Teenage Fantasy Ch. 03

"360, son. Guess how much time we got with her?"

Jake shook his head, shrugging. "A year and a half, maybe two."

"A year, maybe." Tom laughed.

"A new build?"

"He's got a buyer lined up already. Let's look inside and see if there's something worth saving."

The men moved back to the hood. The latch was rusted and took longer to pop open. A cloud of dust swirled around them as they opened the heavy hood.

"It's shit." Tom waved the dust away, shaking his head and planting his hands on the car.

"Not as bad as I thought," Jake replied sarcastically.

Tom laughed, reaching in and wiping off the chrome rocker cover. "Looks like original parts here."

"What's left of them anyway." Jake tugged on one of the vacuum hoses connected to the air cleaner. The material disintegrated in his hand.

"Once we're able to take her apart, we'll see what we're working with. I figured, with you not playing football too much longer, you can take more shifts at the shop."

"Yeah," Jake said, returning his gaze to the house.

"You worried about something, son?" Tom asked the question knowingly.

"Nah," Jake refuted, shaking his head. "Just... what do you think they're in there talking about?"

Tom laughed. "They're talking about you."

Jake shook his head, kicking the ground. "You think I should be nervous?"

"Yeah," Tom nodded, "You should."

Scoffing, he looked back at the house.

"Mabel seems like a nice girl." Tom said, standing up and reading his son's expression.

"She is," Jake replied, turning back to his father.

"I dated a redhead once." Tom leaned against the counter, shaking his head as he sucked his teeth. "She was crazy."

"Mabel's not crazy."

Tom let out a laugh. "All women are crazy, son. Is she your first girlfriend?"

"Nah," Jake replied.

"She's just the first one you trust to leave alone with your mother?"

"I didn't really plan on that happening."

Tom leaned back against the car, folding his arms. "Your mom was the first girl I brought home."

He spoke nostalgically, smiling as he recalled the memory.

"Not the redhead?"

"I told you she was crazy."

"Yeah. Mom is too."

"You see my point? Things have a funny way of working out. I've been with your mom for 20 years. She's the typa crazy I can live with."

"Live with?" Jake asked rhetorically, "I don't think that's the plan."

"Probably not," Tom agreed, "but whatever it is you do, treat her right."

He held his son's gaze.

Jake nodded. "I will."

"Boys, the food is done!"

Smithie bounced up at the sound of Trish's voice ringing across the yard. Jake thought about his mom; she overshared often, never knowing when to bite her tongue. His stomach twisted.

"Look alive, son. You're the one who brought her home. It's only right we get to embarrass you for it."

"That's what I'm worried about. We weren't supposed to stay."

"Looks like Mabel made an executive decision. I'm right, she is something special."

_________

The screen door slammed shut behind them as they walked into the kitchen. The two were singing along to Trace Adkins as Jake and Tom entered. Mabel was stirring gravy on the stove as Trish melted butter over biscuits.

"Smells amazing, Darlin'."

Tom crossed the room, kissing Trish, who beamed up at him and glanced at Mabel.

"What do you expect from two great chefs?"

"I'm not possibly as talented as you," Mabel laughed. "One day maybe."

Turning, she grinned at Jake. "How's the car looking?"

"Like shit," Jake replied, making his way over to her.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Equally both," he said, looking at the sausage gravy she was stirring. "That looks delicious, Mabel."

He reached for the spoon. "Let me taste it."

Mabel smacked his hand away. "No, you don't! Go wash your hands."

"Where did you find her?" Jake's mom glanced back at her son, who was leaning against the counter; his eyes were on Mabel. "She's amazing!"

"Yeah, she's stubborn too," Jake chided, smiling at her.

"I am not!" Mabel retorted.

"Looks like you met your match, son."

"Go get washed up, you two, while we dish up the food."

"That's if you're hungry, of course," Mabel replied sarcastically.

Jake grinned and said, "I'm always hungry."

"I thought so," she laughed, shaking her head.

_________

"You've been a huge help!" Trish told Mabel as they ate at the round table in the kitchen dining nook.

"I'm glad I could assist. I learned a lot," she replied.

"So tell us a bit about yourself, Mabel," Tom said.

"It's not a job interview, Honey," Trish nudged him.

"Sorry," he replied, giving her a stunned look.

"No, it's ok. I mainly focus on academics. Right now, I am working on submitting college applications, but nothing too special."

"That's great!" Tom replied. "Do you play any sports?"

"Oh, no." Mabel shook her head. "I don't have the equilibrium."

