Soft Tail

"I picked up a slice of cheesecake from the bakery." Mother smiled. Mother always smiled when she spoke of decadent desserts. "Would you like to split it with me?"

"Okay." Kara watched Mother go into the kitchen.

Mom was alright, but what Kara really wanted was to be splitting a cheesecake with Esmeralda. That's what friends do, right? Have dinner? Split desserts? Esmeralda would maneuver her fork to break off a small chunk of cheesecake and then smile as she held it less than an inch away from Kara's mouth. No words need be spoken, Kara would simply lean forward and open her mouth.

Esmeralda was careful, but of course a little of the luscious dessert would end up gracing the corner Kara's mouth anyway. Kara would grin while Esmeralda promised her that it really and truly was an accident. Esmeralda would still be trying to convince Kara while her finger swooped in to push the last bit of cheesecake over Kara's lips. Esmeralda's finger tasted even better than the cheesecake.

Later in the evening, after dinner had been cleaned up, and she and Mother had said their good-nights, Kara stood in her darkened room thinking about Esmeralda. She shed her sleep shirt and panties, leaving them on the floor next to her bed, close enough to reach in case she got cold in the middle of the night. She stood beside her bed, wearing nothing but the cat ear headband.

Kara ran her hands slowly over her stomach and up the shallow rise of her chest, imagining it was Esmeralda. Kara reached up and pinched her left nipple. She let go and then did it again hard, twisting a little, just like all those private messages from fellow Pet Life subscribers suggested it should be done. Kara pinched and twisted until she began to feel lightheaded and then stopped. Her nipple throbbed and she could feel the heat from the increased blood flow. She switched hands and pinched at the right side.

Kara imagined Esmeralda behind her the entire time, the steady exhale of her breath warming Kara's shoulder. In Kara's mind it was Esmeralda's fingers that held her nipple in a vice-like grip, twisting and pulling. Kara let out a soft little moan as she arched her back and surrendered herself to Esmeralda's touch.

Kara fantasized that it was Esmeralda who bid her to lie down on her stomach as she slipped between the sheets of her bed.

"Yes, Esmeralda," Kara whispered into her pillow, as she shifted her hips and imagined the weight of another body pressing down on her from above.

Kara tried to decide if Esmeralda would want to claim her pussy first, or her ass. From her brief time on Pet Life, Kara had learned that it could be either, or both.

"Whichever you want, Esmeralda," Kara whispered. "Tonight I'm yours."

Kara reached down between her thighs and teased herself apart. It was not difficult. She was amazingly swollen and wet from the nipple twisting a moment ago. It always happened that way. Combined with the earlier memories of Esmeralda's long, lean legs that she held since this morning's study hall Kara was already beginning to twitch.

Kara ground her hips into her own hand as she imagined Esmeralda filling her from behind with a strap-on that seemed almost impossible in its length and its girth. But somehow Kara took it all. She took it all and wanted more.

Kara relished the feeling of fullness that Esmeralda provided as she lay pressed on top of her, thrusting deep. The dildo was massive compared to Kara's small frame, but there was no pain, only the warmth of Esmeralda's skin on hers, the light sheen of perspiration between them, and the wonderful fullness.

"Mmm," Kara moaned into her pillow. She maneuvered her hand so that she could slip a single finger inside. Kara imagined it was something much thicker and attached to Esmeralda's gorgeous body.

"Oh God, yes," Kara mumbled as she pressed her finger deeper and at the same time ground into the mattress underneath her. With her free hand, Kara pawed at her chest. She was not particularly gentle, as she did not think that Esmeralda would be either.

Kara had to bury her face in her pillow as a little shriek rose up from deep within her and her finger was treated a wet, sticky warm hug.

When she stopped convulsing, Kara pulled her finger free and stuck it in her mouth to clean it off. That's what a lot of those private messages suggested, and that's how Kara imagined Esmeralda would want it too.

* * *

Julie Zhang ate her dinner in front of the television. She had been binge watching her favorite series since Mom and Dad were not around and there wasn't a heck of a lot else to do once her homework was finished.

Julie liked the shows about superheroes. She sometimes imagined that she herself was a superhero, but not the type who wore tights. Julie saw herself as more of a bad-ass, vigilante kind of a superhero. The kind of superhero who rides a Harley—a Harley that's not all fucked up and spewing thick blue clouds of exhaust anytime it was started up.

