Strelnikov
4th Level Red Feather
- Joined
- May 7, 2001
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by Strelnikov
Copyright 2011 by the author
Author’s Note: This story is a sequel to “Bar-20 Justice”
http://www.ticklingforum.com/showthread.php?t=164816
************************
Cassidy Mulford laid her textbook aside, stood and stretched until the tendons creaked. Enough of that for now, she thought. It was time for a break and a cold drink, and start thinking about supper.
Cassidy – Cassie to her friends – had grown up on a West Texas cattle ranch in the valley of the Rio Pecos. She had curves in all the right places, long wavy dark hair, dark brows and lashes, brown eyes and tanned, freckled fair skin. She was a work in progress – a cute girl, no great beauty, with a sunny, open disposition. In a few more years, she would be absolutely stunning. She wore comfy old gray shorts and a dark blue t-shirt with her ranch’s Bar-20 brand printed on it in white – the brand old Bill Cassidy had registered in the 1880’s. The Indian Summer afternoon was warm, so she hadn’t bothered with shoes.
Greylock Hall was a modern dorm, but it was still a dorm – Cassie lived in Suite 201. The place had painted block construction, painted concrete ceilings and industrial-grade gray carpet. Her room faced the Quad – it had a closet, a computer desk, a book shelf, and one of those odd-size beds used only in dorms, that no sheets will fit. It was one of four, arranged on either side of a narrow hallway. There was a bathroom between Cassie’s room and the one on the far end; across the hall from the bathroom was a storage room.
Cassie walked out into the living/dining room. It had a sliding door onto a postage-stamp balcony – the furnishings were the sort found in dorms and economy motels all over America, ugly but indestructable. The sofa and two armchairs had wooden arm rests, and the fake-wood coffee table had been co-opted to hold the TV. There was a round laminate-topped kitchen table with four bent-tube chairs, and a tiny galley kitchen beyond.
The sliding door was open. Cassie looked out, and saw her room-mate Evan Hewitt in her bikini, soaking up rays on a spread-out beach towel. Evan was from Alabama – she was a little cutie, a petite girl with a trim and shapely figure, who stood a few inches over five feet tall in her bare feet. She had a shoulder-length mane of curly dark brown hair, tanned fair skin, green eyes, a dusting of freckles, dark brows and long, dark lashes.
Evan’s feet were soft and well kept. Wonder how ticklish she is, Cassie thought.
Cassie had three older brothers, so she knew all about tickling from the inside. She had gone to a science-fiction convention last weekend with their other room-mates, Brittany Sinclair and Amber Pareto. Brittany was a tickle fiend – Amber, her best friend for years, had gotten the worst of it. Brittany had tickled Cassie silly, but this time, Cassie had retaliated in kind. Amber had joined in, and they had just about tickled Brittany to death.
Brittany had learned her lesson. She hadn’t tried tickling her room-mates again, and had now gone three days without tickling anybody.
Cassie had learned something too – that it was great fun making Brittany laugh her head off. She had the nack for it too – right from the start, she had gotten great reactions and a flood of helpless laughter. And besides, red-headed Brittany turned such a pretty shade of pink. But she knew that the rules of conduct were different at conventions – since they got back, she hadn’t tickled anyone either.
Cassie grabbed a Coke sat in one of the armchairs and clicked the TV on. Her other room-mates came in as she was idly clicking through the channels, kicking off their sandals at the door. Cassie checked out their bare feet, and quickly looked away. Lead us not into temptation...
Brittany was a petite girl with bright coppery-red hair cut in a jawline-length style. She just missed being beautiful – she had a fit, toned body, sky-blue eyes and that perfect skin only redheads have. Her personality had a bit of an edge, willful and a little self-centered. She wore a white-on-blue Trismegistus University t-shirt and blue gym shorts.
Amber was a little taller than Brittany, a cutie with silky blonde hair cut short like her friend’s, a summer tan, blue eyes, a great body and shapely legs. She wore jeans shorts and a thrift store shirt that said COLONIAL JACK’S / Bar and Grill / Mill Valley, Massachusetts.
“Anything good on?” Amber asked.
“Nah, just killing time until supper,” Cassie answered. “Dining hall doesen’t open for another half hour.”
Brittany checked her watch. “Right you are,” she said. “Oh Am-berr! Guess what time it is!”
Amber looked sour. “I thought we were through with that after last weekend.”
“Why, when you have such a beautiful singing voice?” Brittany said playfully. “C’mon, it’s time for Choir Practice!”
“Oh, all right,” Amber said. “Let’s get it over with.”
Evan came indoors, half asleep from the warm sun. “What was that about a choir practice?” she asked.
“She’s gonna tickle my feet ‘til my toes fall off,” Amber explained.
“Why?” Evan asked.
“Because it’s fun,” Brittany said.
“Does Amber think so?”
“It’s not so bad,” Amber said. “She’s been doing it for years, and I don’t really mind. It drives me crazy while it’s happening, but I feel pumped afterward, like being high.”
Evan looked sour. “If you say so.”
“Well, come on– ” Brittany started, turning away toward the hallway.
I guess Brittany didn’t learn her lesson after all, thought Cassie – she jumped Brittany and took her down onto her tummy. She sat on the redhead facing aft, grabbed the girl’s ankles, pulled, and trapped both legs in the figure-four leg lock. “GOTCHA!” she said triumphantly.
“OH SHIT!” Brittany yelled. “AH-HAHAHA! HA-HAHAHAHA!” she laughed, squirming and trying to buck Cassie off. But with both legs out of play, she lacked leverage. Cassie kept her seat and tickled both soles, flicking the ticklish flesh with her nail tips, getting great reactions and a flood of helpless laughter. Brittany’s fair skin colored from laughing – tickled pink.
“Jeez Louise, you’re killing her!” Evan said. “Amber, aren’t you gonna– ”
“She’s not complaining,” Amber said. “Anyway, she deserves it.”
Cassie drew overlapping spirals with the tips of just two nails, tickling like crazy. She circled the nail tips in the arches, just behind the creases in the middle of Brittany’s soles, and the laughter went up a notch. Brittany laughed even harder as Cassie made a Peace sign and scratched the balls of both feet. Then holding the toes back, she spider-walked her nails side to side under all ten toes, and Brittany laughed with wild abandon. Brittany’s laughter went off the charts as Cassie tickled the stretched out soles, paying special attention to the sole creases. Then down both arches to the heels, tickling at warp speed, and tickled Brittany into gasping, red-faced silent laughter.
“Good one, Cassie!” Amber said.
