Karissa

THE END (it's in block letters because I'm serious; there is no turning back)

"Hmmm. Do you need condoms?"

I tried not to look horrified, and then burst out laughing. Blake's eyebrows crinkled.

"What? No, it's ok. I'm a virgin, too." He shrugged his shoulders and laughed it off, which only started me up again.

"I thought you and Gigi were hooking up in the library," I managed, and he howled.

"What, can't a guy and a girl modestly enjoy French satire?" Blake was holding his side, his eyes watering from pure hysteria, but he managed to make it across the room and clap me on the back.

"You go...and you have fun. I'm proud of you, man. Try not to have too bad of a culture shock, ok?"

"Oh, AJ, you've...." Karissa seemed lost, but then she threw her arms around my neck and hugged me.

"What, Karissa, have I actually gotten handsome?" I teased, and she rumpled my hair. (Ok, so we'd only been in each other's presence about five minutes, and already we were flirting.) She smoothed her full skirt printed with purple jasmine flowers (she was wearing real ones in her hair).

"Karissa...this isn't a date, is it?"

She looked shocked, then blushed attractively.

"I like Camden, but he's not you. We're taking an indefinite break." She sighed and fidgeted.

"Look, AJ, I was dumb in high school."

"But so was I," I argued. "You really didn't do anything than what was right." And then she placed her lips against my neck.

"Forget about high school," she whispered. "Let's just be two old friends enjoying...well, I can't give it away, now, can I?"  We stepped into the taxi, and Karissa pressed against my shoulder - but that was because the cab was tight. I couldn't really believe she still felt the same way about me as she once had, after what I'd done then.... But maybe I was letting my mistake hold me back. Maybe it would just be better if I just let go, so I prayed silently and gave it up to someone bigger who could handle it, after which I instantly felt better. Our cabbie drove slowly, letting us enjoy the sights of the city, when we passed a big billboard. I saw it from the bottom up: high shoes, long, long, legs, impossibly narrow hips and waist....

"She's -"

"A Victoria's Secret model? And she lets them put up pictures of her in their underwear in the middle of the city when she's not even married to Jesse yet? I know, Lavender has no shame."  I found Karissa's modesty ten times more attractive now than I ever had. She knew she was beautiful on the inside, and that satisfied her (although she had sufficient outer beauty, too.) We drove along a couple of blocks without any more excitement (though many more pictures of Lavender, all very different - she wasn't exclusively with the womens' intimates giant, Karissa explained; she'd still kept her contract with Harlequin that she'd recieved in high school.)

"Sweeney Todd!" I gasped, seeing the elaborate sign. "Does Jesse...." And then I suddenly realized - of course! Karissa laughed.

"You really did shut yourself in, AJ!" She chattered on about the show as the driver let us out, and she was pulling me through the theater door.

"....I've seen it twice since last year, and he just keeps getting better - I'm surprised we could get tickets because ever since the Tonys...and Jesse says he never get's a moment's peace at home, and he's got project after project lined up after Sweeney closes its run, though who knows when  that'll be....It's the hottest revival on Broadway, and we all went together when it opened, though I couldn't get ahold of you, and that was before everything took off...."  She bounced excitedly in her seat and laughed happily, flipping through her playbill.