Cracked tiles and the reek of vomit greeted Gwen as she entered the bathroom, following the sound of the sobs shaking the only occupied stall.

"Is everything okay in there?" she asked.

"Go away!" Riley's half-howl scream faded into a whimper as a sound like a paper towel being torn ripped through the bathroom.

Gwen knew that sound. Her body ached with memories of fur sprouting from her skin as spasming muscles forced her onto her hands and knees. She still hadn't replaced the Hello Kitty t-shirt that had been reduced to bright pink tatters in the back of her mom's pickup. "My first time was hard, too," she said.

"I didn't think it would happen so soon," Riley said between gasps.

"Need any help? I've shifted a few times now."

The stall door creaked open. Riley lay curled away from Gwen as her tail thudded against the remains of her clothes. Stubby claws gripped the sides of the toilet as another round of puke exited Riley's long, black muzzle.

Gwen inched forward with a moistened wad of paper towels in hand. "Let's get you cleaned up," she said.

Riley curled her lips to reveal newly yellowed canines as the dampness pressed against her jaw. "That hurts," she said with a growl.

Gwen forced herself not to flinch away from the fangs as she dabbed away the last of the vomit. "Everything does when you're shifting," she said softly.

"Make it stop!"

A howl echoed through the bathroom with all the power of the moon forcing the sun out of the sky.

Gwen eased onto the floor as her legs trembled beneath her. "It'll be okay," she said. "I'm here."

All Riley could do was whimper her thanks, a pitiful sound that was better suited to a teacup poodle than a werewolf.

Word Count: 302

I wrote this for a contest earlier this year. I unfortunately didn't win, but it was nice to dabble in something different. This was my first time writing about werewolves, and it wouldn't surprise me if it's not the last.