey went out for a walk along the boardwalk.  They strolled, hand-in-hand past the booths. “Look!” Kelsey said, pointing toward a booth featuring hand-carved jewelry with her free hand.  With the one held firmly in Tom’s grasp, she tugged slightly so that they changed direction and headed toward the little table.  “I just love this!” Kelsey gushed over the intricately carved pieces.  Tom smiled indulgently and said,

“Pick out anything, darling. My treat.”  Kelsey turned to him and said,

“I appreciate that, but I couldn't…”  Tom just laughed and replied,

“Well, I’ll just have to use my best judgment to pick out something for you, then.” He brushed one hand against her cheek tenderly.  “You are my girlfriend.  It’s my right to buy you pretty stuff.”  She blushed, as she always did when he touched her.  He then turned away from her and began to examine each necklace displayed on the table, searching for the absolute perfect trinket.  Seizing one, he immediately turned to the shopkeeper and bought it, keeping his lean body between it and Kelsey’s curious eyes.  He glanced over his shoulder at Kelsey, who was watching him.  He grinned.  “No peeking, darling!”  She rolled her eyes. His transaction finished, he made her close her eyes while he fastened the necklace around her soft neck. “Okay, you can open now.” He stepped back and held a little hand-mirror out for her to see the beautifully carved miniature sunflower made of pale wood hanging from a green string.

“Tom!  It’s….absolutely lovely!  Thank you so much!”  Kelsey breathed, touched by the caring gesture.  He smiled, pleased that he had made her so happy.  He took her hand again and they continued down the boardwalk.  They had only been walking for a minute or so when a voice called after them.

“Tom!!! Kelsey!!!”  They turned to see who was addressing them.  Kelsey gasped.  It was Zachary Levi!!!  He ran up to them, a charming grin on that oh-so-handsome face.  A little bit of scruff only served to enhance his attractiveness – it gave him a bit of a roguish feel.  “Wow!” Zachary said, “I was not expecting to see you two here!  I am a huge fan of both of you.”  Kelsey looked stunned.  Tom just looked very confused.

“Who are you exactly?” Tom asked.  Kelsey almost slapped him. How could he possibly not know who Zachary Levi was??  Quickly, before Zachary was able to answer, Kelsey jumped in and explained.

“He’s Zachary Levi!  Remember – he was in Thor: The Dark World with you?  And more importantly, he sang in Tangled!”  Recognition dawned in Tom’s eyes.

“That’s right!” He said.  “How are you, man?”  They then did that awkward man-hug thing where they sorta clasp hands and run into each other’s bodies. Then Zachary turned to her and enveloped her in a very close surprise embrace.

“Hey, Kelsey.  You sure are even more breathtaking in person – it’s wonderful to meet you.”  At the adoring look in his eyes (and the fact that Kelsey did not seem to mind his attentions), Tom decided that he needed to take action.  He very deliberately placed his arm possessively around his girlfriend’s shoulders as the conversation continued.

“I’m so glad you had a chance to meet my girlfriend today, Zachary.” Tom said, not sounding at all glad.  Zachary smiled (mostly at Kelsey).

“Believe me Tom, I am so glad as well.”  He replied.  Tom continued,

“She really is the best girlfriend a man could ever ask for – beautiful, smart, sweet, funny, really, I could go on and on about how lucky I am to have Kelsey as my girlfriend.”  Kelsey gave Tom a weird look – his speech patterns were really strange today…

Zachary also gave Tom a strange look crossed with a glare (when he could tear his eyes away from Kelsey).  “I completely agree, man.  Some guys have all the luck!  Anyway, I really should be off – catch you later!” 

“Alright, man!  My girlfriend and I have to get going, anyway.” Tom commented to Zachary’s retreating figure, then breathed a sigh of relief.  He had seen the way that Zachary had looked at Kelsey and didn’t like it (not as much as he had hated Joey, but still…).  Anyway, he had dealt with the situation very subtly by using the word ‘girlfriend’ 4 times in their very short conversation – he bet that Kelsey hadn’t even noticed!  As they walked off, resuming a normal conversation, Kelsey thought to herself that it must be nice to be a man – clueless.  Obviously she had known exactly what he was doing the entire time.

Episode 33 - Extra Credit

This is an extra credit post.

The evening finally arrived after hours of preparation by the three excited girls.  Kelsey and Caitlin were obviously enthusiastic to see their respective men for their dates.  Aislinn was slightly apprehensively enthusiastic because Tom had sent Kelsey a text saying that he was going to get a date for her so she could come as well – someone famous, of course.  But he never replied saying who exactly he had found for her…just that he was an attractive man (according to other women, as Tom would never….).  So all three girls were looking forward to an unforgettable evening – they deserved it after the disastrous morning they had had!  The men needed to redeem themselves tonight.  Kelsey’s phone started ringing at precisely 5:00.  Confused to see that it was Tom, Kelsey answered on speakerphone, hoping that he was not cancelling last-minute.  “Hello?”

“Hello Kelsey.  This is Tom.” Kelsey stifled a laugh at his extremely formal tone and responded in an equally serious manner.

“Hello Tom.  What can I do for you?”

“We – your dates – are outside your door.  May we have permission to knock politely?”  Kelsey almost lost it at that request.  Listening in, Aislinn and Caitlin burst into silent laughter.  Kelsey glared daggers at them as she replied,

“Of course you may.  We will see you shortly.”  She hung up as an extremely polite knock sounded on the door.  The three of them exchanged grins and went to let the men in.  Caitlin, easily the most excited, pulled the door open.  Two slightly red-faced men stood beside a confused, but attractive young man.  David grinned at the sight of Caitlin, all dressed up in her polka-dot dress and he in his suit for their fancy dinner, and immediately proffered his arm.  She took it and the two started down the hall, already in their own world.  Tom attempted to take Kelsey’s hand, however, the mysterious stranger stepped in front of him and claimed the hand of the fair redhead before he could.