“Well, girlfriend, did it tickle?” Cassie asked.
“Did it... tickle?” Brittany said indignantly. “Did it tickle?”
“Can’t decide?” Cassie asked. “Let me refresh your memory,” she added, and gave Brittany’s soles another burst of nail flicks.
“HAHAHAHAHA! Yes! Yes! It really, really tickled!”
Evan leaned closer. “Hey, what’s that on her right foot?”
“Ball-point ink,” Cassie said. “Foot Notes. Tickles like mischief going on.” She had done it last weekend – the ink was faded from washing, but the rest would have to wear off.
“Minus-20?” Evan said, perplexed.
“Bar-20,” Cassie corrected. “My brand. See, here’s the bar, under the toes– ” She stroked it back and forth with a nail tip, and was rewarded with another burst of laughter. “Then the 2, in the middle of her sole– ” She made two passes with the same nail, and Brittany laughed again. “And then the 0, on the ball of the foot– ” She circled the nail on it, and Brittany howled with forced mirth, turning pink again.
Tickling Brittany is great fun, thought Cassie – I ought to give her some more, while I’ve got her here. But on second thought, maybe I should share the fun. “Anybody else want some of this?” she asked, raising her voice over the laughter.
“Pass,” Amber said.
“NO!” Evan said. “Quit it, Cassie! That’s mean!”
“Spoilsport!” Cassie said. She quit, released the leg lock and stood up. “OK, that’ll do ‘til the next time.”
“Are you OK, Brittany?” Evan asked.
“Yah… no… problem… ” Brittany said breathlessly. She rolled over, took a deep breath and sat up. “Besides, Cassie’s feet are uber-ticklish. I plan to get even.”
“I want no part of this,” Evan said emphatically. “Give me a few minutes to get dressed, and then let’s go and eat.”
The girls headed back toward their rooms. Amber stopped Cassie with a touch. “Is this gonna be a regular thing?” she asked.
“I have three older brothers, so I’ve always been the ticklee,” Cassie said. “Last weekend at the convention was my first time as a tickler. It’s a lot more fun from the outside.”
“Tell me about it.”
Brittany came out of her room. “Hey Evan, rustle yer stumps!” she called. “What are you two plotting?” she added.
“Just our supper,” Cassie said. But maybe some plotting was in order. Brittany loved to tickle, and Amber liked to tickle too – unless I’m careful, I’ll be the guest of honor at a grand tickling party hosted by my roomies.
Still, tickling was lots of fun. Maybe it was worth the risk.
***
Thursday afternoon, the place was empty when Cassie came in. She kicked off her sandals and dumped her books and purse on the kitchen table. A little breeze ruffled her papers – the sliding door to the balcony was open. She went to check it out.
This time, Amber was tanning, in a white bikini that showed her great shape to good advantage. She was on her tummy on a spread blanket – it looked like she had fallen asleep.
Amber was tan enough that she probably wouldn’t burn, especially this late in the season. Still, I ought to make sure…
Nah. Cassie retrieved her purse and slipped silently outside. She kneeled, then flipped the edge of the blanket over Amber and rolled her up like a burrito.
“Hey! What the– ” Amber said, still sun-dazed, and tried to sit up.
Cassie folded the blanket back on both ends, exposing Amber’s face and feet. “You were getting too much sun,” she said. She sat cross-legged with her purse beside her, and trapped Amber’s feet in a simple leg lock.
“Not you too!” Amber said, squirming. But the rolled blanket held her tight.
“Yup,” Cassie said. “I’m interested to see if you’re as much fun to tickle as Brittany. Any preference?”
“Tickle my heels first, and work your way up,” Amber said, resigned to her fate. “HAHEHA! WAH-HAHAHAHAHA!”
Amber laughed like a madwoman as Cassie tickled her heels two-handed. Cassie tickled up Amber’s arches to the soles, drawing circles and other tickling shapes. Then both soles – Amber’s toes twitched and curled as she laughed and laughed. By now, Amber’s feet were sensitized by the tickling – it was all good, and Cassie took full advantage. She spread Amber’s toes and tickled between each pair, forcing stream after stream of ticklish laughter.
Cassie switched to one-handed tickling and reached into her purse, feeling around for instruments of tickle-torture – Amber’s laughter went down a notch, but she was still laughing pretty hard. Foot Notes again? No, the hair brush, the cylindrical kind with bristles arranged radially around the handle and plastic knobs on the bristle ends. She held the handle between her palms, and rotated it, applying the bristles to the balls of Amber’s feet. Hundreds of tiny bristles flicked the ticklish skin, making little contact but tickling like crazy. Amber squirmed like a worm and laughed her head off.
“Tickle her soles in the middle, along the creases,” Brittany said from the doorway, raising her voice over the laughter. “It drives her wild!”
Cassie nodded. She dropped the brush, held back Amber’s toes and spider walked her nails along the crease in the exact center of Amber’s right sole – four fingernail strokes in succession, three times a second. Amber laughed helplessly as Cassie tickled across the balls of both feet to the left sole, flicking and scratching. She released the toes and tickled two-handed in the middle of Amber’s soles – Amber went crazy, bucking and squirming, laughing her head off. Her laughter went off the charts – she lost it and laughed herself breathless.
“Jeez Louise, Amber too?” Evan asked from beside Brittany. “What is it that y’all get out of this?”
Cassie released the leg lock and stood up. “It’s fun, making her laugh like that,” Cassie said. “Right, Brittany?”
“More fun than being on the receiving end, that’s for sure,” Brittany said.
“Woo! That tickled… so much…” Amber said breathlessly.
“It was supposed to,” Brittany said. “Well, Cassie, was tickling her feet as much fun as tickling mine?”
“Haven’t decided yet,” Cassie said. “I’ll have to experiment some more.”
“Right now?” Amber asked, alarmed.
Cassie started un-rolling Amber from her blanket cocoon. “Maybe later,” she said.
“Y’all are both gonna get even with Cassie now,” Evan said. “Is that it?”
“Haven’t decided yet,” Amber said.
“Well, I think Cassie could use a few laughs too,” Brittany said, and gave Amber a hand up.
“I was just leaving,” Cassie said quickly, snatching up her purse. She didn’t even stop at the front door for her shoes, but went outside barefoot. Have to scrub off the dirt and grass stains later, she thought.
Unless Amber and Brittany decide to tickle it off after I come back. Which they probably will.
But they didn’t, and that suited Cassie fine. She loved to tickle, but she liked being tickled a whole lot less.
