Nickels, Tickles, Giggles! What a Beautiful Sound!
Lucy is working in the psychiatry booth, when Charlie expresses his need for a way to feel happy. Lucy takes the time to tell Charlie what depression is, and decides the perfect antidote for his moody sadness.
For @ashleedragon
More Peanuts because I felt like it. And yes, another day of writing 2 fanfics in 1 day! This has been a really weird week...mixed with constantly changing emotions.
Charlie walked up to Lucy’s Psychiatry booth and sighed as he sat on the stool. It was such a pretty day outside, but he felt gloomy. The gloom would refuse to go away, even on a pretty summer day.
Lucy walked herself up to the psychiatry booth and flipped the ‘OUT’ paper over to the ‘IN’ side. The sign on the bottom now read ‘THE DOCTOR IS IN’.
“Hello Charlie! What brings you here today on this gorgeous day?” Lucy asked.
“I feel down while everyone else around me feels happy. I don’t get it.” Charlie admitted.
“Before you continue, I’d like to ask that you pay in advance. 5 cents please.” She said, showing him the can with the hole for the money. Charlie felt his pockets, pulled out a nickel and placed it into the can.
Lucy smiled and started shaking the can, making the 5 cents cling against the metal can. “Aaaah, nickels nickels, nickels. What a beautiful sound! Nickels, nickels! Such a pretty sound a nickel will make! Pretty nickel sounds!” She placed the can down. “Alright Charlie. You can continue.”
Charlie nodded. “Okay. I feel down on a day that I should be happy. Why doesn’t the weather make me happy?” Charlie asked.
Lucy put her index finger up. “Feeling sad is normal on any day, even a pretty day like today. However, feeling sad during a birthday or a holiday, may be a small problem. Have you heard of depression before?” Lucy asked.
Charlie shook his head. “I don’t know what it is.”
“One moment please.” Lucy pulled out a book and read it out loud. “Depression is a common medical illness that affects how you feel, how you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a lots of emotional and physical problems if left untreated.”
“English please?” Charlie asked.
“Okay. Depression is feeling sad, bored, or annoyed by things you enjoy or people you like. Are you bored with baseball or kite flying?” Lucy asked.
Charlie hummed and thought for a moment. “I don’t think so.”
“Do you get bored of being with Snoopy or my brother Linus?” Lucy asked.
“No. I like Linus. And Snoopy is wonderful.” Charlie said with a smile.
“Do you get bored of your crush?” Lucy asked.
“What crush?!” Charlie asked, blushing a bright red.
“The little redhaired girl? The girl with the same hair color as your face?” Lucy teased with a giggle.
Charlie looked away and groaned. “Good grief…”
The moment Lucy started doing kissy noises, Charlie started growing angry. “Stop it! I don’t see me making kissy sounds when you’re with Schroeder!”
Lucy gasped and crossed her arms. “I do NOT have a crush on Schroeder…What gave you that idea?”
“You always sit against his toy piano and flirt with him.” Charlie said calmly.
Lucy looked up and blushed the same color Charlie was a second ago. “Oh…”
Charlie smiled and smirked. “You’re the little red haired girl now.” Charlie teased.
“SHUT UP!” Lucy shouted, making Charlie go flying backwards. “I will not have you insulting the psychiatrist during the appointment.” Lucy shot at him.
“Fine…” Charlie decided. He knew he wasn’t insulting her. He knew she was being overdramatic. All girls are. Even his sister is. But he decided to keep the teasing to a minimum. “So...How do I get over this...depressin?” Charlie asked, mispronouncing the name.
Lucy smiled and put on a ‘helping all’ face. “There are a number of different ways to help your depression. You can do more of what makes you happy, or do something new to experience something more than the same old activity!” Lucy explained. “Have you considered working with me?” Lucy asked.
“M...Maybe not.” Charlie decided.
“Huh?!” Lucy looked at him with anger. “Why not?!” Lucy asked.
“I’m afraid we’ll get into fights.” Charlie admitted.
