Teenage Fantasy Ch. 04

Dear Reader, I am truly sorry for taking so long to put this out. I also want to apologize in advance because I know there is more work needed on this chapter, but I wanted to get this to you all (hopefully) by the end of the year. I hope that you enjoy what is written, and please bear with me on the much needed edits. I truly appreciate you all, and I am glad that you are enjoying this story.

Warning for you, the reader: There is a scene in which a sexual assault occurs. I understand that this may be traumatic for survivors of sexual assault and harassment. At the beginning and end of the scene, I've highlighted this section with five italicized and bolded pound/hashtag signs: #####. Please read according to your level of comfort.

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

I would like to extend deep gratitude to my dearest friend Kate for helping me edit this as much as possible and for believing in this chapter.

Please, enjoy!

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Dim morning rays outlined downy gray clouds with silver light. The dreary weather was stiflingly humid, and not even birds braved the thickened, cool air. Tires screeched to a halt, cutting through the dismal silence in the suburban neighborhood. Soft light reflected off of the towering windows that lined the expansive house the black Mustang had pulled up to.

Mabel stared at it through the tinted window. It was empty on Saturday when the pair left, and it would be empty now. Pushing the door open, she turned towards Jake.

"We're late!" She chastised him playfully. "I'll see you at school."

"What?" Jake asked, his dark blonde brows furrowed as he removed the keys. "I'm taking you to school, Mabel."

She shook her head in protest. "I can walk."

"Mabel, we're already running late." He watched as the redhead nodded in rushed agreement. "You're gonna get dressed and get to school in time?"

Mabel pursed her lips and thought about the fifteen-minute walk to their school from her house. It was already 7:40 and she had to be there by 8. He was right; there wasn't enough time. Still, the thought of arriving at school in Jake Edwards' car felt daunting.

"What'll it be, Miss Mabel?" Jake's deep blue eyes assessed her as she contemplated her options.

"Ok," Mabel released a held breath, "that's fine. I'll be quick."

He walked behind her as she strode up the sidewalk and unlocked the door. "You can have some cereal if you're hungry. I'll only be a second."

"Thanks," he replied, stealing a brief kiss before watching her bound up the stairs.

Waking up with Mabel had been a change for the better in his Monday morning routine. But she was right—it had made them late. Late getting out of bed, taking a shower, and leaving the house. He was surprised that she would have enough time to change at all.

Crossing the expansive living space toward the pantry, he grabbed Frosted Flakes and rummaged around the open kitchen to find a spoon, bowl, and milk.

After putting everything away, he leaned back against the counter, one leg crossed over the other, and ate as he waited. Jake observed the kitchen island across from him and recalled their Friday night.

With her lying on the grey marble countertop, he'd been able to taste her sweet pussy for the first time. He thought of her shocked, blushing expression when his tongue first stroked over her. Man, what a weekend! He wasn't ready for their time together to end.

She still didn't feel comfortable revealing their relationship at school. He knew that and accepted what it meant. No kissing in front of anyone—even though he'd been able to taste her as much as he wanted this weekend. No touching—no holding her or placing his hand on the sloped small of her back. Don't call her babe—his little redhead. Instead, they would just go back to being friends, in their own way, a facade that was made harder by the time they'd spent together.

"What are you doing in my house?"

Fumbling his spoon, it clanked against the floor as he stood up straight. He hadn't heard Mabel's mom come down the stairs, and her strict tone startled him. She was scowling, her green eyes filled with rage, as she assessed him.

"Morning, Ms. Humphrey."

He didn't know what else to say. Shit, he didn't even know she was home yet!

"Answer the question," she replied, her tone strong with distaste. She folded her arms, not crossing the distance between them but filling it with disdain.

"I'm picking Mabel up for school," Jake answered, clearing his throat as he bent to grab the spoon. When he stood up, he saw her glare had deepened, and she was tapping her foot, looking at the bowl of cereal on the counter.

"Why are you picking my daughter up for school? And who said you could help yourself to anything in my kitchen?"

"I was just waiting and-"

"I'm not gonna mince words," Beth interrupted sharply, shifting her jaw. "I'm not a fan of you hanging around my daughter, and I don't like that you seem so at home in my house. How many times have you been here?"

