Experiment

"...what do you think I've been doing for the last 2 weeks?" Malcolm yelled at Stevie as Reese and I walked in.

"Hey, hey, what's going on here?" I asked, and Reese shouted,

"When am I getting my room back? I can't work on my Sexy Face out there in front of Mom!" I tried to stifle my giggles, and Reese glared at me. "What are you guys doing in here, anyway?"

"We're trying to create a new restriction enzyme (sp?)! What does it look like?" Malcolm asked.

"You're messing up my room for that?"

"This is important! Restriction enzymes are used for chromosome mapping, DNA testing, gene splicing. It's for a big national competition. If we win this, our paper will be published in a scientific journal. We'll probably be able to write our ticket to any college in the country!" Malcolm explained.

"Then everyone...will pay," Stevie said.

"Did you get any of that?" I asked Reese and he shook his head. Malcolm kept rambling on:

"Only our incubator keeps breaking down, plus we're running low on agar, we're *completely* out of blood, our yeast keeps getting contaminated-"

"Maybe I can help," Reese said and Malcolm and Stevie looked at each other before Malcolm said,

"That's okay, Reese. If we need a head caught in a waste-paper basket, we'll give you a call."

"Hey!" I yelled, and expected Reese to yell, too, but he just said,

"Why do you do that? I offered to help you and you turn around and make it about me being stupid! Seriously. I might have something to contribute! Why don't you just give me a chance?"

*LATER*

"That's 2 pints," Malcolm said, squeezing the bag of blood that they took from Reese's arm. "We'd better not take any more."

"Are you sure you're okay doing this, babe?" I asked.

"This is so exciting! I feel like I'm gonna faint!" Reese cried, and my eyes widened.

*LATER*

Reese was fiddling with some test tubes in the kitchen, because he wanted to help Malcolm and Stevie with their experiment. Little did he know, it was just food coloring, but I didn't wanna spoil his mood.

"Here ya' go," I said, handing Dewey a few 10 dollar bills and he handed me 4 candy bars.

"Thanks, Maria!" he cried, and I smiled.

"No problem, kiddo."

"Maria, guess what?" Reese cried and I glanced over at him.

"What?"

"If you mix blue and yellow, you get an entirely new color!" Reese cried, holding up a test tube filled with green liquid. "It's...blellow!"

He does know that's green, right? I thought, but just smiled and asked, "I wonder if Malcolm would be impressed?"

"You're right! I'll be right back!" Reese cried, and ran into his bedroom. Reese was like a little kid running to show his mommy something he made, but I couldn't help it. It was cute.

"I can't believe Mom's making me sell all these candy bars!" Dewey moaned, and I grinned.

"The horror!"

"Hey, do you remember 2 years ago when Malcolm told you I had a crush on you?" Dewey asked and I nodded.

"Yepp. Lemme guess, he was lying?"

"No," Dewey said, blushing. "but I don't have a crush on you anymore."

"A 2-year crush over so soon? Who's the new lady?" I asked, but Dewey's eyes widened and he ran out of the room.

*LATER*

"Hello...trade school," Stevie said, sighing and I glanced up at him from reading a comic book over Reese's shoulder. It was the next day, in case you didn't know.

"I wish Reggie would kill Archie and take over this comic," Reese complained.

"Malcolm, I need you to watch Jamie for a while," Lois said, walking in the room.

"Mom, we're at a very critical point in our experiment!" Malcolm cried.

"I'm sorry, are you new? Steve, please explain how things work around here," Lois said, and Malcolm got up to face her and she shoved the bag full of baby stuff at him.

While Malcolm and Steve were watching Jamie, I continued to read the comic while Reese was bouncing a red, rubber ball against the wall.

"I'm bored," he moaned and I nodded.

"I know."

"This sucks."

"I know."

*LATER*

"Well, none of these worked," Malcolm complained as he and Stevie came back in. "Maybe we should-" They crouched down next to the test tubes. "Oh My God!"

"What?" I asked, walking over to them to take a good look. "Whoa..."

"It...seperated!" Stevie said, and then Malcolm cried,

"YEAH! We did it! We made an enzyme! It's unbelievable! What'd you do to it?"

"I didn't...do anything," Stevie replied.

"What? Well, neither did I." Malcolm reached over to pick up the test tube and showed it to Stevie.

"Blellow!" he cried.

"Blellow? Isn't that just green-? Oh My God," I said, and Reese came out of the bathroom.

"Hey, guys."

*LATER*

"How did...you do it?" Stevie asked after their millionth failed attempt at trying to get the other test tubes to seperate.

"I didn't do anything!" Reese replied.

"Look, we're not mad at you. We just need to know what you did!" Malcolm said.

"Why are you always blaming me?"

"Reese, you did a good thing! You somehow got this thing to seperate. You must have added something! What was it?"

"Oh. I just...I don't know if I can even remember," Reese said.

"Just try," I told him.

"I mean, I wasn't paying that much attention and there was this other stuff going on, and I'm not sure why I'd tell you if you're not gonna give me credit!" Reese yelled.

"What?" Stevie cried.

"This is a big contest. Big enough for the 3 of us. Either we split the credit 3 ways, or I'm not talking!"

"You are picking the wrong guys to mess with, Reese," Malcolm snarled.

"Yeah!" Stevie agreed. "Let's tattle."

*LATER*

"Do you *really* want credit in a stupid Science competition?" I asked Reese while Malcolm and Stevie were tattling.

"Yeah! I'm tired of everyone treating me like I'm stupid! I actually did something good and I want credit!" I sighed.

"Okay. Hey, I'm outta here, so tell me how that goes."

"Where are you going?"

"Home. Cynthia and I are supposed to hang out today," I said and Reese rolled his eyes, but I ignored him.

"G'bye," I said, giving him a quick kiss and leaving. As I passed Malcolm and Stevie in the kitchen, I could feel their eyes on me. Literally, staring at me in awe. I turned back and they didn't look away.

"What?" I asked, and they were speechless.

"Uhh...you have a booger," Malcolm said and my hands flew to my nose.

"REALLY?" I shrieked and ran out of there as fast as I could.

But you know what the funny thing was? When I got home and checked in the mirror before Cynthia got there, I didn't have a booger. Or a pimple or anything. So why were they staring at me like that?

~my heart is taken 3~