Hello Everyone,
    My name is Natalie Stokes and I have a story to share with you that I have never before shared with anyone other than my sister and my best friend. I guess it was one *of those life secrets never meant to be set free. It all started in September of 1968 to be exact, I remember the year well. This was the year I would find out what my future held in store. I went to an all Girls Catholic School, the only one in our area. The only thing that separated us from the boy’s school was the Cathedral. We took the same bus as the boys to and from school which gave us plenty of time to socialize without being criticised for being friends.
    It was the beginning of a new year and I was determined to make good grades, after all I had a future to think about, in today’s world most women depended on their husbands to support them. The world was rapidly changing. I knew if I had other plans for my future the only way to succeed was to start right now.
   Now as I look back on that first day of our last year of school, I remember thinking of how happy we all seemed to be as we searched for our friends.
We entered our classrooms happy to see the many familiar faces that we hadn’t seen all summer. Everyone was eagerly exchanging the exciting
stories and photos that would seem to last for a lifetime of the happy memories of a summer gone by.
     Soon our attention was taken by the familiar voice of our principal. He gave the announcement that there were going to be a few new teachers assigned us. Little did we know than what we were going to face and what the future held for some of us.

     This is where and when my story first began.

            Natalie’s Fall From Grace

By: Rose Marie Rideout

    The first day of my new year and last year of high school and I couldn’t seem to wait to get started. I thought about how I laid there most of the night wondering who my teacher would be, what home room I’d be in and excited about sharing the memories of my summer gone by.
    I quickly dressed and headed down to the kitchen where Mom as usual had our breakfast all ready. With a peck on the cheek and a good morning smile from her, we devoured the food she prepared. Conversation between my sisters Nadine and Nicole was short as we all had the same thing on our mind, getting out the door and heading off to school.

As I entered the school, I looked all around to find my best friend Terri, she could be picked out for miles, with her flaming red hair and curls stuck out everywhere, along with her freckles and rosy red cheeks that made it look like she was blushing all the time.  She was different in some ways and although she didn’t appear to be popular with the boys she was one of the greatest friends a person could want or ever find. Soon I saw her arriving she claimed her mother insisted on dropping her off. We threw our arms around each other as if it were years since we had last been together. We had so much to talk about, so much to share. For now we would get all settled in.
           It was the beginning of a new year and I was determined to make good grades, after all I had a future to think about and the only way to succeed was to do well in High School. Though I was only seventeen I was mature for my age and my boobs had grown in early and because of their size people often thought I was a lot older. My girlfriends and I entered our classrooms on that first day back to school happy to see the many familiar faces that had been away for the best part of the summer. We greeted with hugs and questions to be answered about how every ones summer went. After all we hadn’t seen each other all summer and smiles were the order of the day.

We sat in our classroom waiting for our teacher to show up but instead one of the nuns popped her head in the door with an announcement that a new teacher was being assigned and would be along shortly. She didn’t tell us anymore and of course we all assumed it would be another grouchy old nun from the convent, the last thing we expected was a young good looking man (we soon discovered) was a Seminarian. He was studying to be a Priest which would take eight to ten years.

    I was thinking to myself that things might not be all that bad when I heard the door open and looked up to see this vision of a handsome young man about twenty-two, steamy blue eyes and a smile that could light up the night. I blushed as I thought …wow; his body would be welcoming to any gal. I wasn’t sure at the time what it was but all of a sudden I felt the room get excessively warm. No, it wasn’t the room it was me, and warm wasn’t quite the word that I would use for the flashes I was feeling.  Did the other girls in class get the reaction I had?

The new teacher began to stroll up and down each row as he asked names and introduced himself to each student as hopefully being Father Patrick in several years and when he finally reached out his hand to mine, our eyes locked and I stared for more then a moment. Somehow the gentle squeeze of his hand made me feel like I knew what he was thinking and that he might be feeling the same as I. When he let go of my hand and walked past I continued to study his masculine body from behind, he walked slowly almost like an invitation to follow his every step. I could feel my body stir with the first strain of adolescent desire or lust for this handsome innocent individual.

Once things settled down we came to find out Father Patrick would be our Homeroom teacher for the year and I have to admit that made my day.  He said he didn't want to be called Father because that wonuldn't be for eight to ten years and suggested we call him Patrick or Mr. O'Neil which ever we were more comfortable with. Later the class decided he would be called Mr. O'Neil , it seemed to be more respectful. Quickly another thought ran through my head. How will I do this, face Patrick, I mean Mr. O'Neil, everyday knowing he was probably feeling what I was feeling. He had to have known what body message I was giving him, how could I concentrate, how could I ever be in his class
daily, under that kind of pressure.
           As soon as the bell rang I gathered my books and headed for the door, I caught Terri at her locker and couldn’t wait to ask her. Well what do you think, so what do you think of our new homeroom teacher?
   She turned to me and said "Natalie he’s studying to be a priest in eight or ten years so what I think is, he’s a waste of time, so get a life".

Well the weeks went by and Patrick, I mean, Mr. O'Neil soon noticed I was having many problems with my school work. I just couldn’t seem to concentrate on what was being taught…maybe because my mind kept wandering to other places. When he offered to help, one on one to try and improve my grades I quickly accepted his plan for us to get together twice a week. Smiling down at me as he sat on the end of my desk he suggested in order to avoid so many  distractions we could meet at his new residence.

Mr. O'Neil had said to just use his private entrance at the back of the glebe. That first day I must admit I was feeling a bit uneasy and I knew I better hide my feelings, I was only seventeen, and he was going to be a Priest in a eight or ten years…oh God, I thought, I will go to hell for just thinking these erotic thoughts. Dam though, he was very sexy and I did become so aroused when he had sat on my desk the other day. Still Terri’s words kept flashing in my mine. She was right so why did I let the thought of him still haunt my every thought.