Teenage Fantasy Ch. 01

"Really?"

"Look, can we just go to your locker really quickly? I need to change."

"Yeah, sure." Maggie shrugged, trying to hide her enthusiasm. "If you don't mind being late."

Mabel looked toward the clock on the wall and around at the other bodies shuffling to their classes. "Do you think anyone else will know?"

"Tonya might," Maggie responded, "because you never wear band shirts; you're more of a turtleneck girl, and everyone has seen him in that shirt multiple times."

Mabel conceded, "Fine. Let's go to your locker, please."

Once Mabel had the shirt, she rushed to the bathroom. She opened the door and saw her worst nightmare. Tonya was crying by the sink. Michaela and Sabrina dutifully tried to calm the girl down. They didn't seem to notice her presence among the other girls in the bathroom. She dipped her head and made her way to the nearest stall.

"Oh, it's the nerd!" Tonya sneered, turning to face her.

Mabel pushed open the stall door as Tonya gasped.

"What the fuck is that?"

Mabel took a deep breath before turning to face the girls in front of her.

"What's what?"

Her voice quivered as Tonya stalked closer, running her eyes over her body.

"Is that Jake's shirt?"

"Oh, this?" She pulled at the fabric and then glanced back at Tonya. "N-no."

"Bullshit nerd!" She reached for her, using the fabric to pull her closer. "Are you fucking kidding me? Where did you get this?"

Tonya's friends quickly flanked either side of her, sneering at Mabel. The other girls in the bathroom grew quiet as they watched the interaction.

"A-a thrift store. I like Zeppelin."

"You little rat! I knew it was your fault!" Tonya yelled, roughly yanking the shirt to pull it off her.

"Get off of me!" Mabel pushed at her hands, causing the two girls to grab her arms and assist Tonya.

"You fucking slut!" Tonya called, pulling some of her hair as she ripped the shirt off, leaving Mabel exposed before them.

"It's not like that!"

She could hear the other girls snickering around her and tried to pull her arms free to cover herself.

"What? You're so fucking desperate to get laid that you go around fucking people's boyfriends!"

"No! I- I swear! It's not like that!"

Michaela and Sabrina roughly pulled her toward the sink.

Mabel dug her feet into the ground, struggling against their grip, but they were cheerleaders, and it was evident in the strength they possessed.

"You're too ugly to be a slut," Tonya sneered.

"Maybe we should give her a makeover then," Sabrina gloated, keeping a firm grip on Mabel.

"Yeah, let's make her pretty." Michaela pulled lipstick from her back pocket.

"Please don't! I didn't do anything. It's a book report!" Mabel tried to yank her arms free.

"Hold her still! We're going to make her look like the whore that she is."

She smeared the red paste over Mabel's mouth as she turned her head, trying to avoid the assault. The lipstick got everywhere; it streaked over her mouth, nose, and cheeks. The laughter of the girls around them flooded her ears as she tried to fight the women holding her arms.

"Anyone have a marker?" Tonya asked the crowd of girls. Most remained quiet, passively watching the altercation.

Tonya smirked as she was handed a red Sharpie by a girl.

Grabbing Mabel's hair, she yanked her head back and began writing on her forehead. "Now everyone will know what you are."

Keeping a firm grip on her hair, she turned her face toward the crowd.

"See? This is what a slut looks like, girls. Watch your boyfriend. She'll probably fuck him!"

Sabrina pulled her phone out, and Tonya pushed Mabel away. She stumbled forward, her glasses falling from her face. She looked up at the camera.

Everyone laughed around her, and Mabel wanted to fall through the floor. Tonya dropped the lipstick in the trash next to her. "You don't want this anymore, Michaela. She probably has herpes."

The girls in the bathroom sneered as they shoved past her, leaving her alone in the large space.

Mabel wiped the steaming tears from her cheeks and looked at the mirror.

Red lipstick painted her face in sharp streaks smeared over her lips and cheeks. Worse than that, in bright red letters, Tonya had tattooed the word whore.

She grabbed some paper towels and turned the water on. The lipstick only smudged as she vigorously wiped paper towel after wet paper towel over her face, trying to remove it as best as possible. Her efforts seemed futile; the lipstick had stained her white skin, and the letters still remained on her forehead. She pulled the blue polo over her head. Maggie was smaller than her, and the shirt didn't cover her stomach fully. Pulling it down, she did her best to brush her bangs over her forehead.

Thankfully, she was always blushing. She reasoned that the red stains on her cheeks wouldn't seem out of place. She tried one last time to remove the marks but gave up. Instead, she left the bathroom feeling defeated. The bell rang, signifying the end of the first period. Mabel kept her head low, navigating the halls by memory.

