Karmel and I met each other during our senior year in high school and we were strongly attracted to one another at the get go. Her very pretty face, her gorgeous deep blue eyes and her shoulder length golden blond hair were enough to melt almost any guy’s heart whenever they first saw her.

Of course, I wasn’t any exception to her charms either. I think Karmel had me in her grasp from the moment I saw her even though she may not have known it at the time and I really didn’t know it either.

On the first day of classes, I was very nearly late in reporting to my Civics class just after lunch. The classroom was nearly full except for one student desk in the middle of the row, the second row back from the front of the classroom. I generally liked to sit on the end of the row but, in this case I really didn’t have any choice since there was only one student desk still available in the classroom.

I made my way over to the only vacant student desk and took my seat just as the teacher was calling the class to order. On one side of me were a couple of guys I knew and we were friends but, I wasn’t really good pals with them.

On the other side of me was a group of three girls the nearest of whom was a very pretty blond girl. When I looked at her she was more than pretty I thought she was just gorgeous. I had to wonder how the hell I had gotten so lucky to get to sit next to her.

The other two girls I recognized from having had classes with them previously. I turned to the pretty blond girl and holding out my hand I whispered to her, “Hi, I’m Mario Conci and I don’t know that I have seen you here in school before.”

She turned and looked at me with her gorgeous, deep blue eyes and whispered back, “That’s because I haven’t been here in this school before now. I’m Karmel Grant but, everyone calls me Karm-e.” Taking my hand she continued, “Nice to meet you Mario, we have just moved here from up north in the state.”

I could see a gold chain and cross dangling from around her neck and laying very conspicuously on top of her high neck blouse. The gold chain and cross were the perfect accent to her blouse and her pretty face. It was also an indication that she came from a very religious family. Most girls didn’t have a gold cross hanging around their neck unless they came from a religious home.

As she was saying that, I looked up at the teacher and I saw that he was eyeing us. When he saw me looking at him he announced to the class in general, “Class is now in session and there will be no talking while class is in progress.” Then he briefly looked back in my direction again, knowing that should be sufficient warning to me and to Karm-e, also.

Having had this teacher when I was in his History class, I knew that he didn’t put up with talking in his class. I turned and looked at Karm-e. I gave her the look of caution and she could see in my eyes and my expression that we had best quit talking, be quiet and listen to his lecture.

Karm-e was not only easy to look at but, she was very easy to talk to also. It was easy to see that she was a very intelligent girl, too. That was another thing about her that appealed to me very strongly.

There was more that I had wanted to talk to her about but, I figured that I had best save it until after class rather than incur the wrath of this teacher. I sure didn’t want him to dock my grade in this class for talking without his permission.

And I sure didn’t want to be responsible for him docking her grade because of me, either. I knew that was exactly what this teacher would do. I figured she needed a good grade in this class to keep her grade point up just like I did.

I may push the envelope from time to time but, this wasn’t one of those times to try to face down the tiger or whatever that expression is or I sure wasn’t going to grab the tiger by the tail anyway. I was concerned if I grabbed the tiger by the tail he could turn around and devour Karm-e as well as me. That sure wouldn’t do anything for my relationship with her. That was for sure.

Just as the teacher was about to dismiss class the guy next to me nudged my elbow and started to talk to me. When the teacher said the class was dismissed the guy next to me wanted to know about Karm-e and what her name was.

I told him, “I really don’t know all that much about her except that her name is Karm-e and that’s about it. I was going to talk to her more until the teacher came into the classroom and called the class to order.”

By the time I took a couple of minutes to talk to him, Karm-e had gotten up and left the classroom. There went my opportunity to talk to her any further today. I just turned and left the classroom to go to my next class thinking well hell, I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow to talk to her either before or after class. I sure hoped I’d get the chance to talk to her tomorrow.

I presumed that Karm-e had left quickly in order to get to her next class, too. She may have had to walk across campus to her next class and she probably thought she didn’t have enough time to make it there on time unless she left quickly and hurried. I just thought, ‘Oh, hell, I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow to get to talk to her unless I see her on campus before our class tomorrow just after lunch.’

