Teenage Fantasy Ch. 01

"Oh, my God," Mabel gasped.

"Yeah, they went everywhere when I opened it, earning me the fun nickname of Bloody Bethany. My hair didn't help, of course."

"I am so sorry that happened to you, mom." Her mom drank some more wine and sighed.

"Yeah, I wanted to switch schools too. I stayed home crying in bed for a week until your grandma came in and gave me a kick in the ass. She told me to get my shit together, take a shower, go to that school, and march in there like I owned the place."

"Did you?"

"God no!"

"I walked into that school red as a tomato and ignored everyone. Then, one day, I got tired, and I called that bitch, Trisha, out on her bullshit. I told her exactly how I felt about her during lunch."

"No way!"

"I made her cry," she boasted. "After that, everyone just left me alone and moved on."

Mabel shook her head and said, "I can't do that."

"Yes, you can, honey! You have worked too hard to become valedictorian. I will raise hell to earth for you, but you need to stand up for yourself, Mabel. Do not let this girl get the better of you!"

"Mom, she owns the school. Everyone loves her."

"It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks, Mabes. This isn't about them; it's about you. Now, I will allow you to have an isolation period. If at the end of this semester you want to switch schools, I will make that happen, but you're not going to let anyone control you! You're too smart for that. Understand?"

"Yeah, I understand, Momma," Mabel said, nodding.

"Good," her mom said, holding her gaze before sweeping her into a hug. "I love you, honey."

*****

Mabel moped around the house for the remainder of the week. She finished three seasons of Grey's Anatomy and two quarts of Bryers ice cream. On Friday morning, before going out of town, her mom told her that her isolation period was over and she would be back in time to make sure she was out of bed on Monday.

Maggie came to sleep over that night.

"So, when are you coming back to school?" Maggie took a spoonful of the cookies and cream ice cream.

"If it were up to me, never." Mabel sighed, spearing her spoon into the dairy delight. "But my mom says I have to go back on Monday."

Maggie gave her friend a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, but I'm also glad you'll be back. I miss you! Pete is cool, but he's a boy."

They giggled before Mabel's face fell. "How bad is it, Mags?"

Mabel felt hopeless. The week away had allowed her anxiety to fester. She'd had to make her accounts private to avoid the flood of messages. She was filled with dread at the prospect of having to return.

"Most people know Tonya was in the wrong, Mabes."

"What do I do?"

Maggie tapped the spoon against her lips. "You can put a brown paper bag over your head and cut out eye holes."

"I'm serious!" Mabel laughed despite herself.

"I know," Maggie admitted, "but there's nothing you can do. You just have to keep going. I mean, it's just high school, and there are only a few more months left, right? So, just do what we normally do: be invisible."

"Somehow, I don't think I'll be able to be invisible again." Mabel tucked her feet underneath her. "I wish I had never done this stupid project."

Maggie pursed her lips, looking as if she was physically biting her tongue.

"What, Mags?"

"Jake and Tonya broke up!"

She blurted out the confession as if it had been burning her tongue.

Mabel's heart stopped, and she sat up. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I found out on Tuesday, but I didn't want to bring it up so soon."

Maggie shot a pouty, apologetic look at Mabel.

"I'm gonna die. She's going to kill me! If Jake broke up with her, it's my fault!"

"He's been asking about you every day!" Maggie interjected.

"What?"

"I have never talked to Jake Edwards as much as I have this week." She took a deep breath and said, "I think he's worried about you."

Mabel tried to process Maggie's statement. "Why would he be? I ended his relationship with Tonya. I mean, they were the power couple of the school. They were-"

"Mabel, you didn't do anything! You know that, right?"

"I wore his shirt to school, Maggie. If I hadn't, none of this would have happened!"

"I don't think he blames you for anything!"

"That doesn't matter. It's the truth, Mags, and you know it."

Maggie bit her lip. "No, it's not, Mabel. No one thinks this is your fault."

"I guess it doesn't matter; the damage has been done." Mabel sighed, eating another spoonful. "A brown paper bag is still an option."

*****

Maggie went home on Saturday morning. Mabel was once again alone. Solitude normally gave her contentment. Today her mind raced with all of the things she should be doing: catching up on homework from the week, checking on her college courses, and finishing applications for scholarships. Instead, she slid down the wall of her shower. Steaming hot water poured over Mabel and she sat in the warmth thinking about Monday and the half-nude video of her circulating the senior class

Her mother was right; she had to face that school again. She just wasn't ready yet. She'd washed the word off her forehead but knew the label had stuck. Not only that, she'd caused everyone's favorite couple to break up.