Trish laughed, and Tom smiled.

"I'll leave that to Jake." Admiration filled her gaze as she stared up at him. "He's incredible at football."

"We're very proud of him," Trish said to her son with a smile.

Jake met Mabel's gaze. She always downplayed her accomplishments. "I may catch a ball here and there, but she's our class valedictorian."

"Really?"

"No," Mabel shook her head, "not yet. It hasn't been determined. Elijah McClain and I are competing for it."

"Still, that's incredible."

"Yes, it is." Tom agreed: "What colleges are you looking at?"

"Oh, um, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Brown. I'm trying to be realistic."

"Wow, those are pretty prestigious."

"You forgot MIT," Jake said, peering down at her.

Mabel laughed. "I told you that I'm underqualified."

"They'd be crazy not to accept you. You're gonna get in, Mabel."

"I'm glad you think so," she replied, smiling at him.

Trish watched the interaction, observing how earnestly her son spoke about the young girl. They were captivated by each other.

"Jake has a lot of college prospects as well." Tom added.

Jake shifted his jaw.

"You didn't mention that," Mabel said. "Who?"

"Lots of colleges," Trish replied. "Oregon, Alabama, Texas State. He receives recruitment letters all the time."

"It's because you're so talented," Mabel said, turning to Jake. "Have you been responding?"

He furrowed his brow. "I don't plan on going."

"No use in applying to colleges when he's not gonna graduate from high school." Tom's voice took on an irritated tone, and Mabel could tell this was a subject that had been discussed before.

Jake met his dad's gaze. "I told you my plans."

"I know what you've said, but I can't get behind you not finishing school. I mean, to drop out completely? I thought I raised you better than that."

"That's my choice."

"Wait," Mabel interrupted the two, and all eyes fell on her as she swallowed her food, "you're gonna graduate."

Looking toward his parents, she added, "We've already worked out a study plan. He's gonna pass his finals this semester. Next week we're talking to our guidance counselor, Ms. Prudroe, to create his path to graduation. Jake is getting his diploma."

Both of Jake's parents failed to hide their astonishment at Mabel's words, and it threw her off; he had told them, hadn't he?

"Right, Jake?"

She'd shocked him to his core. Jake was dumbfounded by her words. She spoke as if it were already set in stone. They hadn't even talked about meeting with Prudroe. Still, her confidence was unarguable.

"Yeah." Jake replied, clearing his throat. "That's the plan, Mabel."

"Good." Mabel nodded. "Maybe we can start responding to recruitment letters then."

Tom assessed the young girl. She seemed incredibly certain and gave Jake a no-nonsense expression. "It'll be good to see you finally take some initiative, son."

Jake looked at his father. They'd had this conversation a thousand times. It burned his gut every time. Glancing at Mabel, he felt better about it. Once again, her determination swayed his discontent.

Trish's eyes lit up as she glanced between the two across from her. Mabel spoke so confidently about her son that she couldn't help but believe what she was saying was true. "I'm so happy you're gonna graduate. I knew you could do it."

Jake chuckled, glancing toward his mom. "Yeah, well, we'll see. I don't know about the recruitment letters."

"You have college potential," Mabel said, peering up at him.

"I'm gonna work in my dad's shop, Mabel."

She wanted to tell him that wasn't his only option, but now wasn't the time. Mabel nodded and turned to face Tom. "Jake told me you own your own mechanic shop. So, you guys fix cars?"

"We rebuild them, actually. Old ones. That '74 Mustang II Jake is driving is his first complete build. He chose everything in that car and put it together himself."

"You never mentioned that."

"It was my year-long 16th birthday present. That, and the job at the shop."

"That's amazing, Jake!"

"It was also the sixteenth anniversary of the shop. And it was finally legal to put you on the payroll."

Mabel turned to Tom, "The sixteenth anniversary? Did you open your shop around the time you had Jake?"

"Same day, actually; I had to close early that day, of course." Everyone laughed, and Tom looked at his son. "Nineteenth anniversary is coming up. Best day of my life."

Trish smiled fondly at her husband and said, "Mine too."

"Nineteenth? When's your birthday, Jake?"

"It's not like I was held back." Jake explained, "I missed the cutoff for kindergarten, and it put me behind a year. I was born on the 14th of this month."

Mabel tightened her lips and clarified, "I didn't think that. I'm born in November too. The 24th. I also missed the cutoff."

"You're gonna be nineteen?" Jake was shocked.

