The incident(s) of the "24 and up" institute class.

Since I have made friends in my new ward (with the way that is worded, yes, it is true I have made friends. I guess I could delete and rewrite the awkward phrase, but it seems too funny. ANYHOW...), a few of the girls have been working on getting me to the 24 and up institute class. I was hesitant to go for a few reasons.

1. There is an institute approximately 1 mile from my house. The one for 24 and up is about 15, round trip.

2. A certain...stigma regarding the unmarried population of a certain age. Nicely said, that the rate of oddities seems to increase, pretty alarmingly.

3. I seem to have a special talent or affinity for attracting those most odd.

4. And lastly, I am not 24. I am 23 and 11/12. Whew...safe.

Well, maybe not. My self preservation blipped out last month and I consented to going. It was my friend's 24th birthday so that night a couple of us girls went as a support group.

Week One

Actually, it ended up being pretty fun. I attended a good class, met some very nice people, ate pizza. Overall mostly enjoyable so I decided to heck with it, I would go the next week. Sounds like your average "well-it-wasn't-what-I-had-thought, I-guess-I-was-wrong" blog entry? Remember #2 and #3? Notice that this is not even remotely the end of the entry? Da da dan....

Week Two

I have this beautiful friend Rachel. (Any really great guys out there, this is a plug for her.) The second institute Thursday I rush home from work, and we had agreed to ride together so she picks me up in her super-cool-guy-magnet sporty car. Small and feminine, her shiny dark hair frames deep brown eyes. Her outfit is perfect, perfectly mixed classic and trendy, perfectly accessorized, as always. Maturity glows from this girl. A little reserved and with perfect manners, and fantastic understated humor, she is totally mysterious besides... I tell you all this about her because it plays in later in the story. I feel cute because I'm having a hair day fit for a social gathering. K. Well, we arrive 20 mins. late even in our hurry to the "institute"(actually a stake center). We arrive at class in the chapel and of course ALL the seats next to the door or anywhere close to the back are taken. Rachel says, "You choose". I give some mumbly non-committal answer like, "Anywhere is good." She gives me a a nice pat on the back and says "You're brave. You go first," and laughs maniacally. (Not really, Rachel is one of the most refined people you'll ever meet. She just smiles like I am the best friend she ever had and pushes me in.) I walk in quickly but quietly and take a seat somewhere in the middle with Rachel close behind. As I sit, I happen to glance up, as people often do, and make eye contact with a random guy 15 feet or so down on the row ahead of me. Whatever, not a second thought. Rachel and I are filling out institute registration sheets, discussing what classes to take. I look up at the teacher.

Guy is staring.

Probably thinks Rachel is cute and is trying to see through my head to get a better look at her. Fill out name, other institutes attended, mission, language...? Glance at teacher.

Guy still staring. ...About 2 minutes has passed.

It's getting a little uncomfortable. I finish my registration and can see through my hair. I pull out my scriptures and stare at them. "OK. Maybe someone is in the doorway, or he can't see the clock very well," I think and turn to check. Negative for both.

Rachel elbows me and whispers half-giggling, "Julie, that guy is staring at you."

WHAT? He's not looking at Rachel??? I nod a little keeping my expression flat as possible.

Rachel pulls out her registration and on the back writes the same message and draws an arrow in his general direction. I nod again. She elbows me. "I noticed," I whisper.

She leans over and says "Good, I didn't know if you had." ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? "It's getting kind of creepy," she says. I glance up and the teacher is off to the side of the chapel, directly behind this guy's head. He has now full body turned, and is gripping the back of the pew. About 5 minutes has passed and he still has not broken his concentration. I look down. There is a distraction as someone raises their hand to comment. He scoots down the bench about six inches. "Do you want to go," she whispers. A moment passes. He scoots closer, 2 or 3 feet this time.
"Yea, let's go."
"How about I go and you can follow me," she says. Another distraction, he slides a few feet more. "Or you can go and I'll follow you." In the middle of her sentence, the creeper slides to nearly exactly in front of me. I shove my scriptures into my purse at the same moment and practically leap over her and out the pew without any response. I walk out the door and keep walking around to the other side of the church. Behind me, Rachel is whisper-yelling "Julie, Julie, slow down!"
We sat in the foyer and talked about what was hilarious to Rachel all along until it started to seem funny to me, then upon realizing we were still hanging out where the creeper was we left for home.

Week Three

I skipped. Maybe the creeper gets a new weekly attachment.

Week Four

I drive myself this time leaving straight from work. I pull in thinking to enter in the back and attend a completely different class. I park the car and pull out my phone to text Rachel and tell her I have arrived and my plan. A car pulls in a space away from me. I glance up. DUN!! DUN!! DUN!! DUN!! (The screechy sci-fi movie kind where the camera zooms in frames at a time.) Full body turn looking into my car is HIM. I look down, fast! Texting, texting...had he recognized me?...is it dark enough? He turns off his car, gets out and lopes into the doors to the chapel.
Choir class is spiritually uplifting and uneventful. Afterward, Rachel and I, and a few other friends, meet in the gym for dinner and socializing. I take quick note of the creeper's position, find the distance sufficient, turn my back to him and proceed to socialize. I see a guy I know from my hometown as he walks past and turn telling my friends and pointing him out. As I turn, the creeper is standing behind me, about 5 feet away. I announce, "Rachel! Want to check out the dessert table?" and I jet through the crowd toward an exit on the opposite end of the gym.

Heading to the parking lot, we are giggling. And lo, the little devil himself is there, sitting in his car. Rachel is parked behind him, me next to him. Fortunately, he pulls out and drives away. On the way home Rachel texts me. "Be careful. He is following you. J/K."

What a little punk.

Yes I suppose it's a little sad, but really? REALLY? Who stares like that? Especially if you like someone, you generally try not to creep them out. So there you have it...the incident(s) of the "24 and up" institute class.

May be continued...