“I-...Well, I guess that’s true. Maybe you’re right.” Lucy admitted. “Say, I know what’ll make you happy!” Lucy jumped through the psychiatry booth and into the grass. “When’s the last time you’ve been tickled?” Lucy asked.
“Tickled?!” Charlie reacted. “Well...It’s been a while. I’m normally the one tickling others.” Charlie admitted.
“I know just what to do then! Lie down please.” Lucy declared, setting right to work.
Charlie nodded and lied down, not sure how to feel about it.
“Aaaaaand tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle!” Lucy started tickling Charlie on the sides, just like how she would tickle Linus.
Charlie’s lips quickly widened into a wobbly smile as he wiggled around and kicked his feet. “Hehehehehehe! Luhuhuhuhucyhyhyhy!” Charlie giggled.
“Yes Charlie?” Lucy replied.
“Ihihihihit tihihihicklehehes!” Charlie laughed.
“Good! That means it’s working then!” Lucy declared. “Are there any more spots you’re ticklish?” Lucy asked.
Lucy tried tickling his belly next, since it was right there.
“BAAHAHAHahahahaha!” Charlie laughed. “YEHEHEHEHESS!”
Lucy noticed that the closer she got to his belly button, the more he’d laugh. So, she poked the belly button.
“EEEEEEEEEK! NAHAHAT THEHEHERE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Charlie laughed hysterically.
“Ooooooh! I hit the jackpot!” Lucy declared.
“AHAHAHAHANYWHEHEHEHERE BUHUHUHUT THEHEHERE!” Charlie begged.
“Okay, okay.” Lucy stopped and moved to Charlie’s upper belly. “What other ticklish spots do you have?”
Lucy tried the armpits next.
“Eeeheheheheheheheh! Thahahahat’s ahahaha gohohohood ohohone!” Charlie admitted.
“You like the armpits being tickled?” Lucy asked. “Linus’s armpits are his worst spot.” Lucy admitted.
“Hehehehehehe gohohohohood tohohoho knohohohohow!” Charlie replied.
“Oh! I know where to go next!” Lucy moved her hands to Charlie’s feet. She grabbed his feet into a headlock, and started removing the shoes.
“Wait! WAIT! Those are a bad spot! Really bad! I can’t stand my feet being tickled! Not for long!” Charlie begged.
“I won’t go for long. Only a minute or two.” Lucy replied as she removed the first shoe and let it plop onto the grass. Charlie big his lip and looked away. He couldn’t watch.
The second shoe plopped itself onto the ground. It was then that Lucy started going to town on his feet!
Charlie squealed more higher pitched than Snoopy and Woodstock’s voices combined, and cackled up a storm. “STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! EHEHEHEHEVIHIHIHIL!” Charlie yelled.
Lucy giggled. “Tickles tickles tickles, what a beautiful sound!” Lucy teased.
Charlie laughed and laughed and even started to snort.
“Or rather, giggles giggles giggles.” Lucy teased, correcting herself. “Giggles, giggles, giggles. What a beautiful sound!”
Charlie’s giggly laughter was starting to reach Sally-levels of laughter.
“Wow! You and Sally sound a lot alike in your laughs! No wonder you two are related!” Lucy reacted.
Charlie started to cover his mouth in an attempt to cover up his laughter.
“Ah ah ah, no covering those giggles!” Lucy told him. “Covering giggles means going for the toesies!” Lucy declared. Sure enough, Lucy started tickling in between and under Charlie’s ticklish little toes.
Stahahahahap! Ihihihihihihit’s tohohohoho muhuhuhuch! AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Charlie screamed the moment his pinky toe was tickled.
Lucy gasped and tickled more in that little spot. “Ticklish tiny piggy!” Lucy declared.
Next, Lucy started doing something only a meanie would do:
“This little piggy went to the market…” Lucy started on the large toe and tickled under the big toesie.
“EEHEHE! Luhuhuhucyhyhyhyhy nohohohot thahahat!” Charlie begged, referring to the nursery rhyme.
