“Aye, good morning, Uncle Phil” Will greeted between sips of his orange juice. “Morning, Will…where’s Carlton?” “I don’t know, probably measuring himself against a door frame – he’s trying to crack five feet” the comedic 19 year old quipped with a raised eyebrow from Mr. Banks. “Good morning, everybody” Carlton added as he entered the kitchen as happy as ever. “Will, did you get your ticket for the concert this weekend yet?” “I didn’t think you went to a concert unless it was Michael Bolton” Will replied. “For your information, I happen to be a huge Jay-Z fan which is why I bought a floor seat ticket yesterday” Carlton assured as he waved it in Will’s face. “Jay-Z; he’s that young man who’s pretty popular, the rapper right?” Uncle Phil questioned. “Yeah, he’s pretty hot right now” Will answered as his usual cockiness began to fade a little. “So, you two will be going?” Phil asked.  “I’ll be there” Will added as if he didn’t want to talk about it. “Where? In the parking lot? I bet you don’t even have a ticket yet; that concert’s gonna sell out before the end of the week” Carlton assured with a snotty tone. “Don’t worry about me, Bel-Air Gary Coleman. I’ll get a ticket…” Will answered under his breath before finishing the orange juice. “Whatever you say, Will…I’ll be sure to tell Jay you said hello” Carlton gloated to rub it in a little more. 

Uncle Phil waited until his son left the room to see what was going on with his nephew, concerned by the look on his face. “You don’t have a ticket, do you?” “…no, I thought it’d be cheaper but they’re not really in my price range” “You could work a few more hours this week, get a little extra cash” “I already tried but there aren’t any shifts available” Will explained. “Well, I’m sure you’ll figure something out. That Jay-P must be pretty popping” Uncle Phil added before leaving the kitchen for work. His uncle’s lack of cool only reminded Will that the concert would be something he couldn’t miss and he hated the idea of Carlton going while he sat home. 

About seven hours later when Will got home from work, he flopped down on the couch in the pool house and looked through the paper to search for any potential quick jobs, “Math tutor – no, babysitter – no, nude art model – hell no. Damn…I wonder how much blood donations go for?” Will wondered as he grew more desperate to see his favorite rapper. “How was work?” Carlton asked as he suddenly entered the side door. “How was your shift with the lollipop guild, squirt?” Will fired back without even looking up at him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you read the paper, or read anything for that matter. Find any get-rich-quick schemes yet?” “Just a bunch of jobs I’m not smart or brave enough to do” Will answered with obvious frustration. “Well, seeing as you still need a Jay-Z ticket, I think I know a way you can earn some easy money” Carlton proposed. “I’m not pretending to be your chauffeur again” “No, this is something a little…different” Carlton elaborated as he closed their pool house door behind him, getting Will’s attention. 

“I’m listening” “Before I tell you, you have to promise it stays between us – that’s part of the deal” “Is there a body you need dumped or something?” “No, nothing like that…” “Well come on, man, spit it out” Will encouraged with mounting curiosity. “Promise it stays between us regardless if you agree to it or not” Carlton reiterated. “Yeah, fine just tell me” “Tickling. $200 to be tickled…by me” Carlton spat out before he could overthink it anymore, making Will’s eyes grow wide with confused apprehension and disbelief. “…I’m sorry, did you say tickling??” “I know it’s a little weird, Will, I do but it’s something I’ve been into for years and I’ve always wanted to really tickle somebody” Carlton elaborated but it didn’t settle Will any better.

“What do you mean really tickle somebody?” Will questioned as he stood up from the couch to process the odd proposal. “I mean more than a few pokes in the ribs or a squeeze on the knee; I mean really tickle somebody as much as I want while they can’t fight back. It’s kind of a fantasy of mine” Carlton further explained as Will became more taken back. “Wait, wait, wait…let me get this straight; you want to pay me $250 to tickle me and I can’t fight back or anything?” “I said 200” “It’s 250 now” “Fine, and yes, that’s the deal. Oh and you have to be tied up” Carlton added. “If this is some kind of sex thing, I swear to God…” “It’s not a sex thing, I just like it…I can’t totally explain it. I know it’s out of the ordinary and a little strange which is why I made you promise to not say anything. So…do you want the money or not?” Carlton asked as Will finally wrapped his head around the bizarre idea. He was more than reluctant but it sounded like the simplest $250 he’d ever make, I mean how bad could it be once he got past being tied up? “…ok. But if it gets weird, I’m out” Will agreed, sprouting an eager grin on Carlton’s face. “How long is this gonna last?” “An hour” “An hour? Are you crazy??” “250 dollars…Jay-Z…you know you want it” Carlton reminded with a sing-songy tone. “Fine” Will agreed with a sigh of submission, knowing that it was never anything he’d normally voluntarily do. “Great! I’ll get the rope!” “...you already have rope??”