“Kelsey,” he said charmingly, “it is such a pleasure to meet you!  I am a huge fan…my name is Joey Richter, although I’m sure you already knew that!”  Kelsey’s eyebrows nearly leapt off of her face – what an egomaniac! Although, she did actually recognize him…but that was beside the point!  Poor Aislinn… Kelsey pulled her hand out of his and firmly introduced him to her dark-haired roommate.  He half-heartedly shook her hand and called her ‘Ashley’ (which earned him a glare that he didn’t even notice as he was too busy staring at Kelsey).  The two couples caught up to David and Caitlin quickly and Tom drove them to the restaurant - Chez Romantique, the fanciest and most romantic restaurant for kilometers.  Tom had made reservations so they were seated immediately upon entering. They were escorted to a private table lit by candlelight.  Joey reached the table first and pulled out the chair for Kelsey (despite Tom’s meaningful gaze that masked his annoyance).  He did the same for Aislinn, but made sure to place himself on Kelsey’s left, since Tom took the place on her right.  David and Caitlin sat close together and began to look at the menu.  Aside from those two, who had a fabulous dinner, the meal passed in absolute awkwardness for Kelsey, Tom, and Aislinn.  Joey was obviously taken with Kelsey, and so directed all comments toward her, leaving Aislinn to eat in silence or occasionally converse with Caitlin (when she could be pulled away from David briefly) and leaving Tom to brood attractively.  Kelsey was just plain annoyed that she couldn’t talk to Tom (or watch him brood!!!).

After dinner finally ended, the group adjourned to the theatre that Tom had rented to watch “Ever After” – the men were not thrilled at the choice of movie, but the girls were using the power of guilt as long as possible to get their way.  The movie started.  Poor Kelsey was sandwiched between Tom and Joey.  Finally, she had had enough.  She turned meaningfully to Tom and said, “Tom, I think that the Prince is wearing buffalo briefs, don’t you agree????”  Tom stared at her blankly, wondering if she had gone crazy. Then, he finally recognized the phrase ‘buffalo briefs’ as being their code for ‘get me out of here now!’ and understanding dawned in his eyes.  Five minutes later, a mysterious emergency popped up concerning Avengers 2 and Tom insisted that he had to leave right away.  Kelsey, of course, was very considerate and volunteered to sacrifice her evening to help him deal with the problem.  They made their escape before anyone could question their excuse.  Aislinn leaned back in her chair and sighed.  This must be one of the worst dates of her life.  Easily.  Not even a full 5 minutes later, Joey got up and left without a word to her – she never saw him again (thankfully!).  That left her sitting, alone (except for David and Caitlin, but they didn’t count).  She looked over at them and saw that David had casually lifted his arm behind Caitlin’s chair and was inching it down toward her shoulders slowly.  Despite her inner sadness, Aislinn smiled at how cute and slightly awkward they were, then resigned herself to trying to enjoy the rest of the movie.

Meanwhile, Kelsey and Tom headed over to McDonald’s and their special spot in the back of the parking lot.  First, they went through the drive-thru and bought the little apple pies.  Enjoying their dessert, they sat on the hood of the car and looked up at the stars.  As it grew colder, Tom slipped his jacket off and draped it and his arm around Kelsey’s slender shoulders without a word.  Kelsey smiled and leaned into his very fit body. They sat there for hours, loving being close to each other and one with the night.

Episode 32

Kelsey returned to the apartment and shut the door quietly behind her.  Caitlin and Aislinn were sitting expectantly on the couch, waiting for Kelsey’s post-date story.  They started to formulate words, but Kelsey motioned them to silence.  “He’s probably still out there!”  She whispered.  They nodded and the three of them sat motionless until the sound of Tom’s car leaving was clearly heard.  Then Kelsey screamed at the top of her lungs, “HE KISSED ME!!!!!!!!!”  Caitlin and Aislinn jumped up and started screaming too.

“WAS IT LIKE A DEAD FISH???”  Caitlin asked impatiently.

“NO!” Kelsey yelled back, “IT WAS WONDERFUL AND STARTLING AND… I DON’T KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE IT!!!”

Over the other two, Aislinn yelled, “This calls for a One Direction ice-cream dance celebration!!!”  She cranked up the music and pulled out the ice-cream (well, Almond Dream for the beloved Kelsey).  They passed the night in a state of delirious excitement and insanity.  Chick flicks, chocolate, and lots of laughter characterized the regular sleeping hours.  But by 9 am, the risen sun found the three girls fully dressed and lying, soundly asleep, on the couch.  The evidence of their party could be seen in the empty ice-cream containers strewn around the room, pillows and blankets carpeting the floor, and movie cases piled haphazardly on top of the entertainment center.  In short, it was a mess.

Outside the hotel room, David Archuleta paced nervously, attempting to work up the courage to knock on the door and say good morning to Caitlin.  He had brought her a bouquet of pretty pink flowers to brighten the morning.  However, he couldn’t decide if it was overkill to see her before their first official date or not.  His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps.  He looked over and saw Tom coming up behind him.  Tom nodded, acknowledging David’s presence. He had come over early as he couldn’t bear to be away from Kelsey for a moment longer after the wonderful kiss they had shared the night before.  The two men awkwardly stood in front of the door.  David, uncertain as to what he should do, hesitantly knocked.  Then they waited, still refusing to make eye contact or initiate verbal communication. There was no answer or sound from inside.  Impatient, Tom knocked loudly.  Still no answer.  Tom then growled something under his breath and pulled out the spare key card and swiped it to open the door.  David’s eyes widened.  He was sure that that was not allowed!  However, his curiosity won over and he followed Tom into the room.  They both stopped dead at the insanely awkward sight in front of them.  The three girls were sprawled across the couch amidst a pile of chocolate by-products and bed coverings.  The men glanced at each other and mutually decided to beat a hasty retreat before they were noticed.  Kelsey, however, happened to open her eyes at just that moment.  She, grasping the tension of the situation almost immediately despite her fuzzy head, nudged Aislinn and Caitlin awake.  Then three sets of extremely angry eyes were directed in the general direction of David and Tom.  They cringed.  Kelsey’s hair was in a very messy bun on top of her head and her make-up was smudged across her entire face.  On top of that, the couch had left beautiful lines in her forehead and cheek.  Tom smiled uncertainly at her.

“You look…lovely?...Dear?” Tom attempted to placate the growing storm in Kelsey’s chocolate eyes.  It didn’t help.

“Get out!!!!!” Kelsey screamed and pointed toward the door.  Tom obeyed with alacrity.  Aislinn had left well before this point, and Kelsey now followed her to the sanctity of the bedrooms.  This left Caitlin and David alone.  He proffered his offering, the flowers filling the room with a sweet aroma.  Caitlin wasn’t looking too awful – she had no residual make-up and her hair was sorta straight (although she couldn’t say that it was her biggest desire to have David see her in her PJs).

“These are for you…I just wanted to tell you that I am excited for our date tonight!” David said, still slightly nervous.  “And I’m sorry for bursting in on you…but you look fantastic, considering, you know, the morning…and just waking…” He trailed off as he realized that this conversation was probably not helping the situation.  Caitlin just smiled (a forced smile, to be honest – she is NOT a morning person, and this trait was enhanced through staying up all night) and thanked him for the flowers, then sent him on his way.  She then joined her roommates and went to sleep, putting the awkwardness out of her mind.

