Teenage Fantasy Ch. 03

I'd like to start by thanking LaRascasse for sticking with me on this. The assistance and advice you provided have made this story truly worthwhile.

To the reader: I'm grateful. Sincerely, I'm incredibly humbled that I've reached 100 followers. I'm delighted that people are enjoying this corny romance. I always love reading your comments and responding to them, but I also appreciate every like and rating you give this story, especially the time you spend reading it. I'm extremely thankful.

Once again, all characters in this story are 18. This is a work of fiction; any similarities to real people are unintentional.

Please enjoy part 3.

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Jake watched the redhead bounce around the kitchen from the barstool on the other side of the island. Her long hair was in a messy bun, and she'd put her plaid pajama shorts and green cutoff t-shirt back on. His stomach growled as the aroma of hot food filled the area. She spun around and smiled at him with two plates in her hands.

"I didn't realize that this would actually be our breakfast."

Mabel set reheated leftovers in front of Jake on the bartop and sat down on the stool next to him. She glanced toward the spot where they had fucked the night before.

Jake caught Mabel's glimpse and smirked. "Chicken for breakfast is on par with pizza and ice cream."

"I keep a strict diet." Mabel replied, nudging him playfully.

"I see that," he laughed, taking a bite. The tender garlic and herb chicken was flavorful, and the steamed veggies were crisp, complementing the buttery mashed potatoes perfectly. "This is good, Miss Mabel."

"Better than pasta?" she replied rhetorically, taking a bite of her own. It was good! Or, maybe she was starving. In any case, she didn't stop eating. Neither did Jake; they both remained silent until they were well into their plates.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Jake finally asked, taking a drink of his iced tea.

"We are supposed to study," Mabel reminded him, "and I also have a couple of online classes that I need to get done."

"You have classes on a Saturday?"

"Introduction to Biology," Mabel answered, "and Anatomy 101. It shouldn't take too long. Maybe a couple of hours."

Jake considered her reply. He couldn't recall Sky Ridge offering those subjects. "Anatomy 101? Isn't that a college course?"

Mabel ducked her head, focusing on twirling her fork in her mashed potatoes. "Well, MIT is hard to get into."

Jake watched her in profound amazement. "You wanna go to MIT?"

"It's probably impossible." Mabel shrugged, still not taking her eyes off her plate. "I don't have nearly enough credentials compared to the other candidates. Mr. Noble and Ms. Prudroe are helping me with my applications, and these classes should help."

Jake grinned. "That's amazing! You're going to MIT!"

Mabel failed to hide her surprise at Jake's enthusiasm. He seemed more excited about it than she was. "I'm not in yet."

"You gotta submit the application?"

"Yeah, but I'm missing a few things."

"Like what?"

"Small things like community service hours and joining a band so I can say I play an instrument or something. I didn't participate in extracurricular activities, and it's biting me in the ass now."

"I played guitar when I was 11," Jake stated, stroking his chin in mock contemplation. "We can start a band!"

"Oh, God," Mabel replied with a wide smile. "How do I say no to that?"

"You can't. I'll get you a tambourine."

Laughing, Mabel shrugged. "Well, I guess I can check that one off the list."

"See, I can be helpful!"

Holding his gaze, Mabel let her mind drift. She'd spent hundreds of weekends alone in this house; it had become something she'd grown accustomed to. Jake's animated energy and comforting presence filled the atmosphere around her. She hadn't realized how empty the large house felt until now. Suddenly, she didn't want to be here without him.

"You are helpful."

Not for the first time, Jake wondered what she was thinking as she contemplated him. Sometimes he could tell just by the look in her eyes. Other times, she seemed far away, and he didn't have the faintest idea.

"I'll study while you do your college courses," Jake said. "Then I'm taking you out today, Miss Mabel."

Mabel cocked her head as she came back from her thoughts. "Are you talking about a date?"

"Labels aren't important these days." Jake parroted her statement from last night. Mabel's eyes narrowed playfully. He continued, "Let's call it a hangout. Those go well for us."

Mabel's eyes shifted as she furrowed her brow. "I pulled you into a lake the last time."

"You did do that." Jake chided her, nodding in agreement.

"I feel bad about it!" Mabel turned back to her plate, hiding her grin from him.

"Yeah," he said, raising an eyebrow, "you look like you feel terrible about it."

"I do," she tried to convince him, but her smile widened.

"You shouldn't," Jake replied, leaning in. "It was one of the best nights of my life."

