Okay, I know it's been quite a while since I've posted. My new term is starting soon and then it'll be back to homework and projects and annoying teachers…. Ah well, enjoy this next installment of I Am Me. A Big thank you to those who reviewed the previous chap!! I look forward to more.

JackPoT

Laura cringed when she saw Malcolm Wilkerson walking into the café she was working in. She still had not gotten over his last visit two days ago. I was like a bumbling idiot. Ever since they met,she only thought of Malcolm as someone she had to compete with, what with him topping almost every class she had with him. She knew he was a school janitor, which had amused her a little in the beginning (she was horrified the first time she walked out of a cubicle to see him mopping the floor). Her roommate Patty had a thing for his roommate. They greet each other in the hallways though she never bothers him when he is working. That was it. They were acquaintances friendly with each other. With maybe a tiny bit of rivalry on her part. Which disturbs her to no end a to why she had acted like she acted when he dropped by for coffee that day.

And it looks like things will not get better unless she could just sneak to the back… too late. He saw her.

"Hi," Malcolm greeted her, smiling uncertainly, his eyes darting to the cloth she was holding.

And I can hardly blame him, she thought wryly. At least it's not on the floor.

"Hi. Good morning. Coffee?" Laura mentally kicked herself. Duh. That's why he's here you dumb ass. It's not like he dropped by to see you or anything.

"Yeah."

"Ok. I'll get right on it."

Malcolm sighed as he watched Laura disappear behind the back door with an empty pot of coffee. For a moment there, he thought she was going to recite the menu to him again.

Not that I would have minded that much. She's really cute when she gets all chatty. And when she smiles it was like… what am I saying? I came here for coffee. Coffee. The beverage that keep students sane and alive and homework free. The coffee here is great. That is why I am here. Sure, could use more sugar and cream. Lesser ants would be nice. But that's besides the point.

Malcolm looked over the café while waiting for his coffee. He spotted the matronly woman who was behind the counter. She was smiling at him, an understanding gleam in her eyes.

I hate it when people look at me like that. Bad things always happen.

Reese had the perfect family. He has a mother that dotes on him and a father that understands him. His three best friends were his brothers, Francis, Malcolm and Dewey. Jamie will be one too of course, once his vocabulary is widened. They always spend their time helping the neighbors with chores, after theirs is done of course, and Reese even babysits once in a while, accepting no payment other than snacks and the occasional dinner. He gets along well with all the children he takes care of. They look to him like one looks to an older brother, someone who gives them good advice. Reese treats every single one of them with respect and dignity and they love him for it.

They live in a modest suburban house, with a perfectly kept lawn that Reese or Malcolm helps to mow every other week. Their whole neighborhood looks up to his family, his father being quite the socialite and his mother making the best oatmeal cookies in town.

Of course, being popular does give Reese a lot of attention, especially from the boys he babysits. They often come over to his house for a chat or to ask for advice for problems they face or caused. Reese was only too happy to oblige. He loved all the boys like his own brothers. He sometimes wished he had more younger brothers. Imagine how happy he was when his mother got pregnant-

"AAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

Silence. Everything was dark. Thumps and footsteps began making their way to his room and the door opens and the room suddenly lights up.

"What happened? Reese? Are you okay?" asked a very sleepy but very tired looking Craig.

Reese was breathing heavily. Beads of perspiration dotted his forehead and torso. His face was pale and eyes still wide with shock.

"Yeah," he managed to croak, "just a nightmare."

Hal stared at the lottery ticket he had bought yesterday and compared it to the numbers on the screen, eyes as wide as saucers, mouth wide open in disbelief. He could hardly believe his luck.

"Oh my god I won third place…," he whispered, before whirling around to see if anyone had heard him.

Which was rather unnecessary considering he was in his own living room.

Barely able to control his excitement, he began to mentally check off a list in his head of all the things the family needed.

"… new shutters, new pipes, new TV…" he mumbled

He then frowned.

