High school relationships

To Rabbi Michael Avraham, greetings.
I am a high school girl (17 years old, graduating from 11th grade). At the beginning of the year, I started studying Gemara in a group with one of the boys from the community where I live. He is a year older than me.
We recently discovered that we have mutual feelings for each other (maybe I should have realized this sooner; we study Tractate Kiddushin together… :).
Is it right to have a relationship even when there are no actual plans for a wedding in the next three years? (He is going to yeshiva and then long-term service in the IDF, I will still be in high school next year, and then national/military service)
The solution is seemingly to simply wait until marriage is relevant; but I find it hard to believe that will work. I don't think we'll be able to stick to 'just friendship' without 'deteriorating' into a relationship. In other words, the choice is between taking our relationship very far or starting dating.
And besides all of this, does the rabbi think it's permissible for us to study together? There's something very intimate and close about studying in a group, and perhaps it's something that should be reserved for after marriage or at least for an advanced stage in the relationship…
It should be noted that he is a God-fearing guy, and we are very strict about the laws of privacy and maintaining contact, etc. Although there is no guardian of the nakedness, it is really difficult for me to see a situation in which we would commit an offense.
Thank you very much in advance.