“Wow, who is that?” Emily thought as her eyes wander around the room, while kneeling in the church pew. Church service would be starting in just a few minutes, but she couldn’t take her eyes of the new alter boy. He had an olive complexion, brown hair and blue eyes and was about a half foot taller than Emily.

The youth minister had told the youth group that the Jacobs family was hosting a young man from Athens, Greece this term as part of a foreign exchange program with the school system. His name is Stephano, or Stephen in English, and he was going to be here in the states for the year to learn more about America and work on his English. He is 12 years old and would be going to St. Andrews when school starts in a few months.

She knew she had to get his attention and try to communicate with him before he left the service. But how, foreign languages were all Greek to her and in this case, literally. In the middle of her thoughts the music begins, oh no as Emily rises to a standing position. “Stay calm,” she thinks just give him a slight smile, yes but nothing too overbearing. As Stephano walks by with the cross. “Did he see me?”Emily thought as he puts the cross in the nearby stand and goes to sit down next to the priest.

Hmmm…Stephano thought as he smiles back to the blond haired girl in the second row. I will have to ask the Jacobs family if they know who she is, and then with that Stephano winked over to Emily. She quickly blushed and looked away. The rest of the service proceeded without a hitch. Emily and Stephano tried not to laugh when it was time to receive the communion wafer, but it was the first time when they were both face to face up close. Stephano’s blue eyes twinkled back at Emily’s green eyes as she turned to walk back to her pew.

The final hymn has started and Stephano walks back over to the cross and leads the procession out of the church. As she was walking Emily makes a “call me”

on the phone gesture with her hand, with that Stephano slips out a laugh and smile before he recomposes himself to the procession. As he and Emily both part ways for the time being, each one knows better things are coming in the future.