***
By the next morning, Cassie was feeling guilty about tickling her roomies. Brittany had it coming, but now Amber owed Cassie one. She resolved to let it happen, and then ask for a truce.
She came back from class and let herself in. Evan was sitting on the sofa, fanning herself with a magazine. Her bare feet were propped up on the coffee table – the soles were a little dirty. Lead us not into temptation, thought Cassie.
“Hot today, isn’t it?” Cassie said, making conversation.
“Like back home,” Evan agreed. “I’m all sweaty and nasty. I thought it would be cooler here.”
“I guess that’s why they call it Indian Summer,” Cassie said.
“Well, I’m gonna take a shower,” Evan said. “Maybe that’ll cool me off.”
Hmm, thought Cassie, and her resolve weakened. Should I? A wise man once said, Never resist temptation – it may not pass your way again. She went to her room, found a pair of old nylons, and waited for Evan to finish her shower.
The bathroom door opened. Cassie gave her a slow ten-count, then eased into Evan’s room on silent bare feet. Evan was in her room, working the last of the water out of her hair with the towel, effectively blindfolded.
Cassie grabbed Evan’s robe lapels from behind. She yanked them outward, backward and down, pinning Evan’s arms to her sides. Still holding on, Cassie ran Evan forward onto the bed. She grabbed Evan’s ankles, swung her lengthwise on the bed and scrambled after. She sat on Evan, tied her hands behind her back with a nylon, tied it to the robe tie to anchor it. She reversed directions, facing aft, and tied Evan’s ankles together. The final step – she tied the free ends of the nylons together for a hogtie.
“Hey!” Evan protested. “Let me go!”
“Nope, you could use a few laughs,” Cassie said cheerfully. She kneeled at Evan’s feet, then circled a nail on a heel.
“Cas– haha! –siee– hehe! Noooo!” Evan begged and giggled. “Sta– haha! –ap!”
“Time for you to laugh,” Cassie said, and got to work. Evan arched her back and laughed at the top of her lungs.
Cassie tickled Evan’s soles two-handed – Evan’s toes twitched and curled as she laughed and laughed. Then holding the toes back, she drew fast, looping figure-eight’s around the balls of Evan’s feet. Twice each circuit, she got on the creases in the exact center of the soles and gave them a few extra nail flicks, and was rewarded with burst after burst of ticklish laughter.
“Hey Evan, want me to stop?” Cassie asked, and switched to a guitar-chording motion in Evan’s arches. But Evan was laughing much too hard to answer. “No, huh?” Cassie said. “Then here’s some more!” She covered the arches with tiny nail flicks, barely touching but tickling like crazy.
Cassie spider-walked her nails in the back of Evan’s arches, extending the nail strokes onto the heels behind. Evan’s laughter went off the scale – those were the sweet spots, it seemed. Cassie kept it up, savoring the wild helpless laughter – yup, the sweet spots, sure enough! She speeded up, tickling mercilessly, and tickled Evan into gasping, red-faced silent laughter.
Cassie quit. Evan was rumpled and breathless, sweaty again, her ribs and abs must hurt from laughing. “Oh… ghod… that… tickled…” she said. “I’m… gonna need… another bath... ” She took a deep breath. “Why did you– ”
“Because you needed to laugh a little,” Cassie said impishly.
“A little! More like a lot!”
“More where that came from,” Cassie said, flicking her nails on the balls of both feet.
“NOOOO!” Evan begged. ”AHAHA! HAHA-HAHA-HAHAHAHAHA!”
Four hands grabbed Cassie. “GOTCHA!” Amber and Brittany chorused – they wrestled Cassie down on her tummy and sat on her.
“Th... thanks,” Evan said, breathing hard. “Woo! That tickled a lot!”
“Well, ya got me,” Cassie said, surrendering to the inevitable. “Now what?”
“Three guesses,” Amber said. “Gonna make trouble for us?”
“Nah, I’d just start off tired,” Cassie answered. “Hogtie?”
“Yup,” Amber said, and tied Cassie’s hands behind her back. Brittany tied her ankles together, and Amber completed the hogtie. She kneeled at Cassie’s feet and flexed her fingers over the upturned soles. “Get ready to laugh!”
“Hey, aren’t y’all gonna untie me?” Evan asked.
Brittany kneeled and trapped Evan’s legs between her knees. “Eventually,” she said.
“Oh shit, not again!” Evan protested. “OK, get it over– HAHAHA! HAHA-HAHA-HAHAHA!” as Brittany’s well manicured nails flicked her ticklish soles.
“Tickle in the back of her arches, and onto her heels,” Cassie said helpfully. “It drives her cra– HAHAHA! HAHEHA! HAHAHAHAHA!” as Amber got to work, tickling with verve and gusto.
Cassie didn’t see much of Evan’s tickle torture – she was laughing much too hard. Amber didn’t hold back – she tickled Cassie into the zone with fast nail flicks, held her there drawing random tickling shapes in her arches and on her ticklish heels. She drew fast, looping figure-eight’s on and around the balls of both feet – it tickled horribly! She tickled under and between Cassie’s toes until Cassie thought she would go crazy. Then Amber held back Cassie’s toes and covered her stretched out soles with well techniqued tickling. Cassie’s laughter went off the scale – she lost it and laughed herself breathless.
Cassie laid there gasping, blinking away tears of laughter. Evan was still laughing madly, her ticklish laughter filling the air. “Beat ya, Brittany!” Amber said.
“Go a little easier next time,” Brittany said, raising her voice over Evan’s laughter. “She’ll last longer that way.” She put on a burst of speed, fingernails flying – Evan laughed at the top of her lungs, bucking and squirming, trying desperately to escape the tickling. Brittany got on Evan’s back arches and heels again, tickling at warp speed, and tickled Evan’s breath away.
“Well, they got us,” Cassie said. “Sorry, Evan. I made it easy for ‘em.”
“They’ll… do it… again… ” Evan said desperately. “And I’m sooo ticklish! It drives me crazy!”
“You’re right,” Amber said. “We’re gonna do it again.”
“To Cassie, yeah, but that’s enough for Evan,” Brittany said, and started working Evan’s bonds loose. “Let’s let Evan get even with Cassie.”
Amber left Cassie tied up. “Ever do much tickling, Evan?” she asked.
Evan rolled over and sat up on the bed, wincing a little – like Cassie, her abs were sore from laughing. “It’s not something we did much, back home,” she admitted. “None of the girls liked it much. Getting our feet tickled by our boyfriends was bad enough.”
