rebecca wilkerson, malcolm in the middle

Rebecca's first crush

It was a sunny afternoon, and the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Rebecca walked out of the school gates with her friends, her mind occupied by something unusual - a feeling she hadn't experienced before. She tried to shake off the strange sensation, but it clung to her like a stubborn stain.

"Hey, Bex, you've been awfully quiet today. Is everything okay?" Jade, her best friend, asked, noticing Rebecca's distant expression.

Rebecca forced a smile. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, I guess."

But it wasn't tiredness; it was the fluttery feeling in her stomach whenever she saw Jason, a boy from her math class. She didn't understand why she felt this way. Love, romance, and all that stuff – she despised it. Yet, here she was, her heart doing somersaults whenever he was around.

Jade nudged her playfully. "Come on, spill the beans. I've known you forever. Something's up."

Rebecca hesitated for a moment before confessing, "Okay, fine. I think I have a crush on Jason. But I hate it, JJ. I hate this... this lovey-dovey stuff."

Jade grinned mischievously. "Ah, young love. It gets the best of us."

Rebecca scowled. "It's not love. I refuse to believe in that nonsense. It's just... a stupid crush. It'll go away."

Over the next few days, Rebecca found herself stealing glances at Jason during math class. She observed the way he concentrated, the way he smiled when he understood a difficult problem. It was infuriating and fascinating at the same time.

One day, as they were paired up for a class project, Rebecca's palms grew sweaty, and her heart raced. She couldn't focus on the assignment; her mind was a jumble of equations and Jason's smile.

After the class, Jade cornered her. "So, how was working with Jason?"

Rebecca shrugged, trying to downplay her feelings. "It was... fine. Nothing special."

Jade smirked knowingly. "Sure, 'nothing special.' Your face says otherwise."

Rebecca groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I hate this. Why does he have to be so... so Jason?"

Jade patted her shoulder sympathetically. "Welcome to the world of crushes, my friend. It's weird, it's confusing, and it makes you do and feel strange things."

Rebecca sighed, feeling a mixture of annoyance and resignation. "I still hate it. Love, crushes, romance... it's all overrated."

Jade chuckled. "You don't have to embrace it all at once, Bex. Just let yourself feel whatever you're feeling. And who knows, maybe this crush thing isn't as bad as you think."

Rebecca gave her friend a skeptical look. "I highly doubt that."

Little did she know, as the days passed, her perspective on crushes would continue to evolve, teaching her that even the most resistant hearts could change their tune when it came to matters of the heart.