The next day came and I hurried to my Civics class in hopes of seeing Karm-e again but, when I got to the classroom Karm-e was not there yet. I thought she would probably show up in class pretty soon.

I knew she would have to show up in the next few minutes or she would be tardy for the class and that could hurt her grade unless she had an excused absence for some reason or another.

I watched the door intently for Karm-e to arrive but, when the teacher entered the classroom and started the class she still had not arrived for class. Then I thought to myself, ‘I sure hope that she is Ok and not sick or something.’

Since Karm-e wasn’t there in the class my attention was held by the teacher of this class and my later classes. I really didn’t have the time to think further about her that day.

The rest of the day, my attention was occupied by my other classes as well. After school I stopped to talk to a couple of my friends for about a half an hour or so. Then I walked out to the parking lot, got into my old jalopy and left for home.

My house was about four miles away and the buss didn’t go out of the city limits so I was driving my old jalopy. That way I didn’t have to walk to school and walk home each day.

Driving along the city street toward home, I saw a blond headed girl carrying her books walking along the sidewalk headed in the same direction I was going. I thought to myself, ‘That sure looks like Karm-e walking down the sidewalk.’

Then I thought, ‘Awh hell, it probably won’t be Karm-e.’ As I got up closer to her I could see that it was Karm-e so I pulled over to the curb close to her. Rolling down the window, I called out to her saying, “Karm-e, can I give you a ride home or wherever you’re going?”

Karm-e stepped over to the window and said, “Oh, hello, Mario. It’s nice to see you again. I don’t have very far to go to get home. It’s only about two miles and I’m about half way there now anyway. You don’t have to go to any trouble and go out of your way to take me home.”

“It’s not out of my way and it’s not any trouble for me to drop you off at your home. I’m just on my way home, too. There’s no reason for you to have to walk when I’m going in that direction anyway. Come on, Jump in, Karm-e.” She opened the door and got in my jalopy beside me.

I continued, “I wanted to talk to you a little more yesterday after class but, that guy beside me was talking to me. You left the classroom before I got a chance to talk to you any further. I just wanted to tell you, I’m very happy to meet you and if there is anything I could do for you since you’re new here, all you needed to do was just ask me.”

It was easy to see that she was happy to hear what I had just related to her and she was equally happy to hear that someone wanted to be friends with her. Then she asked me, “How come you left school so late, Karm-e?

I was late leaving school because I stopped to talk to the teacher about my class. It took about a half an hour for me to get free and leave for home. By that time my ride home had already left and I had to walk home.”

“Well, similar to you, Karm-e, I stopped and talked to a couple of friends of mine for about a half hour or more and that’s when I got into this jalopy and started home. I didn’t know that you were at school today since I didn’t see you in class earlier.

I just happened to see you walking along the sidewalk as I was driving along toward home when I recognized you. I know it’s a little early but, how do you like living here and going to school here by now?”

“I didn’t come to school earlier today since I had a dentist’s appointment for a checkup. I like the town and the people are pretty friendly. The school is Ok, too, and the girls I have met are nice but, they seem to be kind of clannish. They seem like they are reluctant or slow to accept new comers and slow to make new friends, too.”

“I have lived here all of my life and have gone to school with most of these kids. Since you are new to this school, Karm-e, why don’t you have lunch with me at the cafeteria tomorrow? I can introduce you to some of the girls? If they know we are friends I think they will warm up to you pretty quickly. And as pretty as you are, you certainly aren’t going to have any trouble meeting the guys.

They’ll be flocking all around you wanting to get to know you and that includes me, too, Karm-e. The girls will want to know you since they think you’ll draw guys as pretty as you are.”

I looked over at her and she was blushing at my words, which was clearly evident with her fair complexion. Of course, she knew that my compliment was genuine and not just idle rhetoric to get to know her.

