The mistake

Mabel's tormentors laughed as she struggled against their restraint.

"The price has gone up to three hundred dollars," Jo sneered. "If we don't have it by tomorrow, we'll burn your face."

"Tell anyone, and you'll be sorry," Irene added.

They released her and left. Sobbing, she went to the sink and began applying cold water to the burn, viciously cursing the bullies. Going to gym class was out. She needed to find somewhere quiet to think. She made her way to the art class. As expected, it was empty. Sighing, she slid to the floor, dropping her head to her raised knees.

"Are you OK?"

She snapped her head up and found herself gazing into the smiling face of a dark-haired young man.

"What's the matter?" He repeated.

"Nothing. Please go away."

"It doesn't look like nothing," he squatted beside her. "I'm Jake; tell me; perhaps I can help."

"Leave me alone. Who are you anyway? A student?"

He stared. "Em., I am not a girl, and, last I checked, this was an all-girls school, so no, I am not a student."

She flushed. "Sorry, stupid question. Look, I'm in a jam. I don't know what to do, and no, you can't help me, so please go away."

He sat beside her. "How do you know that?"

"Can you give me three hundred dollars?"

He whistled. "Why do you need all that cash?"

She was normally shy around boys and found this one's presence annoying, but she needed to talk to someone.

"I'm being shaken down for three hundred dollars to be paid by tomorrow or else, and I don't have a dollar. Now you know."

"Who's asking for it?"

"The school bullies,"

"Names?"

"You won't know them."

"I might,"

"How? You aren't a student. Who are you anyway? What are you doing here?"

"I told you I'm Jake, Jake Kale. My granddad works here. I came looking for him, and I may be able to help, so names?"

Mabel told him.

"I've heard of them. Jo lives on my street; her dad's a cop. That's why she thinks she's untouchable. Leave it to me; I'll handle them."

"What! How? Don't make things worse than they already are."

"I won't, I promise."

"Thanks," she said awkwardly. "Sorry if I was nasty."

He smiled. Now that her panic was over, she noticed he was handsome, and her heartbeat accelerated.

"It's ok. But why do they think you would have that much money?" he asked.

"Because I won that stupid art competition. The prize money was two hundred dollars. But I only got fifty; still, my parents took that. I tried explaining, but the bullies wouldn't listen."

"Wait, you are the girl who won that painting competition? Your dad's a pastor, right?"

"Yes,"

"Scary," he laughed. "No offense."

"None taken," she said, smiling and rising.

He did, too. "OK, tell me your name."

"Mabel,"

"Nice name," 

She smiled, then both of them left the room.

"I have to head back to class," Mabel said, her old shyness returning.

"Okay, I'll keep you posted. It was nice to meet you, Mabel."

She hurried to the locker room, aware of Jake's eyes on her.

Her friends were in the locker room with the rest of the students.

"What happened? You didn't show up." Karen asked.

"We wanted to come find you but couldn't sneak away." Sophie added.

She told them about the attack in the bathroom, lifting her shorts to show them the mark. Sophie was livid.

"Tell the principal now! Come on, we'll go with you."

"No! Snitches get stiches," Karen warned.

"BS. Report them; they can't get away with this."

"No! Karen is right. Besides, I have someone who is going to help me handle them."

"Who?" They both asked.

She told them about Jake Kale.

"I've seen him around a few times; his granddad is the cleaner," Sophie said. "

"He lives a couple of blocks from me," Karen told her. "He hardly looks at girls,"

"Bel is different. So, what is he going to do?" 

"I have no idea. I'll wait and see."

"He is good-looking," Sophie said slyly. "Good enough to be a boyfriend."

Mabel blushed. "Give it a rest."

"Mabel can't have a boyfriend," Karen put in.

"Why? Because her dad's a pastor? She doesn't have to tell him." 

The bell rang, mercifully ending the uncomfortable conversation, and they headed back to class.

Throughout the evening, Mabel made many unsuccessful attempts to ignore her thoughts of Jake Kale's charming smile and attractive face, so she gave in to them.

"Looks like your superman came through for you," Sophie remarked to Mabel in class the next morning.

That morning, the JIMM gang had been very careful to avoid her. Instead of their usual arrogance, they seemed to be walking on eggshells.

"What do you think he did?" Karen asked.

Mabel shrugged. "Don't know, don't care. So long as they get off my back."

But she wondered. She got the answers that afternoon as she and her friends left school. Jake walked up to them.

"Hey Mabel, how was school? Any trouble?"

She shook her head. "What did you do? How'd you get them to back off?"

"I made Jo an offer she couldn't refuse. Like I said, her dad is a cop. There are things I know about her that she won't want her dad to find out. She won't bother you again."

