Featherscape Tickle Story Collection

A Ticklish Sleepover - Part 9

"Did you guys see Tracy throwing a fit in the hallway?" Beth asked around the circular cafeteria table. The brunette wore a sour, wrinkled expression as she picked at a chicken sandwich she picked up from a nearby fast food chain. Next to her sat Scott, sporting his varsity football jacket soaked with cigarette odor.

"I heard that she did, but don't know why," said Scott, chewing on a protein bar. "What that crazy bitch cry about now?" Across the table from him sat Jackson, another decorated athlete with little regard to his academic career.

"Wasn't it that Clint caught her with Kyle?" Jackson asked as he idly scrolled through his phone's Twitter feed.

"No, it was Kyle that found out about Clint," Beth answered.

"I thought Kyle knew she had a boyfriend?" Scott inquired.

"That's what she told everyone so no one would bring it up in front of him," Beth said. Scott scoffed.

"What an idiot," Scott replied.

"Yeah, so Kyle broke up with her and she just went crazy. Crying and screaming in the hall."

"She had it comin'," Jackson said. "I don't feel sorry for her at all."

"That's what Tracy gets for getting around the way she does," Scott added.

"I'm surprised it took this long for them to figure it out," Beth said.

"They both need to get tested," said Scott. "You couldn't pay me to do what either one of them did with her."

"Eh, she'll still put out to get some idiot to take to prom, just you wait," said Jackson.

"You went home with Tracy one night, didn't you, Jack?" Beth asked. Jackson sighed.

"I was kind of hoping people would have just forgotten about that," said Jackson. Scott choked on his bar laughing. "What? It was last year at a party. We were both drunk, and well, yeah."

"Dude, really?" Scott asked. "So gross."

"Hey, I'm clean," Jackson claimed. "I made sure of it after that."

"Sure you are," said Beth.

The table continued in its mocking discussion, all except one. Across from Beth sat Taylor, lazily picking at a small baggie of grapes. Taylor bore a leopard print top with a faux fur lined belt wrapped around a tight pair of shorts. The hat atop her crown had been the same as it always was, though appeared wrinkled and worn down with age. She sat silent and apathetic to the conversation. Taylor hardly listened to the volley of hallway rumors as more substantial issues plagued her mind.

"Taylor?!" Scott barked at her. Taylor looked up to the table, having caught the eye of everyone. She lifted her head up off of her open hand.

"What?" Taylor asked with a snarl.

"I said your name like three times," said Scott. "What's up?"

"Nothing, just got a lot on my mind," Taylor snapped.

"Alright, whatever," Scott replied.

"Like what?" Beth asked. Taylor shrugged.

"I don't know," Taylor said. "Senior project is getting really hard" The girl stopped groaning her scholastic grievance with Scott laughing at her complaint.

"Seriously, babe?" Scott asked. "Just copy it. I got Evan working on splitting his with mine."

"Maybe I'm not dumb enough to risk failing," Taylor said.

"It's not like it matters," Scott laughed. "Don't waste your time."

"Maybe not to you, Mr. Work-In-My-Dad's-Car-Shop-The-Rest-Of-My-Life," Taylor said.