By that time, we had arrived at her house and I pulled up in front at the curb to drop her off. Karm-e looked at me with those deep blue eyes of hers and I could see the signs of acceptance in her eyes and on her face with her pretty smile.

She opened the door, got out and leaned back inside with a big smile on her pretty face saying, “Sure, Mario, I’d love to have lunch with you tomorrow. Can I meet you in front of the cafeteria tomorrow at lunch time?”

“Ok, Karm-e. I’ll see you tomorrow in front of the cafeteria at lunch time.” She had a bright smile on her face and a pretty smile in her big blue eyes as she shut the door and hurried up the walk and into the house. Now I knew where she lived and how to get there. I sure wanted to be able to come back here to pick her up for dates.

The next day at lunch time I met Karm-e just outside the cafeteria. We sat down at one of the long tables and started eating our lunch. As we were eating, three of the girls I knew sat down at the table on the opposite side facing us.

They cheerfully said hello to me and asked, “Who’s your friend, Mario?” I introduced them to Karm-e and I told them she was new in town and new to our school, too. They were all very friendly to Karm-e and they began to ask her about herself. After that, they began to launch into girl talk.

At that point, I really didn’t have anything to add to their conversation so; I got up from the table to leave. I figured they could talk a little more freely if I left. I told the other girls I’d see them later.

Then I told Karm-e I’d see her later in our Civics class and I left the cafeteria. Later that afternoon I arrived in our Civics class and Karm-e arrived and sat down at the student desk beside me. I said, “Hi, Karm-e. It looked like you were having a good ‘get to know you conversation’ with the other girls there at lunch today.”

“Yeah, we had a good talk among ourselves. They all seemed to accept me into their group. Thank you for inviting me to have lunch with you, Mario. A couple of those girls seemed to have stars in their eyes over some guy they referred to as, Mario. I just have to wonder who that is.” she said with a big smile on her pretty face and in her big blue eyes as though she didn’t know who they were referring to.

“Yeah, I’ve known each of those girls since we were all in grade school together. They are all very nice girls and I have dated a couple of them before. Even took one of them to the prom last year.

By the way, there’s a home football game this Friday. Would you like to go to the football game with me and we can go to the school dance after the game if you’d like to go with me, Karm-e.

We don’t have to leave the school campus since the school dance is always held in the old gym after each home game. It is always chaperoned by some of the teachers to make sure there’s no hanky panky going on between the kids in the bleachers or on the dance floor either.

Of course, there can’t be a whole lot of hanky panky going on in the gym or on the dance floor with all of the kids there anyway. I think the teachers are there to satisfy the parents’ concerns as much as anything.”

Karm-e thought a couple of moments and then she said, “Sure, Mario. I’d love to go to the game and the dance with you. I’ll have to talk to my Mom and tell her that I’m going to the football game and then the dance with you after the game Friday night.”

“Ok, Karm-e, I’ll pick you up at your house at 6:30 Friday evening. The game kickoff is at 7 o’clock.” That Friday evening I knocked on her door at 6:30. The door was opened by a very pretty, mature looking lady who looked like she was Karm-e’s mother.

She sure looked like an older more mature version of Karm-e with her blond hair, blue eyes and her great shape. I said to her, “Hi there, I’m Mario Conci. Is Karm-e here? She and I are going to the football game together tonight, Ma’am.”

“Won’t you step inside for a few moments, Mario? I’m Karm-e’s Mother and I’ll tell her you’re here.” She almost looked like she could be Karm-e’s identical twin sister. When she told me that she was Karm-e’s Mother, I thought, ‘Hell, if Karm-e can’t go tonight, I’ll take her Mother to the football game and to the dance with me tonight instead.’ Karm-e’s Mother was a very classy well kept looking lady. She seemed to be a very self-assured, very proper religious middle aged woman.

I replied, “Yes, Ma’am, thank you.” as I stepped inside the house with her Mother.