Episode 31

They drove up to a deserted sandy beach (owned by Tom, of course).  The moon was full and illuminated the silvery water with its luminescence.  The warm breeze blew Kelsey’s hair back, the red shimmering in the pale light.  Tom gazed at her as they walked, an adoring look on his handsome face.  “Kelsey, you really are wonderful.  I hope you know that.”  She blushed, however the darkness hid the rosy spread across her delicate features.  Tom slowed his graceful walk and Kelsey matched his pace until both were standing still, gazing melodramatically into each other’s eyes.  He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then let his hand linger on the soft skin of her cheek.  Kelsey’s heart sped up and she realized that this was it.  He was going to kiss her!  At first, excitement was the dominant emotion.  She was ready for this.  But then reality set in.  This was going to be the most clichéd first kiss ever invented!  Tom closed his eyes and Kelsey’s widened in horror.  On a beach??? A beach of all places???? What if the sharks were watching?  He pulled her close and started to lean in.  Kelsey leaned back.  And seriously, in the light of a full moon? What is this, a cheesy romance novel??  Her thoughts continued in this panic cycle.  Tom leaned forward, his lips almost to hers.  Kelsey leaned back just slightly too far and found herself slipping in the powdery sand.  Losing her balance, she flailed frantically at Tom and managed to latch onto one muscular arm as she fell.  However, this only succeeded in sending her momentum forward and ended with her sprawled in the sand, humiliated.

“Kelsey??” concerned tinged with disappointment coloured Tom’s voice.  “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.  And hungry. Are you hungry?  We should go to McDonald’s.  Let’s go.” Realizing

 she was babbling, Kelsey leapt to her feet and grabbed Tom’s hand, leading him back to the car.  The ride was far too short and way too quiet.  Looking up from her study of her hands, Kelsey realized that they were in the McDonald’s parking lot.  “Why are we at McDonald’s?” Kelsey asked in bewilderment.  Poor Tom responded, confused,

“Because you asked to come here?”

“Right.” Kelsey quickly agreed and opened the car door.  As she walked around the vehicle, Tom met her and, before she could react, placed one hand on her chin and lifted her face up to meet his.  His lips, soft as a baby’s bottom, grazed hers in a tender kiss that literally sent shivers down Kelsey’s spine.  He smiled as she melted into his arms. 

Episode 30

All the girls woke up the next morning deliriously happy.  Aislinn, being the sweet person she is, was super excited for both of her roommates.  Caitlin was on cloud 10 (way above cloud 9) because David had asked her for her number yesterday and they were going out on an official date tomorrow night, doubling with Kelsey and Tom.  Kelsey finally had her first official boyfriend, finally, and, to celebrate them being public and official, Tom was taking her to the set of The Avengers to give her the grand tour and let her meet all his co-stars and other cast members.  Needless to say, Kelsey was unable to contain her excitement.  She was practically bouncing off the walls.  Watching her, her roommates noticed 3.5 complete outfit changes, 4 different hairstyles, and countless variations on accessories all in the one morning while she waiting impatiently for Tom to arrive.  Finally, the long awaited knock sounded at the door and Kelsey gave herself a quick final glance in the mirror.  She was wearing her bright red skinny jeans with a Loki T-shirt (obviously) and had her hair partially pulled back.  She was wearing light make-up that emphasized her eyes – she looked cute and summery.  She calmly answered the door and Tom immediately pulled her into a close embrace. “I missed you.” He muttered against her hair.  She felt her heart speed up as she replied,

“I really missed you too!  I’m excited to spend the entire day with you.”  He smiled and took her hand. It was a short ride (or at least it seemed short to Kelsey, but then time always seemed to go by super fast whenever Tom’s magnificence was near).  Arriving at the set of Kelsey’s most-loved movie series of all time nearly killed the poor girl due to excessive excitement.  “Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!!!!” Kelsey squeaked out.  Tom gave her a look at the strange high-pitched noise emanating continuously from Kelsey’s mouth.

“Don’t hyperventilate, darling!” he admonished in an amused tone.  They proceeded to watch a couple scenes from the upcoming movie (those that did not involve Tom’s character, obviously – please note: for copyright reasons these scenes cannot be described in this story. Apologies.).  Then Tom turned to Kelsey with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.  “Kelsey?” he asked imploringly.  She immediately narrowed her eyes at him, suspicious.

“Yes…?”

“Will you be an extra in one of the scenes?”  He smiled convincingly and Kelsey felt herself melt.   Without any conscious agreement, Kelsey found herself sitting in a make-up tent being fussed over by a hair stylist and various other bossy women pulling at her hair and dabbing goop onto her face.  Tom came in to get her half an hour later.  He entered the tent and then stopped dead.  “Kelsey.  You look…SEXY…to say the least! That is the only word to describe this…”  Kelsey smiled self-consciously, but did not return the compliment as he was in full Loki-mode and looked creepy (well, creepier than usual).  The scene passed in a blur of excitement – all Kelsey could really remember was standing next to the gigantic build of Chris Hemsworth (he brushed against her arm!!!! Swoon!!!) and following the directives of her idol, Joss Whedon, as to where to walk and stand.  She nearly fainted (aka “tripped”) the first time he spoke to her directly.  She ended up with a good thirty seconds of screen time!  Tom came by afterwards and then they walked to his car, hand-in-hand.

The First Step

This week in my Book of Mormon class we discussed the wickedness of the Nephites in Mormon 2.  Verse 13 reads, “But behold this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather he sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin.”  This verse made Mormon very sorrowful, as he had believed that the people were going to repent of their sins and become a righteous people again.  He saw that they were poor in spirit and were mourning – the first two steps on the staircase to Christ.  However, the people had missed an important part of the first step.  In verse 14 it says that “they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts and contrite spirits, but they did curse God and wish to die.”  The first step requires not only for the people to be poor in spirit, but also to come unto Christ.  This they did not do.  I connect this to my own life, as there will be times in my life where I am upset, but I have to remember to come unto Christ instead of just mourning and complaining alone.  I have to take this first step in order to progress and learn from my trials instead of merely enduring them.   This will lead me on the path to righteousness and development instead of sending me spiraling down into wickedness.  I know that as I come to Christ He will help me better myself and endure my trials with fortitude.