She sat down at her desk, removing her notebook and copy of Macbeth. She tried to shrink into herself as much as possible. It seemed Jake was absent today. Somehow, that made her feel even more alone as she replayed the scene in the bathroom. Blinking back tears, she barely heard Mr. Noble tell the class to continue working with partners on their reports.

"Ew, look at her!"

Mabel tried not to look up. She could feel the eyes of her peers on her. It felt like an invisible spotlight was shining on her seat. Her stomach knotted, and she tried to focus on her book. She wiped her cheek again and raked her hands through her hair to keep her bangs in front of her.

Someone walked over to her, and she heard the laughter of the class around her as they did. They perched one leg on her desk, leaning in to talk to her. She took a deep breath and looked up at the snickering boy.

"Can I help you?"

Mabel tried to keep her voice strong but couldn't help the tremble.

"Yeah," Steven Grant said, wearing a snarky grin as he looked down at her. His brown eyes gleamed mischievously. "I have a dollar."

"So what?"

"Do you wanna meet me in my car after school? I'll keep you busy." He grabbed his dick and gyrated toward her.

Mabel's stomach collapsed, and she felt like she would puke. The nausea was amplified by the condescending laughter of her peers. It was dizzying.

"Get the fuck away from me!"

Once again, her voice didn't hold the power that she wanted it to. Instead, it was small and constricted by the tears in her throat.

"Don't feign innocence." He leaned in closer. "We all know what you are." Reaching towards her, he moved her bangs to the side. "It's written right here!"

Mabel slapped his hand away as Noble stood up from his desk.

"Reign it in!" Mr. Noble commanded, "Go sit down, Mr. Grant!"

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out. Maggie messaged her.

Meet me in the library NOW!!!

As she moved to respond, her phone dinged again, and a video of her in the bathroom popped up. It was after Tonya had pushed her. She fell forward toward the camera, wearing only her bra. Crimson slashes cut across her tear-stained face, and the word whore appeared across her forehead in bold scarlet letters. A caption across the screen added: For a dollar she does anything!

The floor dipped beneath her. She clumsily gathered her things and left the classroom as Noble called behind her.

Maggie was already there when she entered. "Oh, my God! Mabel, what happened?"

The librarian hushed them dutifully. Maggie grabbed Mabel's hand and pulled her to the back of the library.

"I-I don't know!" A flood of tears poured from her eyes before she could stop them. The sobs clenched her chest, and she fell into Maggie's arms.

"Hey now. Shh, hey, it's ok. We'll fix this."

"How do I fix this?" Mabel asked, releasing her grip.

"Hey guys!" Pete called, running up to them. "Mabel, are you ok? I, uh, I saw... you know."

"Oh, my God!" Mabel cried, "You even saw it?"

"Yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck, "I think... everyone in our class has."

"Everyone?!"

"No," Maggie interceded, throwing a sharp look at Pete. "No, not everyone. I'm sure we can reign it in. Let's go to the principal."

"There's a video of me in my bra with the word whore written on my forehead circling around our senior class. What is Blancher going to do?"

"He'll suspend her!"

"God no," Mabel said as she slid to the floor, "that will only make it worse. She'll never leave me alone if I tell."

Pete and Maggie stayed quiet, watching the distraught girl sob before them.

"Maybe you can make this an 'Easy A' moment, you know?" Pete tried to lighten the conversation. Both girls shot him a look that quieted any further sentiments.

Maggie knelt down beside her friend. "We'll figure something out."

"Steven Grant asked me to have sex with him in English class!" Mabel retorted hopelessly.

"What?" Maggie asked, anger flaring up inside her.

"He-he grabbed his dick and said he could "keep me busy" after school!" She shuddered, wiping away the endless tears. "I've never even had sex! I'm a virgin."

"I know!" Maggie shook her head and chose to sit next to her.

"That asshole needs to fix this!" Pete stated angrily, "He needs to fix this right now!"

Before the two girls could object, Pete stormed off without saying another word.

"I want to go home," Mabel looked at Maggie, "I don't want to be here."

"Ok, we'll go to your house. Let me go grab our stuff from our lockers. I'll be right back, ok?"

Mabel nodded, pulling her knees to her chest. "Thanks Maggie."

She gave her a sympathetic look and left to go grab their stuff.

_________

Jake's phone buzzed ceaselessly in his pocket as he made his way to Noble's class. Coach Miles had given him a pass to help clean the equipment shed, and he was running late to see Mabel. He pulled the device from his pocket and opened the screen. His group chat was blowing up with messages.