She thought of Jake, and her heart clenched. How could she face him? He had come over to her house on Monday to check on her. Is that why they broke up? She knew he didn't have anything to do with what happened, but she saw how guilty he felt. Maggie had said he'd asked about her daily. They'd only spent a small fraction of time together before she ruined his life. Why did he care so much?

Their conversations in Noble's class sprang to mind. They were building a friendship, and she couldn't help but feel as if she'd put it in jeopardy. She'd had the same concern when they went to the lake.

An image of him at the lake formed in the forefront of her mind. His shirtless body, mere feet away from her, glistened in the moonlight. The water ran hot against her skin, and she bit her lip at the memory of his defined muscular torso. Jake's body against hers as he taught her to skip a rock, the overwhelming smell of his cologne, his hand on her hip. She squeezed her taut nipple, rolling the stiff peak between her fingers as her other hand slid down her thigh, rubbing the soft hair between her legs.

Her dream eclipsed the previous thought. Strong, possessive hands against her bare skin. Blue eyes peering over her breasts. That perfect smile. She'd imagined him on the verge of pressing inside her. The thought made her pussy clench. Mabel's fingers dipped between her wet lips, locating her swollen clit. She flicked it, sending small pleasurable shocks throughout her body. Her breathing intensified with her pace as she imagined what Jake would feel like inside her.

"Oh, God." Sliding further down, she parted her legs more. "Mmm."

She brought a finger to her own entrance, rubbing the hole before dipping the tip of her middle finger inside. The slight pressure against the tight opening felt good, and she ground her hips against her hand, not daring to go any further. An image of the growing tent in his pants surfaced.

"Jaaake," she breathed, feeling tingles build in her toes and ascend up her legs. Her hips moved against her fingers as she picked up the pace on her swollen clit, stroking over her labia and feeling the burst of pleasure. Mabel wished it was him and bit her lip in concentration to stretch her imagination.

"Fuuuck," she groaned. Her toes clenched, and her legs began to tremble.

Mabel's eyes shot open. What was she doing? Even with no one around, she could feel her cheeks burning.

"Oh my God, I'm masturbating to Jake!"

Removing her fingers, she sat up in the shower and ran a shaky hand through her wet hair. Pushing up from the shower floor, she quickly shut off the water and wrapped herself in a towel.

_________

A loud knock pounded on the door as she settled in with her laptop on the couch. She had resolved to use schoolwork to take her mind off of things, and the unwanted knock was an annoyance.

"Unless you're a Girl Scout with Samoas, we're not interested!"

Mable's heart stopped as the door swung open.

"I don't have Samoas."

"You're not a Girl Scout either. What're you doing here?"

"It's Saturday," Jake answered, smiling at the quip.

"Yeah, and?" Mabel asked, trying to pull herself together.

"We're supposed to study."

Worry had been filling his gut all week, and he was relieved to see her. Her damp red hair was in a long braid hanging off one side of her shoulder. She was wearing Cookie Monster shorts with a white spaghetti strap. He thought back to the lake.

"I didn't expect you to show up." Mabel's heart pounded against her chest. She'd thought he'd forgotten about Saturday after what happened.

"C'mon, please. I really need to pass, and I want to go over my Macbeth monologue so I don't sound like an idiot."

"Um, ok. We can study for a little while."

Stepping to the side, she let him in.

They made their way to the living room, and Mabel hastily cleared the leftover ice cream carton and pizza box from the table.

"Ice cream for breakfast?" Jake raised an eyebrow.

"I had pizza to balance it out." Mabel replied sarcastically. "Can I get you anything—tea or a Coke?"

"No, I'm ok."

"You can sit down. I'll be right back."

He nodded and sat on the couch as she took the trash away.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" Mabel asked, sitting next to him.

"Yeah." He reached for his bag. "Is your mom home? Should I let her know I'm here?"

"Oh, no, she's away on business."

"Ok, well, the report you wrote was really great." He pulled the paper and some textbooks out.

"I'm glad you liked it." Mabel watched him rummage through his bag, nervously chewing her lip.

"You made sense of things that even Google couldn't explain to me."

Shaking her head, she laughed, "I kind of rushed through it. I could've done better."

"It was incredible." Jake met her gaze. "I mean, you're incredible."

