Bubble Guppies Adult Years: The Fangs of The Road Story
Chapter 2: The Beauty and The Hammer
Back to the Present
"Wow….I didn't know you'd been through so much and that you were more lonely" Deema commented.
"Hehe yeah…..If you had known me in my teens, you probably wouldn't have liked me. I was more grumpy and less social. I was very lonely because of my fear of being treated badly or that I would end up hurting someone else. Sharks weren't very well liked by the community. That's why I preferred to opt for a more solitary life, something common among White Sharks... Well, that was until I met Hammer" Big W told them.
"Yeah, Big W was a little bit difficult to establish that friendship with. Maybe I gave him a bad first impression hehe. But over time we became the best of friends" Hammer added.
"So you two met in your high school years" Goby asked.
"That's right... Man, if you want you can continue with the story and tell us part of your story" The great white shark proposed.
"Of course. I will continue the story of Big W and add my version of things" Hammer said with a smile.
Flashback. Some Years Ago
The story of Hammer Mokarran is quite curious. He was the middle brother in a family consisting of two parents and 10 siblings! 5 older siblings and 5 younger siblings. The Mokarran family is a simple family that sells cars and motorcycles. Therefore, they are a family with a stable economy. Despite having a very good family environment, his situation outside the home was a little sad. Besides the fact that sharks didn't have a good reputation, Hammer was bullied not only for being a shark, but for his peculiar head. We know that hammerhead sharks have that unique head. For some children, he was the object of ridicule. That's why Hammer developed a more timid personality. However, he took advantage of that to develop his intelligence, making him stand out for his high grades. He didn't have many friends, but his large family made up for that absence.
Teenage years came and it was more of the same. Hammer had no friends and was bullied a bit for his "big head." However, something changed the day he accompanied his father Mr. Mokarran to the garage of an old friend named Kevin WhiteShark, Will's uncle. There, Hammer began a friendship with Will. Although the young great white shark was initially disgusted by the idea, he realized they had a lot in common, such as their love for motorcycles. Hammer had the wonderful luck to realize that the same high school he went to was where Will took classes. In fact, why don't we visit high school for them one day? Hammer was excited about this as well. They both met at the entrance of the high school and walked in together.
"Dude, I didn't know we went to the same high school! Why haven't we met before?" Hammer asked him excitedly.
"I tend to avoid crowds and talk when it's not necessary. You know, I'd rather be alone" Will said quietly.
"Yes, but from today things will change. Now you don't have to be totally alone and... Oh, here they come" The hammerhead shark said with bother.
"What's going on?" Big W asked him before a small group of bullies appeared. Those who were bothering Hammer. They were some fish and a couple of guppies.
"How are you, hammerfishy?" One of the guppies mocked him.
"Hi, Jerry" Hammer said fearfully.
"I see you're coming with a big friend this time. Believe me, that won't save you...Give me your allowance" Jerry the guppy commanded him. Before Hammer could do so, Will stepped in.
"He won't give you anything at all. His dad works too hard to give him money. If you want money, work for yourself, shorty" Big W said seriously. Some of them gasped.
"Excuse me, but do you know who I am?! Nobody talks to me in that tone of voice" Jerry crossed his arms.
"Dude, you should leave him alone...This is Will, the only great white shark in the school" The other guppy advised him fearfully.
"That boy doesn't talk to anyone. It's scary...It would be better to leave them alone" A fish added.
"Please, I'm not afraid of anyone bigger than me. You're probably big, but not threatening. Your bark is worse than your bite" Jerry tried to be strong.
"You know something, fishy? The last person who bullied me... ended up with almost no hand. Do you really want to see if I bite?" Big W bared his jaws and fangs to intimidate him. This scared his accomplices, and Jerry began to tremble. He didn't look so brave anymore.
"I…I….I….I…." Jerry was panicking.
"Listen to me carefully... That Hammer is a friend of mine... If I see you and your friends bothering him or me... You'll be my snack…" Teen Will threatened him.
"Y-Y-You wouldn't dare" Jerry was trying to pretend his bravery.
"It's never too late for the first time. The last time I almost ate a guppy's hand...its blood was...exquisite...Maybe I'll crave it more…" Will smirked. With that last bit, Jerry's gang ran away and the guppy leader was scared.
"Huhhhh….uhhhh….AAAAAHHHH!" Jerry ran away like a coward and some students applauded.
