Mabel waited until her fourth-period English class to debut as Mae Ferrer. Ms. Eccleston's room was already in chaos when she entered. However, when she stood inside the doorway, all eyes turned in her direction.

Holding her head high, Mae sauntered toward the teacher's desk. She made sure she passed close to Hank Addams. His curious eyes surveyed her as she brushed past his desk. She paused before him and adjusted her short skirt. Then, she handed Elaine Eccleston her forged schedule.

"Take the second seat in the second row, Ms. Ferrer," the teacher instructed with a slight smile. "The one directly behind Mr. Addams."

Mae turned questioning eyes toward the class. Grinning from ear to ear, Hank waved his fingers at her. She approached the empty desk behind him. Hank rose, turned, and straddled his seat as soon as she sat. Propping his elbows on her desk, he ogled her.

"Hello, Ms. Ferrer," he suavely greeted. "I suppose you have a first name."

"Mae," Mabel replied, carefully using her new name.

"Hi, Mae," Hank stated, sliding his elbows further along the desktop. His forehead nearly connected with hers.

Leaning in, Mae allowed her nose to touch Hank's momentarily. Her heart beat wildly inside her skimpy crop top. For a moment, she thought he would kiss her in front of the entire class. Then, Scarlett James scooted her desk closer to Hank. Fiercely, she glared at Mae.

When the bell signaled the class's end, Hank slid Mabel's books beneath his arm. Then, he offered to escort her to her next period. Standing, Mabel met Scarlett's fierce eyes and brushed past her. Proudly, she strutted along the corridor beside her object of affection.

Mabel pulled off her farce until the end of the seventh period. As she gathered her books at her locker, Adele, Tiffany, and Scarlett surrounded her. Swiftly, Adele slammed the metal door closed, nearly catching Mae's fingers.

"What's your problem?" Mae snapped, turning on the three girls.

"No, what's your problem, Mabel?" Adele angrily hissed. She moved forward, trapping Mabel in a three-girl circle.

"Mabel who?" she asked, pretending ignorance.

"You know Mabel who," Tiff remarked, tightening the circle.

"Yeah," Scar seconded, bumping her shoulder into Mabel's. "If you're the new girl, how do you know Mabel's locker combination?"

"Yeah," Tiffany echoed, "we watched you all day. You don't fool us."

"I don't know what you're tal...talking about," Mabel insisted, faltering. Her knees quaked as her three rivals continued to press in close. Anxiously, she glanced around for a means of escape.

"You look dumb as a blonde," Adele meanly stated.

Grabbing a handful of Mabel's hair, Adele twisted it in her fist. Mabel yelped in pain. Scarlett and Tiffany blocked her against her locker. Menacingly, the girls began their attack. Then, they were roughly swept aside.

"Leave her alone," Hank Addams announced, stepping between Mabel and her tormentors.

"You don't know who she is," Adele remarked, ready to break her boyfriend's illusion.

"Sure I do," he blithely answered. "Mae Ferrer."

"She's Mabel Tatterson," Scarlett interceded, her face turning the shade of her name. "Stupid, ugly Mabel Tatterson playing Halloween dress-up."

"Wrong," Hank corrected, grinning. "Ferrer is Mabel's birth father's last name. Mae is what I called her when we were three years old; I couldn't say Mabel."

Suddenly, Mabel's face brightened. Memories of her youngest days returned. Long ago, Hank called her Mae instead of Mabel. He remembered, her triumphant mind announced. Smiling in relief, she moved closer to her childhood friend. He pulled her close to his side, and they swept past the gaping girls together.