rebecca wilkerson, malcolm in the middle

Halloween Approximately

"I'm sorry guys, I won't be able to hang out with you and Francis. I'm a tutor for a girl named Katherine, she's coming to the house during the weekend, but I don't know when," Rebecca explained to her brothers.

Reese couldn't help but chuckle, surrounded by a pile of rotten eggs and shaving cream. "You never would have accepted Caroline's proposal, Becca. Look at all these rotten eggs and shaving cream!"

Malcolm nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's a shame to miss out, especially since Francis will be there, but I guess it's not a big deal."

Shrugging, Rebecca said, "If you say so."

After about 20 minutes, the sound of Francis' voice echoed through the house.

Reese's excitement grew. "Hey, guys, can't you hear Francis' voice? He's here!"

Rebecca yelled from the bathroom, "Hey, wait for me! I'm just peeing!" Her words hung in the air, unanswered. "Guys? Shoot, they're already gone."

The boys rushed to greet their big brother, and shortly after, Rebecca arrived, calling out, "Francis!" as she jumped into his arms.

"Hey, duckling," Francis greeted her, lifting her lightly before setting her down and ruffling her hair affectionately.

Soon after this reunion, a sudden intrusion interrupted their joy. A girl climbed in through the window, surprising Rebecca.

Rebecca sat up, her curiosity piqued. "Wow, who are you?"

The girl replied with a hint of mischief, "I'm Kat. Makes sense, doesn't it? And why are some guys in front of your house taking a lot of weird stuff?"

Rebecca's confusion lingered. "Oh yeah, but isn't your name Katherine? And these are my brothers. They're going to throw catapults at people at night with this."

"Literally no one calls me Katherine," Kat replied nonchalantly. "But that sounds so cool! Why don't you go with them?"

Rebecca's sense of duty kicked in. "Because I have to help you improve your grades so you don't repeat a grade, remember?"

Kat rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, I see your type."

A frown creased Rebecca's forehead. "What type are you talking about?"

"The type of girl who reminds the teacher about homework, who complains all the time. You know the type," Kat remarked dismissively. "Anyway, where should we land to work?"

Rebecca sighed and retorted, "Wait, not so fast. Did you just call me an annoying girl?"

Kat shrugged, unbothered. "Yeah, so what? Get over it."

Rolling her eyes, Rebecca conceded, "Fine, sit in the chair by the desk. I'll get another one."

As they settled down to study, Kat's boredom grew apparent.

"I'm bored!" Kat complained, breaking the silence.

"If you keep saying that, I'm going to call you Katherine. Is that what you want, huh?" Rebecca threatened playfully.

"We've been working for five hours. Let's go join your brothers on the roof!" Kat insisted.

Rebecca remained steadfast. "No, we need to keep working, Kat."

Suddenly, in an act of rebellion, Kat pushed Rebecca into the bathroom and barricaded the door with a broom.

Rebecca's fury ignited as she began banging on the door, demanding to be set free. "Open the door, Kat!"

Meanwhile, Kat climbed to the roof, effortlessly joining the boys as if nothing had happened. All eyes turned to her, curiosity in their gazes.

Malcolm spoke up, breaking the silence. "Who are you?"

"I'm Kat. I heard you were going to throw catapults at people and decided to join you," Kat explained with a mischievous grin.

Reese questioned, "Where's Becky?"

Kat played it cool. "Up your ass. Anyway, when do we start?"

Dewey gasped, seeking refuge behind Reese's leg. "She ate Becky!"

Malcolm reassured him, "She didn't eat Becky; she locked her up somewhere!"

Kat chimed in nonchalantly, "Nah, I didn't do anything to her. She told me she was going for a ride to her friend's...what's her name again?"

"JJ?" Reese offered.

"Uh, yeah! I told her it was late, but she said it was okay, so I let her," Kat replied, effortlessly fabricating a lie that went unquestioned, securing her place among the group.

As the day unfolded, Kat had a blast with the boys, and she soon became a frequent visitor to their house.

Curiosity got the better of Francis when he discovered a broom blocking the bathroom door. He removed the obstacle, only to find his little sister, Rebecca, sleeping on the floor.

Malcolm mused, "I should have known. That girl lies too well, a little too well."

Rebecca woke up, rubbing her eyes. "It was Kat who locked me in!"

In unison, everyone replied, "We know."

Determined to get her revenge, Rebecca hatched a plan. "I'm going to get my revenge! Are there any Oreos left in the kitchen cupboard?"

Francis furrowed his brow. "Uh, yeah?"

"All right, good to know," Rebecca smirked mischievously before getting up and heading towards the kitchen, with everyone following, eager to witness her scheme.

Taking a detour to the kitchen, Rebecca retrieved a package of Oreos. She carefully removed the white icing from each cookie, leaving behind an empty void. A devious grin spread across her face as she headed to the bathroom, toothpaste in hand.

Replacing the missing icing with a generous dollop of toothpaste, Rebecca meticulously sealed the cookies back in the package. It was a simple yet effective trick that was sure to catch Kat off guard.

"Well done, little sister," Francis congratulated, giving Rebecca a high five.