"Edwards! You fucking asshole!"

Jake looked up as Peter Clamblin rushed towards him.

"What's your fucking problem?" Jake asked. His phone buzzed again, and he glanced back down.

"She's helping you get a good grade, and you send your bitch to humiliate her!"

Jake wasn't one to back down from a challenge, and Clamblin looked ready to punch him.

"I don't know what you're fucking talking about!"

"Pete! Stop!"

Magdalene Louiston ran down the hall, grabbing Peter's arm. "Mabel needs us."

"Mabel?" Jake's brow furrowed, looking at Maggie, "What's wrong?"

Peter glared at Jake. "It's this asshole's fault."

"I know, but we've gotta go." Maggie pulled Pete's arm again.

Jake's phone continued ringing in his hand, causing him to growl in frustration. He clicked the icon, opening the messages. The video stopped him in his tracks. A 5-second snippet of Mabel: she was crying in the bathroom, shirtless, with the word whore written on her forehead.

"What the fuck?" Anger boiled his blood. "I need to see her!" Jake looked at Maggie. "Where is she?"

"Haven't you done enough?" Maggie sneered.

"I didn't know shit about this! Where is she?"

Maggie seemed surprised by his reaction, but Pete was unphased. "Fuck you, Edwards! You set her up!"

"No, I fucking didn't!"

"Let's go, Pete!" Maggie tugged at her friend's arm as he glowered at the dumbfounded man in front of him. Jake's eyes returned to his phone, watching as the comments about Mabel rolled in on the chat, no longer concerned with the angry boy in front of him. He wanted to see Mabel. Looking back up, he realized her friends were gone.

_________

"We'll wait for the next bell, and then we'll go." Maggie knelt down next to Mabel, who was still holding her knees.

"I have to switch schools. I can't stay here!"

Pete angrily paced in front of the two girls. "What a fucking dick! You help him, and in turn, he has Tonya humiliate you! That's bullshit!"

"No, Jake wouldn't!" Mabel shook her head, and her friends shot angry glances her way.

"You're defending him? He set you up, Mabes!" scoffed Pete.

"No, he didn't! Tonya saw me this morning in the bathroom."

Maggie gasped, "And you were wearing his shirt."

Mabel nodded, "They... held me down and..."

"A fucking setup!" Pete yelled.

"No! We got wet at the lake, and he gave it to me because my other shirt was soaked. It wasn't set up!"

Pete's face fell. "What lake?"

"Can we just go? Please? " The defeat was evident on Mabel's face. Her friends nodded. Pete unzipped his hoodie.

"Do you want this, Mabel?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "thanks, Pete."

She zipped the hoodie fully up, pulled the hood over her head, and tucked her flaming red hair underneath. Maggie and Pete formed a wall in front of her, and they made their way out of the school.

_________

The short walk back to Mabel's house was somber. Maggie and Pete spoke very little.

Mabel barely got the door open. Her friends entered, and she slammed the door behind her, keeping her palms against the cool surface. She closed her eyes and felt the day start crashing down around her. Pebbles that started as one slow tear cascaded into boulders. Each one pummeled her with a different emotion until her knees hit the floor.

She felt arms wrap and tighten around her, and she knew without opening her eyes that they were her mother's. She wept against her chest, vivid images of the video played behind her eyelids. Everything seemed to compile. The laughter from the classroom and the girls in the bathroom. Steven's snarky grin and disgusting offer.

Her mom's voice burst through.

"Mabel, honey? Babygirl, talk to me. What's happened? Who did this to you?"

Her throat was so tight that it was impossible to breathe, let alone explain. Instead, she cried harder. Her mom gave up trying to get an answer, choosing to gently shush her daughter while she stroked her hair.

It took a long time to transition from chest-crushing sobs to heaving hiccups to small shuddering gasps. Her mom's back was now against the door, and she was tucked in her arms. Maggie sat directly across from Mabel. She was holding her hand, and Pete had taken the first step on the stairs.

Mabel finally looked up into her mom's eyes, noticing that she had been crying too. She placed a gentle hand against her daughter's face.

"Hey, baby."

Mabel's lips quivered, and more water formed on the edges of her eyes. "I had a really bad day, Momma."

"Yeah."

Her mom hugged her, and the process began again.

_________

Mabel had cocooned on the couch after her mom left to take her friends home. She barely watched Grey's Anatomy through a head hole in her favorite fuzzy blanket. Jake had tried to call her, but she turned off her phone, already receiving DMs from guys in her class she'd never talked to. Pounding on the door startled her, and she sat up to look at it.