"Dude, that was amazing! But...were you really going to eat his hand?" Hammer asked confusedly.
"Nah….Blood tastes bad. But using those stereotypes to your advantage was worth it. Now that fool will stop bothering you" Big W said funnily.
"I have to thank you somehow...Hmmmm...I know! How about we support each other? Look, you defend me and you'll be a guardian friend and I, well...Hmmmm...How about I help you with your homework?" Hammer proposed it. The great white shark thought about it.
"Hmmmm you know…..I have to improve in many subjects. It has not been my best school year" Will analyzed it.
"So what do you say? Are we a team?" Hammer extended his hand-fin.
"Heh….alright" Will began to accept his friendship with Hammer and they shook hands.
Both of them entered the classroom and boy was their alliance profitable. The other teenagers no longer dared to bother Hammer thanks to Will's presence. In addition, the white shark began to improve his grades thanks to Hammer and his explanations that were easier to understand. A few days later, we realized that Jerry was just a lackey of a more popular and relatively more dangerous bully boy. It was lunch time and Big W and Hammer decided to eat together. But at that moment a group appeared approaching them. And the other students became scared. The leader appeared before Will and Hammer.
"Hey Hammer...I see you got a friend...I heard you stopped paying Jerry. Too bad, because that money was for me...How rude" He was the real leader of the group. A dark gray dolphin boy dressed in popular football jerseys. He had two loyal dolphin minions plus the boys who were with Jerry. And many more. Hammer and Will stood up to face him, although Hammer was more fearful than Will. The larger shark was not to be intimidated.
"Hello, Trask..." Hammer said nervously.
"So you are the boss of bosses... How brave of you. Sending the little fish to do the dirty work" Big W faced him.
"So you're the big one... You should know who I am. Trask Truncatus...the most popular and the biggest one here. This school is like a pond, full of big fish and small ones. And everyone knows their place. Yours is lower than the small fish" The dolphin leader said calmly.
"And you're the big fish here, I guess. So tell me, who gave you the position of school leader? Did you put it on yourself?" Will said bravely.
"Mind your words, WhiteShark... I know where you're coming from and it's not in your best interest for me to expose the "incident" in front of everyone... Well, it wouldn't be a surprise, what would you expect from a shark?" Trask said cruelly.
"Grrrr you shut up, you don't know anything about me or us" Big W said bothered, ready for a fight.
"Typical of you" Trask used his whistle and his dolphin minions surrounded them to fight "That's the difference between us. You're all about brute force and bites, we're smarter and work as a team. Or at least, they work for me" The dolphin leader said arrogantly.
"It doesn't matter, I can fight everyone at the same time" Will said confidently.
"Speak for yourself" Hammer said scaredly. Before anyone could launch the first attack, someone arrived to stop the gang leader.
"Don't fight! There is no need for violence" A beautiful pink dolphin girl intervened in the conflict.
"Ohhh...Hi, beautiful...Don't you see that I'm a little busy here" Trask commented.
"I know. And that's why I'm butting in. As student council president, I have to intervene in cases like this. Trask, leave them alone, you and your friends" The teen dolphin girl ordered him. There was tension between them until the group leader decided to give in.
"Hmmm whatever...Let's go, boys..." Trask ordered and decided to leave them alone for now. His friends followed him without protest.
"Thanks for giving us a hand, Cordelia" Hammer thanked her.
"It was nothing, Hammer. I do everything for the good of the students" Cordelia the pink dolphin answered him with a smile. They both looked at each other lovingly until someone called them.
"Ahem….Hammer, do you know her?" Big W asked him.
"Oh oh! Yeah, yeah! My manners…..Will, she's Cordelia Delphinium, the president of the student council and an old friend of mine. Cordelia, he's Will WhiteShark, my new friend" Hammer introduced them.
"Wow! I've always wanted to meet a great white shark in person. You're too big" Cordelia said surprisedly.
"I guess this is the moment when you run away scared" Will commented.
"What are you talking about? Sharks are cool! Since I met Hammer I have admired sharks a lot" Cordelia said happily.
"Oh...I must admit I've never met a pink dolphin before. Plus, dolphins have a bad reputation among us sharks. You know, show-offs and natural rivalry" Big W said curiously.
"I get it. But we know that these are just misconceptions. It's nice to meet you, Will" The pink dolphin greeted him.
"The pleasure is mine, Cordelia. And by the way, you can call me Big W" The great white shark approved his nickname.