Julie paused her show and let out a string of curse words describing her bike. With that out of the way, she decided to make some microwave popcorn. She knew she would only finish half the bag at best without her mom here to share, but it still seemed like a good idea, even if the leftovers would be stale by tomorrow.

Julie though briefly about Kara, the odd little thing with the cat ear headband. She wondered if Kara liked popcorn. She wondered what Kara was watching on TV right now.

Later that night when Julie had cut her Netflix binge short because it was a school day tomorrow, and finally wandered up to bed, she was still thinking about Kara.

After washing her face and brushing her teeth, Julie peeled off her t-shirt and jeans and kicked them into the general vicinity of the laundry basket in the corner of her room. Her sports bra and boy shorts went next. Julie flopped onto her unmade bed and after a moment of wrestling with the sheet and comforter to get them to be the same length, she rolled onto her side and closed her eyes.

Five minutes later, Julie flopped onto her back. Then onto her other side. Then finally, she got up to pee. Sitting on the toilet, in the dark, for some reason she began to think about Kara. At first it was silly thoughts, like, does she wear those cat ears to bed? Or, does she recite palindromes while counting sheep? Is it even possible to write a palindrome about a sheep?

Julie reached over to the bathroom vanity where here phone was currently plugged in to charge and looked it up. A female sheep is a ewe. Ewe is a palindrome all by itself. Julie pictured Kara at home, all tucked into her bed, counting ewes and giggling. The thought made Julie smile.

* * *

Kara missed her bus again the next day. She had to stop in after school and speak to her guidance counselor. He was worried, because her English teacher was worried about her not participating in class. Mom was worried too. So much worrying made Kara's head spin.

She reached up to fiddle with her cat ear headband. It was nice to have it back. And cats didn't have to worry about class participation. Cats just crawled on people's laps and purred while they got petted. Kara thought Esmeralda's lap would be a good place to crawl into. Esmeralda could pet her, or do anything else she wanted. That would be just fine.

"So, we've got a deal? You're going to give it one-hundred and ten percent in English class from now on?"

Kara nodded. She thought about how ridiculous it was to give one-hundred and ten percent. How do you give ten percent more than everything? It's not possible. And it should be 'one-hundred ten' not 'one-hundred and ten'. And is used to indicate the point between the whole number and a fractional part. Don't guidance counselors take math class?

But Kara said none of this. She simply smiled and nodded, picked up her book bag and bolted for the door. The number 427 bus was just pulling away.

Kara trudged out to the practice field, hoping to catch a glimpse of Esmeralda again. Kara knew the friend for hire idea was a no go, but Esmeralda was still something to look at.

Kara sat down at a bench, pulled out her Harley-Davidson V-Twin engine repair manual and pretended to study. Every so often, she would turn her gaze thoughtfully skyward, but lower her eyes enough to take a meandering look at Esmeralda's long, powerful legs.

Kara rested her hand on her chin and sighed. She had given up on stealth and was now putting just enough effort into turning the pages of her engine manual for plausible deniability. 'I was reading,' she would say. Politicians loved plausible deniability, and Kara thought that it should be the right of every citizen, particularly those interested in looking without being labeled.

"Nice view, isn't it?"

Kara jerked and dropped her head. She frantically flipped though the pages in her manual.

"It's okay. Your secret's safe with me, palindrome girl." That big girl, Julie something or other sat down, completely uninvited, inches away from Kara.

"I still can't decide," Julie said. "Track team or swim team. I like the look of wet, one piece Lycra, but the goggles kind of creep me out. Make me think of bugs or movies about aliens."

Kara sat motionless. A wave of heat swept over her forehead and the skin of her scalp felt all prickly.

"It's okay if you like girls, Kara," Julie said. "I think I'm maybe becoming partial to pole vaulters. Good upper body strength and really, any girl who would sail through the air like that has got to have a good sense of adventure."

"Esmeralda," Kara squeaked.

"Legs for miles on that girl," Julie said. "Nice choice, though I'm afraid she's got a boyfriend."

Kara sat shaking, despite it being a warm day with plenty of sunshine. With one word, one name, she had outed herself to this Julie girl.

"Waiting for the activity bus again?"

Still shaking, Kara nodded.

"What are you studying," Julie said. "Besides the obvious."

