Instead of a beautiful day, like how most stories begins, it was a rainy day. Blythe went home early to help her father with something he couldn't handle on his own, and every pet's owners picked them up because they didn't want them in the shop while it was raining. But Russell's and Minka's owners were running late. Even Mrs. Twombly decided to run out to do some errands before the store closed due to the weather.
Now the overly-organized hedgehog and abstract painter monkey were in the daycare center alone. Russell read a book in his favorite spot on the chair while Minka painted on her canvas.
She placed one last purple-coated hand on the canvas and suddenly squealed loudly, "Done!"
"Minka, please, I'm trying to read!" Russell raised his voice, irritated and flustered by the monkey's sudden outburst.
"Sorry," Minka apologized. She lifted her tail into the air again. "I just finished my painting! I think it's the best one yet! Wanna see it?"
"Maybe later, Minks; I'm on a really exciting chapter." And with that, the hedgehog looked back into his book.
Hm! Grouchy much? Minka thought crossly. She didn't understand. Russell always wanted to see whatever she painted.
Shrugging the thought away, she put her painted canvas aside and reached for another, but realized there wasn't any. "Where are all my canvases?" she pondered, looking all over the place, leaping to and fro. She scratched her head, then turned to her friend. "Russell, have you seen my canvases?"
"You used them all for painting, Minka," he replied, not looking up from his book. "You're getting twenty more tomorrow, remember?"
"Shoot!" the monkey hissed, falling limply on the tire swing. "Now what do I do...?" She looked down sadly, then spotted her paintbrush still wrapped securely in her tail. Somehow it inspired her to make new art, but what could she use? She didn't have anymore canvases.
Or do I...? she thought. She looked up at Russell, who was still reading his book. That's when she got an idea.
Minka leaped down from her tire and scampered over to Pepper's prop box, then grabbed some ropes she used for the chicken lassoing mini-game during Penny Ling's anniversary party. She ran behind the chair and hid them underneath it, then walked in front of the chair and jumped up on it.
"Russell!" she shouted cheerfully, making the hedgehog jump and drop his book.
"Minka, what do you want?!" he snapped in surprise and frustration.
"Do you want to play a game?"
"Sorry, I'm busy."
"Please...?" Minka looked into Russell's yellow-green eyes and gave him a puppy dog look.
Russell huffed, finally giving in. "Okay, okay. What game do you want to play?"
"It's a really easy one! All you have to do is close your eyes and let me do the rest."
The hedgehog raised an eyebrow at the monkey, then closed his eyes after some hesitation.
"Now you stay there. Give me a second." Minka leaped off the chair and pulled out the ropes. She pounced up and clung on to the back of the chair, then reached down and grabbed his forepaw.
"What are you doing?" Russell asked.
"You'll see," Minka replied. "Just keep your eyes closed." She took one end of the rope and tied it around his wrist, then grabbed his other forepaw and tied it with a different rope. She leaped down and under the chair, then tied the other ends to the ankles of his hind paws.
"Now you have no way of escaping!" Minka finally squeaked. Russell opened his eyes and saw what the monkey had done.
"Uh, Minka, could you explain to me why I'm tied up?" he asked, pulling against the ropes and realizing he couldn't move.
"I'm just about to paint on my canvas!" Minka replied. She picked up her paintbrush and dipped it in purple paint, then began to drift it down Russell's belly, causing giggles to flow freely.
"Hehehehehehehe! Minka, stop! Hehehehehehehe!" he giggled.
"I'm not finished yet," Minka retorted. She continued painting on her friend's belly and smiled. She then began to stroke his sides.
"Hehehehehehehehe! I-I mean it, Minka, stahahahap!" Russell shouted, trying to show his tormentor he really didn't want to be messed with, but his uncontrollable giggles made it difficult.
How come I didn't do this sooner? Minka thought. This is so much funner than painting on a plain ol' boring canvas. This one actually giggles!
She continued painting her giggly friend purple, then switched to blue and began stroking his ribs.
"Hehehehehehehehahaha! Stop it! I'm not a cahahahahahanvas!" Russell giggled.
"You're much funner than a canvas, though," Minka replied, picking up the pace. She then began making circular motions with the brush in his underarms, making his giggles evolve into laughter.
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Minka, stahahahahahahap!"
Nodding in satisfaction, the monkey dipped her hands in the paint cans and smeared it on his belly and sides, then began to scribble her fingers around, causing Russell to squirm around.