Malcolm would never have to work through college. He would be able to concentrate on his studies and spend more time making new friends…

…OR WE COULD GO ON A HOLIDAY!!! OVERSEAS!!!

Unable to hold back the torrent of delirium running through his veins, he jumped up and began shrieking excitedly.

"YES! YES! YES!"

"Certainly not!" Lois said, pulling up the blanket to cover her legs. They were getting ready for bed.

"But Lois, come on. We've been dreaming of something like this happening to us for years and-,"

"Yes but not to go on holiday to some malaria infested place that's gonna get us all sick! We have debts Hal and we need to pay them off first-,"

"But the rest?" it came out in a hopeful whimper.

"Will be divided between the house, the new baby and the kids. We need to be more responsible-,"

" But..but…Lois you are not thinking about this properly. Imagine yourself on the beach somewhere in the Bahamas sipping a coconut juice-,"

Lois snapped, "I've never liked coconut juice. Hal! Remember that time when you took Malcolm's scholarship money? That was ten grand wasted and-,"

"We paid him back," Hal cringed, knowing he was losing and was losing badly. He still felt bad about the incident. He felt worse about not getting the boat.

" We paid him back three thousand dollars, Hal. We shortchanged our own son by seven thousand dollars and now is the time to make up for what happened. We need to live by a certain set of values, we need to set an example for the children-,"

" The children don't even know about that scholarship thing-,"

"Dewey does!"

"And we both know he will support my choice-,"

" And that is why we need to do the right thing, so he would know your decision is wrong."

"But-,"

"Hal."

"Yes dear."

Dewey smiled. It was better than he thought. Quietly, he got up to his feet and tiptoed his way back to his room.

Blackmail, he thought happily.

"Give me twenty percent of the money won or Malcolm will receive an anonymous email regarding the ten thousand dollar incident."

Hal stared at his second youngest son incredulously.

"What?!"

"You heard me. It was your idea, if my memory is correct, to spend that scholarship of his on-,"

"You bought yourself a Rolex!"

"… and I'm sure he would be interested to know what you wanted to buy. As a responsible adult, dad, you really should set a good example. Besides-,"

"You promised you won't tell!" Hal was not at all angry. He was merely hysterical.

Dewey sighed, "I was young and stupid, unable to think through decisions that were made in the spur of the moment."

Seeing Hal's shell-shocked face, Dewey smiled.

"Don't worry Dad. I'll settle for fifteen percent. We're family after all."

Hal found the statement too ironic to say anything.

Giving Hal another bright smile, Dewey went back into his room, leaving Hal standing in the living room, still reeling from his son's proposal.

"…and then we used to throw stuff at the other houses. It was the best I'm telling ya. Maybe I can show you how to work a catapult someday…" Dewey loved telling Jamie of the past, the days he now refers to as 'The Golden Days', especially before bed. He thought the only way he could be a good brother to Jamie was to share with him his past experiences.

Jamie was not as enthusiastic.

"Shut up!" he shouted, clamping his eyes close.

"You know, I think those were my first words too. Malcolm, yeah he was always my favorite but, well, Reese was more funny…"

"Shut up! I wanna sleep!"

"That's exactly what they use to scream at me too! Glad to know some things never change-,"

Jamie was too tired to say anything.

"By the way, don't tell anyone this but dad won third place in the state lottery. Didn't catch how much he won though exactly though, but it must be a huge sum of money, enough for truckloads of candy…" Dewey trailed off, sleep overpowering him.

Jamie's eyes snapped open.

Piama pushed her shopping cart down the isle, choosing between the variety of cans she found staring back at her.

"Pedigree? Maybe Chums… for extra shiny fur? Wonder if they have any for humans…" she mused, "maybe Breeder's Choice, all natural..."

Might not be able to update for awhile, starting school and god knows where my homework is right now. In the meantime, please review and tell me, please, what's wrong with this fic, or what's right. In other words please review. Might help me update faster. Hahas.