Kara moved her hand from the pages of the engine manual so Julie could see. Any reason to change the subject was fine by her even if Julie might think it was an odd hobby to study motorcycle manuals.

"Harley-Davidson," Julie said. "What year?"

Kara flipped over to the manual's cover. She started to shake a little less as Julie flipped to the table of contents, focusing more on the book and less on who might be Kara's girl crush.

"Evolution V-Twin, 1984 to 1988" Julie said. "Do you ride?"

Kara shook her head. "I just like motorcycles."

It was a bit of a stretch, since Kara had never been near a motorcycle in her life, but if it kept Julie off the subject of girl crushes, it was okay to stretch the truth just a little.

"You're not going to believe this," Julie said. "I've got one in my garage. '84 Softail. Well, not my garage, my grandfather's because it's busted and doesn't run for shit."

Kara giggled. Nobody ever swore in her house and to hear Julie say her bike was shit struck Kara as very funny that particular moment.

"I'm not kidding. You want to see it? Which way do you live?"

Kara pointed.

"Me too." Julie stood up, beaming. "So Kara, wanna wait for the bus or do you want to check out a classic bike?"

Kara fidgeted, scratching an itch behind her ear and adjusting her headband. She grabbed her book bag and stood. "I have to be home by five-thirty. That's when my mom gets home."

"No problem," Julie said. "It's not like we're going out riding. It just spews blue smoke."

"Piston rings," Kara said absentmindedly. She pictured the diagram in her mind along with the words about proper installation to prevent oil leakage.

"Probably," said Julie, and the two started walking.

"Did you know in Japan, that people sometimes hire friends," Kara said, as they set off.

"I like your cat ears," said Julie. "They're cute."

* * *

By the time Julie was showing Kara her 1984 Softail in Grandfather's garage, Kara was smiling. The subject of friend for hire had already been discussed and dismissed. Though not because Julie thought Kara was strange. Julie suggested a better arrangement: a friend who helps rebuild motorcycle engines.

Grandfather stepped though the service door to the house while Julie was showing off her prize. "You gonna let me take that thing to the shop or what?" Grandfather said.

"Grandfather, I want you to meet my chief mechanic. Her name is Kara and she's a whiz with engines."

Grandfather turned his gaze to Kara who blushed and tried to hide behind Julie.

"Show him the manual," Julie whispered.

Kara pulled the thick book from her bag and held it out.

"Okay." Grandfather smiled, nodding. "You wanna fix it yourself? Just make sure you put my tools back. And if your mother asks, I'll tell her you snuck in through the garage the window. I'll deny everything."

Kara snickered. "Plausible deniability," she said, still looking at the floor.

"Exactly." Julie's grandfather turned and went back inside.

* * *

For the remainder of week, Kara continued to lust after Esmeralda in study hall, but her motorcycle manual was more than just a prop now. She studied it from cover to cover, examining each diagram, turning the parts around in her mind, everything coming apart and fitting together again. Sometimes only the ringing of the bell would pull her away.

After school, Kara would wait until she saw Julie and then go bounding over to greet her. Julie had been coming up with new palindromes and they would recite them back and forth to each other in a sort of friendly contest while setting off for Julie's grandfather's house.

But not today. Today, Kara saw Becky before she saw Julie. She turned around to walk the other way, but it was too late.

"Nice ears, derp." Becky said. "They look a lot like the ones I lost."

Kara kept walking, picking up her pace, frantically looking for someone else in the area. Kara knew that mean girls were only mean when no one else was around.

"Why'd you take my headband? Huh?"

Kara ducked as Becky reached out. She felt a whoosh of air, letting her know just how close it was. Kara walked faster.

"Hey!"

This time Becky caught up and stepped in Kara path.

"What are you doing wearing my headband?" Becky reached out again, this time plucking the purple hairpiece from Kara's head.

Kara looked at the ground. She wanted desperately to reach for her headband, to take it and run, but she knew Becky was taller and faster and would just snatch it away again.

"I said, why'd you take my headband?"

Kara studied the ground at her feet. She had seen enough nature videos to know that looking a predator in the eye only serves to enrage them further.

"Why you gotta be like that?"

Kara heard a new, but familiar voice and looked up, not at Becky, but at Julie standing behind Becky.

Becky spun on her heel, nose in the air. "What's it to you, dyke?"