Mabel held him with a playfully scrutinizing gaze. "Are you trying to put a move on me, Edwards?"

Jake tilted his head at her use of his last name. "Am I?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Is it working?"

"No." She replied, shaking her head. Still, she drew closer to him, brushing her lips against his. Jake nodded, wrapping his arms around her. "I think it's working."

"We have to study," Mabel whispered.

"We're gonna." Jake lifted her from the bar stool, claiming her lips again.

_________

Blazing sun beamed down, warming her skin as they walked outside. A temperate breeze rattled the trees around them, causing more dead leaves to fall from their branches. Mabel gazed at the sky while pulling her hair into a top knot as she walked towards his car. She had brought a jacket in case it got cold, but right now the t-shirt and shorts that she was wearing were perfect for the weather.

"Are you sure I don't need to look better than this?" She glanced down at herself. "Where are we going?"

Jake scanned his eyes over her as they stopped at the passenger side. He loved seeing her in shorts; the way they squeezed her thighs was always enticing. "You look incredible, Mabel."

Looking down, she smiled at the compliment. "In this?" Her first instinct was to refute the statement. Thinking of their conversation yesterday, she bit her top lip. "Thanks."

Jake took her chin, lifting her head so she would look at him. "You're welcome, Mabel. Now, get in."

"You're bossy," Mabel chided, sinking into the low seat of the car.

"So are you," Jake quipped back, closing her door.

Mabel watched Jake walk around the hood. His tan skin and blonde hair glowed in the sunlight; a faded red Twizzlers T-shirt hugged his defined chest; and he wore the stonewashed jeans that he'd had on yesterday. He looked like a model.

The engine roared to life as he got in and started the car.

"You know, if being a mechanic or playing football doesn't work out, you can always join Calvin Klein."

Jake grinned as he pulled off. "You just like seein' me in my underwear, Mabel."

"I'm just saying," she laughed, "you have options."

"That's good to hear coming from you."

"Why me?"

"It seems like you've got a lot of opportunities, Mabel."

Mabel thought about it. She devoted days to filling out applications for numerous universities, writing essays, applying for scholarships, and studying for exams. It had become her whole life, and she hadn't done anything else in pursuit of her goal.

"Maybe, but I guess you always have to sacrifice one thing for another."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been so wrapped up in making sure that my life goes according to plan that I've never strayed from that path. I just wonder if I should've had more experiences by now."

"I'd say you've done pretty well for yourself. You're valedictorian, you're going to MIT, and you're a damn good actor!"

Mabel's laugh filled the car. "What can I say? I had a great teacher."

"Yes, you did." Jake grinned.

George Thorogood's deep voice rang from the radio as they drove farther from the city. Mabel rolled down her window. The contrast between the dark tint and the gleaming sun made her squint out at the horizon as the wind blew her bangs, causing flyaway hair to whip around her head. She took a deep breath of fresh air before turning back to Jake. Smiling up at him, she laid her hand against his cheek.

"Are we going back to the lake?"

Jake's eyebrows rose. "You wanna go back there?"

"I need to redeem myself."

"Redeem yourself?" Jake grinned. "I get to pull you in the water?"

"What?" Mabel's jaw dropped. "No!"

"That's the only acceptable redemption, Mabel."

"Really? There's no other option?"

"Nah. Now I'm definitely taking you back there, but not today."

"Good. I don't want to get wet today. Where are we going then?"

"You don't, huh?" Jake scanned his eyes over her. Sunlight glinted off of wisps of red hair. She wore her carefree and dazzling smile, leaning back in the seat with her feet on the dashboard. He captured the moment before turning back to the road. "Then you should be safe at my house."

Mabel observed his expression before looking out at the land rolling by them. His gaze instantly negated her statement. His second sentence struck her.

"We're going to your house?"

"Briefly. I need to change clothes, and I have some gear to wash."

"Am I... meeting your parents?"

"It's a possibility," Jake said, nodding.

Mabel's eyes widened. "Why didn't you say that?"

"What's wrong?"

"Jake, I am covered in hickeys!"

Jake lifted his hand from the gear shift and tilted her head to view the marks. She had small hickeys on the right side of her neck and a large one on the left. The trail on the right led down her chest, and one sat proudly atop her breast. Grinning, he admired his work.

"I did leave a couple, didn't I?"

He released her as she stared at him, flabbergasted by how nonchalant he seemed.

"A couple? I have one on my inner thigh!"