The Merciful Savior

I have always loved the scriptures found in 3 Nephi 22:8 and 10, which read, “In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee…For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.”  I love the symbolic language - the Lord may be angry at us for a ‘moment,’ however, His kindness is ‘everlasting.’  I love this because it is a testament to me that the Lord may be annoyed at me and leave me on my own for a small period of time, but eternally he will be on my side and will have mercy on me.  I know that He always has my best interests in mind and that everything He does is for my eventual eternal benefit, regardless of how I feel at the time.  This passage also talks about the “covenant of peace” that will not be removed from us.  This is a big deal to me personally, because I know that sometimes the hectic nature of life and the stress from the world overwhelm me.  I love knowing that I have that promise of peace from my merciful Savior to hold on to, no matter life’s challenges.  The final part of the scripture states that the Lord will have mercy on us.  I know that it is through His mercy that we are able to reach our full potential and reach the highest (or any) level of salvation.  I am so grateful for the Lord’s kindness and mercy towards me on a personal level.

Episode 29

David and Caitlin stood, awkward and alone, in the room.  They very unsubtly avoided looking anywhere other than the floor, for fear that they might accidently make eye contact and have the awkwardness increase.  Eventually, David broke the silence. “Caitlin?” he ventured timidly.  She looked up, a blush still heating her face.

“Yes?” she was sure he could hear the faint tint of resentment towards him still present in her voice.   He looked like he winced slightly at the edgy tone, but then he continued,

“I wanted to apologize.  For the concert.”  Now he commanded her full attention.  “That must have been awfully embarrassing for you.  I’m really sorry.  I was intending to pick you, but then you were so gorgeous that you took my breath away, and…I don’t know.  I got scared, I guess!”  She looked at him, her eyes wide and her heart beating WAY faster than could possibly be healthy.  This was truly a dream come true!  She beamed at him, and as they stared into each other’s eyes, they knew that all was forgiven and that this would be the start of something new and wonderful.

However, Kelsey and Tom’s conversation did not sound quite as promising.  Kelsey was freaking out.  There is no other way to describe it.  Her frantic, wide-eyed stare couldn’t focus even on the perfection of Tom’s face, nor would she listen to his velvety attempts to sooth her frazzled nerves. “Kelsey,” he tried, yet again, to calm her down.

“No Tom!” she practically yelled at him.  “I have every right to be upset right now!!!”  He caught and held her flailing arms before she clocked him (or herself – this is Kelsey, after all).

“Calm down,” he insisted, quietly, staring deep into her defiant gaze.

“What are we going to do?” Kelsey asked, her voice almost a whisper, extremely conscious of the closeness of his face near hers.  She slowly closed her eyes and leaned in, convinced that he was going to kiss her. A second passed with her standing there, eyes closed and lips partially puckered before she realized that his lips were not coming to meet hers.  She quickly opened her eyes and saw that Tom was standing there, eyes closed as well (praise the Lord!) and contemplating the situation.   Maybe he hadn’t noticed?  Kelsey wished she could sink into the floor as she saw the cheeky grin on his face.  He had totally noticed.  She was positive and ready to die of embarrassment. He answered the question that she had almost forgotten that she had asked,

“How about…” he paused and cleared his throat nervously, then continued in a husky sexy voice, whispered in her ear.  “How about we prove them right?”  Kelsey stiffened, confused.  Did he just?  He then proceeded to clarify.  “Kelsey, I really really like you.  And I think that we have something very special. I think it’s time we made it official – will you be my girlfriend?”  Kelsey felt on top of the world as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around Tom’s neck, his broad shoulders strong against her arms.

“I would love that!” She agreed with a smile on her face.

Ye Are Weak

In my Book of Mormon class this week, we discussed a scripture in 3 Nephi 17.  In verse 2, Christ tells the multitude that “I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time.”  At this point, the people are exhausted.  Their brains are completely full of the knowledge that Jesus has revealed unto them thus far, and they are just unable to receive anything more.  Christ, in His infinite wisdom, realizes this and decides to postpone the rest of His discussion until they are again ready to learn.  I connected this experience to my own life – I am weak, and there are times when I am not ready to receive certain knowledge or revelation that my Heavenly Father intends for me.  However, Christ will be patient with me just as He was with the multitude.  He will wait until I have reached the point where I can accept and act upon the knowledge or inspiration He knows I will need.  This thought always gives me great comfort because there are times in my life when I am scared that I am not receiving inspiration that I (in my mortal weakness) feel is essential to me at the time.  I am so grateful to know that Jesus is watching over me and that He knows the exact right moment for the revelation to come to me. Knowing this, I am able to go forward with faith.

He Already Knows

At the start of my Book of Mormon class today, we were all asked to think about something in the assigned reading that spoke to us.  In my case, 3 Nephi 13:8 was a verse that I really needed to hear.  It reads: “Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him.”  I know that in my personal prayers, I will often get discouraged and probably not spend as much time communicating with my Heavenly Father as I should, and usually the reason for this lack is because I often do not know how exactly to express my feelings or my situation to Him.  However, this verse helped me to understand that He knows precisely what I am going through and understands the emotions that I am trying so desperately to convey.  In fact, I would venture to say that he knows my feeling and experiences and understands them far better than I do or ever could.  I am so grateful to have this knowledge and to know that prayer is implemented for my benefit, not my Father’s. He already knows – it’s me that requires this communication channel.  He wants to give me everything I need to succeed, and all I need to do is be righteous and to ask Him for these promised blessings.  I want to conclude with my testimony of the power of prayer as a tool to become closer to our Heavenly Father – through this sacred experience we can enable us to draw near unto Him.

Episode 28

They arrive at the concert that night.  Caitlin was ecstatic.  She hadn’t stopped smiling for the last couple hours – ever since Tom had announced that they had front row seats (aka standing space around the stage).  She had never really liked Tom overly much, to be completely honest, however, right now he was easily her second favourite person in the entire world (David Archuleta is the obvious first choice though).  They gathered at the front of the large screaming crowd just as David walked out onto the stage.  Kelsey and Aislinn later swore that they saw Caitlin begin to swoon, but she denies it (and her version is always correct).  David greeted the audience with, “Hello Disneyworld!  I’m David Archuleta and I’m so happy to be with you tonight!”  The screaming intensified, Kelsey, Aislinn, and especially Caitlin significantly adding to the noise.  He began to sing – the voice of an angel.  Everything was perfect.  Then he started to sing “My Kind of Perfect” (Caitlin’s absolute favourite of his songs, of course, since it was obviously written about her) and started scanning the audience.  His eyes met Caitlin’s in a moment which seemed to her to last forever.  Her breath caught in her throat.  He leaned down and extended a hand out – she started to reach for it, but stopped abruptly as he pulled the simpering dumb-blonde next to her on stage instead.  Her cheeks flushed bright red as David proceeded to finish the song, serenading the ditz on stage.  Aislinn and Kelsey just stared, mouths open.  They had been so sure that he was reaching for their friend…they didn’t know what to say.  The concert ended after one final song and Tom (oblivious to everything that had just occurred) suggested that they go backstage and meet the star of the evening.  Caitlin stared down at the lush grass, biting her lip.  Then she looked up and nodded.

