Teenage Fantasy Ch. 01

"Really, it's ok."

Sighing, she pushed his hand under the faucet.

"I should have been paying attention." She turned around, unaware that her body was sandwiched between his and the sink.

"Thanks," he said, looking down at her.

"Oh, um, you're welcome."

Once again, his proximity left her feeling enamored. Nerves caused her to bite her bottom lip as she looked up at him. His blue eyes captured her. Mabel parted her lips, hoping to breathe again.

Her wide green eyes held him with potent emotion. It reminded him of that small glimpse of the same expression he'd caught in Noble's glass. His curiosity captivated him, and his eyes moved to her cherry-red mouth. He thought of how soft her skin was beneath his fingertips. Her lips looked just as inviting.

"Mabel?"

"Yes, Jake?"

"Anybody ever told you that you're beautiful?"

Mabel swallowed, stunned by the question. Her mind fumbled to form a response. Of course not! No one even wanted to be around her besides Pete and Maggie. No one would ever think that way about her.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head. Her eyes narrowed, but they never left Jake's.

"You are, Mabel, very beautiful."

She couldn't process the whirlwind of emotions that flurried within her in response to his words. The question she'd asked herself about him a lot recently once again forced itself to the forefront. Why? Why would he say that about her? Why would he pretend to think that?

She thought of the week that she'd had to hide from the school because of Tonya. It dawned on her that he must be trying to rebound. He just wanted to get his ex off of his mind. He wasn't thinking straight and was projecting that onto her. Clearing her throat, she dragged her gaze away from him.

"I should," Mabel said, taking a deep breath, "drain the pasta."

From her response, he couldn't help but feel as if he'd done something wrong. She'd seemed hurt by his words before looking away. Jake forced himself to step to the side as she moved past him. He cut the water off and grabbed a paper towel. His mind raced, chastising him for speaking so recklessly while he pondered her reaction. Girls loved to be told they were beautiful. Tonya did. Why didn't Mabel?

"Let me help you with the pasta."

Mabel glanced back at him, pointing to a pair of floral oven mitts. "Use protection."

Jake raised an eyebrow. "I always do."

Without thinking, she slapped his arm. "Ew!"

"Ow!" he joked, rubbing his bicep.

_________

Night descended faster than the two had expected. "I guess I should get going." He turned towards Mabel. "I was only supposed to be here for a little while."

Mabel felt her stomach twist at the thought of him leaving. She glanced out at the dark sky. "Yeah, I guess you should."

He began to slowly gather his things. "Thanks for helping me today."

"No problem. I'm glad you came by."

"Me too," he paused, "will I see you on Monday?"

Mabel frowned. "I'll be there."

"Good," Jake smiled, "I'll save a seat for you in Noble's class."

"Thanks," Mabel laughed.

They walked to the entrance, and Mabel opened the door.

Jake stepped out and then turned back. "Hey, Mabel?"

"Yeah?"

Bending down, Jake tasted her for the first time.

Heat flooded Mabel's body, and it felt as if the world around them melted away. Her heart stopped for a moment before beating faster than it ever had. Shock caused her eyes to widen and flutter shut. Mabel's lips were warm against his, and she began slowly kissing him back.

Jake's body roared to life in response to the small act. She tasted good, and every part of him wanted more. Resting a hand against her cheek, his other arm wrapped around her. His tongue gently traced her bottom lip. Responding, she pressed on her tiptoes to meet him and opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to delve inside. The arm wrapped around her drew her against him, and she placed her hands on his chest as his tongue slowly showed hers how to dance.

Reluctantly, he released her, pulling away from the kiss. Mabel looked up at him; her lips parted, and her cheeks flushed crimson. Small hands were tangled in the fabric of his shirt. Her mystified brain desperately tried to return her to planet Earth, but her body was floating, caught in an abyss she'd barely scratched the surface of.

"I do like you." Jake battled back the lust that threatened to consume him, gently covering her hands with his to release her hold on his chest. "Romantically."

Mabel dropped her arms and stared up at him in the doorway, dumbfounded. He gave a half smile, turned, and walked down the path to his car. Finally able to pull breath into her lungs, she shut the door behind him and slid down against it.

She had never been kissed before! Her hand flew up to her mouth, and she ran two fingertips lightly across her lips, wanting to see if somehow she was now different. She got up and ran upstairs to take a shower.