Within 10 minutes Will was tied spread eagle to the pull-out couch bed in his black gym shorts, a yellow tank top, and his white tube socks wrinkled right above his ankles. “Alright, so I’m gonna set my watch for an hour so I know when we’re done” Carlton announced as Will tested the ropes to see how helpless he was and quietly concluded that he wasn’t going anywhere. “You sure you locked the door? I don’t need Uncle Phil walking in” Will checked, more anxious than usual. “I did. Ya know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone tickle you – this is gonna be so much fun!” Carlton pointed out with a look of unsettling glee above his bound cousin. “…Jay better give the show of his life for all this” Will added as his lean body grew more restless at the thought of what was about to happen. “You ready?” “I guess…just go easy on meEEeaHOAHAOHoahaoWWHhAATThhHeeAOhaoha HheeEELLL?!?” burst out of Will before he could negotiate with Carlton, both hands wiggling into his outstretched armpits with enthusiasm. “AhAhahacCCCAaRRRlLLTTOOoOnNN!! AOHAOHAAaoAhAoahaEEeAASSYYY! EEEAASSSYY!!” “Where’s the fun in that? I’ve got to get my money’s worth” Carlton answered as he continued attacking the hairy pits like he’d been waiting to get at them. The preppy lad may have been on the short side but he was surprisingly strong, allowing him to really dig into the center of his cousin’s underarms better than Will anticipated. “AhoaOAHaohaoAHAAOOKKOOOK!!” “Ok? Don’t tell me you can’t handle a little tickling” Carlton teased with a devious grin, loving the look of hilarious panic on Will’s face as he howled and protested.

Will jerked and pulled on the ropes with hopes of protecting himself from the devilish fingers driving him crazy but Carlton tied them extra strong to secure his investment. “Man, you are ticklish!” “AhoAhaohoAAAhoHOAaHaNNOoOoAOhahaosSshhIiiIITT! AHOAhaoHAOHAOHAHAJJUuUSSTTT CCCHhIiiLlLooOOUUUUuTT!!” Will tried to convince but there was no deterring his excited cousin. Carlton suddenly shifted down a few inches from the deep pits to target the tender area between them and his ribs, using just two fingers of each hand to taser into the fresh targets. “AAAAAoHAOHAOHAHOAAOHHHNNOOONNOOO!! AOHAOHAOHAASSTToOoOOPPP! SSTTOOOPPPP!!” “Stop what?” Carlton questioned with a playful expression as if he wanted to see if he could make him say it. “AHOAHoahAOSSTToOOOooOPPP AHOAHAOTTiIiICCkKKlLLiIiNNnGGHoAHOAHAmMmMEEEE!!” barreled out the charismatic ladies’ man louder than his initial reaction, the dagger-like fingers in his sides embarrassingly effective. Tickling the hell out of his cocky cousin was a dream come true but wrecking somebody who’d made fun of him on a daily basis sweetened the deal even more. “You’re brave to wear tank tops with armpits this sensitive…it’s almost like you’re asking to be tickled” Carlton taunted as he once again switched tactics, wrapping his hands around Will’s upper sides and drilling his thumbs into the base of both pits.