“Let’s go meet the jerk! Then I’ll be over him forever.” Kelsey and Aislinn exchanged a look, which Caitlin interpreted as “my gosh she is overreacting, but she is still our friend and we should support her craziness.”  She sort of appreciated the sentiment behind it.  Sure, she was acting a little crazy, but that was allowed, right? Her dream had just been cruelly shattered into a million sharp little shards ready to hurt her at every step.  The world sucks. Kelsey snapped her out of her deteriorating circle of thoughts by grabbing her arm and propelling her after the clueless Tom.  Aislinn attached to her other side.

“…to meet you too!” The end of Tom and David’s introduction echoed through the hallway as the girls walked, Caitlin dragging her steps slightly.  They arrived and saw the two men shake hands.  David was even more attractive in person, Caitlin thought, but then stopped that train before it derailed her disappointment.  Tom introduced each of them in turn, Caitlin last as she was standing behind her roommates.  As David approached to shake her hand as he had everyone else’s, he paused and she could see the recognition in his eyes.  She blushed again.  He remembered her and his deliberate slight!  The nerve.  He smoothly shook her hand while avoiding eye contact and then turned to Tom who was standing next to Kelsey, very obviously standing closer to her than just a friend would, but not actually touching her.

“Oh, Tom, Kelsey,” David said, giving the couple a friendly smile, “congrats!  I just saw the news online.”  Tom and Kelsey glanced at each other in confusion.

“What news?” They demanded, almost in unison.  David looked taken aback at their vehement response to his simple gesture. He pulled out his phone and responded,

“This, of course.  You two are dating, right?”  Kelsey almost snatched the phone from his hands and she and Tom both peered at the screen.  It showed a picture of Kelsey wrapped up in Tom’s arms with the heading saying, “Tom’s New Squeeze – Now it’s Official!” with a smaller line under reading “Read more on Tom’s new girlfriend and their first public appearance.”  Caitlin and Aislinn had joined their huddle and watched as Kelsey went very very pale (a pretty amazing feat, for her).

“Oh my gosh…” Kelsey said.  She looked at Tom, who looked like he had no idea what to make of this development.  “What exactly are we going to do about this?? We aren’t ready…we can’t… how DARE they do this…I’m going to KILL…how did they?” Tom stopped Kelsey and started talking rationally.

“Remember when you tripped and fell this morning off the Pirates ride and I caught you?” Kelsey nodded mutely and Tom continued, “that is where the photo is from.  There must have been a hidden paparazzi somewhere.  I guess they reached their own conclusions to sell the story.” David interjected,

“Word travels fast.  I’m sorry… I didn’t realize…”  They quickly reassured him that he was not at fault.  Then Kelsey looked up at Tom and asked,

“Can we go somewhere…else… and talk?”  He nodded and they left.  Aislinn, sensing the tension in the air between David and Caitlin, decided that it was best for them to talk by themselves and graciously excused herself to use the bathroom.

The Higher Law

Two scriptures really stood out to me in the reading for my Book of Mormon class this week – 3 Nephi 9:19-20.  It reads, “And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit….”  This is the voice of Christ speaking to the people in the Americas at the time of His ascension into the Spirit World.  He is establishing the higher law – His sacrifice is infinite and eternal, so He no longer requires the shedding of animal blood.  He has fulfilled every aspect of the lower law through His death, so this lesser law is now no longer needed.  The higher law now requires that we come to Christ with humility, faith, and repentance and beg for him to accept our offering and to redeem us from our fallen state.  I know that in my life, I am striving to develop this “broken heart and contrite spirit” so that I can come closer to my Savior and fully accept His teachings.  I know that if I do this, I will be blessed with greater faith and forgiveness of my many imperfections.  I am so grateful for this higher law that allows me to gain humility and become a better and more spiritually-aware person.  This scripture changed the entire structure of the church, and it can do the same for each of us in our own lives.

Episode 27

Tom had another surprise for Kelsey today, and he wouldn’t tell her what it was.  It was driving her crazy.  He came to pick them for their trip to Disneyworld early (like 7am early) that morning.  Kelsey was obviously excited, as this was literally her favourite place on the planet.  The short drive was endless anticipation.  Aislinn and Caitlin were only slightly more composed than Kelsey, but, she did have Tom to add to her excitement.  They arrived at the park and used Tom’s VIP pass to get them through without having to wait in line.  “Being a celebrity has its perks.” Tom winked at Kelsey as he pulled out their fast-pass tickets - they applied to every ride in the park so that they would never have to wait in line.  She grinned at him and pulled him straight to her favourite ride – Pirates of the Caribbean.  Aislinn and Caitlin elected to let the couple go their own way for a bit, so they headed off to Space Mountain.  (And by elected, what really happened is that Kelsey started giving them the eye that means “back off now or else we are going to have an issue, in the most loving way possible, of course” – they got the hint.)  Arriving at the front of the line (thanks to Tom) Kelsey boarded the ride with the attractive actor following her to the seat beside her.  He causally draped one arm around her shoulders and Kelsey felt her heart flutter at the touch.  She leaned into his strong chest as the ride began.  They stayed like that for the duration of the ride, enjoying being close to each other.  As the ride ended, Tom leapt gracefully out and grabbed Kelsey’s hands to help her out of the cart.  As she stepped out, her shoe caught on the edge of the sidewalk and she felt herself falling forward.  Tom immediately stepped forward to catch her, which he did successfully, of course, his muscles flexing slightly under his shirt as he pulled her to his body.  He held her for a second longer than courtesy dictated (which she didn’t mind in the slightest) as he muttered in her ear, “Are you alright, darling?”  She pulled away, her cheeks heating up.

“I’m fine…” she replied.  It was always his fault! Why did she look so clumsy around him all the time?  He laughed at her expression and quickly changed the subject back to what ride they wanted to try next.  The rest of the day consisted of a series of rides with Tom always there, glued to her side.  She felt on top of the world.  They met up with her roommates for dinner that evening at a little café still within the park boundaries.  The dinner conversation was light and casual, centered on everyone’s day, until Tom remarked,

“Oh, by the way Kelsey, I was wondering if you wanted to stay for the concert tonight.”  She turned to him and asked,

“Which concert was this?”  She tried to think, but she was positive that they hadn’t discussed this.  He smiled and replied,

“David Archuleta’s, of course. I thought you knew he was performing tonight at Disneyworld.”  He kept talking on, not realizing that all three girls had long since stopped listening to a word he was saying.  Kelsey and Aislinn were both staring at Caitlin, whose face had been reflecting emotion after emotion since Tom had mentioned David’s name.  Surprise. Excitement. Terror. And then a ton of excitement.