"Momma?"

Beth and Jake looked up as Mabel came down the stairs. She glanced between the two of them. Her mom was wearing her robe, arms crossed, and scowling.

"I didn't know you were home."

Jake's throat went dry as he watched her descend. She was wearing army boots with a chunky heel. A black high-waisted pleated skirt brushed midway down her creamy thighs and an oversized cutoff white turtleneck sweater completed the outfit. Her hair was in a high ponytail, framed by bangs. The skirt wasn't as shapely as what she normally wore, but it framed her thighs perfectly.

"Damn," he said to himself.

"Excuse me!" Beth glared at Jake, hearing his sentiments about her daughter. "Mabel, why is he in my house?"

"Jake is picking me up for school," Mabel responded, looking over at him. She smiled at the stunned expression on his face. Her mom had clearly knocked him off his guard, and his wide blue eyes remained on her as she came down the stairs. "Are you ready, Jake?"

"Yeah," Jake replied, snapping out of it and grabbing his keys from the countertop. He took the bowl to the sink.

Beth watched him before looking at her daughter. "How many times have you brought him here?"

"What?" Mabel asked, "why?"

"He's acting like he practically lives here, Mabel!"

"Because of a bowl of cereal?" Mabel scoffed. "I told him he could eat. What's the problem?"

"The problem is that you invited him into my house without permission. He is not allowed to be here without me knowing about it!"

"Next time you're home, I'll be sure to run it by you," Mabel sneered. "C'mon Jake. Let's go."

"Bye, Ms. Humphrey."

"We're gonna talk about this later!" Beth scolded Mabel, scowling, as Jake left the house.

Mabel narrowed her eyes. "Will we?"

Closing the door on her mom's protest, she sighed and looked up at him. "Sorry about that."

"No worries." Jake shrugged. "Seems like me and your mom are getting along pretty well."

Rolling her eyes, she chuckled. "Yeah, you're practically best friends."

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Unease filled Mabel as Jake parked between two trucks at the back of the student lot. He'd been careful to avoid entering where people would see them, and the parking space he chose would allow her to exit his car without being noticed. Still, if anyone realized that they'd shown up together, what would happen?

"I still think you should've just let me walk. This might look bad."

"No one saw us," Jake reassured. "It's alright."

His words didn't ease her anxiety. Sighing, she reached for the door handle.

"Mabel?"

"Yeah," she replied, turning back to him. She wanted to get this over with; she hated being at this place. The familiar trepidation that always gripped her about being here was amplified today, and she wanted to escape it as quickly as possible. Leaning in, he brushed his thumb over her chin. She met his deep blue gaze and sighed. His eyes could always change her mood, and this time they caused a glimmer of relief.

"You alright?" he asked, searching her stare.

She wished it could stay like it was this weekend, the two of them tucked away from the world. Her heart felt heavy with the realization that it couldn't. She closed the distance between them, placing her lips against his. She eased her tongue into his mouth, relishing him one final time. His mouth held hers for an instant longer. Neither wanted to, but they parted, and Mabel took a deep breath.

"Let's get this day over with."

Jake tried to dispel his discontent as they made their way toward the building. It was a longer distance from the back of the parking lot. Mabel's pace increased as they walked, and he slowed his stride to let her create space between them. She ducked her head, keeping her gaze low, and maneuvered into the crowd.

Mabel normally entered at the sides of the building because the main entrance was always overcrowded and unpleasant. Strangely, she was torn between leaving Jake behind and staying close, so as a result, they joined the mass of other students at the same time.

She kept her head low and moved through the various bodies. She didn't bother to look around and see if Jake had made his way through the crowd. Yet something about her navigation of the tumultuous entrance was different today. Her body wasn't being bumped between people, and she wasn't squeezing her way between backpacks to fit in narrow gaps.

"Heyy Jake!"

The seductive sound of a flirtatious greeting caused her to glance around. Jake was directly behind her. His large build caused the students to shuffle around him, mumbling greetings and allowing him to traverse the torrent with ease.

"I thought we were going our separate ways?" Mabel asked as they made their way into the opening of the foyer.