*****

Four brown pairs of double doors loomed before Mabel. The bell screamed, reminding her of the time. She had intended to dress as inconspicuous as possible. Strawberry locks were pulled into a messy top bun and hidden beneath a long, dark gray hoodie. Black leggings and Vans completed the outfit. Holding a deep breath, she ducked her head and stepped inside. No one noticed her presence at first, and she slithered along the walls, hurrying toward her locker.

Whispers began, followed by low points and swift assessing glances. Her legs sped up, trying to outrun the attention that seemed to swarm her. Usually, Mabel's locker felt like home base, but today she felt like a sitting duck.

People had stopped hiding their reactions and began to openly stare at her; some laughed while others shook their heads. Mabel felt dizzy, her heartbeat thrumming in her ears.

"Mabes." Maggie put an arm around her best friend and stepped next to her, shielding her from the noticeable stares of their peers.

"I can't do this," Mabel whispered, more to herself than to Maggie.

"We can ditch," Maggie suggested, "if you want to. We don't have to stay here."

Mabel thought about it, contemplating her suggestion.

"Hey, you're that girl, Mabel, right?"

Fear gripped her gut, but she set her jaw and turned to the guy leaning against her locker. Ice-blue eyes met hers. Drew Michaels had blonde dreads that hung to his shoulders and a goatee; he hung with the skaters in the school and happened to be Maggie's other crush. Mabel had never spoken to him.

"Yes, I am. Why?"

"I think it's fucked up what Tonya did to you," he stated honestly. "I'm glad you're good."

His words shocked her. She thought he'd be the first to torment her.

"Thanks," she replied.

"No problem." Drew turned his attention toward Maggie. "Hey."

"Hi," she said timidly.

"See y'all around," he said as he walked over to his friends, who continued down the hall.

Maggie let out a deep breath before turning to Mabel. "See! Everyone knows that Tonya was in the wrong."

"Yeah, I guess." Mabel nodded once and opened her locker. Paper notes cascaded to the floor. Maggie and Mabel stared at them as they spilled over their feet.

"What are these?" Maggie asked, bending to grab one. She silently read the words before looking up at Mabel.

"Um, don't worry about this. I'll pick them up for you."

Mabel bent to grab one.

"Hey," Maggie said, intercepting the note. "Really, it's ok. Don't worry about them."

She began grabbing them and sweeping them into a pile, then opened her backpack to shove the papers inside. Mabel looked at her locker door. A folded note was wedged in the slit at the top. Taking it down, she opened it.

I want to see your lips around my cock

Swallowing a large lump, she reread the note. Despair began to swarm through Mabel, constricting her throat and filling her chest. All she had to do was make it to the end of this semester. She crumbled the note, took a deep breath, and worked on packing away the feelings it caused. Wiping away a stray tear, she resolved to numb herself and focus on school. She couldn't afford the GPA percentage she lost due to her week-long absence. She tried to push the fear and embarrassment to the back of her mind.

"Thanks, Maggie, but I can clean this up."

"Mabel," Maggie said, not knowing how to help.

"It's ok, they're just a bunch of stupid notes." Mabel gathered them and threw them back in the bottom of her locker, trying to reassure herself. "Like you said, it will blow over."

"Do you want me to walk you to class?" Maggie's heart wrenched at seeing her best friend so hurt.

"No, I'm ok."

"You sure?"

Mabel took a deep breath. "Yup, I'll be ok. See you later."

_________

Mabel had been the last to leave Ms. Barns' class. She'd tried to remain in the background and avoid the stares of her classmates as much as possible. It made her late. When she entered Noble's class, all eyes shot up, watching her cross the threshold.

Mr. Noble nodded. "Good to see you, Miss Humphrey."

Mabel ducked her head and made her way to the table, where Jake was already sitting.

Using his foot, he slid her chair out.

"As I was saying," Noble continued, "this Friday reports are due and the class will be presenting their scenes. I need the scene that you and your partner will be enacting on my desk by Wednesday so that I can put together an order. Both you and your partner need to act out a scene. If it's a monologue, decide who says what and alternate. No one will present alone."

Jake watched Mabel's heart sink. Noble continued. "As you know, next month is the semester finals. This project counts for 55% of your final grade. Don't mess it up. Continue in your groups."

With that, Noble sat down, and the class volume went up.

Jake watched Mabel pull items from her bag. She hadn't looked at him since she entered, and he was unsure of what to say. He had been thinking about their kiss on Saturday. He shouldn't have done it. Not with everything going on with her. It was an irrational decision.