"Thanks." Mabel pursed her lips. "Um, I heard about you and Tonya. I'm sorry that happened."

Mabel took a deep breath. She had so many questions but refrained from asking them.

"It's alright," Jake said. "It was a long time coming."

She nodded and looked at his backpack. "So, what did you want to start with?"

"English or history. I have a C in science, so that's not a pressing issue."

"You're passing science?"

"Uh, kinda." Jake rubbed the back of his neck. "Ms. Barn's... likes me."

Mabel's eyes narrowed. "Ew."

"Hey, that's not my fault."

"Yeah, but are you using your looks to pass?"

"Don't shame me!" Jake laughed. "I do what I have to do."

"Favors often need to be repaid," she replied sarcastically.

"Now that's gross!" Jake shook his head, still smiling.

"What? Now you have another option for a girlfriend."

"Another?" He lifted an eyebrow and leaned in. "Who's the other option?"

Mabel's breath caught. The realization that Jake Edwards was sitting on her couch inches away crashed over her. Mabel steadied her nerves and conjured an answer.

"Jessica Verlini. She's nice."

Jake took in the sarcastic expression, smirking at her certainty.

"Hm, Jessica's cool. I wouldn't date her though."

Failing to hide her surprise, she questioned him. "Why not? She's a cheerleader too."

Jake feigned being hurt. "That's not my only criteria for a girl."

"Well... she's also kinda bitchy."

"Ok, ouch!" Jake laughed, leaning back.

"Oh, please, you're fine," Mabel said with a smile.

"No, I'm hurt!" he replied, clutching his heart.

"You really are a good actor."

"Hopefully, since I have to read a monologue by myself." Jake poked his bottom lip out.

Mabel tried to hide her smile. "You'll do fine."

"I'd do better if I had a partner to embarrass myself with."

"I've had enough embarrassment for the remainder of the school year."

Jake's face fell, "Hey, I-uh didn't mean to-"

"No, it's ok. A football player asking me for sex is really flattering." Mabel rolled her eyes and flipped through Jake's textbook.

"What?" Jake sat up abruptly. "Who did that?"

Mabel's brow furrowed at the response. "No one." Scoffing, she shrugged. "It's nothing. So, history, what's got you stuck?"

"No," Jake shook his head, "that's not ok. Mabel, who said that to you?"

"No one. It was just a joke."

The lie read easily on her face as she ducked her head. Jake couldn't help the anger he felt.

"Mabel-"

"History," she interjected, wanting to drop the subject. "That's what you wanted to start with, right?"

"Yeah," he reluctantly reached for his textbook, "History."

Time flew by effortlessly as they talked about the subject. Mabel made an effort to explain things in a way that he could understand, doing her best to ensure he remembered certain events and dates and asking him questions to keep him engaged.

"Do you feel better about it now?" Mabel asked, looking up at him as they finished the homework.

"Yeah, it makes a lot more sense. Williams doesn't really explain anything very well."

"Mr. Williams is a dick." Mabel shook her head.

Jake smirked. "Yeah, he is. Thanks for showing me."

"Anytime," she said with a genuine smile, then looked at the time. "Are you hungry? I can make us some food."

Jake closed his textbook. "Sounds good."

_________

Leftover takeout containers were mixed between soda cans and yogurt as Mabel rummaged through the fridge. Jake leaned against the counter across from her, folding his arms while he watched her. Shaking her head, she went to the cabinets and pulled out a box of penne and some tomato sauce. "Pasta?"

"Pasta's good," he said, nodding.

"Great," she said, grabbing a pot and filling it with water.

"So what do you have going on after this?" Jake asked.

Mabel shifted her gaze toward him. "Just classes and stuff. Oh, I think a guy is getting his arm amputated on Grey's, so I have to finish watching that."

"So nothing."Jake retorted.

"Hey, that's something," Mabel said with a smile. "It's educational."

"How?"

"I want to be a doctor," she shrugged as she watched the flames on the stove light up.

He lifted his eyebrows. It made sense; she was exceptionally smart. "A doctor?"

"Yeah." She pushed herself up to sit on the counter while they waited. "I've always wanted to be a surgeon."

"Really? That's pretty cool."

"No, it's not," Mabel laughed, "it's nerdy."

"And cool. The world needs doctors."

Mabel shrugged. "What about you?"

"Nah, I think I'm pretty healthy right now."

She rolled her eyes. "Ok, smartass."