"Only one?"

"That's not enough?"

Jake sucked his teeth. "I'm sure I can do better."

Mabel laughed, grabbing her hoodie and zipping it up. "That's not a challenge, you know?"

"It sounds like one to me, Mabel."

"Of course it does, Jake." She shook her head. A wide grin cut dimples into her cheeks. Shifting in her seat, she tucked her feet beneath her and readjusted her seatbelt so she could face him. "So, what are your parents like?"

Jake glanced at her. "They're parents."

Mabel glared at him: "Always with the unnecessary air of mystery, huh, Jake?"

"You think I'm mysterious?"

"Unnecessarily."

"Well..." Jake replied, turning into a gravel-filled driveway. They pulled in next to a large red Chevy Silverado. On the other side of the truck, there was a blue F-150 and an old red Camaro. The area was expansive and surprisingly unimpressive.

A Craftsman-style house with a wraparound wood porch sat in the center of the dirt-patched expanse of land. Yards away sat a small shed, and even further in the distance, Mabel could see what looked like a workshop; a tow truck and disassembled vehicles surrounded a wooden, open-faced building.

"You can find out for yourself. We're here."

"I didn't know you lived this far out." Mabel looked around at the large oaks that bordered the property. It was a secluded house on the outskirts of somewhere.

"We prefer land over neighbors. They complain about the noise our engines make."

Mabel readjusted her hoodie as Jake walked around the car. She couldn't stop the knotting of her stomach's nerves. His parents had probably met Tonya when they were dating. Would she meet their expectations after that?

"You ready, Miss Mabel?"

"Not really," Mabel replied honestly. "What if they don't like me?"

Jake shook his head, helping her out of the car. "That's not possible."

"Um, yes, it is."

"I like you. They will too."

"Well, you're fucking me, Jake," Mabel replied. "Of course you like me."

Furrowing his brow, he bent to kiss her. "Excellent point as always. C'mon, let's go."

Mabel giggled as he smacked her ass, following him around the car as he opened his trunk to grab his duffle bag. She turned toward the sound of resounding barking, smiling at the blue heeler bounding across the yard.

"Smithie," Jake said as the dog jumped on him. "Hey girl!"

"She's very pretty," Mabel said as Smithie turned her attention away from Jake and onto her, wagging her tail from the affectionate petting.

"Smithie!"

A deep voice called from the house. The dog abandoned Mabel to obey the command, turning to run toward the man standing on the porch.

Jake closed the trunk, swinging his duffle over his shoulder, and placed his hand against the small of Mabel's back, guiding her towards the house.

Mabel was shocked. The man standing on the porch watching the two walk over to him was almost Jake's spitting image. At the very least, she could see their relation without any issue. He was tall and slim, with short brown hair speckled gray. Small crow's-foot lines framed his bright blue eyes, made clearer by the five o'clock shadow covering his cheeks and jaw. He too wore faded jeans, a T-shirt, and well-worn boots.

"That's my dad."

Mabel glanced up at Jake as they reached the porch. "I see."

"Who do we have here?"

His accent was thick, with an unmistakable deep drawl lining each word.

"This is Mabel." Jake smiled down at her.

He extended his hand as they ascended the steps. Smithie circled Mabel excitedly as she shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Edwards."

He gave her a brief questioning expression before grinning at her. The resemblance between father and son deepened.

"Nice to meet you, Mabel. You can call me Tom. C'mon in. Shoes off at the door please."

Tom opened the swinging screen door, and Mabel walked in. The inviting smell of breakfast cooking flooded her senses as she took in the area. It felt more comfortable than her open floor plan at home. In front of her was a staircase leading to the second floor. The staircase formed the wall of a long hallway.

Next to the stairs to the right of her was a large open doorway that led into a step-down living room. Plush carpet expanded in all directions, an oversize couch and two recliners filled the large room, and a giant flat screen hung on the wall, centering the space. Trophies from Jake's accolades and various car shows lined a continuous shelf that ran around the top perimeter of the room.

To the left, another open doorway led into what looked like a dining room with a long wooden table. Glass cabinets held fine china and crystal dishes, but the area seemed largely untouched. Mabel could hear music coming from farther down the hallway than she could see.

"Smells like mom's cooking," Jake said to his father.

"Yeah, we didn't know we'd be seeing you today, but she wanted breakfast." Tom chuckled.

"Your home is beautiful," Mabel said honestly, looking up at Jake's dad.

