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smiles, “But that’s not why you rode all the way over here, right?”
    “Right,” I say.  I am sure that what ever Ty’s dad does for a living is going to be more entertaining than geometry, but I remember the exam coming up on Friday.  Only three more days!
    “So, what is the key, or the formula to get Sarah to like me?” Ty asks, as he scoots a chair over for me to sit in.
    “There isn’t any formula,” I say hesitantly.
    “But you said …”
    “I agreed to help you,” I interrupt quickly.  “But I didn’t say there was a magic formula.”  I look at Ty and I can tell he is greatly disappointed.  He actually looks sad and perhaps even defeated.  “Look, I know there’s no magic formula to learn geometry, either.  But I know stuff about girls that can help you and you know stuff about geometry that can help me.”
    Ty sits on the bed, and I know he is weighing the benefits.
    I sit down in the chair, and lean forward.  “Why do you like Sarah Hansen, anyway?” I ask.
    Ty looks at me like I am some kind of alien, and for a moment I think his language has been confounded.  His mouth drops open and just hangs there while his head shakes minutely left and right.  All he says is, “Ah … a … be … um.”
    I can tell that, at least with Ty, love is not one of the things he analyzes too closely.  He knows he likes her, but he obviously does not know why, at least not enough to put it into words.
    “Is it because she is pretty?” I ask finally.  This is kind of trite, but I think it will get him started talking.
    “Of course,” he says with annoyance.  “Isn’t that obvious?”
    “Yes,” I agree.  “She is very pretty.”
    Ty relaxes a little, and I can tell he is visualizing Sarah and remembering how beautiful she really is.
    “So don’t you think that a pretty young woman would want to hang out with a handsome young man?”
    “Of course,” Ty answers quickly.  “So what does that …?”
    “So,” I interrupt, “she is not looking for pretty .  She is looking for handsome .  You know, the masculine type of handsome.  I’ll bet that you will impress her more if you ditch the red hair and lose those feminine earrings.”
    “Forget it!” Ty wrinkles up his face as he speaks.  “Chicks like that stuff.”
    “Maybe ‘chicks’ that Franky Barrata hangs out with,” I argue.  “But I can guarantee that a young woman of Sarah’s caliber is going for masculine, and earrings are not masculine.
    Ty frowns, sitting stone still on his bed.  His face betrays his thoughts.  He is weighing the validity of my claim and he is not accepting it as fact.  Ty will have to test and analyze the theory before adopting it, I can tell.
    “Okay, what else?” Ty finally asks, swallowing a little pride.
    “Have you noticed how Sarah acts in seminary?” I ask.  “I mean, like class is important to her … like understanding gospel principles is a high priority?”
    “Yeah, I guess so.”
    “Well, spiritual things need to be important to you, too,” I say.  The words came easily, and I felt like the Bishop in a youth interview.  Actually I am the teachers quorum president and do have stewardship over Ty.  I pray in my heart that he might listen to my words, not so much that Sarah will like him, but I know that he will come closer to Christ and the gospel if he does.  Maybe he will even get baptized!
    “How do I make spiritual things important to me?” Ty asks, twisting up his face in a puzzled expression.  “And don’t tell me I have to get baptized, cuz I’m not joining your church.”
    I ignore his comment, although I have no idea what it will take to soften his heart and open his eyes aside from a full blown miracle.
    “You participate in class,” I answer without showing my disappointment.  “Don’t sit on the back row.  Sit up front like you want to learn, and where Sarah can see how interested you really are.  Read the scriptures and do your seminary