“Good thing you don’t have a brother,” Brittany said – Cassie could identify with that! “Well, tickling is fun and easy!”
“Faster is better,” Amber added. “Use the tips of your nails – it tickles a lot more.”
“Go ahead, Evan,” Cassie said – her voice was a little rough from laughing. “I’ve got it coming.”
Evan kneeled at Cassie’s feet. “You sure do!” She happened to look over her shoulder at her own right sole. “Hey Brittany, what did you do– ”
Brittany leaned close, and whispered something to Evan that got a laugh. “OK, I’ll go for it,” Evan said.
“Enjoy yourself,” Brittany said. “C’mon, Amber, tie me up.”
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Cassie asked. “Tickle me sill– E-HEHE! AH-HAHA-HAHA-HAHAHAHA!” she laughed as Evan flicked her nails on both heels. Then Amber got to work – Cassie and Brittany sang a ticklish duet, the happy result of tickling fingernails on ticklish feet.
Evan tickled up Cassie’s arches to the soles, then spider-walked her nails across both soles, side to side, over and over. Cassie laughed helplessly as Evan drew circles around and onto the balls of both feet – she’s not very skilled, thought Cassie, but ticklish as I am, she doesen’t have to be. Evan tickled back down the arches, drawing figure-eight’s and other tickling shapes, then spider walked her nails on both heels until Cassie thought she would go mad.
Evan paused, and Cassie concentrated on her breathing. Across the room, Brittany’s tickle-laughter was a sweet soprano – Amber was getting her good! But all too soon, Evan started in again – she grabbed Cassie’s left foot and used all four fingernails to tickle between the toes, and it was time to laugh again.
Evan repeated the toe-tickle on the right foot, then covered both feet with tiny nail flicks. She held back Cassie’s toes and tickled the stretched out soles side to side, scratched along the creases in the middle, drew circles on the balls of both feet. Cassie laughed helplessly as Evan’s nails spider-walked down her arch. The heels were next, drawing figure-eight’s and other tickling shapes. It was all good – everything Evan did made Cassie laugh like mad. Cassie lapsed into ticklish delirium, unable to move or even form a coherent thought. All she could do was lay there and laugh.
Evan wasn’t skilled enough to tickle Cassie out, but she finally took pity and quit. “Finished with her?” Amber asked from the bed. Cassie blinked away tears and looked over. Brittany was untied and sitting beside Amber.
“Yah,” Evan answered. “No hard feelings?” she asked Cassie.
“Nope,” Cassie said. “I deserved it.”
“Y’know, it was fun, making you laugh like that,” Evan said. “Tickling kinda grows on you.”
“Well, you’ll get another chance,” Amber said. She flopped down on her tummy on the bed. “Tie me up – it’s my turn to laugh now.”
Brittany kneeled at Cassie’s feet. “And yours again, girlfriend,” she said. “Now, let’s see… Brush? Guitar picks? Nah, I guess I’ll use my nails.” She held Cassie’s toes back, made a Peace sign and scratched the balls of both feet at once, right behind the big toes – Cassie laughed at the top of her lungs, tears of laughter streaming down her cheeks. Amber started laughing too – Evan was giving her a real ticklish workout.
Brittany grabbed Cassie’s left foot, made a claw of her right hand, and raked the nail tips from soles to heels, drawing four parallel zig-zag tickley lines. She repeated the foot-rake over and over, covering the sensitive skin with unbearable tickling and bringing forth stream after stream of helpless laughter.
Brittany paused, and Cassie giggled weakly as the tickling sensation faded.. Not Amber – she was laughing even harder now. But Brittany grabbed Cassie’s right foot this time, and attacked the soft sole. She must be using her guitar pick, thought Cassie through a haze of tickle torture. It seemed like it lasted forever, and it tickled horribly!
“I enjoyed tickling you last weekend,” Brittany said. She switched to an old-fashioned shaving brush and dusted the foot, toes to heels, over and over. “It’s even more fun now.” Cassie laughed her head off, red faced and sweaty, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Still hangin’ in there?” But Cassie was laughing much too hard to answer.
Another pause. Cassie just had time for a deep breath, and then Brittany tickled both feet at once. She scratched the sensitive soles, then drew wavy lines, figure-eight’s and other tickling shapes in her arches. Cassie’s wild laughter filled the air as Brittany tickled her heels again, then tickled back up the arches and concentrated her effort on the sole creases and the balls of Cassie’s feet.
Brittany quit, and Cassie almost hyperventilated. She saw spots, blinked away tears and tried to get her breathing and heart rate normal again. Across the room, Amber’s laughter was off the scale – Evan must have found the sweet spots.
“Taking a break?” Evan asked, raising her voice over Amber’s laughter – she didn’t miss a stroke.
“I quit,” Brittany corrected. “She’s wiped out.”
“Oh.” Evan guitar-chorded Amber’s heels, got another wild burst of laughter, then quit too. “OK, Amber, I guess we’re through,” she said. “And now, I guess I’ll take another shower.”
“Let Cassie have the shower first, Evan,” Brittany said. “Right now, she needs it more than you do.” She untied Cassie and helped her to sit up. Cassie needed the help – she was limp, tickled out, her abs felt like they had been beaten with a board.
Cassie really did need a shower. She took one, and noticed that someone – Brittany, probably – had inked her own -20 mark on the right sole. It seemed that Brittany hadn’t used the guitar picks after all.
Cassie peeked outside the door afterward, expecting an ambush, but it seemed that her roomies were otherwise occupied. She chose a short summer skirt and a sleeveless top. No sense bothering with shoes, she thought – they’ll get ‘em off me in no time it that’s their intention. She came out into the living room.
Amber spotted her. “Hi, Cassie!” she said. “Come on out and join us.”
“We’ve got something to show you,” Evan added.
The other girls led Cassie to the outside door of the suite. The suite number, 201, was three separate brass numerals, in a block sans-serif font. The numbers had been rearranged – they now said -20.
“I’m sure you saw the Bar-20 mark on your right sole,” Brittany said.
Cassie nodded.
“Brittany put one on me too,” Evan said, showing her sole.
Brittany and Amber both showed their soles. “I put one on Brittany,” Amber said, “and this one’s Evan’s work. Well, what d’you think?”
“My brothers used to do it to me all the time,” Cassie said. “And they freshened it up whenever it faded. Tickled like crazy! They’d be proud.”
“Then let’s email some pictures to ‘em,” Brittany said.
It hurt to laugh, but Cassie couldn’t help it. “And to your brother too. If he asks you about it, just tell him that the Bar-20 rides again!”
