I guess I couldn't have been dating Mandy too long at that point. Maybe only a week or two. Prom definitely hadn't happened yet. We for sure hadn't lost our virginities to each other yet.
In fact I know we hadn't been dating long, because when Kaylee invited me to hang out it didn't even cross my mind that I should probably say no. Kaylee and I had been friends since junior high. She was the girl that I always complained about my girl problems to, or in some very rare cases, shared my triumphs with. Still though hindsight is 20/20 and although I know better now, I definitely didn't back then. The truth is though she didn't even register as a threat. We had just never been interested in each other in that way. She had told me that she was into me when we had first met, but by our senior year she had completely gotten over it.
Kaylee was... well, she came from a lower class family - she was never quite put together. I wouldn't necessarily call her "trailer trash" but she was trailer trash adjacent. Looking back, it shouldn't have been surprising that of all my friends, she was the one that managed to get pregnant in high school.
Anyway she must have been having some problems with Tommy or Dereck. Honestly can't remember. She kind of jumped from guy to guy. Whoever it was in that week was unimportant, but she had called me up - as she always did - and suggested that we meet up at the pond in the park. Like I said, I didn't give it a second thought. I left a note telling my parents where I'd gone and walked out the door.
It was only about a mile, so I decided walking would give me an excuse to at least move a bit - and besides, it would take Kaylee a solid 30 minutes to get there anyway. It was the second mistake I made that day.
We lived in a small town. Well, kinda. It was a small town connected to a big city. I guess you'd call it a suburb? But it felt so insulated from anything hip. It was basically a churchy farmland masquerading as suburban sprawl. Anyway, despite being a pretty populated place in our corner of it, everyone knew everyone. If anything scandalous happened, it was guaranteed to be discussed in hushed tones amongst the folding chairs on Wednesday nights, or in the parking lots on Sunday. Word traveled quickly.
Fortunately there weren't too many people at the park that day. It wasn't empty, but there were fewer than I would expect for such a nice sunny day in the spring. I spotted Kaylee first - she was seated on a concrete bench by the pond, but by the time I was 50 yards away she caught sight of me and popped up to walk towards me.
She walked a bit awkwardly at first, tugging at the legs of her - rather short - jeans shorts to fix how they had ridden up her hips while she was sitting. They were high enough that they made a shallow "v" on her. It struck me as a little funny that she would wear something so revealing and then have to work so hard to make them more modest. She eventually got them situated as she walked, and with her waistband lowered a sliver of tummy showed beneath her band tee.
"About time!" She called out when she was within earshot.
I just shrugged her off. She had to know I was going to walk.
"What took you so long?" She pressed.
"I walked, Kaylee.." I replied, a little annoyed by her accusatory tone.
She tossed her curly red hair and fell into stride next to me. "Ohmigod. Did you start the calc homework yet?"
"No. I literally had just got home from wrestling practice when you called. Why? That's due tomorrow right?"
"I think Ms. Jean hates us. There's like 50 problems."
"Oof." I replied. "Well there goes my night."
"For real. Did you have big plans? Seeing Mandy tonight?" She elbowed me playfully in the ribs.
"Not really." I stepped off the walking path under the nearest tree. It wasn't too hot out but the sun was a little harsh. "I think she's buried in some report or something. But I'd definitely rather not be spending my night doing math."
She leaned up against the tree next to me and we both lowered ourselves until we were sitting with our backs against the trunk. "What about you? Any big plans this fine evening?"
"You're looking at them." She shrugged dismayed. "Allie is with Ben, and Rachel didn't pick up when I called."
"Oh so I'm the backup?"
"Well yeah." She teased as she gave me a playful shove. I should have expected it. Kaylee was always trying to find little ways to knock me off balance. Ever since we first met. Still, it caught me off guard and I had to brace myself with my opposite hand to keep from falling over.
"You trying to start some shit?" I shot back at her.
She didn't respond, she just struck - while I was righting myself her hands shot toward my side and got me in the ribs. My body bent sideways into it as my muscles spasmed at her tickling.
Tickle fights weren't really uncommon between us, but I don't think we had one since what had come to be known as "the incident" among our friends. Kaylee had been quick to start shit that day but I had pinned her and Allie relentlessly tickled her. It was all in good fun, but apparently Allie was a bit too relentless. It took us a little too long to realize that between Kaylee's uncontrollable giggles she was gasping out "I'm peeing! I'm peeing!" It was hilarious, but it still took like an hour to clean up Allie's carpet.
I wasn't about to let her provocation go unanswered though. If I did, who knows what sort of garbage she'd think she was allowed to get away with?
I squared up and lunged toward her. Her arms shot out in front of her as she dodged her torso backwards away from my grasp. Her wavy red hair fell into her face. I had been going for her sides - eye for an eye and all that - but with both of her legs shot out in front of her I changed my strategy: her legs were incredibly ticklish above her kneecaps so I went for those instead.
It happened too quickly for her to react. She squealed at me as I gripped onto her thigh. Her knees shot up out of my grip and she fell onto her side away from me in the grass, giggling all the way.
I let her fall and didn't pursue. I had proven my point. As she collected herself and started to sit upright, I got a decent eyeful of her butt. Her shorts were already pretty short, but when she curled up it caused them to ride up a bit. I hadn't ever noticed before, but it wasn't half bad! Not that I would ever act on it or anything, but you know.. good for her. Good for Tommy or Dereck or whoever.
I expected it to end there. She would have no chance overpowering me by herself. Even when she, Allie and Mandy had all ganged up on me I was able to hold my own, and Kaylee was far and away the smallest of them.
My overconfidence left me wide open though. As she calmly hoisted herself upright again I let my guard down. It was then that she struck. What really caught me off guard was that she didn't go for my sides at all - she straight up lunged at me and tackled me. The contact immediately toppled me over into the grass, with her landing on top of me. I reflexively twisted so that I was laying on my back and grabbed at her wrists so that she couldn't just immediately commence with tickling me.
We froze that way for a moment. I was on my back in the grass. She was kneeling astride my chest, leaning over me supporting her weight on her wrists where I held her. Once we reached a sort of equilibrium she sat down, still astride my chest. It was a little rough and nearly knocked the wind out of me.