1. The last P-day of my mission
2. Not some dorkaziod missionaries
3. Even if the church is perfect, the people aren't
4. It's not that simple

• (character chart)

1. Young Women's
2. Youth Conference
3. Saturday's Warrior
4. Brigham Young University
• Gratuitous Love Scene
5. Polygamist
6. Temple Wedding
7. Orem High
8. Bordeaux Mission
9. Exmo Conference

Friday Morning

Friday morning I gathered my things and Elder Beaverton helped me carry them to the other side of town to the mission office. Elder Beaverton didn't have to move his own things this time -- he just had to gather up his new companion, Elder Wilson, and bring him back to the apartment.

When we arrived, Elder Wilson was there waiting with his things, so I said goodbye to Elder Beaverton as he left with his new companion. Elder Wilson didn't look particularly shaken-up, despite the whole thing with Elder Cannon, so I figured Elder Beaverton would be fine with him.

The office elders scheduled appointments with the Mission President for all the guys that were leaving, and then we were free to spend the rest of the day doing whatever we wanted. Everyone wanted to go see some sort of auto show at the Parc des Expositions in the far north of Bordeaux, near Bordeaux Lac, far from the urban center of town. Everyone, that is, except me and Elder West, and of course Elder Cannon, who was to be supervised in the mission office by the office elders for the day. So Elder West was assigned to be my temporary companion for the day.

First off, Nick said he wanted to get some chocolates for his mother, so we went to a local chocolate shop. I thought perhaps it would be nice to get some for Tanya too, so I bought a box just like the one he got.

As we were leaving the shop, I was wondering how I was going to suggest to him that we might start heading towards the Café Utopia. I figured that he was such a rule-breaker himself that he probably wouldn't tell on me for making a date with Tanya. So I started asking him what he was thinking we might do for the day.

<- previous page

He stopped in front of the door of a nearby building and turned to me. "I don't care where you go or what you do," he said. "Just don't let anyone see that I'm not with you." And with that he pressed one of the buttons of the interphone in the doorway.

Over the interphone, a female voice said "Oui ?"

"C'est moi, cherie," said Nick. [It's me, darling.]

Then as the door buzzed, he pushed it open a crack. That little devil had found himself a girlfriend!

Then he turned to me. "Please, Spencer," he said. "This is the last time I'll see her in I don't know how long. You were always cool when we were companions..."

"Okay," I said. "I'll be back here at 14h sharp to pick you up, so be ready."

I saw the look of relief come over his face as he said, "Thank you, you're a real pal."

Then I noted the address and the name on the correct buzzer as he disappeared into the building. Well, that was one problem solved...

I did my best to take side-streets to the Café Utopia so that I wouldn't be seen out alone. I'd picked that café because it was on a place that was a little bit off of the main traffic routes where hopefully we wouldn't be spotted even though it was in the middle of town.

When I arrived at the Utopia, Tanya was already there sipping a coffee. She got up to give me a squeeze, and then I took a seat beside her as we sat back down. I then gave her the chocolates. She sweetly thanked me and took one out for me and one for herself and put the rest in her bag.

"So where's your sidekick?" she asked. "I thought you guys weren't allowed to go out alone."

next page ->