"Greg! Anthony!" Murray scolded as he frowned at the two younger boys. " Just look at the mess you made in my room!"
"Sorry Murray." Greg, always the first to apologize, looked at the floor and kicked the toe of his shoe against the floor.
Anthony was a little more difficult. " Well, how could we have a proper pillow fight with Jeff in his room, sleeping, Greg won't play in his room because of the rabbits and all his stuff, you were cleaning my room, so that just leaves yours. Ain't my fault your pillows were so easy to break."
Murray rolled his eyes. " You could have broke my fish tank and killed my fish." He pointed out.
Anthony immediately looked stricken. "We never would have done that." He protested, his eyes sliding around to the tank to assure himself it, and it's occupants, were okay.
His gaze fell guiltily to the floor when he caught sight of the scribbles on the glass.
" Sorry, Murray." He mumbled.
Murray sighed heavily. " It's okay. Both of you have more energy then you know what to do with. Maybe you could go outside for a bit instead?"
"Come with us? Please?" Both boys pleaded with their only slightly older brother, who usually was in on their pranks and fun just as much.
But Murray shook his head. " I promised Jeff I would have the house cleaned up by the time he woke from his nap. Maybe you could help me?"
"Oh yes, please!" Anthony and Greg jumped up and down in excitement.
Murray smiled at their enthusiasm, then handed tall Greg the duster and gave Anthony the broom.
Murray grabbed the vacuum and they all set to work.
Soon enough, Murray saw Anthony whisper something to Greg, who shook his head vehemently, but Anthony only whispered to him again.
Murray tiptoed over to hear what was being said, and chuckled.
"Murray!" Anthony jumped. " What are you doing, sneaking up on us like that?"
"Listening to what you two were planning."
Usually, their youngest brother Greg took the lead when they were performing, rehearsing, shopping, or doing other activities.
Murray nearly always led the musical parts of the family.
Jeff, well, he pretty much slept when he could, or painted when he wasn't.
He also took the roll of the parent when he had to, which Murray also assumed at times as well.
But when it came to pranks, Anthony was always the ringleader, you could count on that.
And he nearly always got Greg into trouble with him, and sometimes Murray as well.
But it was gullible Greg who got most of the blame, because, he really should have known better then to listen to his older brother's schemes.
Murray secretly would look the other way on some of the mischief the two youngest got into, but he did have to be firm at other times.
This was one of those times, however, he choose to go along with the prank.
"Go on." He giggled. " Draw on Jeff. He'll find it funny too, when he wakes up."
He was slightly puzzled at the guilty look on Greg's face, and the way Anthony elbowed him, but he passed it off on Greg's usual goody-goody attitude he got when he decided he didn't want to do something the least bit goofy on someone else.
Feet dragging, Greg went into the kitchen and grabbed the permanent markers Anthony had told him to use.
He knew he shouldn't be doing this, and he know Murray didn't know what Anthony wanted him to write on Jeff's forehead.
But he didn't know how to tell on Anthony; he just couldn't make himself do it, especially when Murray wanted him to do it too.
Even when Murray didn't really know what was going on.
Everyone knew Jeff didn't like being teased about his former last name, Fatt.
He had joined with Greg, Anthony, and Murray, and took on the last name of Wiggle, like the rest of them had.
But he still couldn't escape the shadow of his former last name, and he could get really upset when teased about it.
So when Anthony told Greg to write, " I'm a Fatt head," on Jeff's forehead, in permanent marker, Greg had at first refused.
But then Anthony began pleading with him, and all Murray overheard was "drawing on Jeff", so, he thought it would be funny.
The thought that he could draw something nice instead never occurred to the worried Greg, so, most unhappily, he wrote on Jeff's forehead and went miserably away.
So, instead, in his anxiety and guilt, he wrote, " Jeff is a f***k head" instead of " I'm a Fatt head," and never noticed his fatal mistake.
He resumed dusting, hardly hearing Anthony and Murray chatting happily to each other, when a scream came from Jeff's room.
Greg dropped the duster and cringed, Anthony looked worried, and Murray looked bewildered.
Jeff stormed out of his room, his expression dark.
"Who," he spat, "Wrote this on my forehead, in permanent marker?"