“This little piggy went home!” Lucy tickled under the second toe.
“Sohohohoho mahahahany tihihihickles!” Charlie giggled.
“I know!” Lucy reacted. “This little piggy had beef…” Lucy started tickling under the middle toe.
“AHAHahahahahaha! Ahahahahahehehehehehehe!” Charlie laughed.
“And this little piggy had none!” Lucy booped and scratched under the fourth toe.
“AHAHALRIGHT, THAHAHAT’S ENOHOHOUGH-”
“And this little piggy went-” Lucy started tickling under the pinky toe and skittered, “WEE WEE WEE WEE WEE WEE, ALL THE WAY HOOOOME!”
Charlie practically died upon getting his pinky toe tickled. It was weird...His toes all had a different sensitivity level! It was strange going from giggles with the big toe, to SCREAMING with laughter with the tiny pinky toe.
Soon, Lucy gave him a big break. “There! Do you feel better?”
Charlie nodded. “Yeah, I actually do. Thank you.” Charlie replied.
“You’re welcome! And because I had to do some extra work today, 5 more cents please.” Lucy ordered her.
One small problem...He didn’t have another 5 cents.
However, he may not need it. Charlie smiled and booped her belly button, sending Lucy toppling over and giggling. “Hehehehey! I need my 5 cents!”
“I don’t have any more.” Charlie told her. “Besides: It’s my turn now.”
Charlie started tickling her armpits and her ribs. “EEEEHEHEHEHEheheheheHEHEHEHE! HEHEHEHEHEY! CHAHAHARLIHIHIHIHIHIE NOHOHOHO!” Lucy laughed.
“Don’t worry. I won’t go for long. Only a minute or two.” Charlie replied, repeating what Lucy had said to him earlier. Lucy yelped and covered her mouth. “Don’t you dare use my words against me!” She yelled through her hand.
“Ah ah ah, no covering those giggles” Charlie lifted one arm up and started skittering more. “Tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle, Lucy!” Charlie teased.
Lucy was laughing, giggling and squealing as her armpits were tickled nonstop.
“Wow! You and Linus have matching tickle spots!” Charlie reacted. “What a surprise!”
“STAHAHAHAP YOHOHOHOU BLOHOHOCKHEHEHEAD!” She yelled at him.
“Naaaaah...I haven't’ tickled you nearly enough yet!”
Charlie continued to tickle her for another 10 minutes or so. “Would this be a good way to pay you back?” Charlie asked.
“NOHOHOHOHO! NOHOHOT ALLOHOHOHOWED!” Lucy yelled back.
“Why not?” Charlie asked. “Don’t you like this?”
“DOHOHOHO NOHOHOHOT!” Lucy yelled back.
“Oh...Okay.” Charlie stopped tickling her and gave her a break. The moment Charlie stopped however, Lucy huffed and crossed her arms in...disappointment? “Oh? What’s that look for?”
“I- It means get out of here!” Lucy yelled at him rather suspiciously.
“You’re not mad, are you?” Charlie asked.
“Yes, I-” Lucy’s anger dwindled rather quickly as her eyes darted around the scenery. “No...No I’m not.”
Charlie smiled. “Good.”
Charlie walked up to Lucy a little closer. “I’ll go get that nickel for you.”
Lucy hummed and nodded. “Oh...Okay.”
Charlie really did promise her that nickel. He went home, grabbed a nickel from his coin purse and walked back to the psychiatry booth. “Here:” Charlie put the nickel into the coin and added an extra coin in. “That third nickel is a tip from me. That was a good idea.” Charlie told her.
Lucy gasped and started shaking the can around, making the nickels clang against the can. “So many nickels! Listen to the wonderful sound of nickels, nickels nickels!”
Charlie smiled at this and decided from then on, to maybe pay her as a way to thank her for the psychiatry sessions. They really did help him in a way. Though the relief didn’t last long, he did know where to go for more tickles if he needed to.