"Thank you, Mabel." He smiled at the young girl. "If you head down that hallway there, you'll be in the kitchen. I think it's where we all wanna be right now."

Mabel followed the smell of food, taking in the pictures hung on either side of the hallway. Jake's childhood spanned out around her, and she beamed at the photos.

"You were a cute kid!"

Grinning, he glanced at the photos. "Don't look too hard at those. There were times I was missing my teeth."

She laughed and rolled her eyes as they continued down the hall. A radio was playing Dixie Chicks' Cowboy Take Me Away. The large kitchen was decorated with sunflower curtains hung over the many windows and painted a pale daffodil yellow. The back door was open and the screen door let in the fall breeze. A tall blonde woman sang along while stirring a pot on the stove. Her hair was in a messy half ponytail, and she was wearing a concert tee and jean shorts.

"Are those my boys?" She asked, whirling around as the group entered the kitchen. Bright brown eyes landed on Mabel.

"Well, hello."

"Hi."

Mabel's gut fluttered as she took her in. Brown eyes, faded freckles, and a single dimpled smile. The woman's messy hair added a whimsical carefree nature as she crossed the room towards her. She could see why Jake was so handsome. Both of his parents looked like models. The woman's smile grew to a grin.

"You're gorgeous," she said. "You're Jake's girlfriend?"

"Um." Mabel pursed her lips nervously. "Kinda."

"So, this is the girl you've been hiding from me?"

Placing her hands on her hips, she cast her eyes toward her son. Jake glanced down at Mabel.

"You've been hiding me?" Mabel asked, returning his gaze.

"What?" His face fell. "No."

"I like her!" exclaimed the woman. "It's nice to meet you, sweetheart."

"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Edwards. I'm Mabel."

"Call me, Trish," she said, smiling.

Mabel glanced around the kitchen. "Do you need any help?"

"You wanna help me?" She gave Mabel an exaggeratedly impressed look. "That's more of an offer than I've gotten in years!" She scanned her eyes over the two men behind Mabel.

Mabel laughed: "It's no problem. I am happy to help."

"We're about to leave," Jake said, glancing down at her.

"Y'all just got here!"

Mabel could see where Jake got his acting skills; his mom's expressions and boisterous personality were large and animated. She felt at ease immediately and shook her head.

"Well, I did just offer to help. It would be rude to leave now."

Jake laughed and said, "Would it?"

"Yes," Mabel replied matter-of-factly.

"I'm not one to turn down a once-in-a-lifetime offer," Trish added, grinning at Mabel.

Jake looked back at his dad. Tom shrugged.

Jake glanced between the two women. He hadn't expected to stay. He'd planned for it to be a brief pit stop. For some reason, he felt nervous as they bantered back and forth.

"You wanna stay, Mabel?"

"Yes," she said. Moving to the sink, she pulled up her sleeves to wash her hands. "What can I help with?"

"You came just in time. You know how to make biscuits?"

Jake watched them interact, and the feeling grew. Why would he be nervous right now?

Tom nudged his son. "We've got a new build. Why don't we go out to the shack real quick?"

"You sure, Mabel?" Jake asked again.

Mabel glanced back at him. "Yeah, I'll see you in a bit."

"We'll call you when the food is ready," Trish said, impatiently waving her hand.

"Lemme go change clothes," Jake said reluctantly. "Then we'll go check it out."

_________

Tom beamed at the rusted vehicle inside the large garage they referred to as the "shack".

"She's a beauty, ain't she?"

Most people would be unimpressed by the state of it. The tires were flat, rust covered the door panels, the windshield was busted out, and the leather convertible roof caved in on one end. It would be considered junk in most people's garages.

Jake let out a long whistle. "Jarrett found one?"

"Yeah, he did!" Enthusiasm laced Tom's voice as the two walked around the car. "A '69 442 Oldsmobile. It was rusting under a tree in someone's backyard in South Carolina."

"How much did he buy it for?"

"He said he paid eight grand down on it. Plus the cost of getting her here."

"She's gonna be pretty. You open her up yet?"

Tom shook his head. "I was waiting until you got here. I'm sure it's a shitstorm under there."

"Finding parts is gonna be a bitch." Jake said, laying his hand on the dirt-covered hood. Reaching down to the side panel, he brushed his hand over the area between the wheel well and the front bumper trim. He leaned down as layers of dust were wiped away, revealing the tag beneath.

"W-30," Jake said, smiling. "What's that, 350 horses?"