“AAHHAOAHoaHAOAAAHOAHAOHAOAAAA GGGEEETTTOoOUUuTToOOOFFF MmMYYYAAHAOHAHDDDAAAMmNNn AARRRMmPPPPIiiiITTTssSSSS!! JJjUUuSSTTTAOhaOHAOHaa SSTTOOooOohAOHPPPP!!” erupted out of Will with wide eyes of ticklish terror as the two thumbs worked into his painfully vulnerable body. Will squealed and cursed at Carlton’s ruthless treatment but nothing even almost persuaded Carlton to lose interest, with only the promise of finding another ticklish spot motivating him to leave the handsome pits. “...alright, enough…you got me…this is crazy, man, just untie me…” Will attempted to convince as he caught his breath. “It’s only been 7 minutes…you’ve still got 53” Carlton replied after checking his watch. “53?? Why the hell did I agree to this?” “Because you probably thought you could handle it and you need Jay-Z tickets” Carlton reminded before lifting up Will’s shirt and sinking into the defined abs with both hands, jabbing all over the toned stomach like an arcade game. “nNNNOOOOoAOHAOHAAA AOaHoahOAHAHoAHAAAGGGiiiIVvvEEeEOHAOAHMMMMEEEAohaoaHAAAA BbbReeAaAkKK!!” “Yeah, that’s not happening” Carlton smiled while Will’s body shook and bucked on the bed, desperate to escape. The secret tickle monster of Bel-Air explored every inch of his cousin’s stomach, making him roar with laughter until a sudden high pitched squeal caught Carlton’s attention. “What was that…?” Carlton questioned with a playful, wicked tone as he pulled away only to mess with Will, making him wait in suspense to see what Carlton had discovered.

“Carlton, come on! Just move on to somewhere else!” Will tried to persuade with fearful eyes, watching the vicious hands move down to his shorts and pull them down just enough to expose his waistline. “Hey, man! What are you doing down there??” “What I paid for” Carlton replied as he focused on the spot that’d made Will yelp so loudly, rapidly poking across the waistline with just two fingers. “AAAAAAAOHAOAHOAHAOHAHAOHOOOHAOAHOHANNOOONNNOOOO!! AOHAOAHOAhOHAOhAAAhAHAOAHAOAOOOKKOOKKK!! AHOAOHAoahaoHAAAAHAOAOAHAACCcCAARRllLLlTTOOOONNN!! AHOAOHAOhaohAAEEENnNoOoUUUGGGHH!!” exploded out of Will and his upper body shot forward with a look of hysteric disbelief, his wild eyes watching Carlton exploit his terrible weak spot. “Haha this is better than Friends!” the impressive tickler exclaimed with a bright smile as he concentrated along the hyper ticklish midriff. “HAhohaaaMmMAAnNNSSTtTOOOPP!! AHOAOHAOhaOAAAAHOAHAAAHOASSTToOoOOPP!!” Will begged through his forced laughter, the first time his cousin had heard him so humble but it only tempted the sadistic part of Carlton; he wanted more. “Beg me to stop” “AhOAhaohAOAHSssttToOPPP! PLLEEAASSEE! OAHAAAohoAAhAOHASSTToOoPpiIiITT!!” he shouted as sincerely as he could. “Beg me to stop tickling you” Carlton instructed with his thumbs digging into the edges of the electric waistline near his flanks. “AAAOAHoaHaohAAPPPLLLeeEEAASSEESSTTOToOOOPP TTTIIIICCkKkLLlIIInnNGGGHoAHAOAMMmMEEEEE!!!” Will begged completely out of character as he thrashed on the pull out bed like he was possessed.

“Alright, alright…” Carlton finally stopped, satisfied at getting the better of his hot-shot cousin, proving he was ticklish enough to beg him to stop. Will laid there on the bed totally exhausted, taking the moment of relief to catch his breath and regain what was left of his composure. “It’s gotta be an hour by now…this is torture, man...” “Actually, you still have 35 minutes” Carlton enlightened as he slid off the bed and moved down to the end. “You gotta be kidding me...let me see your watch, I don’t believe you” Will insisted. “You think I’d lie to my favorite cousin?” Carlton teased with a smirk as Will looked down and they made eye contact. “Hey…hey, now, come on. Don’t mess with my feet!” he tried to object. “You don’t really get to dictate where I tickle, Will” “Carlton, I’m serious! Do my armpits or somewhere else - don’t be that way!” Will persisted but his mounting anxiety only made Carlton more interested.

“The smart thing would be to act like they weren’t ticklish…but you gave it away so easily” Carlton taunted with a fiendish expression as both hands slowly started spidering up the socked soles. Will bit his lip with extreme focus and clenched his fists to control his reaction, hoping he could convince his cousin his feet weren’t really that sensitive but his strong effort to resist only enticed the tickler in Carlton. “Oh, maybe I was wrong…maybe your feet aren’t ticklish at all” Carlton added as he pulled away, allowing Will to lower his guard for a moment of relief until both hands suddenly launched back onto his feet. “AAAOhAOHAHAOHAHAOhAOHAAYYyOOOouUUUuAOHAAAA SSsoOONNoOoFFFAaa AAHOAHAbBBIiITTcCchHH!!” erupted from the bound stud with a huge smile, pulling on all four ropes like he’d kill Carlton if he could. All ten fingers scratched up and down the length of both big feet as they writhed against him and Carlton continued to prove how quick and dexterous he could be. 

