Tickling aside... at least for a moment 😉.... that was a damn fine piece of writing! I'm the kind of reader (and writer) that loves some backstory, and wouldn't have dreamed of skipping to paragraph 5.... and I'm glad I didn't 🙂 You laid down the framework for the story beautifully. And you really did a great job capturing your first tentative steps in trying to figure out your own sexuality (in this case, the wonderful world of tickling).
I don't think anyone on this forum felt confident right out of the gate, but even as hard as the beginning stages can be, they are also filled with fun and exciting moments like the ones you described. And just think how unbelievably lucky your generation is to have had the internet to help you along - you knew at 12 that there were others who felt the same way you did. I had to wait until my early 20's to make the same discovery! But before I paint myself in a prehistoric light, I'll change gears....
I also loved the description of the relationship between you and your HS sweetheart - very cute. Definitely brought me back to some of my own ticklish exploits at that age (when dinosaurs roamed the earth). I had a boyfriend who "outed" me around the same age - unnerving and thrilling at the same time (even wrote a story about it on here... forget what I called it. Probably something prosaic like, 'first guy to out me", lol).
So, well done, bravo, two thumbs up, etc. And speaking from one writer to another, don't wait for responses to post any more of your stories. On most of the stories I've written, less than 5% of the people who view the story, post a comment. I'm guilty of the same offense with most of the stories I read on the TMF. I'm not trying to be a snob or anything, it's just that most stories don't compel an answer from me.... okay, so I AM a snob 😉 So my sage advice to you is simple - Fuck 'em. Write it anyway. Even if only two people pledge their unwavering loyalty to you as one of your readers, you should take pleasure in simply writing it for yourself.
Take care,
Maggie