“David Archuleta?????”  She gasped. “Are you serious? I love him!”  Tom looked surprised at her fervor.

“Yeah.” He said cautiously, not quite sure how to deal with this situation.  Kelsey saved him by saying,

“Don’t worry, Caitlin. We are going, and you will meet David Archuleta tonight!”  Caitlin looked like the happiest girl in the entire world.

Episode 26

That night, long after Tom had dropped them back at the apartment, Kelsey was quietly reading through a new book she had recently bought on Lord Byron’s romantic poetry when she heard a firm, but soft, knock at the door.  She stood and answered it quickly – it was late and Aislinn and Caitlin were both in bed.  She pulled the door open and Tom was standing there, radiating suppressed urgency and intensity.  “Tom?” Kelsey asked, “is everything alright?  What are you doing here so late?”  He hesitated and took a deep breath before answering.

“I just…I just need to see you.  And talk to you.” Kelsey felt her heart drop down to her slippered feet.  This could not be good.

“Okaayy…” Kelsey said cautiously, “do you want to come in?”  He shook his head.

“How about we take a walk? It’s lovely out.”  She agreed, and they left the hotel, Kelsey still in her pajama pants.  They walked in silence for a little while, Kelsey’s heart slowly breaking.  She knew this was it.  Everything had been too good to be true, and now it was all going to end.  She fought to hold back the hot tears that threatened to escape her chocolate eyes.  They continued walking until they reached a small bench, where they both sat down. Tom didn’t seem to notice Kelsey’s distress as he turned to her and took both her hands in his.  He took a couple deep breaths.  “Kelsey.  I really like you.  I love to spend time with you.” Kelsey closed her eyes, refusing to fall into his stormy depths.  This was where the ‘but’ would come in, she knew. He continued, “And it’s crazy how much I care about you already!  I had to tell you how much you mean to me.  And I need to know if you feel the same way before I continue making a fool of myself.”  He fell silent and waited expectantly for Kelsey’s response to his declaration of like.  She had been listening intently, an inscrutable expression on her face, but now, her worst fears dying in the wake of her happiness, a smile burst onto her lips.  She pulled both her hands free and threw her arms around Tom’s neck.  He tensed at first, but then relaxed into the surprise embrace.

“What kind of a question is that?” she demanded, “you know that I am crazy about you as well!”  He let out the breath that he had been holding for what felt like forever.

“I am so relieved!” He said, sounding very sincere. “Thank you for putting my mind at rest.”  He walked her back to her room, both extremely happy with the night’s revelations.

Episode 25

Kelsey woke up the next morning, thoughts of Tom constantly running through her head.  Caitlin and Aislinn were already up (as they had gone to bed at a reasonable hour) and were making what smelled like blueberry pancakes in their little kitchen.  “Morning!” Aislinn and Caitlin chorused as Kelsey dragged her tired self into the swirl of delicious smells.  They were answered with an extremely attractive grunt from the sleepy redhead.  That was to be expected, however.  This was Kelsey, after all.  She is not a morning person.  Caitlin tried a different tactic.

“Kelsey,” she said in a teasing tone of voice, “guess where Tom is taking all of us today.”  That immediately got Kelsey’s attention.

“Where?” The single word was actually fairly audible.

“The beach!!” Aislinn replied, excited for their upcoming adventure.  “You have about half an hour to get ready.”

“What now??” Kelsey scrambled to her feet from her lazy flop on the couch, adrenaline warring with exhaustion.  The next thirty minutes passed in a hectic blur as Kelsey practically swallowed a pancake whole, shaved her legs, and finished getting ready.  By the time Tom arrived to pick them up, she looked stunning, of course.  And calm even.

“Good morning, beautiful!” He greeted her with a smile that included both her roommates.

“Good morning!” Kelsey replied, batting her eyes.  She immediately felt ridiculous and resolved to never ever do that again.  She just hoped that either Tom hadn’t noticed the awkward gesture or that he thought she was just cute.  She averted her eyes, just in case, and grabbed her beach bag from beside her. “You all ready?”  At their agreement, he held the door open for them (like a true gentleman) and followed them to his car.

The beach was stunning – white sands and turquoise water stretching as far as the eye could see.  Tom, as he was smart enough to always think in advance, had brought a large beach umbrella to protect those with fairer skin (Aislinn and Kelsey) from burning under the hot Florida sun.  They set up a little ways off from the water.  “Anyone for a swim?” Tom asked, looking directly at Kelsey.

“Hmm,” Kelsey said playfully, “I don’t know…”  Tom looked confused at her apparent hesitation.   She elaborated slightly and said, “lift,” and raised her hand upward.  Tom was now absolutely bewildered.  Seeing his confusion and feeling the blood rush to her cheeks at her audacity, Kelsey clarified. “Your shirt.  Lift your…” the words died in her throat.  This was so embarrassing!!!  What had she been thinking??  Caitlin and Aislinn were very studiously examining every grain of sand they could find (which, on a beach, were quite a few).  They wanted no part in the awkwardness pervading the air.

“Alright,” Tom broke the silence, and, in once magnificent move, lifted his bright blue shirt over his head.  His abs were stunning – a real 8-pack, Kelsey thought admiringly, despite her embarrassment.  But even they paled in comparison to the magnificence of his sculpted, manly (aka hairy) chest. “Are you satisfied now, dear?” Tom’s voice broke into Kelsey’s thought and she realized that she had been staring.  For a long time. Again, she blushed before answering,

“Yep.  You look fantastic.”  He laughed, which reassured her that her was not upset.

“Oh Kelsey…it’s so ironic that the most stunning person on the entire beach is telling me that I look fantastic.”  He shook his head ruefully.  “I am but a candle to your bright flame.”  Speechless, Kelsey silently removed her beach cover-up and took Tom’s proffered hand.  They walked like that, her hand securely in his, towards the water, his tall frame towering over her slim figure.