"No, no! Stahahahahahahap!" the hedgehog laughed helplessly, trying to swing his arms down to protect his torso from the tickly assault, but the ropes were too strong. "Stahahahahahap! You're tickling me! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Minka ignored the pleas and continued tickling her 'canvas'. She grabbed her paintbrush with her tail, dipped it in green paint, and stroked it on Russell's hind paws.
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Mihihihihinka, stop it!" Russell begged, struggling to escape. "Stop! I'm seriohohohohohous!"
"How should I take you seriously when you're laughing?" Minka teased. She then placed her paintbrush on his thigh and stroked it. Russell kicked out his leg, but couldn't escape the tickly sensation the brush provided.
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Stahahahahahahahap!" he cried, his cheeks starting to turn red. "I cahahahahan't take it! Hahahahahahahahaha!"
The monkey giggled and continued. She then began to squeeze his thighs and knees as the brush worked its way across his ribs, and this threw him into hysterics.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP IT!" Russell squealed, thrashing around harder. "OH, STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!"
"Hey! Your struggling is messing up my picture!" Minka exclaimed, though she was just trying to make an excuse so she could continue tickling him. "Actually, it's all a mess. I'll clean it up!" She jumped off the chair and sped into the pet bathroom, then came back with a bowl of warm soapy water and a scrubbing brush.
"Oh, no..." Russell whimpered in between pants.
Much to his dismay, Minka leaped back up on the chair after dipping the brush in the soapy water, then began to scrub his belly. And the scrub brush tickled far worse than the paintbrush.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" Russell cried. "STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!"
"Gotta get rid of all the paint first!" Minka replied, moving to his sides and underarms. After ten minutes of scrubbing his entire torso clean, she moved to his hind paws.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THAT TIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHICKLES! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP IT!"
It only took five minutes for the monkey to clean his paws. Finally, she scrubbed his knees and thighs, causing Russell's laughter to skyrocket.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" he squealed, trying once again to free himself from his bonds. "STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!"
"All done!" Minka squeaked. She tossed the scrub brush into the water and pulled out a towel, then rubbed it on his fur, drying it but also tickling him at the same time.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I CAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAN'T TAKE IT ANYMOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHORE!" Russell laughed little buds of tears beginning to form around the corners of his eyes. "STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP! PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!"
After five minutes, Minka had finished drying off the agonized hedgehog. Then, just for the sake of hearing his adorable laughter again, she continued scribbling her paintless hands over his sides, reaching close to his quills.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOT THERE, PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE!" he begged. "PLEASE STAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"You're just too adorable!" Minka giggled. She picked up a clean paintbrush and experimentally stroked his quills.
"WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, NOT THERE, NOT THEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHERE!" Russell squealed, struggling furiously as tears began to fall down his face. "PLEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"I found a weak spot!" Minka taunted in a sing-song tone. Her tail took over the quill tickling as she inhaled and blew a strong raspberry into Russell's belly, digging her fingers into his sides.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" the hedgehog wailed, his tear-soaked cheeks now a bright red. "STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He found he could no longer speak without being overthrown with laughter.
"Just a few more minutes and I'll stop," the monkey promised before blowing another raspberry. She then dragged her fingers teasingly across his ribs, making him jerk and thrash around.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Russell began running out of breath he needed to laugh, but he couldn't cry out because his hysteria wouldn't all him to. All he could do was try to endure until the assault ended.
Finally, Minka withdrew her hands and the brush and watched as her friend gasped for much needed air. As he panted, she began to untie the ropes around his ankles and wrists, then tossed them aside.
Russell slouched forward, still panting, giggling when the lingering tickling sensations managed to resurface. Once he finally caught his breath, he leaned back against the chair.
"Minka... Why would you do that...?" he finally asked.
"Because you're really cute and you needed to have a good laugh," Minka replied downheartedly. She expected her friend to snap or snarl, so she shut her eyes and brought her hands close to her face in a defensive way, but gasped when she felt the hedgehog give her a hug. Hesitantly, she hugged him back, being careful of his sharp quills, and asked, "Aren't you mad that I tickled you...?"
"Don't worry, I'm not," Russell replied, then added with a chuckle, "I'm relieved that it's finally over, though."
The monkey smiled largely and hugged her friend tighter, then whispered, "I love you..."
Russell's eyes shot wide open and he felt his cheeks grow hot. "You do?"
"What's there not to love? You're kind, caring, cute, and fun, even when you're not Fun Russell." She ended the hug and kissed him on the forehead, then leaped off the chair and walked merrily to the kibble dispenser.
I love you, too, Russell thought warmly. And thank you for being such a great friend.