"Not that either. That's why I'm here." He stepped away from the island counter, closing the distance between them, and planted his hands on either side of where she sat. He waited for the blush to cover her cheeks before completing his sentence. "Right, Miss Mabel?"

Mabel held her breath and looked into Jake's clear blue eyes. His thumbs barely grazed the sides of her thighs, and she felt the contact as if he had gripped her flesh. She thought of the shower and imagining him inside of her. Her cheeks burned from the memory.

"I, um, I mean when you graduate." Surprised that she was able to form a sentence, she glanced toward the water.

The familiar urge to touch her consumed him again. He thought of the lake and the glance he had stolen at her body. Then the video of her, teary-eyed and humiliated, flooded his memory, and he shook his head. "I hadn't really thought about it."

Pushing away from her, Jake shrugged. "I'll probably just take over my dad's shop."

Mabel took a breath. "What does your dad do?"

"He's a mechanic. We fix cars."

"That's cool," she smiled. "I didn't know that."

"Yeah, it's something."

"Is that where you work?" She hopped off the counter and grabbed the box of pasta, pouring it into the bubbling water.

"Yeah, I help him out when I don't have practice and on Sundays."

"That must be pretty great, but what about football?" Mabel stirred the pasta and put a lid on the pot.

"Football?"

"Yeah, a scholarship. I heard you're pretty good."

"You heard I'm pretty good? You haven't been to a game?"

"No."

Jake was genuinely shocked. "Wow. I didn't know someone could spend four years in high school without going to a football game."

"It must be a record."

"Well, you'll have to come to the one next Friday."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Jake." Mabel replied, shaking her head.

"Oh. Yeah."

Mabel was quiet for a moment and then looked up at him. "Why did you and Tonya break up?"

Shocked by the question, Jake shrugged. "Lots of reasons. Why?"

"I just..." she tried to find the words. I don't want to be skinned alive and hung from a flagpole. "I was just curious."

Jake read her again.

"You know, you're a terrible liar, Mabel."

Mabel paused briefly, caught off guard by the direct statement.

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are."

"Fine," Mabel took a deep breath, "I'm already on Tonya's bad side, and if what happened on Monday has anything to do with it, that won't help."

Mabel thought of the humiliation in the bathroom, and her gut wrenched. She had to make it through this semester. What happened on Monday was awful enough. If it compromised their relationship, that would make her public enemy number one.

Jake watched the emotions play on her face and crossed his arms, leaning back against the counter.

"Well, yeah, the video pissed me off. It's not like you wanna be her friend now?"

"Not even. I just- I don't know why she didn't like me. It's not as if you like me. But I guess she thought something was going on. So, if you ended your relationship with her because of me, she'll probably be upset, you know?"

The words flooded from her mouth without thought. Mabel, afraid she had said too much, focused on the pasta.

"You think I don't like you?"

"I mean, not romantically. I'm just helping you graduate."

Contemplating her words, he remained silent. His thoughts raced as he watched her. All this week, she'd been on his mind. Being here with her felt good. He thought back to the lake, with her beneath him in the water. He'd wanted to kiss her then.

"Plus, you'd still be with her if I hadn't been such an idiot." Mabel shook her head. "It's my fault this happened."

She'd replayed the events of Monday in her head a thousand times in the past week. Each time, she couldn't help but come to that conclusion. If she hadn't worn Jake's shirt to school, she wouldn't have gotten into the altercation. There wouldn't be a video of her as a whore circulating around the senior class. Jake and Tonya would still be together.

"That's not true!" Jake shook his head, turning her around and tucking his thumb under her chin, lifting her gaze toward him.

Mabel's eyes went wide as they connected with his, and her lips parted in surprise.

"Mabel, none of this is your fault!"

Mabel's mind tried and failed to conjure a response. His gaze was intense, holding hers with unyielding honesty. The hand on her shoulder and the thumb beneath her chin felt comforting. Once again, she wondered why he cared so much about how she felt. It shouldn't bother him. After all, she did destroy his relationship.

From beside them, the lid of the pot bubbled up and water spilled over the edges.

"Shit," Jake said as he yanked the lid off.

"Be careful," Mabel said.

Jake dropped the burning lid. "Fuck!" He looked at his fingers the tips turning red from the heat

"Oh crap," she said, turning off the fire and grabbing Jake's hand, looking at the burn.

"I'm fine. It happens all the time at the shop. It just caught me off guard."

Mabel didn't listen. She pulled him over to the sink and flipped on the cold water. "Run your hand under the water."