"Good!" Sophie beamed.

Mabel made the introduction.

"You live a couple of blocks from me," Karen told him.

"Really sorry, I've never noticed you."

"Well, we'll see you tomorrow, Bel," Sophie said, eying Karen, who took the hint, and they left, leaving Mabel and Jake alone.

"I appreciate your help," Mabel told him timidly.

"Let me walk you home," he offered.

She was about to refuse, then remembered Sophie's words. You're old enough to have a boyfriend.

"OK, but only a little way." They began walking leisurely. 

"Tell me about you. How old are you? She probed.

"Twenty. There isn't much to tell. My parents are dead; I live with my granddad; he's driving me crazy. I'm hoping to move out soon."

"To college?"

"No. I'm going to be a mechanic. I love engines. I've fixed an old motorcycle; it's in my garage. Want to come see it?"

"Maybe some other time." 

They continued making small talk till they got to her street. Then she left him and walked home.

A week later, she told her parents she was going for Bible study but made her way to Jake's house. Her friends, Sophie in particular, had urged her to explore the relationship. He was in the garage, working on the motorcycle.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting you," he said as she walked towards him.

"I came to say hi." 

"Glad you're here. Let's go inside; my granddad isn't here."

They went into the small, neat house, and he offered her a soda.

"You know I've been meaning to ask, why did you help me deal with those bullies? You didn't even know me."

He smiled. "Because I like you. Call it love at first sight.

She felt her heartbeat beat faster. "Really?"

"Yes," he said. He came closer.

"But you hardly-" 

His kiss stopped her words. She was stunned, even more so as she felt herself responding.

The whirlwind romance lasted three months; its secrecy added to the excitement. Then summer break came, and it became harder for them to meet. They communicated through letters delivered by Karen, who was a member of her church. Then one day, Jake stood her up. He had planned to meet her in the park to give her a birthday present, but he was a no-show. She was disappointed but didn't panic until days later, when Karen told her he'd left town.

"What? Why? Where did he go?"

"Littletown. He got a job there. I went over to deliver your letter, and his granddad told me that Jake took his money and left."

"Are you sure? It doesn't sound like Jake," Sophie frowned. "Last time you sent a letter to him, didn't he mention he was traveling?" She asked Karen.

She shook her head. 

Mabel was stunned. "Why would Jake do such a thing?

"Because good-looking guys can't be trusted," Karen said quietly. 

"Maybe he had to leave and didn't have a chance to tell you," Sophie said. "He might still write," 

"Sure," Mabel said weakly. "Let's get to class,"

Jake didn't write. She never heard from him again. The pain of his abrupt departure threw her into a deep depression. She became ill and stopped eating. Her friends made fruitless attempts to lift her spirits, but she stood downcast and consumed by a mounting sense of dread. One day, her teacher, noticing how she looked, sent her to the school clinic.

"Mabel, dear, I was just about to send for you." Anna Johnson, the school nurse, told her. "What's wrong? You look pale." She had been a good friend of her late mom.

"I'm just feeling a little unwell. I think I have the flu."

"Hmm, I hope you aren't pregnant."

Mabel felt her stomach vanish. "No! How can you think that?"

"Easy, I'm just kidding. I know you are a good child. Here, I have a birthday gift for you." 

She handed Mabel a box. Inside were a pair of dainty shoes.

"Thanks, Anna; I love them," she said absently.

"Good. Now tell me about your flu." 

"I'm OK, really," she stammered. "Really, I am." She left quickly. She knew Anna was right. She'd known all along the cause of her illness but had been lying to herself. Now it was time to face the truth. She couldn't tell her parents—she'd die first—or her friends, so she kept it to herself.

She managed to hide it; her oversize dresses helped. Nobody noticed the slight change in her figure, but Sophie did tease her.

"You are glowing, Bel. I'm sure you're over Jake!"

Mabel smiled nervously.

Then on the evening of June 5, six months later, it happened. Her family had been out for an all-night programme. She hadn't gone with them because she had been feeling ill. Most of the day she'd been in pain, but by that evening it had become unbearable. She staggered to the bathroom and, after some agonizing minutes, gave birth. Frightened, she put the baby in a shoebox and began hurriedly cleaning up, fear, drowning her pain. After some thought, she headed for the local fire station, deciding to leave the infant there.

She hadn't gone more than a few hundred feet, when she saw her stepmother approaching. Panic gripped her. Her stepmother was coming back. Either to check if she was truly ill or because she'd forgotten something, either way she would be in a heap of trouble if she met her absent. She couldn't continue to the fire station, but she couldn't go home with the baby. Without thinking, she made a horrifying decision. She threw the box into a nearby trash-strewn alleyway and ran back home.