1998: Ohio
Helga's grip around her mug tightened when she heard that annoying wolverine laugh again. The pig expected this night to go like any other, down a few beers, watch some sports on the TV, try and fail to flirt with Lorraine...Helga took another swig from her drink. It had been a year since she met the wolf, a year since she started changing herself. First, she ditched her flannel shirt and replaced it with a white tee and a leather jacket she picked up from the Salvation Army. After that, she picked up a bunch of CDs from metal groups like Manowar, and Hammerfell. She buzzed the sides of her head to give herself a pixie cut, removing that grunge style that was more or less letting it grow out. She still couldn't afford a motorbike yet, having to use a pedal bike to get to her job at McDonald's from Tom's apartment.
Once she could, Helga planned to ask Lorraine to help her pick it out. It seemed like the best icebreaker.
Another giggle from the wolverine led to another sigh from Helga, ``Pay up, grandpa,'' the sixteen-year-old little shit said. Helga noticed that wolverine's smug little grin from the corner of her eye, holding out her hand as a rhino unfurled a single hundred and pressed it in. ``Who's next? My pockets ain't full yet.''
``Tom, isn't this place 21 and over?'' Helga asked her ex-boyfriend, the new barkeep. To everyone else, the raccoon and pig were still dating. People tend to assume that when you're shacking up with someone and coming in on the back of their ride. But ever since Sal died and passed along the bar to Tom, their relationship had strained. No, Helga knew it was straining long before that. Her experience with Lorraine made that loud and clear. Tom on the other hand just kept himself too preoccupied to give any other excuse beyond `I'm busy'.
``Yeah,'' he nodded, placing a glass pitcher back on the shelf.
``So why the fuck is that brat is here, beating everyone's ass in Pool? Last I checked, you didn't run a daycare.''
``Well, Todd sucks at Pool.''
She scowled, ``Don't get smart with me.''
``Someone has to be,'' he smiled, then sighed, ``She's Jamie's little sister. Apparently, some drama is happening and he asked if I could keep her here until it cooled down.''
``Drama? Like what?''
He shrugged, ``Didn't ask. Maybe his dad came home drunk or maybe he's fighting with his girl. Not my place to question.''
``You're hoping it's the second one, aren't you?''
If Helga blinked she would have missed the utter hatred in his eyes before he answered, ``No,'' he chuckled, ``Just because you switched sides does mean I will.''
``I didn't `switch' sides,'' Helga rolled her eyes, ``Just realized which one I was really on.''
``Yeah, well,'' he leaned into the table, his ambers shining in the reflection of the lights above, ``Keep it down on it, will ya? This ain't a dyke bar, and you're still a poser.''
``Come on,'' The wolverine shouted, ``You all just gonna let a teenager walk away with your cash? I expected a challenge.''
Helga slammed her drink down on the counter. She winced as she raised her hand, her new shoulder tattoo still healing, ``How about I-''
A familiar and oh so confident voice cut her off, ``Sure, sounds fun.''
Helga turned to see Lorraine walking in, wiping something off her nose as leather high heel boots clacking against the wooden floor, her tail wagging slowly as she sauntered her ass over to the pool table. Gone was the spike ladened black leather jacket, replaced with a midriff exposing red street racing jacket that showed her tone stomach under her white tee. She no longer had the red mohawk, but dark red tips and the end of her naturally blonde hair that she let grow out.
The pig caught herself from falling off her stool. Haphazardly, she made her way through the crowd to find Lorraine looking down on the wolverine girl. The wolverine's green eyes didn't lose any confidence in Lorraine's presence, standing up to the biker while wearing a leather jacket too big for her and torn jeans with faded sneakers covering her feet. A grey beanie covered most of the girl's head, letting out a sliver of orange hair.
Lorraine extended her paw, ``Name's Lorraine, and you are?''