“AAAOHAOHAOhaohaNNOoONNOO!! YYOoOOoOOGGEEETTOooOFFFFoHAOAHAAAHHAA MMyYyYFFEEeETTT!!” Will demanded with overwhelmed eyes, a look of pure panic Carlton had never seen from him. “I wonder if Jazz knows how ticklish you are? Maybe I should invite him over” Carlton proposed, sparking another fearful look from Will. “AhoAHANNOOO!! NNNOOO!! AHOAHAOHaaAOHAOAHADDDOOoNNnTTT DdDDOooOTTThhHAAATTTT!! AHoaHAOHAOSSTTTOOooPPPIIIITTTTT!!” “Maybe he’d wanna tickle you for a little while too” he continued while dragging his short nails across the low arches.

Will thought he’d break the couch just to get away from his merciless cousin but after several minutes of tormenting his socked feet, Carlton suddenly stopped. “…holy shit…alright, man…we’re done” Will tried to insist as his muscles finally relaxed. “We’re not done yet, Will…I paid for an hour and not a minute less. Right now I wanna get back to these armpits” Carlton replied before straddling his cousin’s waist so he was facing Will. “…you’re a twisted little shiIAAAhaAHooAHAOOAHaOhaOAHSShShIiIITT!! AHAOHAOHAOAAAAAHOAHOAHaOHAOHaHOAHOHAOHAOHANNNOoOnNNOOO!!” Will protested as forcefully as he could with the hands drilling into both pits like crazy, more vicious than before. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh this hard…guess I know what it takes now” Carlton pointed out just to toy with him more. All ten fingers were agile and strong as they attacked the hairy middle of both underarms, forcing out waves of desperate laughter with every passing second. Carlton had always been jealous of Will; his swagger, his charm, his effortlessly cool nature. He didn’t hate him for having what he didn’t but part of him had fantasized about tickling him senseless for years, dreaming about how great it would feel to wreck his overconfident cousin. He just never thought he’d actually have the chance to do it.

“AahoahAOAHOHAAAACCAARRLllTTOOoONN!! AHOAHAOHAEEENnNOoOuuUGGGHhHMmMAAAANNN!!” “Enough what? I could tickle these armpits all day – they’re at least a 9 out of 10 on the ticklish scale. But don’t think I forgot about this” Carlton answered as he punctuated ‘this’ by suddenly plunging into the area between his ribs and underarms. “AAAAAAAAAAHOAHAOHAOHAOHAOHAOHAMMMoOOTThhEERRAOHAOHFFFUUUUCCKkKkEEERR!! AHOHAOAHOAHAOHAHOAHOAHAOAAAAHAOHAOHANNOOONNNNNNOOOO!!!” Will howled like he’d pay Carlton the $250 back just to stop. The small, hairless spots were pure hell, spots Will never even knew could be so sensitive but Carlton’s powerful fingers focused in on them with perfect accuracy. 

Will’s shoulders violently bounced up and down on the mattress as his toes curled at the intense rush while his arms strained against the ropes in hopes of knocking Carlton right off the bed. “I've wondered before if ticklishness is hereditary; I mean I’m only about a 6 or 7 so that’s what I figured you’d be but man, was I wrong!” Carlton teased with a wide smirk while his thumbs continued kneading just south of his deliciously ticklish pits. “AAAoHAoAHoAHOAHOAHOOAAOHAOHAAAAOHAOHA OOOOHHMMMyYYYYAHOAHAOHGGOoOODDD!! AOHAOHAOHACCCOOomMMEEOoOOONN!! AHOAHAOHAOHAJjJUUUSSTTTAHOAHOAHSSTTOOOPPpPIIIIITTT!!” “As much as I like hearing you beg me, I wouldn’t want to totally exhaust you before our time was up” Carlton surprisingly obliged, finally getting off Will after wrecking him for close to ten hellacious minutes.