"He's very cool when you get to know him better" Hammer said happily.
"Well, to me you guys are cool. It's a shame that there are still people who find you weird just because you're sharks. Well, see you soon" Cordelia left them with a smile. Will said goodbye and Hammer too, but this one smiled in a goofy way.
"B-Bye" The hammerhead shark said and Will smiled and crossed his fins.
"Hehehe I know it now, dude"
"What?" Hammer asked.
"You like Cordelia, don't you?" Big W asked him.
"M-M-Me? N-Noo" He blushed a lot " I mean…..We have been friends for a long time...My only friends...Besides, she is a dolphin and I am a shark...It is an impossible relationship!" Hammer explained.
"So a forbidden love, huh? That makes it more interesting. How about I give you a hand with that? Well….a fin" Big W said with a smirk.
"What are you talking about, my friend? Her parents don't like me" Hammer commented.
"And that's why they won't know yet. Look, buddy... We'll hang out with her as friends, and I'll give you free rein to move forward with her…." Will proposed.
"Are you serious?!" The hammerhead shark asked surprisedly.
"Of course, isn't that what friends do?" The great white shark proposed.
"Hehehe….Let's go"
From that day on, Will and Hammer decided to spend time with Cordelia and the three became close friends. The sharks would take her to watch them ride their motorcycles on Uncle Kevin's farm. She enjoyed watching them do their stunts. They would also go out to eat together. Big W kept his promise, giving Hammer and Cordelia some alone time and it was during those times that the two became closer. From time to time, they would go on one-on-one dates. Hammer would take her out on his motorcycle and they always showed mutual interest in each other. However, that relationship was disturbed by the intervention of Cordelia's parents.
"Honey, where have you been?" Mr. Delphinium asked her seriously.
"I was just hanging out with my best friend. Nothing bad" Cordelia said calmly.
"Don't tell me it's that Hammer?" Her dad asked her.
"Yes, it is. Is there a problem?" She answered.
"I can't believe you're still friends with that vandal. And I hope it's not something more than that?" Her father said.
"And if there was...would it be a bad thing?" The pink dolphin girl asked him.
"What are you talking about, darling?! That would be terrible! Those sharks are dangerous!" Mrs. Delphinium said loudly and worriedly.
"He is not like you say. He is a good boy" Cordelia defended him.
"Don't be fooled. You don't know what's good for you" Mr. Delphinium said bothered.
"If only you knew him better, you would leave behind your foolish and prejudiced ideas!" Cordelia decided to go to her bedroom.
"Oh honey! This worries me... What if that shark hurts our beloved daughter?" Mrs. Delphinium asked her husband.
"Don't worry, love. I'll think of something" The husband thought of something. At that moment, someone knocked on the door and he decided to open it to see who the visitor was.
"Greeting, Mr. Delphinium"
"Oh! Trask, I'm glad to see you. What's the reason for your visit?" Mr. Delphinium asked him.
"I thought I heard you were having trouble with a...shark, right?" Trask said with a smirk.
"Yes, I think my daughter is in love with a shark. It's unbelievable!" Cordelia's father said seriously.
"It is. It's against the laws of nature. The point is...I can fix your problem" Trask said with an evil smile, a bit concealed.
"What's on your mind?" Mr. Delphinium asked again.
"I can keep that shark away...but for that I need you to agree to something: I would like to date your daughter. That is my only condition" The gray dolphin proposed to him. At first, the father was hesitant to accept his offer. But he wanted to protect his daughter from the potential threat of the shark.
"Hmmm okay. Anyway, you're a good boy and the Truncatus family has always been well respected. Very well, do what you have to do... but nothing illegal, right?" Mr. Delphinium clarified.
"Oh mister….I'm a very right person. Don't worry about that" He smirked a bit. Who knows what this dolphin has in his hands? Or rather, in his fins?
Something very strange began to happen after months of Hammer and Cordelia dating. However, their relationship began to change drastically. Cordelia began to distance herself little by little from Hammer. She no longer went with Will and Hammer on their motorcycle rides. This worried our protagonists, especially Hammer. He tried to approach her to ask her, but she avoided that topic of conversation. Until one day, Hammer decided to approach her without her expecting it.
"Cordelia, here you are. I've been looking for you. We haven't talked in a while. Is something wrong?" Hammer asked her.