The wolverine spat onto the floor, brushing away Lorraine's hand, ``Tabitha.'' she answered, with enough of a smug tone that made Helga want to shove that pool cue straight up her ass.
``Well, Tabitha,'' Lorraine picked up one of the cues laid out on the table, ``How much is in the pot?''
``How about-''
Helga slammed a fifty dollar bill onto the table, ``Fifty'' she shouted, letting the whole bar take notice of her little panic. Truth be told, Helga acted on instinct the moment the bets were going up. If she could show this little upstart what for, then the gang might not see her as a poser anymore. And Lorraine might take note.
``Oh, did you want a go, Helga?'' the wolf said, passing along the cue, ``I'm sorry, I must have not heard you.''
``No. Yes. It's fine, l-loud music and all.'' Helga muttered out. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and faced Tabitha, who looked back at her with a tilted brow, ``Besides, this little bitch has been annoying me all day.''
The wolverine smiled, baring her sharp little fangs for all to see, ``Oh really? Not my fault none of you can call a shot.''
``Why don't you go back to kindergarten, little girl,'' Helga stepped in, towering over the younger fur, ``This place is for bikers.''
``Yeah,'' Tabitha smirked, ``And I got a bike. A nice handmade Harley. You wanna settle this on the street?''
Helga held her tongue. She'd seen Tabitha's bike parked out front, some kind of Frankenstein's monster of recycled and mismatched parts that looked like it was ready to fall apart as soon as you turned the key. Still better than the pig's own pedal bike. She clenched her teeth, hands shaking in clumped up fists as she stared down at the uppity little wolverine.
``What's wrong, you don't get the stomach for a race?'' Tabitha leaned in closer, their snouts inches apart, ``Poser?''
Lorraine's laughter released any pressure building up in Helga's rage. It wasn't the humiliating laughter she expected, the mocking she deserved for being a poser. Instead, the wolf laughed softly as she put herself between the two furs, patting Helga's back like they were all supposed to be laughing.
Helga found her eyes averted to the floor instead, paying more attention to the faded red in Tabitha's sneakers.
``Now, now,'' Lorraine pushed the two apart, ``No need to be so pushy. We're all friends here, right?''
Neither girl shook her head, leaving Lorraine to sigh, ``Well, let's fix that,'' she pulled out three twenty-dollar bills from her wallet, ``Sixty, Helga vs Tabitha. Everyone place your bets!''
The pig stared wide-eyed as several bikers through something into the pot. From a glimpse, it was mostly just ones and fives, but that didn't belittle the fact that now the entire bar was watching her face off against the teenage wolverine. Her right arm tensed up, still sore from the tattoo she got earlier today. The tattoo she was hoping to show Lorraine in private.
Great job, Helga.
Around 160 dollars were in the pot by the time Lorraine set up the balls. Helga lost the coin toss, so Tabitha broke the triangle. She got the number 1 striped ball on the break, ``Guess you're solids,'' she said before lining up another shot. The numbness of her arm became more apparent as Helga watched Tabitha call her next shot, ``Cue ball to wall, bouncing off to hit the 8 ball, 8 ball hits stripe number 6 to corner pocket, point for me.''
Helga and Lorraine were the only chuckles in a void of silence from the bikers watching as Tabitha hit. The pig wasn't good at Pool, but such a shot was ridiculous. Even if you bounced it off the wall, which it did, and got it to risk hitting the 8 ball, which to Helga's surprise, it did, there was no way you could-
The 8 ball collided with stripe number six, sending it directly into the corner pocket through the crowd of balls on the table. Helga felt a vice around her neck as Tabitha grinned at her, ``Cue to solid 2, ricochet to stripe 3 to land in the side pocket.''
Three more balls went in before Helga had her turn. Three near-perfect strikes from the wolverine. Helga peaked over to Lorraine as she tried to line up her shot, seeing the same surprise in the wolf's face. Helga figured everyone was just being nice because Tabitha was just a dumb kid, and the wolverine just let it go to her head. Turns out that Tabitha was just really good at Pool.
