"No, this seat isn't taken." Joanie smiled.

"I'm Jason Andrews, do you go to Jefferson?"

"Yes, I do. I'm Joanie Cunningham. Do you go to Jefferson as well?"

Jason smiled. "Yes, I do. What year are you?"

"I am a sophomore. What year are you?"

"I'm a senior and I have a car."

"You do?"

Jenny and her date walked up.

"Excuse me, Joanie, I have a 10pm curfew and it's almost time for me to get home." Jenny looked at her watch.

"Oh, I can give you a ride home, Joanie. Did you have a curfew?" Jason said.

"Okay, I'll see you at school, Joanie. Bye." Jenny left with her date.

"Yeah, I guess I better get going, too." They both got up.

They both walked outside to his car and got in. He gave her a kiss as she kissed him back.

"Wow!" she smiled.

At the Cunninghams—

Howard was at the table playing solitaire while Marion watched TV.

"Marion, it's almost ten o'clock, she has a few minutes before she is past curfew."

"Howard, she is at a party, she probably lost track of time. Give her a break, bucko."

Howard looked at her surprised, then the door opened.

"Hi, Mom, Dad." Joanie smiled as she walked towards the table.

"Hi sweetheart, did you have a good time?" Howard asked.

"Yes."

"Did you meet anyone there?" Marion asked, since she noticed Joanie was smiling.

Joanie walked upstairs as she sang, "I found my thrill…"

"I take that as a yes," Howard said as Marion giggled.

"Oh, Howard, did you see the smile on her face?"

"Yes. You talked to her about you know what, right?"

"Yes, I talked to her before her first car date."

"Good."

"I wonder who the guy is," Marion said with a smile.

"I don't know but I hope we meet him."

"I'll get it out of Joanie when we both talk."

"Marion, you can't just do that anymore, when she wants to tell us, she will."

Three days later-

Jason was a very good wrestler. When he was done with practice, and Joanie was finished with cheerleading, they ran out as soon as it was over. The cheerleaders and players noticed the changes in them and knew why they would run out.

They were at the bowling alley at a table eating and talking.

"So glad practice is over," Jason said.

"So am I." She smiled at him.

"There is a dance on Saturday, would you like to go?" he asked her.

"I would love to go but you have to meet my parents." Joanie was very nervous when her parents wanted to meet her date.

"Sure." He smiled at her.

"I enjoy staying out with you," Joanie said warmly.

"So do I."

A day before the dance, she had dinner at home with her parents.

"I'm happy that you are having dinner with us." Howard took a bite of his food.

"Jason has some family over and there is a dance tomorrow night. Can I go?"

Howard sighed, "We want to meet him but your mother and I want to talk about it first."

Joanie looked at them nervously, "Sure, Mom, Dad."

After they finished eating, Joanie went upstairs to do her homework while Howard and Marion put the dishes away.

"I think we should let her, Howard." Marion washed the dishes while Howard dried them.

"I just don't like that she has been out past curfew."

"Oh, Howard, don't you remember when you fell for a girl? You didn't care about anything but that girl."

"Yes, I do."

"I did too when I dated a boy."

"I'll go tell her she can go as long as she comes in at 9."

"Howard!"

"What time?"

"11:00."

"Okay, I'll go tell her." Howard left the kitchen then Marion went in the living room and sat on the couch.

Night of the dance-

Jason arrived, met Howard and Marion, then took Joanie to the dance. They had danced the night away then when it was over, they went to Arnold's. Jason went to the men's bathroom while Joanie went in the girls' room to powder her nose. A few minutes later Jason walked out, noticed it was dark, then Joanie came out.

"Did you turn off the lights?" Joanie asked.

"No."

"Oh, well, I guess Al forgot to pay the electric bill."

"But the men's bathroom lights were still on," Jason said.

"Yeah, so were the women's." Joanie turned to look at the juke box and it was off.

"Oh well, we can sit at the booth and neck." They both walked to the booth and sat together.

"The dance was a lot of fun. You are a good dancer."

"Thanks. You are very good, too," Jason said.

"Thanks." Joanie put her head on his chest as he laid his head back and they just sat and thought.

Twenty minutes later-

Joanie and Jason decided it was time to go home then they got to the door but couldn't open it.

"Let me try and help," Jason said as he and Joanie pushed together.

"I think we are locked in," Joanie said stunned.