West Virginia University student Drew Pollick andKatDePraters story has all the makings of a reality TV show.
They met as counselors six years ago at a summer camp in Huttonsville, W.Va., hit it off and have been friends ever since.
Shes a representative for a beverage distributor from Huntington. Hes a 23-year-old graduate student from Cheswick, Pa. Although she now lives in North Carolina and he is in West Virginia, theyve stayed in touch by e-mail over the years.
But DePraters been keeping a secret. She has fallen in love with Pollick, but shes too afraid to tell him for fear of losing his friendship. That is until now.
On Wednesday, March 16, DePrater will fess up before a national audience onSecond Chance,The Learning Channel TV show about singles who want to rekindle relationships with long-lost loves.
Pollick said he suspected her intentions when TLC approached him about shooting an episode revolving around their friendship.
There was always chemistry there, but being in two towns, it was so hard,he said.We were friends and never really had a relationship or anything. This wasnt like a second chance; it was a first chance.
For the episode, TLC sent a production crew to Morgantown in early December to tape Pollick hanging out with his roommate at their Morgantown house and socializing with friends at Gibbies Pub&Eatery.
The Creative Arts Center served as another shooting location with TLC s cameras rolling as Pollick, a bass drum instructor forThe Pride of West VirginiaMountaineer Marching Band, rehearsed with snare drummers.
It was just a weird situation,Pollick said.Ive never had cameras on me. I was trying not to make myself look like an idiot. When they came to my house, they taped me getting ready, throwing clothes on my bed and shaving. I cut my neck pretty well. I dont know how much of this theyre going to use, but I hope there are super geniuses who are going to cut and paste this thing.
The program culminates at the Radisson Hotel in Morgantown where the couple goes on adate.
I had flowers for her and everything,he said,and mind you, there were cameras on us the whole time. I looked like a robot.
Pollick said they also shared some lighter moments during a massage therapy session that was anything but relaxing in the presidential suite.
We both ended up hurting each other,he said, laughing.I hurt my neck. It was a disaster.
Over dinner, DePrater confesses her true feelings.
She said, �€~I want to tell you why I invited you to do this TV thing,he said.She cares a lot about me as a friend and wanted to take things to the next level.
But does he feel the same way?
There was a guy prepping me, telling me to put my true feelings out there,he said.
Or will the confession put the relationship in jeopardy? The WVU student is staying tight-lipped, but he admitted thattears were flowing freely.
It was on TLC , so its a sweet dating story,he said.Im still kind of nervous about how the whole things going to play out.
The episode featuring the WVU grad student airs at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 16, on The Learning Channel (TLC).