The pool cue strained in Helga's hand as she tried to line up the shot. It wasn't heavy, but with the soreness from her new tattoo, it might as well be. Everyone's eyes were down on her, waiting for her to call her shot. Both arms shook now, her breaths became more ragged as she tried to think where she could hit. All of her balls were there, she just needed to call the best. The best, Helga couldn't find the best, she couldn't think.
``Cue ball to solid 5, corner pocket,'' Lorraine said, the wolf leaned over Helga, breasts to the pig's back, and placed her grey claws over Helga's hand, ``Take a deep breath, and pull back. Hit it gently.''
Tabitha's smug grin turned to a scowl, ``Hey, no helping.''
Helga didn't see Lorraine's expression, but she imagined a self-assured smile across her lupine muzzle, ``Think of it as a challenge. That's what you wanted, right?''
The pig followed the wolf's guiding hand, her heart racing as both of their hands pulled back. Lorraine gripped her hand tight as Helga thrust the cue forward, holding her strength back so she'd hit the ball as gently as needed. Her heartbeat rumbled in her ears as Helga watched the ball collide, forcing solid-color ball five to slowly roll into the corner pocket. She didn't hear the next suggestion, just following along with wherever Lorraine pointed her.
She lost track of time as the game went. Helga's mental faculties were less focused on the game at hand and more focused on screaming about how close the wolf was. Her soft voice whispering through the pig's ears, the warm breath against her neck, the full breasts resting against her back, and the grinding of her hips to Helga's ass whenever they made a shot. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She wanted Lorraine to like her, to see how much she'd change since the wolf woke her up. Instead, she became the wolf's puppet on invisible strings for being so useless. She wanted to hide the blush on her face, but not because she hated it. She wanted to, but Helga enjoyed every minute of it.
``Last ball, side pocket,'' Lorraine called out, her hands pushing Helga's hips with her as she angled them. Her toes curled as the wolf pulled the cue back with her. Sweat swelled in her chest, her heartbeats strong enough that the table should have been shaking. Tabitha watched on, her face missing the smug confidence. Her trepidation made Helga smile, but something else presented itself on the teenager's face. As she trailed down to the ball, Helga noticed something straining at Tabitha's crotch.
The realization struck her as the cue flew. Her eyes shifted all over the bar, mentally begging that she was wrong. Enough people were keeping their pants pointed away from them to confirm it. She wasn't the only one aroused by this whole ordeal, everyone watched Lorraine give her orders like some...some...the pool cue stabbed into the table, ripping through the cloth with enough racket for everyone to turn their heads.
Helga ran. Hiding her face like a damn school girl, she forcefully pushed people aside as she made her way to the bathroom. She didn't stop to look at herself, she didn't want to look at herself. The stalls were better for her. Better to hide from everyone. Locking the stall with the meager little handle, Helga planted herself on the toilet and hugged herself.
What. The. Fuck.
This wasn't how tonight was supposed to go. Tonight she just wanted to chat up with Lorraine, maybe show her the new tattoo. Maybe finally work up the courage to ask her to...to...Helga slammed her arm against the plastic stall. Instead of just a private one on one with Lorraine, the pig was used as everyone's little strip show as she got guided along.
It was Tabitha's fault. If that annoying little shit didn't have a big mouth then Helga could be talking with Lorraine right now. Maybe they would have walked out, Lorraine's hand in her back pocket as they...''Damn it!'' she roared, holding her head. This wasn't complicated, this was never complicated with her. Picking up guys was easy, some even liked it when she made the first step. Why couldn't she do that with Lorraine? Why did she have to hide in the bathroom when things went wrong?
Two knocks hit the stall, ``Helga, you ok in there?'' Lorraine asked.
