Editing Carli D'Amato (section)

== Characterisation ==
Carli has little romantic interest in Simon but uses his obvious infatuation to her own advantage even encouraging Simon to study a subject he is not doing at school purely to assist in her own revision. This will damage Simon's chances of passing his own exams but he is evidently happier to assist informing [[Will McKenzie|Will]] that he "can always re-sit". Simon is quite stricken and thinking about her and trying to be near her occupies much of his time. He commits several embarrassing faux pas while pursuing her including declaring his love in a huge painted love-heart on her parent's driveway, being drunk and vomiting profusely over Carli's kitchen and younger brother and sneaking into her house at night. This latter causing upset between the two families with Simon's own father thinking Simon might be harbouring paedophile tendencies towards her little brother (he mistook the room for Carli's) and her father telephoning Simon to inform him that if he goes near their house again, he's "gonna fuck [him] up" - a message conveyed to a vomiting, hung-over Simon by his father.

Carli is generally friendly towards Simon much of the time but this is purely platonic. She is often accompanied by friends (particularly Rachael) when Simon interacts with her and due to Simon's infatuation, he usually makes a complete idiot of himself. Her friends are often seen ridiculing Simon in front of her and question her judgement in having anything to do with him. In the first episode, Carli engages Simon in conversation and as she leans forward to smell his aftershave, he glimpses her cleavage and bra through the open neck of her shirt and becomes aroused. [[Jay Cartwright|Jay]] immediately latches on to this fact and publicly announces it to the other pupils in the common room leading to him to be given the nickname of "boner".

Carli has a much older boyfriend who owns a car and only when they split up briefly does Simon finally get the intimate moment with her he has dreamed of. Carli crushes Simon later that same day by announcing that she has reconciled with her boyfriend - although early in the movie, it is clear they have started dating again and possibly for some time. Simon states it has contributed to the best year of his life - at which point he is crushed once more as Carli dumps him again. Carli does not appear to be held in such high regard by the other three boys (especially Will and Jay ) and is often referred to in derogatory terms, much to Simon's annoyance. Simon being dumped at the end of school prompts them all to go on a "lad's holiday" so Simon can get over her. They all agree but it ends up being largely overshadowed by Simon's obsessing about Carli which is a major theme throughout the movie. It is not helped by [[Neil Sutherland|Neil's]] poor planning which has resulted in them going on holiday to the same place as Carli and Rachael. Even though Simon has been affected by his split with Carli, she seems oblivious and proceeds to use him in one of the closing scenes to make James jealous by kissing him passionately, all the time with her eyes on James to gauge his reaction and muttering to herself "that should do it". While trying to use Simon in further goading, he finally sees his feelings have little value to Carli and decides to leave and meet up with Lucy. The inference is that Carli will no longer figure emotionally in Simon's life (despite them inevitably meeting through family ties) and she has lost her hold over him. Though Carli's surname D'Amato is of Italian origin, she, however, is of full English background.

=== Personality ===
Carli is popular and attractive, with an older rugby-player boyfriend, making her even more unattainable. Carli has a shallow, manipulative and selfish personality, which Simon is often oblivious to, although his friends are not as fooled. On several occasions, Will, Jay and Neil have openly expressed contempt for her, with Will pointing out that she merely strings him along and states she's an "arsehole", Jay calling her "stuck-up", and Neil stating she's "moany". (Although on one occasion Jay and Neil referred to themselves as "mates of Carli", although this was most likely feigned to unsuccessfully befriend one of her boyfriends.)