***THE END***
Copyright 2011 by the author
Author’s Note: This story is a sequel to “Bar-20 Justice”
http://www.ticklingforum.com/showthread.php?t=164816
************************
Cassidy Mulford laid her textbook aside, stood and stretched until the tendons creaked. Enough of that for now, she thought. It was time for a break and a cold drink, and start thinking about supper.
Cassidy – Cassie to her friends – had grown up on a West Texas cattle ranch in the valley of the Rio Pecos. She had curves in all the right places, long wavy dark hair, dark brows and lashes, brown eyes and tanned, freckled fair skin. She was a work in progress – a cute girl, no great beauty, with a sunny, open disposition. In a few more years, she would be absolutely stunning. She wore comfy old gray shorts and a dark blue t-shirt with her ranch’s Bar-20 brand printed on it in white – the brand old Bill Cassidy had registered in the 1880’s. The Indian Summer afternoon was warm, so she hadn’t bothered with shoes.
Greylock Hall was a modern dorm, but it was still a dorm – Cassie lived in Suite 201. The place had painted block construction, painted concrete ceilings and industrial-grade gray carpet. Her room faced the Quad – it had a closet, a computer desk, a book shelf, and one of those odd-size beds used only in dorms, that no sheets will fit. It was one of four, arranged on either side of a narrow hallway. There was a bathroom between Cassie’s room and the one on the far end; across the hall from the bathroom was a storage room.
Cassie walked out into the living/dining room. It had a sliding door onto a postage-stamp balcony – the furnishings were the sort found in dorms and economy motels all over America, ugly but indestructable. The sofa and two armchairs had wooden arm rests, and the fake-wood coffee table had been co-opted to hold the TV. There was a round laminate-topped kitchen table with four bent-tube chairs, and a tiny galley kitchen beyond.
The sliding door was open. Cassie looked out, and saw her room-mate Evan Hewitt in her bikini, soaking up rays on a spread-out beach towel. Evan was from Alabama – she was a little cutie, a petite girl with a trim and shapely figure, who stood a few inches over five feet tall in her bare feet. She had a shoulder-length mane of curly dark brown hair, tanned fair skin, green eyes, a dusting of freckles, dark brows and long, dark lashes.
Evan’s feet were soft and well kept. Wonder how ticklish she is, Cassie thought.
Cassie had three older brothers, so she knew all about tickling from the inside. She had gone to a science-fiction convention last weekend with their other room-mates, Brittany Sinclair and Amber Pareto. Brittany was a tickle fiend – Amber, her best friend for years, had gotten the worst of it. Brittany had tickled Cassie silly, but this time, Cassie had retaliated in kind. Amber had joined in, and they had just about tickled Brittany to death.
Brittany had learned her lesson. She hadn’t tried tickling her room-mates again, and had now gone three days without tickling anybody.
Cassie had learned something too – that it was great fun making Brittany laugh her head off. She had the nack for it too – right from the start, she had gotten great reactions and a flood of helpless laughter. And besides, red-headed Brittany turned such a pretty shade of pink. But she knew that the rules of conduct were different at conventions – since they got back, she hadn’t tickled anyone either.
Cassie grabbed a Coke sat in one of the armchairs and clicked the TV on. Her other room-mates came in as she was idly clicking through the channels, kicking off their sandals at the door. Cassie checked out their bare feet, and quickly looked away. Lead us not into temptation...
Brittany was a petite girl with bright coppery-red hair cut in a jawline-length style. She just missed being beautiful – she had a fit, toned body, sky-blue eyes and that perfect skin only redheads have. Her personality had a bit of an edge, willful and a little self-centered. She wore a white-on-blue Trismegistus University t-shirt and blue gym shorts.
Amber was a little taller than Brittany, a cutie with silky blonde hair cut short like her friend’s, a summer tan, blue eyes, a great body and shapely legs. She wore jeans shorts and a thrift store shirt that said COLONIAL JACK’S / Bar and Grill / Mill Valley, Massachusetts.
“Anything good on?” Amber asked.
“Nah, just killing time until supper,” Cassie answered. “Dining hall doesen’t open for another half hour.”
Brittany checked her watch. “Right you are,” she said. “Oh Am-berr! Guess what time it is!”
Amber looked sour. “I thought we were through with that after last weekend.”
“Why, when you have such a beautiful singing voice?” Brittany said playfully. “C’mon, it’s time for Choir Practice!”
“Oh, all right,” Amber said. “Let’s get it over with.”
Evan came indoors, half asleep from the warm sun. “What was that about a choir practice?” she asked.
“She’s gonna tickle my feet ‘til my toes fall off,” Amber explained.
“Why?” Evan asked.
“Because it’s fun,” Brittany said.
“Does Amber think so?”
“It’s not so bad,” Amber said. “She’s been doing it for years, and I don’t really mind. It drives me crazy while it’s happening, but I feel pumped afterward, like being high.”
Evan looked sour. “If you say so.”
“Well, come on– ” Brittany started, turning away toward the hallway.
I guess Brittany didn’t learn her lesson after all, thought Cassie – she jumped Brittany and took her down onto her tummy. She sat on the redhead facing aft, grabbed the girl’s ankles, pulled, and trapped both legs in the figure-four leg lock. “GOTCHA!” she said triumphantly.
“OH SHIT!” Brittany yelled. “AH-HAHAHA! HA-HAHAHAHA!” she laughed, squirming and trying to buck Cassie off. But with both legs out of play, she lacked leverage. Cassie kept her seat and tickled both soles, flicking the ticklish flesh with her nail tips, getting great reactions and a flood of helpless laughter. Brittany’s fair skin colored from laughing – tickled pink.
“Jeez Louise, you’re killing her!” Evan said. “Amber, aren’t you gonna– ”
“She’s not complaining,” Amber said. “Anyway, she deserves it.”
Cassie drew overlapping spirals with the tips of just two nails, tickling like crazy. She circled the nail tips in the arches, just behind the creases in the middle of Brittany’s soles, and the laughter went up a notch. Brittany laughed even harder as Cassie made a Peace sign and scratched the balls of both feet. Then holding the toes back, she spider-walked her nails side to side under all ten toes, and Brittany laughed with wild abandon. Brittany’s laughter went off the charts as Cassie tickled the stretched out soles, paying special attention to the sole creases. Then down both arches to the heels, tickling at warp speed, and tickled Brittany into gasping, red-faced silent laughter.
“Good one, Cassie!” Amber said.