Her stomach flipped. Had people found out where she lived? Did they come here to continue her torment? For a moment, she contemplated ignoring it.

"You there, Mabel?"

The voice behind it was unmistakable, and she pulled herself up from the couch, keeping the blanket around her, and made her way to the door.

"Why are you here?"

Jake's shoulders dropped as he released a breath. "I needed to see you to make sure you were ok."

"No." She hugged her blanket closer as she stared past him at the dark, deserted street. She blinked back tears, but her eyes remained distant. "I'm not."

Mabel resembled a glass vase, only remaining upright because the fractured pieces fit together. It was a look that stabbed through his heart. The pain moved him to sweep her into his arms.

Mabel didn't return the embrace or move to push him away. She broke again.

"I'm sorry," Jake said softly as he held her while she sobbed. "I'm sorry, Mabel."

After a while, Mabel pulled away from him, using the back of her sleeve to wipe her eyes. Her small nose was red-tipped, and she shook her head. "I've cried so much!"

It was an exasperated exhalation. She pointed at his chest, shaking her head. "Your shirt."

Jake cracked a half smile, looking down at himself. "Still not as bad as the lake."

Mabel giggled despite herself. "I always get you wet."

"I don't mind getting a little wet," Jake said with a smile.

"I hope not. It seems to be what always happens."

"Oh, so that's our theme?"

"I guess so," she grinned back at him. "Oh! Speaking of a theme, I finished our essay."

"Already?"

Nodding, she stepped further inside. "Can you wait here?"

He stepped in and closed the door behind him. The blanket trailed behind her up the stairs.

Mabel had removed the blanket and was dressed in Simpson pajama pants and a long-sleeved shirt when she returned.

"Here you go," she held out a printed copy, "it's only a little more than ten pages, but it should cover it."

Jake grabbed the paper and flipped through it.

"I went with your idea."

"Great! I chose Act 1 Scene 7 for class."

"I don't think I'll be reading with you," Mabel said, glancing away from him.

Jake's face fell. "I'll look like an idiot if I read Lady Macbeth's lines too."

"You won't," she laughed. "I referenced some really great monologues. Act 5 Scene 5. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It's the ultimate realization of man's futility. A tale told by an idiot, signifying nothing."

Jake watched her give a wry smile, still not meeting his gaze. Her brilliance always caused him to be in awe of her.

"I just... "

"What?"

"I thought you would enjoy calling me a coward in front of the class."

"That's very tempting," Mabel smirked.

"See?" he raised his eyebrows. "So, are you gonna read with me?"

"No, Jake." She looked away from him, her voice going quiet. "I can't. You'll be great though."

Jake studied her. Her bangs were covering her forehead, but he could still see the letters. His anger swelled, constricting his words. "Okay, Mabel. I get it."

She gave him a reassuring smile and opened the door. "Thank you for coming to check on me."

He wanted to stay with her, make her laugh more, and hold her if she cried.

"Bye, Mabel."

"Bye, Jake."

_________

"I bought pizza!"

Mabel's mom kicked off her shoes as she entered the house.

"Thanks," Mabel replied half-heartedly.

Her mom went to the kitchen before entering the living room. She laid down a towel and set the large pizza and a bottle of wine on the table in front of Mabel.

"Scoot over."

Mabel sighed and sat up, folding her knees beneath her. Her mom filled the empty space on the couch. Reaching for the bottle again, she filled two paper cups with the magenta liquid. She lifted them both and looked at Mabel.

"Here."

Mabel's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes, but it's only for tonight because you've had a shitty day, and no more until you're 21."

"Thanks, Mom." Mabel chuckled, taking the cup from her.

"Have some pizza, honey." She flopped a large piece on a paper plate before dishing herself up a slice. "Haven't you seen this show a hundred times?"

"It makes me feel better," Mabel shrugged while taking a bite.

Her mom gently brushed her bangs to the side, shaking her head at the letters marking her daughter. "Mabel, honey, who did this to you?"

"It doesn't matter, mom. I just think I should switch schools."

"Does it have something to do with that boy that Pete told me about? Jake?"

"No! He didn't have anything to do with this."

Mabel's mom looked at her daughter with glossy eyes. "Something like this happened to me once."

"Really?" Mabel asked in disbelief.

"I was feuding with this girl, Trisha Myers, over this guy that I really liked. I mean, we were only 18, but part of me thought he was the one." Her mom rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "That was until I saw them making out. It crushed me. I burned her pom-poms on the field, and she filled my locker with a bunch of pads and tampons covered in red dye."