"I've just been busy, Hammer" She tried to use that excuse.
"Please, I recognize when you're lying. Do you think we've only known each other for months? Tell me, is something wrong? Something with your parents?" Hammer asked her again.
"It's okay, Hammer. I just... can't be meeting you and your friend" Cordelia tried to tell him.
"But what are you talking about?" The hammerhead shark asked her.
"Don't you understand? I can't...or rather, I don't want to see you anymore" The pink dolphin said rudely.
"I can't understand…" Hammer was shocked.
"Don't you understand? She said she wants you to leave her alone" Trask, the gray dolphin appeared and he hugged Cordelia.
"But...what does this mean?" Hammer didn't fully get it.
"You didn't know? We started dating, didn't we, darling?" Trask said with a smirk. She was silent and she didn't deny it.
"But... Cordelia, this doesn't make sense... That boy doesn't appreciate you" Hammer tried to explain to her.
"Hammer, understand this...I know you have feelings for me...But we would never work out. I love him...Did you really think I was going to love a shark? No, sharks and dolphins don't mix...go away" Cordelia said that with a coldness that paralyzed Hammer. He was simply in shock, as if his dreams had been shattered at that moment.
"I tried to tell you, Hammer...That's how things should be" Trask said comforting her. The hammerhead shark simply turned its back, looked down, and walked away. When he left, the couple talked "You did well. So...you love me, huh?"
"I just...I just said it to make it sound credible. I don't think about loving you" Cordelia said quietly.
"In time, you'll learn to love me. That shark boy is no good for you. You'll be happy with me" Trask said confidently.
"Hmmmm…..But I was happy with him" Cordelia sighed.
"Remember the deal, darling. You'll be with me and Hammer and his friend's lives will be safe from me and my colleagues...Hehehe...I can't believe you broke his heart like that just to save his life...Well, never mind. You won't see that loser anymore" The gray dolphin said evilly/ The pink dolphin girl just sighed. Even though she didn't want to tell him what he said, she had to do it to save his life from Trask's retaliation. It seems that he played a dirty trick.
At Kevin's garage, Big W was fixing a gangster motorcycle and Hammer came to visit him as usual. But the hammerhead boy was feeling sad. Will asked him and he told him everything.
"Hmmmm I'm so sorry, man. It's strange that she would say that. She didn't seem like that kind of girl" Will commented.
"I don't understand either. But if she's happy, I think it's better to let her go" Hammer said.
"I don't know, but I think Trask had something to do with it. Next time I see him, I'm going to...!" Big W was bothered.
"No, don't do anything. It's not something Cordelia would like to see from us. (sigh) Will, why do people hate us?" Hammer asked him sadly.
"(sigh) Dude, I've been asking myself that question for a lifetime. People are afraid of what's different. If only they could see past our looks, they'd see that we're similar. But hey, we still have each other... Dude, we gotta get ready, we're gonna be off to college pretty soon. We're gonna be the cool kids and show everyone how cool we are. What do you say, buddy?" Big W said, trying to cheer him up. Hammer just looked at him for a few seconds and they shook hands (or fins)
"True. Besides, there are thousands of fish in the sea, right?" Hammer tried to find the bright side, despite the fact that he missed his beloved friend.
They both continued studying and spending time as good friends, to the point that they were inseparable. They were the dynamic duo. They both learned to improve their skills on their gang bikes, which would gain great importance in the future. Big W and Hammer would finish their high school studies and end up entering a nearby university. Hammer could not say goodbye to Cordelia, and from then on he did not see her again. But he decided not to look at the past and look to his future. At that university, both he and Will would experience something that would change their lives as well.
Back to the Present
"I…I'm sorry…..I'm so sorry, Hammer. It's a shame you couldn't be with Cordelia. She sounded like a nice girl" Deema said with a sad tone of voice.
"Nah…..It was just a teenage romance, it wasn't going to blossom much" Hammer said calmly.
"Yes, adolescence was a tough time...But the important thing is that we had each other and our families. We finally got to college and…" Big W commented.
"Let's say we didn't graduate because of... some inconveniences" Hammer added.
"What happened there?" Goby asked curiously.
"That's where we come in, guys!" Tyrone said funnily.
"Yes, that's where Tyrone and I met Big W and Hammer...Although we had our disagreements at the beginning" Raz admitted before he started the next part of the story. The part where Raz and Tyrone would meet in a slightly unexpected way.