“Well, girlfriend, did it tickle?” Cassie asked.
“Did it... tickle?” Brittany said indignantly. “Did it tickle?”
“Can’t decide?” Cassie asked. “Let me refresh your memory,” she added, and gave Brittany’s soles another burst of nail flicks.
“HAHAHAHAHA! Yes! Yes! It really, really tickled!”
Evan leaned closer. “Hey, what’s that on her right foot?”
“Ball-point ink,” Cassie said. “Foot Notes. Tickles like mischief going on.” She had done it last weekend – the ink was faded from washing, but the rest would have to wear off.
“Minus-20?” Evan said, perplexed.
“Bar-20,” Cassie corrected. “My brand. See, here’s the bar, under the toes– ” She stroked it back and forth with a nail tip, and was rewarded with another burst of laughter. “Then the 2, in the middle of her sole– ” She made two passes with the same nail, and Brittany laughed again. “And then the 0, on the ball of the foot– ” She circled the nail on it, and Brittany howled with forced mirth, turning pink again.
Tickling Brittany is great fun, thought Cassie – I ought to give her some more, while I’ve got her here. But on second thought, maybe I should share the fun. “Anybody else want some of this?” she asked, raising her voice over the laughter.
“Pass,” Amber said.
“NO!” Evan said. “Quit it, Cassie! That’s mean!”
“Spoilsport!” Cassie said. She quit, released the leg lock and stood up. “OK, that’ll do ‘til the next time.”
“Are you OK, Brittany?” Evan asked.
“Yah… no… problem… ” Brittany said breathlessly. She rolled over, took a deep breath and sat up. “Besides, Cassie’s feet are uber-ticklish. I plan to get even.”
“I want no part of this,” Evan said emphatically. “Give me a few minutes to get dressed, and then let’s go and eat.”
The girls headed back toward their rooms. Amber stopped Cassie with a touch. “Is this gonna be a regular thing?” she asked.
“I have three older brothers, so I’ve always been the ticklee,” Cassie said. “Last weekend at the convention was my first time as a tickler. It’s a lot more fun from the outside.”
“Tell me about it.”
Brittany came out of her room. “Hey Evan, rustle yer stumps!” she called. “What are you two plotting?” she added.
“Just our supper,” Cassie said. But maybe some plotting was in order. Brittany loved to tickle, and Amber liked to tickle too – unless I’m careful, I’ll be the guest of honor at a grand tickling party hosted by my roomies.
Still, tickling was lots of fun. Maybe it was worth the risk.
***
Thursday afternoon, the place was empty when Cassie came in. She kicked off her sandals and dumped her books and purse on the kitchen table. A little breeze ruffled her papers – the sliding door to the balcony was open. She went to check it out.
This time, Amber was tanning, in a white bikini that showed her great shape to good advantage. She was on her tummy on a spread blanket – it looked like she had fallen asleep.
Amber was tan enough that she probably wouldn’t burn, especially this late in the season. Still, I ought to make sure…
Nah. Cassie retrieved her purse and slipped silently outside. She kneeled, then flipped the edge of the blanket over Amber and rolled her up like a burrito.
“Hey! What the– ” Amber said, still sun-dazed, and tried to sit up.
Cassie folded the blanket back on both ends, exposing Amber’s face and feet. “You were getting too much sun,” she said. She sat cross-legged with her purse beside her, and trapped Amber’s feet in a simple leg lock.
“Not you too!” Amber said, squirming. But the rolled blanket held her tight.
“Yup,” Cassie said. “I’m interested to see if you’re as much fun to tickle as Brittany. Any preference?”
“Tickle my heels first, and work your way up,” Amber said, resigned to her fate. “HAHEHA! WAH-HAHAHAHAHA!”
Amber laughed like a madwoman as Cassie tickled her heels two-handed. Cassie tickled up Amber’s arches to the soles, drawing circles and other tickling shapes. Then both soles – Amber’s toes twitched and curled as she laughed and laughed. By now, Amber’s feet were sensitized by the tickling – it was all good, and Cassie took full advantage. She spread Amber’s toes and tickled between each pair, forcing stream after stream of ticklish laughter.
Cassie switched to one-handed tickling and reached into her purse, feeling around for instruments of tickle-torture – Amber’s laughter went down a notch, but she was still laughing pretty hard. Foot Notes again? No, the hair brush, the cylindrical kind with bristles arranged radially around the handle and plastic knobs on the bristle ends. She held the handle between her palms, and rotated it, applying the bristles to the balls of Amber’s feet. Hundreds of tiny bristles flicked the ticklish skin, making little contact but tickling like crazy. Amber squirmed like a worm and laughed her head off.
“Tickle her soles in the middle, along the creases,” Brittany said from the doorway, raising her voice over the laughter. “It drives her wild!”
Cassie nodded. She dropped the brush, held back Amber’s toes and spider walked her nails along the crease in the exact center of Amber’s right sole – four fingernail strokes in succession, three times a second. Amber laughed helplessly as Cassie tickled across the balls of both feet to the left sole, flicking and scratching. She released the toes and tickled two-handed in the middle of Amber’s soles – Amber went crazy, bucking and squirming, laughing her head off. Her laughter went off the charts – she lost it and laughed herself breathless.
“Jeez Louise, Amber too?” Evan asked from beside Brittany. “What is it that y’all get out of this?”
Cassie released the leg lock and stood up. “It’s fun, making her laugh like that,” Cassie said. “Right, Brittany?”
“More fun than being on the receiving end, that’s for sure,” Brittany said.
“Woo! That tickled… so much…” Amber said breathlessly.
“It was supposed to,” Brittany said. “Well, Cassie, was tickling her feet as much fun as tickling mine?”
“Haven’t decided yet,” Cassie said. “I’ll have to experiment some more.”
“Right now?” Amber asked, alarmed.
Cassie started un-rolling Amber from her blanket cocoon. “Maybe later,” she said.
“Y’all are both gonna get even with Cassie now,” Evan said. “Is that it?”
“Haven’t decided yet,” Amber said.
“Well, I think Cassie could use a few laughs too,” Brittany said, and gave Amber a hand up.
“I was just leaving,” Cassie said quickly, snatching up her purse. She didn’t even stop at the front door for her shoes, but went outside barefoot. Have to scrub off the dirt and grass stains later, she thought.
Unless Amber and Brittany decide to tickle it off after I come back. Which they probably will.
But they didn’t, and that suited Cassie fine. She loved to tickle, but she liked being tickled a whole lot less.