“…I can’t take anymore…you win, man…I’m too ticklish” Will submitted against his usual judgment. “Quitting before the hour’s up means you don’t get the money – that’s the deal” “You didn’t say that before! What the hell, man?!” he challenged. “My money, my rules…unless you don’t want it anymore” Carlton proposed. “…shit. How much longer?” Will asked as if he was weighing his options. “I think I’ll keep that to myself, makes things more interesting” Carlton withheld like a real villain as he took the loose material from the toes of both white crew socks between his fingers. “…holy shit. Just leave the socks on! I’ll knock it back to 200!” “I think I’ll eat the 50 bucks to lose the socks” Carlton refused, pulling on the precious cotton coverage slow enough to tease Will as he revealed the smooth heels, tan soles, creamy balls, and long toes. 

Will was on a new kind of edge with his bare feet at Carlton’s mercy, both of them now his cousin’s to play with and there wasn’t a thing he could do about it if he wanted the money. “Wow, I forgot how big your feet are haha. You know what they say about big feet…” “Well that’s true” “Not just that…” Carlton corrected just as Will’s ego began to reemerge. But before he could say anything else, Carlton was raking down both silky soles, dragging his nails across the peach flesh slow enough to make Will suffer every second of the stroke. “AOOOOoHHOHmMMYYyYGGGOoOODDDAOHAOAA CCAARRlLLTTOOOoNnCCoOOomMMEEOoOON!! AHOAHOAAAAAHOAHOAHAOHAAAA NNOOOTThHHEEEHAOHAOHFFEEEETT!!!” Carlton’s face lit up with fresh excitement at the thrill of seeing how incredibly sensitive his cousin’s naked feet were, the explosive reaction motivating him to keep it up.

“AoAOAAOhOHHHAHAHAOHAAAOhOAAPPPlLLLEEAASSEEE!!! AHAOHAOHADDOOOoTTHHHEEPpPiIIITTSSS!!! AOHAOAAOHOAHAAOAOAAAOAHAOHOHAHHAAEEENnNOoOoUUUGGghHH!!” Will wailed, even volunteering his wildly ticklish armpits again just to relieve his feet. Carlton kept up with the slender feet like a pro as they squirmed and jerked around, scratching and scribbling all over the smooth soles without missing a beat but he still wanted more. “I see I’m gonna have to get a better angle for this” Carlton announced as he sat across his right ankle so the foot was between his thighs and couldn’t move around nearly as much. “You really don't have to!" "A tickler's not much good if he can't handle his victim" "Jesus Christ man…this is insane. How much more time?" “That’s for me to know, Will – it is my watch” Carlton answered as he gripped the juicy big toe and attacked the fleshy sole with his free hand, scribbling up and down like he couldn’t get enough. “AAAOhAOAAAAAAAAHhHOAHAOHAOHAOHAOHAOHAHAOHAOHAAAHAOHOAHAOAHAAAAOHAOHA AALLLLRRIIiIGGHhHTTTT!! AHAOHAOHAOAHOHAAaAHoaHOAHAAAAAAHOAHASSTTTOoOOOPpPpP!! SSsTTtoOAOAOHOOPPP!!!” The more concentrated technique only proved to Will how ticklish he really was; with almost zero room to move his foot, every inch was Carlton's to tease and explore. “I kind of figured after playing basketball for so many years your feet would be a little rough but it’s the opposite – they’re amazing!” Carlton pointed out as he continued dominating his mouthy cousin.

"AoOHAOAHOHAAAAOHAHAOAHA YYyyOoouUURREEEHOAHAOAHCCCRRRAAAZZZYYYYY!!" Will hurled as the fingers started zig-zagging across his buttery balls. “Insulting someone while you're tied up is crazy, not me. But I do have an idea you might like” Carlton proposed after a few more minutes, grabbing one of the discarded tube socks. “Carlton…there can’t be much time left…I can’t take anymore!” an exhausted Will made clear. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you” “How much more timAAoAOAHohaoahAOhaoahaAOAAAAOHAOHAOHAHOAFFFUuUUUCCKKKK!!” The rampant laughter interrupted him as Carlton began flossing the dirty sock between his big and second toe, the back and forth producing a flood of truly maddening sensations that Carlton hadn’t even been sure would work before trying it. “I’ll have to remember this!” he added while trying the same sawing motion between the second set of rosy toes for equally hilarious results. 