Julie clenched her jaw. "Give me the headband and I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

"Shit. You wanna get your face messed up over a little runt like this? Bring it."

"She's my friend," Julie said. "And I think you're wrong about who's going to get hurt."

Kara backed away slowly. Becky lashed out. Julie stepped outside her reach and took her down with a right to the jaw.

Becky was sent to the school nurse, Kara was told to go home, and Julie spent the rest of the afternoon in the vice principal's office. Nobody would say a word about what happened.

Kara clutched her headband and walked home as quickly as she could.

At dinner, Kara's mother pressed her for details. Who was this Becky? How long had this been going on? Should Kara enroll in private school where it was safer? And why was Julie mixed up in this? Was she picking on Kara too?

"She's my friend, Mom." Kara finally blurted and ran off to her room, slamming the door.

Kara tried to understand her outburst. She never acted that way, much less toward her mother. Why? Why was she so upset? Was it Becky?

But dealing with Becky had been a part of life since the start of the school year. Why now? Why?

Kara curled up on top of her bed. She sniffled a little. She thought about Julie. Julie in the vice principal's office. Julie standing defiant before Becky. Julie's words that still echoed in Kara's head.

"She's my friend."

Kara got up off the bed, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and padded down the hall. Mother was still cleaning up dinner.

"Mom?"

"Oh, honey." Kara's mother reached out.

"Mom, can you call the school? It's not Julie's fault. She was protecting me." Kara sniffled. "Please mom? Her parents aren't home much and I think—"

Kara was wrapped in her mother's embrace and couldn't get any more words out until she let go.

"She's my friend, Mom."

* * *

That night Esmeralda, captain of the girl's track team, took a vacation. Kara stood beside her bed. As she shed her sleep shirt and panties, leaving them on the floor next to her bed, close enough to reach in case she got cold in the middle of the night, her thoughts turned to Julie.

Kara didn't know if friends did the kind of things she was thinking about doing with Julie, but that night they would.

Kara slipped between the sheets, feeling the cool cotton brushing against her bare skin. She imagined Julie standing beside the bed. She had just punched Becky in the face, but instead of being sent to the vice-principal's office, she hopped up on her bike, handed Kara a helmet, and went riding off into the sunset. Until...

Until, they came to be here, to Kara's house. Mom had ordered pizza and made fresh chocolate chip cookies as a thank you for being her daughter's protector.

Now, Julie was standing over Kara, admiring her nude form. Kara's nipples tightened as she imagined Julie's gaze.

"I'm all yours tonight if you want me," Kara whispered as she canted her hips enough to slip her hand down below.

"Of course I want you," Julie said as she began slipping the buttons on her shirt. "You're my friend."

Kara parted herself, burying her finger in soft wetness. "Take me."

Kara imagined Julie covering her from above—the weight of her body pushing Kara down into the mattress. She imagined her hand was Julie's hand as she made another tentative foray with her finger.

"Do you like this?" Julie cooed.

"Take me."

"Do you—?"

"Anything you want," Kara heaved. "Tonight, I'm yours."

Julie had Kara in multiple ways that night. On her tummy, on her back. Julie wanted all of her. Kara was happy to give. Julie was gentle.

After shuddering three times on sweat soaked sheets, Julie decided Kara had given enough and they settled down for the night.

Kara lay exhausted, and after a long sigh, she reached over to clutch the pillow. Sometime in the middle of the night, a chill ran the length of her and she pulled up the covers up.

* * *

On Monday after school, Julie Zhang went straight home. She made a video call to her mother, per their agreement.

"Yes, Mother."

Julie saw Mother was in a hotel room somewhere—exactly where she couldn't remember—they all looked the same anyway. Mother was still dressed in her work clothes, though she was kicking off her shoes. She was not smiling.

"I'm at home. Look." Julie panned the phone around as she leaned against the kitchen island.

"Remember our agreement, young lady."

"Yes, Mother. I know. No friends over."

"And straight home. I don't want any more calls from your school."

"I know. Gotta do homework, Mom. Bye."

Julie tapped disconnect and set the phone on the counter top. Kara popped up from the other side, grinning.

"You totally lied to your mom," Kara giggled.

"Technically, I told her I knew I wasn't supposed to have any friends over. Not that I didn't have friends over."

Kara threw a hand over her face as her giggle turned to a snort. Finally, she said, "Plausible deniability."