***
By the next morning, Cassie was feeling guilty about tickling her roomies. Brittany had it coming, but now Amber owed Cassie one. She resolved to let it happen, and then ask for a truce.
She came back from class and let herself in. Evan was sitting on the sofa, fanning herself with a magazine. Her bare feet were propped up on the coffee table – the soles were a little dirty. Lead us not into temptation, thought Cassie.
“Hot today, isn’t it?” Cassie said, making conversation.
“Like back home,” Evan agreed. “I’m all sweaty and nasty. I thought it would be cooler here.”
“I guess that’s why they call it Indian Summer,” Cassie said.
“Well, I’m gonna take a shower,” Evan said. “Maybe that’ll cool me off.”
Hmm, thought Cassie, and her resolve weakened. Should I? A wise man once said, Never resist temptation – it may not pass your way again. She went to her room, found a pair of old nylons, and waited for Evan to finish her shower.
The bathroom door opened. Cassie gave her a slow ten-count, then eased into Evan’s room on silent bare feet. Evan was in her room, working the last of the water out of her hair with the towel, effectively blindfolded.
Cassie grabbed Evan’s robe lapels from behind. She yanked them outward, backward and down, pinning Evan’s arms to her sides. Still holding on, Cassie ran Evan forward onto the bed. She grabbed Evan’s ankles, swung her lengthwise on the bed and scrambled after. She sat on Evan, tied her hands behind her back with a nylon, tied it to the robe tie to anchor it. She reversed directions, facing aft, and tied Evan’s ankles together. The final step – she tied the free ends of the nylons together for a hogtie.
“Hey!” Evan protested. “Let me go!”
“Nope, you could use a few laughs,” Cassie said cheerfully. She kneeled at Evan’s feet, then circled a nail on a heel.
“Cas– haha! –siee– hehe! Noooo!” Evan begged and giggled. “Sta– haha! –ap!”
“Time for you to laugh,” Cassie said, and got to work. Evan arched her back and laughed at the top of her lungs.
Cassie tickled Evan’s soles two-handed – Evan’s toes twitched and curled as she laughed and laughed. Then holding the toes back, she drew fast, looping figure-eight’s around the balls of Evan’s feet. Twice each circuit, she got on the creases in the exact center of the soles and gave them a few extra nail flicks, and was rewarded with burst after burst of ticklish laughter.
“Hey Evan, want me to stop?” Cassie asked, and switched to a guitar-chording motion in Evan’s arches. But Evan was laughing much too hard to answer. “No, huh?” Cassie said. “Then here’s some more!” She covered the arches with tiny nail flicks, barely touching but tickling like crazy.
Cassie spider-walked her nails in the back of Evan’s arches, extending the nail strokes onto the heels behind. Evan’s laughter went off the scale – those were the sweet spots, it seemed. Cassie kept it up, savoring the wild helpless laughter – yup, the sweet spots, sure enough! She speeded up, tickling mercilessly, and tickled Evan into gasping, red-faced silent laughter.
Cassie quit. Evan was rumpled and breathless, sweaty again, her ribs and abs must hurt from laughing. “Oh… ghod… that… tickled…” she said. “I’m… gonna need… another bath... ” She took a deep breath. “Why did you– ”
“Because you needed to laugh a little,” Cassie said impishly.
“A little! More like a lot!”
“More where that came from,” Cassie said, flicking her nails on the balls of both feet.
“NOOOO!” Evan begged. ”AHAHA! HAHA-HAHA-HAHAHAHAHA!”
Four hands grabbed Cassie. “GOTCHA!” Amber and Brittany chorused – they wrestled Cassie down on her tummy and sat on her.
“Th... thanks,” Evan said, breathing hard. “Woo! That tickled a lot!”
“Well, ya got me,” Cassie said, surrendering to the inevitable. “Now what?”
“Three guesses,” Amber said. “Gonna make trouble for us?”
“Nah, I’d just start off tired,” Cassie answered. “Hogtie?”
“Yup,” Amber said, and tied Cassie’s hands behind her back. Brittany tied her ankles together, and Amber completed the hogtie. She kneeled at Cassie’s feet and flexed her fingers over the upturned soles. “Get ready to laugh!”
“Hey, aren’t y’all gonna untie me?” Evan asked.
Brittany kneeled and trapped Evan’s legs between her knees. “Eventually,” she said.
“Oh shit, not again!” Evan protested. “OK, get it over– HAHAHA! HAHA-HAHA-HAHAHA!” as Brittany’s well manicured nails flicked her ticklish soles.
“Tickle in the back of her arches, and onto her heels,” Cassie said helpfully. “It drives her cra– HAHAHA! HAHEHA! HAHAHAHAHA!” as Amber got to work, tickling with verve and gusto.
Cassie didn’t see much of Evan’s tickle torture – she was laughing much too hard. Amber didn’t hold back – she tickled Cassie into the zone with fast nail flicks, held her there drawing random tickling shapes in her arches and on her ticklish heels. She drew fast, looping figure-eight’s on and around the balls of both feet – it tickled horribly! She tickled under and between Cassie’s toes until Cassie thought she would go crazy. Then Amber held back Cassie’s toes and covered her stretched out soles with well techniqued tickling. Cassie’s laughter went off the scale – she lost it and laughed herself breathless.
Cassie laid there gasping, blinking away tears of laughter. Evan was still laughing madly, her ticklish laughter filling the air. “Beat ya, Brittany!” Amber said.
“Go a little easier next time,” Brittany said, raising her voice over Evan’s laughter. “She’ll last longer that way.” She put on a burst of speed, fingernails flying – Evan laughed at the top of her lungs, bucking and squirming, trying desperately to escape the tickling. Brittany got on Evan’s back arches and heels again, tickling at warp speed, and tickled Evan’s breath away.
“Well, they got us,” Cassie said. “Sorry, Evan. I made it easy for ‘em.”
“They’ll… do it… again… ” Evan said desperately. “And I’m sooo ticklish! It drives me crazy!”
“You’re right,” Amber said. “We’re gonna do it again.”
“To Cassie, yeah, but that’s enough for Evan,” Brittany said, and started working Evan’s bonds loose. “Let’s let Evan get even with Cassie.”
Amber left Cassie tied up. “Ever do much tickling, Evan?” she asked.
Evan rolled over and sat up on the bed, wincing a little – like Cassie, her abs were sore from laughing. “It’s not something we did much, back home,” she admitted. “None of the girls liked it much. Getting our feet tickled by our boyfriends was bad enough.”
“Good thing you don’t have a brother,” Brittany said – Cassie could identify with that! “Well, tickling is fun and easy!”