"Well, it was kinda hard," Jake said, glancing toward the students bustling through the doorway. Mabel dipped her head, ready to make an escape. "I'll see you in class, ok?"

"Mr. Edwards! Late again, I see."

They both turned toward the sound of their history teacher's voice as he made his way over to them. Holding a mug of coffee and wearing a smug smirk.

"Yeah," Jake replied dismissively. He glanced down at Mabel. "Let me walk you to your locker?"

"I just spoke with Principal Blancher," Williams interrupted, his tone tinged with glee as he stood next to Jake. "Got some good news."

"Go celebrate then," Jake replied, wanting to ignore him.

"I am," he laughed forcefully. "You see, the championship game is the same week as the final tests," he shrugged. "It looks like that's the week that we're changing your grading metrics. No more free ride for you, Edwards."

"Free ride?" Mabel asked, glowering up at Williams. "What are you talking about?"

Williams glanced down at the girl, not realizing she would get involved. He looked back at Jake. "Yeah, Edwards here is gonna have to do some actual work, or, my favorite option, drop out."

Jake finally met his teacher's gloating stare. "I wouldn't mind not seeing you every day, Williams."

Mabel shot Jake a strict look before turning a stone expression toward their teacher. "Do you always make a habit of bullying your students about their grades, Mr. Williams?"

Williams cut his eyes down at the girl. "Excuse me, Ms. Humphrey, but this doesn't concern you. Run along to class."

"I'm not running anywhere," Mabel replied. "You shouldn't be glorifying a student dropping out of school. It discredits your reputation as a teacher."

Williams' right eye twitched. "Last time I checked, it's not my reputation you should be worried about, Ms. Humphrey," he sneered.

Mabel froze for an instant while trying to digest his insinuation. Having a teacher use her recent bullying experience against her was more damaging than she could have anticipated.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Jake pressed forward, anger boiling in his voice as he addressed the teacher.

Pulling herself away from the hurt, Mabel laid a staying hand against Jake's arm and placed herself between the two of them.

"I'm assuming that you're willing to create a plan to help Jake pass your class this semester." Mabel made the statement as if it were a fact, trying to mitigate Williams' disgusting gloating and Jake's anger at his attack on her. "So what would it take for that to happen?"

Williams laughed, shaking his head. "An intervention by the Lord himself."

"I'm serious," Mabel replied sternly. "After all, I'm sure that you wouldn't want the board hearing about you insulting students first thing in the morning. So, what does he have to do to pass?"

Williams eyed the short girl with a contemptuous gaze. He had wanted to gloat, but she'd taken the wind out of his argument, and it pissed him off. "There's a long list of assignments, homework, and a paper that your boyfriend here is missing. He wouldn't get it done even if he had the brains to do it."

"Yes, he will!" Mabel stepped forward. "Have a packet ready by Wednesday; he'll be there to pick it up. Any assignments that he finishes can count toward his final grade. He'll turn it in the week of finals."

Both Jake and Williams failed to reply to her suggestion, staring at the girl with stupefied expressions.

"It's alright, Mabel," Jake finally said. Williams was right; he couldn't do what she was bargaining for. He didn't have the ability.

"Are you planning on doing all of his work for him?" Williams asked, giving a humorless bark of a laugh. "That would be considered cheating, Ms. Humphrey."

Mabel was steadfast in her determination. "Jake is more than capable of doing his own work."

Scoffing, Williams shook his head. "Fine," he replied, "but he only gets half credit on the assignments since they're late. And if the work is pristine but he can't pass my final test, then I'm failing him, and I am also failing you for helping a student cheat."

"Mabel, stop! It's alright." Jake didn't want to be the reason she lost any grades. She worked too damn hard. He knew he wasn't going to be able to complete any of the assignments, let alone pass the test. There was no sense in her putting her neck on the line for him.

"It's a deal," Mabel replied, squaring her jaw. "Make sure you hold up your end of it."

Williams failed to hide his astonishment as he looked at Jake. "It looks like you're taking her down with you. Congratulations."

"Mabel, you don't have to do this!" Jake said, following behind her as she briskly made her way down the hall.

"I can't believe he talked to you like that!" Mabel shook her head. "You don't deserve to be treated that way."