His Merits

My Book of Mormon class discussed a scripture in Helaman 14:13 this week.  It reads, “And if ye believe on his name ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye may have a remission of them through his merits.”  Every part of this scripture is extremely important to me.  The first section talks about faith, which is the first principle of the gospel.  Without faith in Christ, you cannot move forward - all the other steps to eventual exaltation depend completely on this initial faith.  The next section talks about repentance, an ordinance that follows after faith.  Once we have developed faith in and a love for our Savior, we will truly desire to repent of all of our sins and be clean in His eyes.  However, as the last part of this scripture addresses, repentance is not something that we can complete by ourselves.  It is not a checklist.  We do not have the power to grant ourselves a remission of our sins – only Christ can do that through His sacred and infinite atonement.  It is entirely through His merits (as the scripture teaches) that we can be cleansed from iniquity.  While we still do have an obligation to do all we can to strive for forgiveness, ultimately we just have to place our burden at the Savior’s feet and humbly beg Him to help us.  I know that if we always remember that it is through Christ alone that we can receive a remission of our sins, we will be humble and penitent and will be able to accept His saving grace.

Episode 24

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was even better than Kelsey had expected, and that was saying something!  Tom took her to Ollivander’s and bought her a wand – 12 and ½ inches, yew, reasonably supple, with a dragon heartstring (according to the shopkeeper).  Then they rode a simulator which recreated the experience of flying a broomstick in a Quidditch match, complete with 3-D images.  “This is amazing!!!” Kelsey said gratefully to Tom as they wandered around the Hogwarts castle set.  He squeezed her hand and said,

“I’m so glad you are enjoying yourself!  I have just one more surprise…”  Kelsey shook her head in disbelief.  Tom was just so wonderful.

“What else could you possibly have in store?” He just pursed his lips and shook his head ruefully.

“You really need to look up the definition of the word surprise, Kelsey.”  She glared at him, but he just laughed at her indignation and continued walking her towards their surprise, whatever it was.  They reached a part of the castle that was marked “Employees and Authorized Personnel Only.”   Tom went up to the guard stationed at the entrance to the corridor and showed him some piece of paper – a VIP pass, Kelsey assumed.  The guard nodded and let them through.   Kelsey was ready to die of suspense by this point.  Tom was always fond of surprises, but he usually wasn’t quite this secretive.  They entered a small room.  As Tom held the door for her, she noticed that the room was occupied already by a man.  His back was to them.  She hesitated and turned to Tom, uncertain as to if they should disturb him.  He smiled and strode confidently into the room, one strong hand firmly placed on Kelsey’s shoulder blade.   Then the stranger turned around and Kelsey nearly fainted.  Seriously.  Her knees went weak and she had to lean on Tom for support to prevent accidental collapse.  Matthew Lewis smiled sexily at her and Kelsey felt her heart flutter as he spoke,

“Hello! You must be Kelsey.  I have heard so much about you from Tom here.”  He clapped Tom familiarly on the back.  Kelsey stood there, gaping.  Matthew Lewis. Matthew Lewis!!!  He came over and shook her limp hand while she stared at him.  Tom covered the awkward silence, telling Kelsey that he had met Matthew years ago and that they were very good friends.  They hung out for a while – Kelsey (as a typical fan) posed with him with her wand for a picture. 

Later that night, Tom took Kelsey home after their amazing date.  They hugged in front of Kelsey’s door – his arms wrapped around her made her feel so cherished.  She realized that she truly might be falling for him.

Episode 23

They stepped off the plane into the Florida heat.  Kelsey basked in the warmth of the sun.  Tom loved to look at her hair in the sun – it illuminated the fiery strands and caused them to glow.  She was breathtaking.  She caught him staring at her and smiled self-consciously (well, as self-consciously as Kelsey could).  He returned her smile, his grin infectious.  “Welcome to Florida, darling!” Tom enthused.  The four of them collected their luggage and drove to their hotel in the car that Tom had rented for them.  He helped them bring all their stuff up to their rooms (which were conveniently located just down the hall from his penthouse suite).  Kelsey had barely even let her bag touch the ground before Tom grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room, leaving Caitlin and Aislinn with only “sorry, I’m stealing your roommate for a little while!”  They just grinned and set out to explore and unpack.

“Where are we going?” Kelsey asked, laughing at his enthusiasm. He rolled his eyes at her and replied,

“It’s a surprise, silly!”  They jumped back into Tom’s rental car and he pulled smoothly into the busy Orlando traffic.  The drive was pretty short before they arrived at Kelsey’s second favourite place in the world – The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  She had never been before, but it had always been a dream of hers.

“I can’t believe this!!!”  Kelsey exclaimed, gripping Tom’s arm in her excessive excitement.  “This…this is unbelievable!”  Tom grinned and gently rearranged her grip so that he was holding her hand instead of losing circulation.

“I thought you might be impressed, darling!”  Kelsey nodded, still sort of stunned and amazed that this was actually happening.  Harry Potter and Tom Hiddleston.  Her life was a fairytale. “Let’s go!” Tom helped her out of the passenger seat and they strolled, hand-in-hand, towards the magnificence awaiting them.

The Spread of Iniquity

I want to focus my weekly reflection for my Book of Mormon class on a scripture in Helaman 6:38.  It reads: “And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them [the Gadianton robbers] up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils, and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations.”  This passage is a little sad, as the Nephites are embracing the works of the devil.  However, I found many parts very interesting.  It says that it began with the most wicked part of the people – the part that had already succumbed to Satan.  These wicked began to spread and take over the entire land until they were dominant.  Finally, they ‘seduced’ most of the righteous to join them in their sinful ways.  I found this process applicable to sin.  Sin begins with something that lets Satan into your mind or your heart, and that becomes the most wicked part of your life.  If not dealt with, that sin can spread into other areas of your life, corrupting as it goes.  This could be guilt or more sins.  Finally, sin will attack your testimony – the most righteous part of you.  If you do not repent, eventually the sin will destroy your testimony.  I like this passage because it increases my testimony of the repentance process – this process keeps me clean and pure and can wipe away the errors I make before they spread.

Episode 22

The next day dawned bright and sunny.  Kelsey woke up (if you could call it that as she barely slept due to the anticipation of seeing Tom today) early in the morning and quickly dressed in a bright blue T-shirt (both comfortable and attractive) and jeans.  Today was a ponytail day, she decided, looking at her wild waves in the mirror.  Completing the ensemble with silver hoop earrings, she waited for Tom’s arrival.  She had no clue what they were doing today – he really seemed to like surprising her.  That was fine with her, however, as she really did love surprises (with a couple exceptions).  His arrival took her breath away.  He drove up on a Harley.  A massive Harley.  And man, did he look sexy in his black leather jacket sitting astride that manly motorcycle.  He swung his leg over and gracefully dismounted.  Kelsey realized that she was standing in the doorway, staring.  Averting her eyes, she ducked out of the doorway and came to meet him.  “Kelsey!” he called, excitedly.  She smiled in response as he approached.  “Your roommates convinced me that I need to ask you instead of springing this on you, so…” he took a deep breath and held both her hands in his.  Kelsey began to freak out – he was going to propose!  Her eyes widened and suddenly she was unable to breathe.  All her instincts urged her to run.  Run far away.  Tom looked uncomfortable, but he didn’t seem to notice Kelsey’s silent panic-attack.  Before she could act, he continued, “Will you come to Florida with me?” Kelsey didn’t register the words, and yelled,

“NO! I’m too young!” in a nearly hysterical voice, pulling her hands out of his finely muscled grip.  Tom’s concerned gaze rested on her, taking in her sudden pallor.