“Faster is better,” Amber added. “Use the tips of your nails – it tickles a lot more.”
“Go ahead, Evan,” Cassie said – her voice was a little rough from laughing. “I’ve got it coming.”
Evan kneeled at Cassie’s feet. “You sure do!” She happened to look over her shoulder at her own right sole. “Hey Brittany, what did you do– ”
Brittany leaned close, and whispered something to Evan that got a laugh. “OK, I’ll go for it,” Evan said.
“Enjoy yourself,” Brittany said. “C’mon, Amber, tie me up.”
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Cassie asked. “Tickle me sill– E-HEHE! AH-HAHA-HAHA-HAHAHAHA!” she laughed as Evan flicked her nails on both heels. Then Amber got to work – Cassie and Brittany sang a ticklish duet, the happy result of tickling fingernails on ticklish feet.
Evan tickled up Cassie’s arches to the soles, then spider-walked her nails across both soles, side to side, over and over. Cassie laughed helplessly as Evan drew circles around and onto the balls of both feet – she’s not very skilled, thought Cassie, but ticklish as I am, she doesen’t have to be. Evan tickled back down the arches, drawing figure-eight’s and other tickling shapes, then spider walked her nails on both heels until Cassie thought she would go mad.
Evan paused, and Cassie concentrated on her breathing. Across the room, Brittany’s tickle-laughter was a sweet soprano – Amber was getting her good! But all too soon, Evan started in again – she grabbed Cassie’s left foot and used all four fingernails to tickle between the toes, and it was time to laugh again.
Evan repeated the toe-tickle on the right foot, then covered both feet with tiny nail flicks. She held back Cassie’s toes and tickled the stretched out soles side to side, scratched along the creases in the middle, drew circles on the balls of both feet. Cassie laughed helplessly as Evan’s nails spider-walked down her arch. The heels were next, drawing figure-eight’s and other tickling shapes. It was all good – everything Evan did made Cassie laugh like mad. Cassie lapsed into ticklish delirium, unable to move or even form a coherent thought. All she could do was lay there and laugh.
Evan wasn’t skilled enough to tickle Cassie out, but she finally took pity and quit. “Finished with her?” Amber asked from the bed. Cassie blinked away tears and looked over. Brittany was untied and sitting beside Amber.
“Yah,” Evan answered. “No hard feelings?” she asked Cassie.
“Nope,” Cassie said. “I deserved it.”
“Y’know, it was fun, making you laugh like that,” Evan said. “Tickling kinda grows on you.”
“Well, you’ll get another chance,” Amber said. She flopped down on her tummy on the bed. “Tie me up – it’s my turn to laugh now.”
Brittany kneeled at Cassie’s feet. “And yours again, girlfriend,” she said. “Now, let’s see… Brush? Guitar picks? Nah, I guess I’ll use my nails.” She held Cassie’s toes back, made a Peace sign and scratched the balls of both feet at once, right behind the big toes – Cassie laughed at the top of her lungs, tears of laughter streaming down her cheeks. Amber started laughing too – Evan was giving her a real ticklish workout.
Brittany grabbed Cassie’s left foot, made a claw of her right hand, and raked the nail tips from soles to heels, drawing four parallel zig-zag tickley lines. She repeated the foot-rake over and over, covering the sensitive skin with unbearable tickling and bringing forth stream after stream of helpless laughter.
Brittany paused, and Cassie giggled weakly as the tickling sensation faded.. Not Amber – she was laughing even harder now. But Brittany grabbed Cassie’s right foot this time, and attacked the soft sole. She must be using her guitar pick, thought Cassie through a haze of tickle torture. It seemed like it lasted forever, and it tickled horribly!
“I enjoyed tickling you last weekend,” Brittany said. She switched to an old-fashioned shaving brush and dusted the foot, toes to heels, over and over. “It’s even more fun now.” Cassie laughed her head off, red faced and sweaty, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Still hangin’ in there?” But Cassie was laughing much too hard to answer.
Another pause. Cassie just had time for a deep breath, and then Brittany tickled both feet at once. She scratched the sensitive soles, then drew wavy lines, figure-eight’s and other tickling shapes in her arches. Cassie’s wild laughter filled the air as Brittany tickled her heels again, then tickled back up the arches and concentrated her effort on the sole creases and the balls of Cassie’s feet.
Brittany quit, and Cassie almost hyperventilated. She saw spots, blinked away tears and tried to get her breathing and heart rate normal again. Across the room, Amber’s laughter was off the scale – Evan must have found the sweet spots.
“Taking a break?” Evan asked, raising her voice over Amber’s laughter – she didn’t miss a stroke.
“I quit,” Brittany corrected. “She’s wiped out.”
“Oh.” Evan guitar-chorded Amber’s heels, got another wild burst of laughter, then quit too. “OK, Amber, I guess we’re through,” she said. “And now, I guess I’ll take another shower.”
“Let Cassie have the shower first, Evan,” Brittany said. “Right now, she needs it more than you do.” She untied Cassie and helped her to sit up. Cassie needed the help – she was limp, tickled out, her abs felt like they had been beaten with a board.
Cassie really did need a shower. She took one, and noticed that someone – Brittany, probably – had inked her own -20 mark on the right sole. It seemed that Brittany hadn’t used the guitar picks after all.
Cassie peeked outside the door afterward, expecting an ambush, but it seemed that her roomies were otherwise occupied. She chose a short summer skirt and a sleeveless top. No sense bothering with shoes, she thought – they’ll get ‘em off me in no time it that’s their intention. She came out into the living room.
Amber spotted her. “Hi, Cassie!” she said. “Come on out and join us.”
“We’ve got something to show you,” Evan added.
The other girls led Cassie to the outside door of the suite. The suite number, 201, was three separate brass numerals, in a block sans-serif font. The numbers had been rearranged – they now said -20.
“I’m sure you saw the Bar-20 mark on your right sole,” Brittany said.
Cassie nodded.
“Brittany put one on me too,” Evan said, showing her sole.
Brittany and Amber both showed their soles. “I put one on Brittany,” Amber said, “and this one’s Evan’s work. Well, what d’you think?”
“My brothers used to do it to me all the time,” Cassie said. “And they freshened it up whenever it faded. Tickled like crazy! They’d be proud.”
“Then let’s email some pictures to ‘em,” Brittany said.
It hurt to laugh, but Cassie couldn’t help it. “And to your brother too. If he asks you about it, just tell him that the Bar-20 rides again!”
***THE END***