"I don't want to be the reason you fail, Mabel."

Briefly scrunching her brow, she looked up at him. "You won't be."

"I'm not gonna be able to do this."

"Yes, you can, Jake," Mabel assured him before opening her locker. "You should talk to your other teachers too. See what you can get from them that will help you pass the semester. Also, don't forget we're talking to Prudroe today. Do you think you can meet me at her office after school before you go to practice?"

Jake took in the girl in front of him. No one had ever stood up for him like that, let alone truly believed that he could accomplish such a feat. She'd done the same thing for him this weekend, surprising his parents with her adamant determination. It felt strange to have someone in his corner when it came to school.

He watched folded papers fall from her locker when she opened it. Mabel ignored them to switch out textbooks. Jake bent to pick them up instead. He thought of the notes from last week. Reading what people had said and watching her reaction. She seemed to brush it off, but he felt that there was more she was keeping to herself. He wished he could resolve what she dealt with daily. This time, he didn't open the notes. It didn't matter what other guys had to say; all that mattered was her.

Mabel looked down at him as he gathered the papers. She thought of his reaction on Thursday. It hurt to see him so upset. She'd been able to desensitize herself to what was happening at school, but seeing how much it affected him made her want to shield him from everything. She watched him stand up, looking at the papers, before throwing them away. She was relieved he hadn't read them.

"What's it gonna take, Mabel?"

Mabel glanced at Jake as she reached for her notebook on the top shelf. He had a profound expression that caused her to pause.

"It'll be one step at a time. Right now, all we have to do is meet at Prudroe's. From there, we'll figure everything else out."

The way she believed in him made him feel fraudulent. Like he was misleading her. But her support, and how honestly she gave it, filled him with something else. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was something incredible, and it made it even harder to pretend she wasn't his world right now.

"Jake, I promise, it'll be ok. We're just going to talk to her to get an idea of where you stand. That's all."

It was probably a more daunting task than she realized. She thought back to their conversations. Every time she tried to discuss school, he would put up a wall. She didn't know how bad his academic history was, but that didn't matter; they could fix it if they knew where to start.

"I'm not talking about that," he said softly while shaking his head. He dropped eye contact and stared at the floor. Doubt and hope swirled in the pit of his stomach. "Mabel," he said, looking back at her, "what do I gotta do to make you mine?"

Mabel was unable to look away as his question filled her with conflict. Spending this weekend with him had cleared away her fears about him as a person. Jake was truly incredible. She was enthralled by him—his talent, his work ethic, their conversations. She did want to be with him, but she couldn't yet. The repercussions of their relationship after she was called a one-dollar whore by his ex-girlfriend would be damning. She couldn't put him through that. Jake needed to concentrate on school.

Taking a deep breath, she smirked. "I thought I was yours."

Jake tilted his head, recalling their conversation on Friday. In the dark of the night, between the two of them, it felt like it. This weekend had allowed him to sample how it could be, but here at school, all of that was forfeited. He couldn't stand it.

"Mabel, I know I said we'd go at your pace, and I meant that, but there's gotta be something I can do."

"You mean, you want me to be your girlfriend?"

"Yes."

More than anything, he thought.

Scanning her eyes over the other people in the hallway, she chewed her top lip in contemplation. She had to at least fix things on her side. She needed to summon the nerve to face Tonya. She wanted to explain that she wasn't with Jake while they were together. She needed a truce or something. Anything so she could quell the damage she'd inflict on Jake if things went public. Very public. She needed time.

"Prove Williams wrong," she answered, meeting his earnest gaze. "Pass all of your classes this semester. That gives us two and a half weeks. We'll buckle down and make sure you complete whatever work our teachers need you to do."

Jake pursed his lips, his stomach sinking from her reply. That was impossible. "That's all, huh?"

Stepping closer, she gazed up at him with a warm smile. "That's all. But that means we really have to study." Her eyes narrowed playfully. "No hanky-panky!"

Despite himself, he laughed. "Hanky-panky?"

"You know what I mean!"

The bell rang, and she closed her locker. "Oh, and you have to win your championship. That's all."

Nodding Jake smiled at her. "Can I raise any objections to one of the rules?"

"No objections!"