“Are you feeling alright?” he asked, his worry for her overshadowing the disappointment he felt at her refusal.  Kelsey snapped back to reality and suddenly felt horrified at her response.

“Wha…what did you say?” she stammered, completely embarrassed.

“I asked if you were alright?” Tom looked worried.

“No, before that.” Kelsey replied, mortification turning her face red.

“Ohh,” Tom recalled. “I asked if you wanted to come to Florida with me for the summer while I’m there filming.” He caught her hands again and looked earnestly into her eyes in an almost frantic effort to get her to change her answer. “Please, Kelsey. I don’t want to leave you again.”  She still just stood there, staring at him, a blank look on her face. He continued with his attempt to persuade her, saying, “the preparations are all made if you want to come.  Your roommates packed for you – I even invited them to come with so you will have people to hang out with when I’m filming.”  Kelsey stayed silent.  “Say something, please!” Tom almost begged.  Finally, Kelsey met his eyes, her chocolate eyes sparkling.

“Yes. Yes!” she cried, “I would love to!”  At her answer, Tom swept her off her feet in an uncharacteristic hug.  Kelsey savoured the moment – the feel of his arms tight around her waist, her head resting on his broad shoulder.

“Thank you.” He whispered fervently into her hair, then set her back on her feet and took her hand.  Pulling her towards the beast of a motorcycle, he smiled reassuringly at her expression of fear.  “This will be fun!” he tried to convince her, still thinking that she was worried about the trip.

“It’s not that,” Kelsey shook her head. “It’s that – that hunk of metal.”  Tom laughed and plopped a helmet on her head.

“That, darling, is nothing to worry about. Hang on to me and you will be just fine.  Caitlin and Aislinn are meeting us at the airport with the luggage. Shall we?” He jumped on the Harley, and, blue eyes dancing, held out a hand for Kelsey.  Resignedly, she took his proffered hand and swung herself up. He pulled her arms around his defined masculine abs of steel and squeezed her hand reassuringly.  Kelsey closed her eyes.  The engine roared to life and they took off.  Kelsey felt a huge adrenaline rush.  Tom would keep her safe.  Always.

Episode 21

Kelsey arrived back at the apartment, ecstatic.  She would still be with Tom if she had a choice, however, he had a flight scheduled to Florida the next day for the start of filming for Avengers 2.  He really needed to pack for the trip.  She knew that this happiness would be very short-lived because of his imminent departure, however she refused to entertain that thought for long and instead just enjoyed the happiness of the moment.  He had asked her out on a date for tomorrow morning before his flight left – she couldn’t wait.  She had had her last exam this morning, so she was all his for their short little piece of happiness. Aislinn and Caitlin saw the look on Kelsey’s face and knew that she had good news even before she began to detail every moment of their reconciliation. “I’m so happy for you guys!” Aislinn gushed.  Caitlin added,

 “Kelsey, I’m so glad you and Tom worked everything out.  Are you going to see him before he leaves?”  Kelsey lost a little bit of her enthusiasm at the reminder that Tom was leaving for four months in just over twenty-four hours.

“Yeah, we have a date tomorrow.” Aislinn and Caitlin exchanged conspiring grins (however, their subtlety left much to be desired as Kelsey easily caught on).  “What are you two up to?” she demanded and was rewarded by a guilty but excited look from both of them.

“Nothing.  Absolutely nothing,” Aislinn said, trying to keep a serious face but failing.

“We’re just really excited for you, that’s all!” Caitlin supported Aislinn’s claim. “Why are you always so suspicious?”  Kelsey rolled her eyes.  They were obviously hiding something from her.  While they may be terrible liars, they were both stubborn enough that she would never get anything out of them.

“Fine.  Don’t tell me then.” Kelsey huffed melodramatically.

“We won’t!” Caitlin and Aislinn chorused.

Episode 20

She texted Tom that very evening.  Not really knowing how to express her feelings over such an impersonal message, she instead asked him to meet her at a nearby park – she figured that was nice neutral ground to carry on a serious conversation.  His text came back almost instantly, readily agreeing to the meeting tomorrow morning.

Kelsey arrived in the park right on time.  Despite the spring thaw, the weather was still very chilly and Kelsey shivered in her light sweater as a breeze blew her hair back in the wind.  She saw Tom sitting patiently on a bench – he looked as if he had already been here some time.  When he saw her he jumped to his feet and loped casually towards her, a grin plastered on his face (possibly to hide nerves). “Kelsey!” He greeted her hopefully, “how have you been?”  Kelsey smiled up at him – she had missed seeing those stormy-blue eyes light up at the sight of her. However, she replied cautiously.

“Um, alright. And how are you?”  He led her to the bench and they both sat down, their bodies angled slightly to face each other.

“Better now that you and I have a chance to talk, rationally.” Kelsey nodded.  Their last attempt to talk had ended pretty badly, to say the least. “Anyway,” Tom continued, “you called me here for a reason.” He then looked at her, waiting for her to start the conversation where she felt comfortable.  Kelsey paused for a second to process her tumult of thoughts.

“I wanted to talk. About you and me,” she said, slowly, her chocolate eyes watching his, trying to read his reaction.

“I had assumed as much,” he admitted.  “I take it that you saw the interview last night?”  Kelsey decided that now was not the time to divulge the nature of her plan to test his sincerity, so she merely smiled slightly in agreement.  “And?” he asked, curiosity eating at him, hardly daring to hope.

“And I want us to try again?. Please.”  Tom beamed at her in absolute delight.

“Of course!  Kelsey, I promise to never ever be stupid again.  Who cares about image?  It’s only you that matters to me.”  Another chilly gust of wind attacked the couple and Tom noticed Kelsey’s involuntary shiver.  “Here,” he said, still grinning idiotically, “take my jacket.” He ignored her half-hearted protests and took off his black leather jacket.  Draping it over her shoulders, he took her hand and pulled her to her feet.  They walked and talked for hours.