He opened his mouth to speak but halted, watching the color drain from her face. His eyes moved to see what she was looking at. Steven had pulled a dollar out and waved it once, winking at Mabel before setting the money on the table in front of him.

Sitting forward Jake thought about what Mabel had said on Saturday. Steven met his eyes with a smug smile that quickly dissipated when he saw the stone look on Jake's face. It was him.

"Uh, I guess that changes the plan." Mabel spoke in a low tone that barely registered over the noise of the class.

Jake nodded, slowly assessing Steven one last time before turning to Mabel.

"Yeah it does."

Mabel took a deep breath before summoning the courage to look up at Jake. Saturday night had been weighing on her mind. She thought of Jake's lips on hers. The way she felt pressed against his toned body. It all confused her, and she held onto the reasoning that Jake just used her as a rebound. The thought didn't annoy her; it was comforting logic and better than dealing with any other possibilities.

"So, I guess we can do Act 1 scene 7." Mabel gave a half smile.

"Great." He tried to regain his composure, glancing back at Steven. Mabel watched Jake and looked at the person his eyes were cutting to. Steven had cleared the dollar from his table.

"Are you ok?" she asked, not understanding Jake's change in demeanor. "Did you get into a fight with Steven or something?"

"Not yet," Jake mumbled, shaking his head. "I should be asking if you're alright."

"Not after Noble's announcement," Mabel chided, trying to lighten Jake's mood.

Jake smiled. "I think it was great news."

"Whatever, you just didn't want to be up there alone."

"Nope, and now I won't be."

Mabel shook her head and opened her book. "Do you think we should run lines? It is this Friday."

"Yeah, but I have practice after school today."

"Wednesday then? In the library."

"Wednesday works. You don't live far from here. Maybe we can go to your place? I can give you a ride."

Mabel's eyes widened, thinking about the last time they were alone together. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"C'mon the library will be packed with people trying to cram for this. It would just be easier."

Mabel's heart pounded. If they were alone again, would he kiss her? Did she want him to?

Mabel was quickly becoming Jake's favorite open book. He knew what she was thinking, and his mind was on the same thought, but he didn't say anything further. This had to be her decision. Instead, he picked up her Macbeth copy and flipped through the pages.

Watching him take her book again, she nodded, "Yeah, you're right."

"What'll it be, Miss Mabel?" Jake wanted to hear her say it.

"My house it is." She met his gaze, her heart pounding as she thought about their kiss.

Jake smiled, "Good."

*****

Jake met Mabel in the library after school on Wednesday.

"Hey," he said, smiling. "You ready to go?"

Nodding, she slung her large book bag over her shoulder.

They went out of the side entrance, where Jake had the car waiting. He opened her door, smoothly grabbing her bag from her shoulder as she entered.

"Hey!"

"I got it. Get in."

Mabel's normal 15-minute walk was reduced to three minutes thanks to Jake's driving.

She tried not to watch him too much, thinking about last Saturday.

A classic silver Mercedes sat in the driveway beside her mother's Audi. "Who's car is that?" Mabel mused out loud.

She opened her door and climbed out. "I don't know, but that's a nice SL," Jake said, admiring the car as he got out. "Must be a collector's piece."

Mabel smiled at him as he grabbed their bags from the trunk.

"Um, you might be meeting my mom today," she said, taking her bag from him.

"Sounds good," Jake said, shrugging as they walked up the path.

Mabel opened the door and went inside, scoping out the kitchen before turning to the living room. Her mother stood up from the couch. A man was beside her talking on the phone and was facing away from Mabel.

"Mabel, honey, you're home!" Her mom's smile fell as a tall boy with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes emerged behind her.

"Who is this?" she asked. Louis Vuitton red bottoms clicked against the polished cherry floors as she walked over to her daughter.

"Oh, um, this is Jake." Mabel gestured towards him, her eyes still on the man on the couch.

Mabel's mom's eyes narrowed towards Jake. "You're the one who-"

"He's working on Noble's project with me." She quickly cut her mother off, forgetting that Pete had told her Jake was responsible for the video.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Humphrey," Jake said, his gaze moving between Mabel and her mother.

Mabel was her mother's spitting image. They both had the same round face with deep dimples that bit into each cheek, faint freckles speckling small pointed noses, and full red lips. Her mother was taller, with more freckles and sun-kissed skin, but the flaming red hair was unmistakable.