“AAAOHAOaOAHOAHOAHAOHAOAAAAOHAOHAAAHAOAAAoahoAOAHAOHAANNNoOOMMMmOooORREEE!! AHOAHOAHAOHAOHAHAAAAAAOHAOHAOHAOHAASSTTOOOOOPPP!!” Will’s tall body looked like he’d stuck his finger in an outlet, thrashing and bucking every second the tickling continued. Carlton knew it’d been almost an hour and the logical part of him feared Will would pass out if he pushed him too far, something he didn’t know if he could explain to Uncle Phil. “Sometimes one foot is more ticklish than the other” he added as he moved to sit across the other ankle. “No, come on! Enough, man!! You got what you wanted!” “That doesn’t mean I’m satisfied yet” Carlton replied with a grin as he looked back at Will before grabbing the second sock and threading both of them between four separate toes. “No! Not the sock thing!! I’m serioUSoIAAOHAoAHAAAHAOHAOAAAAAHAohAOAHHAAHHAHAOAHAOHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!”

Carlton could hear the difference in Will’s laugh as he threaded the pair of smelly socks back and forth between the long, soft toes, cranking out shrieks or raw, humble laughter that he hadn’t produced before now. Will was beaten. “AAAAOAHAOHOHAOHAOHAOHAOHAAAOHAOHAOAMMMEERRRCCYYY!! AHOAHAOHaohoAHAOHAOAAAOHAOHAOHAHAHAOAAAOHAOHAHAPpPPpLLLEEAASEEE!!” “Please what?” “AAAAAHAOHAOHAAHaAAOSSTTOOOOPPPPTTTIIiICCKKKLlLiIINNNGG AHAHAOHAOHAAMMMyYYFFEEEETTT!!” “Say you won’t make any more short jokes about me” Carlton instructed. “AHAHAOOKOOK!! NNOOMMmOOORRREEE FFUuuCCKKKiiInNGG AAHHAHAAHAAJJJOOkKkEESSS!!!” “Say Carlton is more handsome than me” he added with both socks still torturing the same set of toes. “AAAHOHOHAOAHAYYYyoOOoUuURRREEAOAHAOAAA mMMooOORREEEAHOAHAHHHhAANNNddSSSOOMMMEEEAHOAHAOHA TTHhHAANNNMmMEMEEE!!!” “Say you love being tickled” “AhoHAoaHOAHOAAHAOAAAAHOHANNNnNOOOOAOAOA!!” “Say it! I love being tickled!” Carlton reiterated as he sped up the creative attack to make it even worse. “AAAAAHOAHAOOOKKK!! IIILLLLOOOVVEEAOHAOHAOAHAHA BBBEEEIIIINNNGGGHoAHAHOAOHAOHAAA TTTIiIiCCKkKlLLLEEDDD!!!!” Will confessed to please his cousin’s power trip, submitting to the last man he ever thought he’d be bested by. “Well would you look at that, time’s up” Carlton announced as he pulled the socks from between Will’s toes.

“…you’re an evil…little man” “What was that??” Carlton challenged with a few pokes into his stomach. “HoHAAONOO! IIIMMSSOoRRRRYY!!” “That’s what I thought. I’ll leave your money on the table; you can untie yourself. I have a date tonight and I don’t wanna be late. Now that you can get a ticket, maybe we can sit together at the concert!” Carlton added as he untied one of Will’s hands. “Yeah…right” he halfway answered as his cousin left to hop in the shower, leaving Will to finish untying himself before knocking out on the bed like he’d run a marathon.

*The next day*

“Good morning, Will” Uncle Phil greeted as he entered the kitchen. “Morning” “You ok?” “Yeah, just a little tired” Will excused while watching the small TV on the counter. “Welcome back to MTV and I’m sorry to say that the Jay-Z concert in California tomorrow has been canceled. The hip-hop star extends his apologies to all his fans…” the reporter announced. “No!” Will exclaimed. “I thought you didn’t have a ticket” Phil asked. “…I ended up getting one but now I can’t even go!” “Maybe you can get a refund; I’m sure the stadium will make good on it” “Yeah, maybe. I don’t believe this” “I’m sure he’ll come back around, Will” “Yeah, probably…” “Where’s Carlton? I thought he had a lecture today” Uncle Phil questioned. “Nah, his class was canceled; he’s still sleeping” “Maybe you should wake him up – it’s almost 10” “You know what Uncle Phil, that’s a good idea…I know just the thing to get him up and going.”