Of course, anyone could simply observe that from the religious articles they could see hanging on the wall that it was a very religious home. After I stepped into the house, I could look around and easily see the religious decorations of their home.

I’d had a strong inkling that Karm-e was of a similar if not identical religious conviction and seeing her parents’ home told me that my initial impression about her was right on the money.

She immediately turned and said, “This is my husband, Karm-e’s Father, Mario.”

I turned and acknowledged him and bid him good evening as he looked over the top of the evening paper saying, “Good evening, Sir.” Her mother stepped over to the head of the hallway and said, “Karm-e, your date is here to take you to the football game this evening, Honey.”

Within moments, Karm-e emerged from the hallway and she looked like a million dollars in her beautiful party dress with its flared skirt. As usual she had the gold cross hanging around her neck prominently visible over the high neck of her dress.

She immediately turned to her parents and said, “Mom and Dad, Mario and I are going to the football game tonight and then we’re going to the school dance after the football game.”

Her Mother looked at us and said, “Alright, Honey, you know we want you to be home by midnight, Ok?”

Her remark was more of a command than a request which was aimed at me as much or maybe even more than it was aimed at Karm-e and I immediately responded. “Yes, Ma’am, I’ll make sure to get her home by midnight right after we leave the dance.”

Her Mother responded, “Ok, Honey, you two have a good time tonight.” With that we left and went to the football game. When we got there we found a couple of my buddies, Collin and Gavin and their dates who already had good seats in the bleachers. They waived us over to where they were sitting and we sat with them to watch the football game.

I introduced Karm-e to them and they all greeted her very warmly. It was clear that they had accepted her as a friend that evening. I knew that Karm-e was well on her way to becoming an accepted member among the rest of the students of the school.

I knew that to be the case since she had met their dates and had been accepted by them as a new friend. It was easy to see that Karm-e was pleased that they all treated her so warmly and so graciously.

There was now no doubt that she would be accepted once it became known she was friends with me, my buddies and their dates and the other girls I introduced her to earlier in the week at lunch in the cafeteria.

We all had a good time watching the football game and we were all very excited that our home team won the game. After the game we all went to the school dance. I was pleasantly surprised at how good a dancer Karm-e was as I had figured that her religion really didn’t approve of dancing all that much.

But, happily I had been wrong about that. I really enjoyed the slow dances with her as she cuddled up to me and I could smell the sweet fragrance of her hair and the delicious fragrance of her perfume, too.

During the slow dances she laid her head on my shoulder and she moved so very fluidly and effortlessly with the music. It was very thrilling to me to have such a beautiful girl cuddled up in my arms like that.

I looked down at the beautiful head of shining blond hair and her pretty face. I could not resist the urge to kiss her forehead and then kiss her cheek when she raised her head to look at me.

After she raised her head to look at me she reached up and kissed me very lightly on the lips. Then I had to think, ‘It appears that this girl is about to steal my heart. And if she is, I’m certainly not going to do anything to discourage her from doing so. I also had to tell little Mario to settle down, too. I didn’t want him embarrassing me by raising a bulge in my jeans.’

We both had a good time at the dance and I looked at my watch and saw it was 11:30. I told Karm-e, “If I’m going to get you home by midnight we are going to have to leave here in the next few minutes, Karm-e. I’d a whole lot rather us to be a few minutes early than a few minutes late. I really don’t want to make your Mom and Dad mad at me for not getting you home on time tonight.

I sure don’t want to be the cause of you not getting home before midnight as we are required to do by your parents.” Not only that, I certainly didn’t want them to tell her she couldn’t go out with me again if I didn’t get her home by midnight as they had required of us. I’m not sure that Karm-e felt the same sense of urgency as I did but, I didn’t know what else she may have had in mind for us to do – probably nothing else.

“Yeah, I know, Mario. I’ve really had a good time with you this evening and I wish it didn’t have to end so soon. But, I know Mom and Dad won’t be all that happy if I’m not home on time. So I guess we’d better go then. I certainly don’t want Mom and Dad to tell me that we can’t go out with each other again because of that.”

