Andlat's Story Spot

“Ava! Leave me alone!” Johnny yelled, lashing out with a foot. Ava caught it with a smirk, pulling off his black and green sock. Try as she might, it was hard to find anything more fun than annoying her brother. “Someone's grumpy.” “Don't you dare.” “You know what Johnny needs?” “Don’t.” “I think Johnny needs-” “Don't!” “Tickle, tickle, tickle!” Johnny had always been so ticklish that, even before her fingers touched him, he began to laugh and squirm, so when she actually started tickling him, it was hopeless. “Stop!” He whined. “Tickle, tickle tumtum!” Ava said. “Tickle, tickle armpits!” Johnny was helpless under the her ruthless attack “Stop!” “Maybe under your knees? You can't be ticklish there!” Ava knew all too well from experience that Johnny was basically ticklish anywhere and everywhere. He kicked out at her, which only gave her ready access. “Tickle, tickle!” “Stop!” Johnny whined, rolling over onto his stomach before she could move back there. His

“New doll day, new doll day.” Melanie sang to herself as she checked her favorite doll collector website. Rumor was the new doll was going to be a deluxe version of Adrianna. She had the playline version, but the deluxe was all but guaranteed to be better. As she waited for the website to load, she eyed the tidy line of deluxe PrincessCulture dolls across from her. Sure, they were technically called the Prestige Line, but everyone who knew anything called them deluxe. There was Morgiana, Elsbeth, even the much maligned Chretianette, whose dress was deemed as ‘too low-cut'. Melanie did not see herself as a completionist, but if Adrianna was anything like what the rumor mill had spun out, she knew she needed to get her. “Load!” She muttered. New doll day always made the PrincessCulture website and all the major sites discussing PrincessCulture as slow as molasses. At last, the glossy photo of Prestige Line Adrianna began to load. Melanie gazed appraisingly at her strawberry blond

“Why the heck am I doing this?” Beau moaned, sliding down in the seat. “Because.” His sister said, her eyebrow rising disapprovingly at his almost swear. “You know why.” He only grunted. “What do I even have to do?” Ava looked at him. “So you admit you weren’t listening when I went over this earlier?” He grunted again and she rolled her eyes. “Well, Beau, you’re going to be my helper for Storybook Hour.” “Why do you do this stuff?” He asked with a scoff. “It’s fun. And it’ll look great for college.” She smiled and patted the steering wheel. “It’s simple. We do a nursery rhyme and then two or three books. The kids clap and it’s all over. Sometimes they even have snacks afterwards and, yes, my Storybook Hour helper can help himself to those snacks.” The way to any teenage boy’s heart was through his stomach. “It’ll be boring.” “I bet it won’t be.” She replied. “Whatever.” He muttered. “Long as I’m done in time to go see Slug Man with the boys.” “The boys?” His cheeks turned sl