"Good to meet you." Mabel's mom placed her hand in Jake's outstretched palm, and he shook it softly once. Looking at her daughter, she recognized the unmistakable blush lightly dusting her cheeks. For a moment, her stomach dropped.

"Oh, Mabel." Her mom smoothed her hands over her black pencil dress and turned back to the living room, crossing over to the couch where she rested her hand on the mysterious man's shoulder. "I have someone for you to meet as well."

Taking his cue, the man stood up and turned to face the two teens. He wore a sharply tailored blue-gray suit with crisp flat-front pants and a white silk shirt. He looked expensive. Perfectly tousled brown hair with sleek gray streaks hung down on one side over his clear rectangular glasses. He was clean-shaven, with sparkling green eyes and a wide Hollywood smile.

"Mabel," her mom beamingly said, hooking her arm under the man's. "This is Scott. He's the one I've been telling you about."

Scott's eyes met Mabel's, and a warm smile spread across his face. The pair moved forward, and Scott reached out a hand to the young woman. "Mabel, what a pleasure to finally meet you."

Mabel gave his hand a halfhearted shake, assessing the man in front of her. She glanced at her mom, not keen on meeting a new boyfriend. "Nice to meet you too."

Turning toward Jake, they shook hands. "You as well, Jake."

"Nice to meet you." Jake smiled. "Is that your SL out front?"

"It is," Scott's smile grew, "my pride and joy."

"I see why. Beautiful car."

Mabel and her mom watched the exchange before turning their eyes back to each other.

Scott glanced between the three. "We are going out to dinner tonight and were hoping that you would join us, Mabel."

Scott spoke with practiced authority, his deep voice perfectly executing each word. Green eyes fell on Mabel.

"We have a school project due on Friday," Mabel said to her mother, "and we need to get started on it."

Ms. Humphrey assessed the boy standing behind her daughter; she didn't trust him. Scott and Jake rivaled each other in height and had a similar athletic build. She thought of all the times she asked Mabel about having a boyfriend. Now, looking at her baby girl next to Jake, she regretted those conversations.

"Well, Beth," Scott said as he looked over at the woman anxiously surveying the two teenagers. "What would you like to do?"

Beth's eyes widened, and Jake smiled; Mabel had the same look when she was caught off guard.

"I was really hoping you would come, sweetheart." Beth turned pleading eyes toward her daughter. "I wanted you two to get to know each other."

"Well," Scott asserted, glancing towards Jake. "It seems they have an important project to finish. "Though your company would be appreciated," he smiled at Mabel, "I believe we can make do, just the two of us."

Beth glanced towards Scott and then reluctantly nodded, "Yes, of course. I'll leave money on the counter for food. You two," her eyes fell narrowly on Jake, "behave."

Scott pulled his wallet from his pocket and fished out a Benjamin, handing the money to Jake. "This should cover it."

"Ok, well," Beth glanced at Mabel, "not too late, and no going up to your room. Stay downstairs."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Scott assured Beth. "We have a reservation, sweetheart. Shall we go?"

Beth hugged Mabel, kissing her forehead, and nodded. "I love you, honey."

"I love you too, momma," Mabel said with a half smile. "Have fun."

Scott pressed softly against Beth's back, urging her toward the door. "You too, but not too much."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Humphrey," Jake said.

Beth's eyes narrowed. "Yes. Nice to meet you too."

Mabel heard the door close behind them and looked up at Jake. "Well, that was... "

"Interesting," Jake said as he reached up to wipe the faint lipstick stain from Mabel's brow.

"So, that's the boyfriend who bought this house?" Jake asked as they made their way to the couch.

"Oh no," Mabel laughed, "that was about 5 years ago. That's the new boyfriend."

She moved her favorite throw blanket and plopped on the couch.

"Got it," Jake said as he sat next to her. "You and your mom look exactly alike."

Mabel laughed; she knew she and her mom looked nothing alike. Mabel's mom was a ten if ten was twenty. She was a model before she had Mabel and decided to switch careers. Mabel didn't know who her father was but assumed she got her genes from him. Her mom was tall, athletic, and stunning, pulling men in with only a smile. Mabel was short, pale, and had hips wider than the state of Texas. She lifted her eyebrows and shook her head.

"What," Jake asked.

"Nothing," she said, smiling at him. "I, um, suck at acting."

"So, the pupil becomes the teacher!" A smug smile gleamed in his eye.

Rolling her eyes, she grinned. "Should I be afraid?"