We got out to the parking lot and I helped her get in the front seat of my jalopy with me and we headed home to her house. When we got to her house I told her, “I’ve had a really good time with you tonight, Karm-e, and I’d like to take you out again if you would like to go out with me again. There is a home football game next Friday night. Would you like to go to that game and to the school dance afterward with me next week?”

“I’ve had a great time with you tonight, too, Mario, and I’d really love to go with you next weekend, also.”

When we got to her house she started to open the door to get out, I said, “Wait a minute, Karm-e, while I come around to your side to help you out and walk you to your door.” After she got out I put my arms around her and kissed her very tenderly.

Before I could walk her to the door she told me, “Mario, as much as I like you and like your kissing you shouldn’t do that anymore tonight. My parents don’t think I should be kissing you especially on our first date.”

“Ok, Karm-e, I really don’t want to get you in any trouble with your parents.” Then I walked her to the door and said, “Good night, Karm-e. I’ll see you in Civics class next week.”

That next Monday we sat together in class and talked before class as time permitted. She told me, “Mom and Dad were happy that you brought me back home on time last Friday night, Mario.

They were both impressed at how polite and how responsible you are for getting me back home on time. Mom says she thinks you are really cute and that I should make sure I treat you right.”

I thought, ‘God, I wonder what she and her Mother would think if she knew what was going through my mind at times. Well, as the old saying goes, ‘You can’t go to jail for what you’re thinking.’ Friday after class was over I told her, “If you still want to go with me tonight, I’ll pick you up at 6:30 tonight like I did last Friday night to go to the football game, Karm-e.”

“Ok, I’ll be ready when you get there, Mario. Are we still going to go to the school dance after the football game like we did last week?”

“Sure, Karm-e, I’d like to take you to the dance if you want to go there with me tonight.”

At 6:30 Friday night I knocked on her door and again Karm-e’s Mother answered the door. She greeted me warmly saying, “Hello, Mario. Please come in and I’ll tell Karm-e you’re here.” She stepped over to the hallway and called Karm-e. Then she turned back to me and said, “Thank you for bringing Karm-e home on time last Friday night, Mario.”

“You’re welcome, Mrs. Grant. I didn’t want to disappoint you and your husband and I really didn’t want to get Karm-e in trouble with you either. I figured that if I didn’t bring her home on time you might tell her she couldn’t go out with me again.”

As I was saying that Karm-e came out of the hallway with a sweater in her hand. She handed me the sweater and asked me to put it over her shoulders. I immediately draped the sweater over her shoulders as she had asked me to do and she buttoned it at her neck.

She turned to her Mother and said, “Well Mom, were going to the football game again tonight like we did last week and then we’re going to the school dance afterward again like we did last Friday night.”

“Ok, Honey. Just remember, your Dad and I want you to be home by midnight like last week.”

“We’ll make sure we’re back here on time like we were last week, Mom.” Then we started out the door to leave.

“You two have a good time tonight, Honey.”

She responded, “Thank you, Mom.” as we walked through the door.

We got to the football field and found good seats in the bleachers. Shortly after we had taken our seats, Collin and Gavin and their dates joined us. The guys enjoyed the game but, it appeared that the girls enjoyed talking among themselves as much or more than they enjoyed the game.

I don’t think they even knew the game was being played. But, they were happy and that was what it was all about. Unfortunately, our home team lost the game only by a late field goal in the last moments of the game.

After the game we all went to the school dance and I enjoyed dancing with Karm-e, again especially to the slow dances. Regardless of the dance, her moves on the dance floor were smooth and fluid.

But, I really enjoyed the slow dances with her the most. She cuddled up close to me with her head laying on my shoulder just like she did last week. Again, I couldn’t resist kissing her forehead and whispering to her how good a dancer she was and how pretty I thought she was, too.

That way I could kiss her forehead and her cheek. Occasionally she would look up into my eyes and I could kiss her on her lips. Every time I kissed her on the lips she just kind of wiggled in my arms which I took as a wordless expression of her pleasure and her approval at what I had just done for her as much as our dancing.

