Return to the Treehouse

That afternoon after school let out for the day, Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, Kimi, and Susie were hanging out in the old treehouse in the Finster family's backyard.

That was when Chuckie filled Tommy, Lil, Phil, and Susie all in on what happened to Kimi on the school playground at recess that day.

"Yeah," Chuckie said. "Terry and those two buddies of his, Vincent Oleson, and Jason Wheeler were being mean to Kimi, but they didn't notice me, so I ran and got Mister Webber."

"Uh huh," Kimi nodded. "and, he really scared them good, he sent them to the principal's office and said he was going to call their parents."

"Ooh, somebody's in trouble." Tommy said in a sing-song voice.

"Yeah," Phil said. "and he deserves to be too!"

"They've certainly caused a lot of trouble for us," Tommy nodded. "what worries me is, that Terry may be mad at Chuckie for getting him into trouble."

"Oh no!" Chuckie said, looking scared.

"Don't worry, I heard my mom say that Missis McNulty threatened to pull Terry out of school and send him to one of those strict private places up state." Lil said.

Phil nodded, "I hope she will this time." he said.

"What do you mean 'this time'?" Tommy asked.

"Missis McNulty threatened to do this once before," Phil said. "but then, she let her over-bearing father-in-law talk her out of it."

"I see," Tommy said. "what about Timmy, Todd, Ty, and Teddy?"

"My mother said that Missis McNulty said," Susie answered Tommy. "the same thing would happen to those four boys as well."

"That would be nice," Tommy said. "we'd have all of them out of our hair if that happens."

The others nodded.

"But they weren't around when Terry grabbed Toto." Kimi said.

"That's right," Chuckie said. "so there's no reason send them upstate?"

"Yet," Phil said. "with those guys, I don't think we'll have to wait too long for them to get into trouble again."

"If they bother us at school again," Tommy said. "let's just make sure there is always one of us that can go after the teacher."

At this there was a collective nod of agreement.

At the McNulty residence that same day, suddenly, the door behind the five boys swung open.

The boys froze, Terry was holding two cartons of eggs, and divided between the others, there were bottles of soap and multiple rolls of toilet paper.

"What do you think you're doing?" said their mother, Colleen McNulty, even though the answer was pretty obvious.

"Nothing." 8-year-old Timmy said.

"Put that stuff back were you found it," Colleen snapped. "there will be no pranks tonight."

"Ah Colleen," Conan said. "let them have their fun, it's Halloween!"

"Conan," Colleen said. "may I remind you that Terry is in enough trouble as it is at school, the school board is meeting to review his record Monday and decide whether or not to expel him!"

"Okay," Conan said. "Terry stays here, but let the others go!"

Colleen sighed.

"All right," Colleen said. "Terry put the eggs back in the fridge and go to your room, you're grounded tonight, the rest of you can go, but no pranks! So that stuff stays here!"

"But Mom!" the boys whined.

"No buts," Colleen snapped. "no pranks, or you don't go!"

The boys put the stuff down and Timmy, Todd, Ty, and Teddy headed out the door while Terry headed for his bedroom.

"Now, Colleen, why did you do that," Conan asked. "pranks are part of Halloween."

"Conan," said Colleen, "some of the kids that trick-or-treat on this block have parents on the school board, if my boys so much as pranks one of them, Terry will get expelled for sure! And if he gets expelled, I will make good on my threat to send him to that boarding school upstate!"

Her father-in-law looked grave as the full weight of the situation sunk in.