It was the worst time of my life, or so I thought at the time. Granted I was only 23 years old, so I hadn't experienced much in the way of life's ups and downs. But getting dumped by my boyfriend and losing my job are two very harsh experiences, especially when they happen within the span of nine months. Worse yet, I had to tuck my tail, swallow my pride, and move back in with my parents because I could no longer afford to keep my apartment.
But it wasn't all bad. My 18-year-old brother, Jake, was about to head off to college and I got to spend a little time with him before he left. I woke up that morning, took a shower, pulled on a pair cut-offs and a tank top and headed down stairs. And there he was, slumped on the living room couch watching television.
"Good morning, sunshine," I said as I flopped down on the couch next to him. He was wearing a pair of baggy, blue athletic shorts and a beat up, grey pocket t-shirt. He pawed at the carpet with his bare toes.
"Morning, Kerri," he replied glumly.
"What's wrong? You should be thrilled to be getting out of the house tomorrow to start a new chapter in your life," I said, lightly shaking his shoulder.
"I dunno. I guess I'm worried that it's going to be more of the same for me. Plus, I kinda wasted the summer by not doing anything. I couldn't manage to get a job and I spent all of my time alone, as usual," Jake lamented as he looked down at his bare feet.
Jake's experiences as a teenager broke my heart. He was always, and still is, a very scrawny guy. He was always much shorter than all the other boys his age and barely weighed 130 pounds soaking wet. He was un-athletic and very shy which, combined with his size, made him an easy target for high school bullies. I remember Jake calling me a few times while I was away at college. He'd be crying because of all the shit he had to endure. He would tell me that he had no close friends to help give him support, and that I was his only confidant. There were times when I felt like I was his only friend.
But there was something cute about him. His thick, sandy blonde hair was cropped short on the sides and slightly shaggy on the top. His blue eyes sparkled when you could get him to show you his radiant smile. I always figured some sweet girl would see what a great guy he was while he was in high school, but it never happened for him.
"Jake, things will be different for you. It's a new start. College isn't like high school. There are groups of people who will accept you and befriend you. You'll do fine," I said as I put a reassuring arm around his shoulders.
"That's easy for you to say. You were always popular and pretty. I was a fucking outcast."
I could see tears starting to well up in his eyes, but he succeeded in fighting them back.
I did have a few boyfriends in high school and college. I always found it distasteful to compliment myself, but if I'm being totally honest, yea I am happy with my looks-shoulder length light-brown hair, green eyes, and a fit figure from yoga. My breasts aren't big, but I like them. Pert with pink little nipples that easily became erect when touched. Yea, I noticed that guys would check me out, but it is very hard for me to say that I am pretty.
"Jake, I'm not telling you this just to blow sunshine up your ass. Will there be people who don't like or accept you? Of course, that happens all through life. But high school is nothing like the real world. You will find fun and friends at college. I mean it."
"OK, thanks." He managed a weak smile to placate me. His anxiety seemed to lessen a little, though he wasn't totally convinced that what I said was true.
"As much as I hated moving back in with mom and dad, I wish I had done it a few months sooner. We could have hung out and had a fun time this summer. I missed you and I'm going to miss you again while you are away at college," I said.
"Yea, I know. I really missed you when you went away to college. I loved how we would play around when I was little. You were such a great big sister," he said as he managed a melancholy smile.
"I still am, aren't I?" I teased.
"Absolutely," he said, his smile growing a little warmer.
I remembered those times. Since he was five years younger than me, I could cut loose and act like a little kid with him when I was a teenager. We shared a lot of great times playing the typical pretend games you play as a kid.
"Remember all the times we'd play 'lava' when we were kids? You couldn't touch the floor or you'd 'burn up'?" I grinned.
"Yea, you always managed to push me off the bed or the sofa. I'd always get burned up," he said, flashing me that big smile I remembered from when he was younger.
"Or all the times I used to torture you by tickling you?" I giggled.
"Aw, I hated it when you would do that to me, Kerri. You were relentless. I practically pissed myself a few times when you did that to me. I hated that you could pin me down and I'd be totally helpless," he grinned.
For a moment we were silent as I just folded my arms and stared at him wickedly. He sat there for a moment as the grin slowly left his face. I could tell that he knew what I was thinking, that if he moved, I would just pounce on him and torture-tickle him. He hoped I was just trying to tease him and that any thoughts of tickling him would pass. Unfortunately for him, he was wrong.
"No, no, no. Don't you even dare!" he said, trying to be stern.
I just continued to stare at him, silent and unmoving. My eyes narrowed into little slits, accentuating the intensity of my glare and making him fear my intentions. He knew what was coming.
"Noooo!" he yelped as he hopped up from the couch and turned to run. Unfortunately for my un-athletic little brother, I was faster and was able to dive and grab his ankle before he could take a second step to get away. He fell to the floor with a thud and I leapt upon him, pinning him face down on the floor. I laid flat on top of his prone body.
"I have you now, Jake! You can't get away!" I cackled loudly.
"Stop, stop!" he begged as he squirmed wildly in a futile attempt to get away.
"No, no, no, Jakey. You have to take this. It's your punishment for trying to run away from me," I said as I reared up onto my knees. I was straddling the middle of his back while keeping him pinned to the floor. During the struggle, his shirt had ridden up and I was able to push my hands underneath to tickle his back.
"Aaaaarrh!" he yelled in frustration as he thrashed about, unable to escape me.
"Oh, you forgot about this, didn't you?" I teased as I ran my fingers up to his armpits.
"Nooooooooooooooo!" he screamed loudly.
"Oh yes, now I remember. Your armpits! That's the best place to tickle you. You just love that," I teased, my voice dripping with sarcasm as my fingers relentlessly tickled the ultra-sensitive flesh underneath Jake's arms. He was thrashing and wriggling with all his might. He must have gained a little bit of strength as he had gotten older, because Jake was able to put up a pretty good fight. He dragged his body forward several inches along the floor to try to escape my torment, but his attempt to escape was still futile.