"I guess I'm ten days younger than you," Mabel laughed. "My mom says I'm a Thanksgiving baby. That's why I can eat so much."

"She's right," Trish added, "you are a Thanksgiving baby. I'd love to meet her sometime."

Mabel's mouth gaped as she tried to form a response. She and Jake weren't even dating yet. It seemed way too soon for their parents to meet.

"Y'all should join us for dinner. That'd be lovely."

Trish smiled earnestly at Mabel, who glanced up at Jake. This is why he hadn't wanted to stay too long. His mom had a knack for posing questions you couldn't say no to. She gazed at Mabel with bright brown eyes and a clever, sweet smile.

"Mom-"

"Thank you for the invitation," Mabel replied politely; "unfortunately, I can't give an answer right now. It's my mom's busy season at work, but I'll pass along the invite."

Jake watched Mabel smile at his mom and could see the approving smile that curled on his mom's lips.

"Darlin', you're pushing things too far," Tom spoke up. "These kids just learned about each other's birthdays. I'm sure they're not ready for the parents to meet."

"Oh, am I rushing things?"

"No," Mabel assured. "I appreciate the invitation."

"Well," Trish asked, "are you normally out of town with your mom?"

"Um." Mabel shifted her gaze. "Sometimes. Everything depends on what her schedule is like. So, it's kinda unpredictable."

Jake watched her reaction to the question. He thought about her mom; she didn't seem to be around too often.

"If your mom's outta town," Trish said, "you're always welcome to come and eat dinner with us, Mabel."

Her heart raced. Not due to nerves; she'd abandoned those after meeting Trish. It was her smile. Jake's mom had an inviting warmth about her that made Mabel feel conflicted. Why would she accept her so quickly? And why did it make Mabel feel despondent?

"I would love that," Mabel replied.

Tom, watching the exchange, felt proud of his son. He'd chosen a good girl. She seemed strong-willed and intelligent. He cast a glance at Trish, who couldn't help but smile at the young lady's answer.

"We would too, Mabel."

Mabel glanced toward him and said, "Thank you."

Jake took his last bite. "I still wanna take you out, Mabel. You wanna go?"

"Yeah, definitely."

"Don't stay out too late tonight, son." Tom instructed, "We have an early start tomorrow; we need to finish the Viper to make room for the 442. I need you home tonight."

"Alright," Jake agreed. "I'll come back after I drop her off."

Jake grabbed their plates, taking them to the sink.

"It was great to meet you," Mabel said, standing up.

"It was wonderful to meet you." Trish walked over to the girl and wrapped her in a hug. "Don't be a stranger alright?"

"Yes, ma'am," Mabel agreed, hugging her back.

"Nice to meet you, Mabel."

"You as well, sir. Thank you for having me."

Mabel gave Smithie an affectionate pet as she leaned against her legs.

"I'll be back later," Jake said as they moved to leave.

"Be safe!"

The screen door slammed behind them as they made their way back to his car.

"What'd you end up talking about with my mom?" Jake inquired as he opened her door. Mabel gave him a mischievous expression. "I told her I wouldn't say anything. So, I can't tell you."

"What?"

Jake's eyes went wide, and Mabel could see the glimmer of worry in them. Before getting in the car, she jumped to her tiptoes and kissed him briefly.

He closed the door as his mind raced. What would his mom have said to her?

_________

Mabel looked around the large parking lot and at the expansive building centered among the ocean of cars.

"The mall?"

"You don't like the mall?" Jake asked.

Mabel watched Jake's confusion unfold. "No, the mall is great," she said slowly. "I think they just put a Barnes & Noble in, and I've been wanting to check it out."

"Cool, I can buy you whatever you want."

She furrowed her brow questioningly. "Um, okay," Mabel scrunched her lips, her eyes brightening, "what I really want is a hot cinnamon sugar pretzel!"

"That's what you want?" Jake chuckled at her expression. "A pretzel?"

She bit her top lip as she grinned, "Yes! With extra dip!"

"Alright, pretzel it is."

_________

Mabel dipped the pretzel in icing and held it up for him to eat. "Are you afraid you're gonna lose me or something?"

"Why would I lose you?" Jake asked, taking a bite as they walked around the mall.

"Exactly my point. You've had your arm around me this entire time." Mabel laughed, "It's like you're scared I'm gonna run away."

"You gonna run away from me, Mabel?"

"I wasn't planning on it," she smirked. "But then again, I did find out some concerning things from your mom today."

"What'd she say to you?" Jake asked.

Mabel gave a reticent shrug.