We left the dance a little earlier than we did the previous week as I wanted to make sure there was plenty of time to get her home before midnight. When we got out to the parking lot I helped her get in and then I got in, too. Before I started the engine I asked her, “Karm-e, next week the football game is going to be out of town so, would you want to go to a movie with me next Friday or Saturday night?”

“Mario, I’d love to go with you but, my Mom has told me that she doesn’t want me to go out every weekend. She thinks I should stay at home for the next couple of weeks. I hope you understand. I really don’t want to disobey my parents and make them angry at me.”

“Yeah, I understand, Karm-e, but, I’m disappointed that I can’t take you out this Friday. After a couple of weeks, can I take you out again either to a football game or to a movie? I’ve begun to like you very much, Karm-e, and I want to spend as much time with you as your parents will allow us to spend together.”

“I like you a lot, too, Mario, and I’d like to spend as much time with you as I can, too. After I have stayed home for a couple of weeks, I’m sure my Mom won’t have any problem if I go out to a football game or to a movie with you then.”

With that, I pulled her to me and kissed her very passionately. Karm-e responded like I had hoped she would. She pulled me even closer to her and kissed me back just as passionately as I had just kissed her.

Then I said, “We need to get going for us to get you home before midnight, Karm-e.”

As we were driving to her house, Karm-e said, “Remember when we get to my house please don’t kiss me then, Mario. Mom will probably be watching out of the window and I don’t want to give her any ideas that we have been doing anything we shouldn’t be doing, Ok?”

“Ok, Karm-e, but, just sit still when we get there and I’ll come around to your side and help you out and walk you to your door. I hope that you know I’d still like to kiss you good night though.”

When we got to her house she looked up at the front window and said, “Yeah, Mom is standing at the window looking for me to get home, Mario. She still thinks I’m thirteen years old instead of eighteen nearly nineteen years old and a senior in high school.”

“I don’t blame her, Karm-e. She’s just looking out for her beautiful innocent little daughter and she really doesn’t want anything bad to happen to you. If I had a beautiful young daughter like you I guess I’d probably be doing the same thing when she went out with a big bad high school guy, too.

I kind of think a beautiful young girl by the name of Karm-e is the apple of her parents’ eyes and they’ll do whatever they have to do to protect her from any harm by that bad high school guy.”

Karm-e had a big bright smile on her face as I walked her to the door and I said, “Good night, Karm-e. Thanks for going with me tonight. Each time we go out I have had a good time with you. Let me know if I can take you out again in a couple of weeks, will you please?”

The next week in class, Karm-e sat down beside me and told me, “Mom was still up when I got back home, Mario, and I asked her what she was still doing up. She just told me that she wanted to see that I got home safely and on time. I told her, Mom, you don’t have to worry about me like that. Mario is a perfect gentleman and he is going to make sure that I get home safely and on time each time we go out.”

“Well, thank you for the compliment, Karm-e, and you know that I’d never do anything that I couldn’t do in front of your parents. And I’d never ask you to do anything like that either.

I think you’re too precious and too innocent to do anything like that. Besides, I know if I did you’d slap me and I’d never get to go out with you again. And I sure don’t ever want that to happen, Karm-e.”

She leaned over to me and whispered in my ear, “Thank you, Mario. If we were in your car and you had just driven me home I’d have you pull over to let you kiss me but, I know we can’t do that here in class.

Maybe we can kiss when we go out the next time or on my birthday.” I was going to ask her when her birthday was but, the teacher called the class to order and that stopped our conversation for the time being.

After class, I asked her, “When is your birthday, Karm-e? I’d like to take you out to eat or out to a movie or something like that.”

“It’s a week after Thanksgiving, but, Mom wants me to be home on Thanksgiving and on my birthday. I could go out to a movie with you the weekend after my birthday, Mario. Could we go out to a movie that Saturday night together?”