She wasn't, but it wasn't like she was crying. No, just a regular old panic attack because her imaginary perfect night with the wolf was ruined due to a fucking game. That's all, now she just had to form that into actual words that didn't sound so desperate.
``Y-yeah,'' she felt her lies tighten around her throat, ``I...I just had to go to the bathroom.''
There was a pause. An uncomfortably long pause where Helga couldn't help but stare at Lorraine's boots. It ended when Lorraine jiggled the stall open, forcing her way inside. By all accounts, Helga should have screamed. She should have demanded for her privacy. But one look at those blue eyes and she was silent as the tall wolf towered above her.
``What's wrong, Piggy?''
Anyone else and Helga would have flatlined them, or at least tried. But for Lorraine, Helga felt tears coming in. The woman saw past everything, saw things Helga didn't want to admit whenever she looked in the mirror.
She could lie to herself, but she couldn't lie to her.
``I...'' tears slowly streamed down her face, ``We...we were just a show to them. Apparently, everyone with a cock was getting hard watching you boss me around, even that fucking dite with her smug ass-''
``Hey, hey,'' Lorraine embraced her, ``No need to call her that. You're better than that, Piggy.''
She sniffed, wrapping her own arms around her, ``It's just...I had a plan. I got this tattoo and I really wanted to-''
``A tattoo?'' her eyes lit up like the stars, ``Well come on, show me.''
She slowly pulled her jacket off, revealing the skull tattoo on her right arm. Helga winced as the wolf touched it, not that it stopped Lorraine from poking and prodding.
``Well, that's just cute.''
Cute? Helga was hoping for cool or something that made her feel...well not cute.
``You know, they weren't the only ones excited with our little display,'' she smiled, staring down into Helga's green eyes, ``Were they?''
Face blushing, Helga shook her head. Lorraine leaned closer, her lips right at the edge of Helga's. Her breathing shortened, her mind screaming for Helga to just push forward and kiss her with the confidence she used to have. To stop being this damn coward in the face of the wolf in her dreams, the wolf that woke her up to who she was.
``I did too,'' she whispered, giving Helga a light peck on the lips. She reached for the wolf's face, hoping to force it to stay. Lorraine caught her hand, breaking away and swinging her finger, ``No, no, no, bad girl,'' she teased before pulling Helga up from the toilet, ``My place.''
Whatever control the pig had she lost as soon as Lorraine uttered those words. Like a puppet, she let herself be dragged along out of the bathroom, the only muscle she was aware of was the strength in the hand holding Lorraine's, gripping so tight so that she wouldn't slip out from sweat.
``I want a rematch,'' Tabitha demanded as she waited for them, leaning against the hallway wall with her arms as a headrest and a foot staining the structure with dirt. Helga wanted to be mad, but couldn't. How could she when Lorraine held her hand?
Lorraine turned to her, then out to the hallway, ``A rematch?'' she asked.
``Yeah,'' Tabita kicked herself off the wall, putting herself face to chest with Lorraine and looking up, ``And none of this `challenge' bullshit. I want a rematch, nice and fair, with her,'' she pointed to Helga, who at this point was only half listening. Tabitha's quirked her brow when she noticed, ``What's wrong with her?''
``Stomach ache,'' Lorraine lied, ``Look, how about we have this little rematch in a week? Helga here obviously needs a few pointers, so I'll just be training her till then. Don't want it to be too easy right?''
Tabitha's eyes shifted between the two women. Obviously, she knew something was up, or she was just thinking about her odds. Helga didn't care, and would much rather speed this up along. She smirked, ``Deal,'' she extended her hand. Lorraine kissed her on the forehead, ``Until then, cutie.''
Tabitha's blush and Helga's heartbreak only lasted for a second before the wolf dragged her out the door. Passing along a second helmet, Lorraine patted her little backseat with glee in her eyes.
``Training?'' Helga asked, strapping her helmet in and taking a seat.
``Among other things, Piggy.''