"Was it the time I ate a worm? We were playing Truth or Dare; I had no choice."

"You ate a worm?"

"She didn't tell you that one," Jake said with a shake of his head.

"I'm not sharing my pretzel with you anymore."

"What?" Jake's eyes went wide as his grin grew. "I was seven!"

"No way," Mabel said, bringing the last bit of her pretzel close to her chest and shaking her head. "Keep your mouth that way."

"I can't have anymore of the pretzel?"

"No."

"It was a dare!"

"You have worm germs!"

"You don't want me to kiss you then either?"

"Not now that I know about your secret diet!"

Jake laughed, bending down and taking her lips with his. Mabel smiled before kissing him back. Even among the bustling crowd in the mall, she couldn't help how her body responded to him. She bloomed in his arms, almost dropping her pretzel to fulfill the urge to cling to him.

Jake eased back and gazed at her as she opened her eyes. "I do have a secret diet."

Mabel tilted her head in confusion. "What is it?"

"You."

"Me?" Mabel questioned. Her mind failed to comprehend the implication. "You eat me?"

Her cheeks flushed and her mouth gaped as she remembered last night and deciphered the innuendo. "Ooh!"

Jake grinned at her realization before scanning the area. "There's that bookstore. You still wanna go in?"

"Yes!" Mabel exclaimed, taking his hand and pulling him into the store. He couldn't help but laugh at her excitement as he followed behind her.

"My favorite bookstore is on East Liberty." Mabel passively scanned over the table of novels at the entrance before looking up and around.

Jake glanced at the long shelves and tables full of books around him. People were everywhere, some sitting in chairs and on benches, others walking around. Most had something to read in their hands. He'd never understood the appeal and had struggled to read his entire life. Still, if Mabel liked it here, he would walk around with her.

"You have a favorite bookstore?" Jake asked, turning back to her. He caught a glimpse of her red bun disappearing down a towering aisle.

Mabel quickly found the anatomy area in the Study Materials section. She ran her fingertips over the spines of each book, taking in their titles. She admired the variety of covers, whether glossy and smooth hardbacks or textured with inlaid font. She could easily lose hours in here, spending time with each book and creating a pile to add to her collection. It was paradise.

Curious, she grabbed a few copies that intrigued her. She found the newest edition of Gray's Anatomy and flipped through the thick book, skimming her eyes over different sections. She'd unfortunately lost her copy and needed a new one. She flipped the hardcover over to look at the back and shook her head at the price tag. It would have to wait.

Another smaller book with a snake skin texture caught her eye, and she pulled it out. It was a thesis on the cardiovascular system. Opening the book to a random page, she ran her fingers over the vellum paper. Beautiful drawings with italic captions described what words couldn't.

Once again, he found himself captivated by her. She immersed herself in a few more pages before turning her gaze to the shelves around them. An air of wonder and excitement surrounded her, and he found himself drawn to it like cool water on a summer day.

"You were planning on running away."

Mabel immediately turned toward the sound of his voice. "I didn't mean to leave you behind. I just wanted to see if they had anything on the central nervous system, but I found this great book on the cardiovascular system instead."

Her eyes lit up as she turned to show him the pages she was on. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" She turned the book back to herself. "The human heart."

"Is that what you wanna be?" He inquired as he approached. "A heart surgeon?"

"You remember that conversation?"

It was something she'd only mentioned briefly. It surprised her that he would remember such a minute statement.

"Of course I do."

"Well, yeah, I do want to study the heart and the brain. I find both fascinating. They're arguably the most important organs in our body." Returning her gaze to the book, she flipped through the pages. "I've been looking for Thomas Willis' Cerebri Anatome for a while, but I never seem to find it. He was able to put a name to the functions of the brain. He's like the father of neuroscience."

"I gotta say," Jake said, looking around before returning his gaze to her. She met his eyes with an inquisitive glimmer in her own: "I've never seen someone so excited about this stuff."

"Is it weird?"

Mabel raised an eyebrow, meeting him with an almost daring expression.

"You're the reason they call smart people bright."

Mabel's face lit up as she grinned. "You're so corny!"

"I gotta work on that," Jake said, lowering his head and tucking his hands into his pockets.

Mabel took him in, her eyes dancing with realization. He was blushing! She'd never seen his cheeks so red. He cast his gaze around, pinching his lips, and rocked back on his heels. The expression was adorable and contradictory to his everyday persona.

"No." She shook her head, reaching for his hand and gently removing it from his pocket. "It kinda makes you perfect."