Exchange Student- Reese Wilkerson/Malcolm in the Middle

Chapter 1 - Manchester

"Okay, boys, I will not let you screw this up for me. Let's go over the rules once more. No insults, no fighting, no stealing, no pranks, nothing. For all they know we are a close, loving famil-"
"Ow!"
"Hal!" Lois whispered angrily.
"He kicked me!" Hal exclaimed,motioning to Reese, who was stood to the right of him.
Malcolm and Dewey sniggered behind them.
They straightened up as the door was opened. A tall, fairly skinny man stood in the doorway beside what looked like his wife. The couple were both in their late 40's, and had just moved into the house opposite to the Wilkerson's.
"Hi, you must be the Callaghan's? We live across the street, and we brought you this as a welcome present" Lois handed  Mr Callaghan a loaf of homemade banana bread.
"Thank you ever so much!" he turned around, facing the wooden staircase behind him,"Katherine! Get down here! Meet the neighbours"
A moments silence passed, before a tall, slender girl came clattering down the stairs. Her long, dark brown hair was tucked behind her ears, and she wore a black, halter neck crop top, with a dark blue denim skirt, hoop earrings and a dirty looking, old pair of burgundy Dr. Martens.

Katherine's POV

I sat down on the second from the bottom stair, and rested my head on my left hand.
"I'm David, this is my wife Jennifer, and this is-"
I stood up, interrupting him, " I'm Katherine Moore, an exchange student from England, I'm not their kid." I smiled at the mother, and she returned the gesture.
"How interesting! I've always wanted to house an exchange student but it's just so chaotic already over at our place, I don't think I could cope!"
I chuckled.
"Hey if you're from England how come you talk like you're from Russia or somewhere?" One of the three boys spoke up. He stood a few inches taller than me,although he looked around my age, wearing baggy clothes, and with dark brown, spiky hair with frosted tips.
"I'm from Manchester, it's only the people from London who talk like the Queen"
"Where's Manchester?"
"Reese, quit it!" Lois snapped.
I smiled at him, and winked, not suggestively, as if to say we could continue the conversation later. He smiled back and looked down at the ground, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.
"Anyway, I'm Lois, this is my husband Hal, and these are my sons Reese, Malcolm and Dewey"
She motioned to each of the boys as she said their names.
"It's lovely to meet you all, would you like to come in?" Jennifer asked politely.
"That'd be lovely, thank you"
Lois led the boys through the hallway, following David and Jennifer into the living room.

The eight of us made our way into the small living room. I sat at the end of one of the two three seater sofas. Reese came and sat beside me, with Hal on the other side of him, and Lois,David and Jennifer sat on the other sofa, meaning Malcolm and Dewey sat on the floor in front of Reese and I. Soon the adults had started with the awkward small talk, and Malcolm and Dewey were probably arguing about something or other.

Reese's POV

"It's in the North"
"What?" I looked over at Katherine confused.
"Manchester,it's in the North of England, that's why I don't talk like the Queen"
I laughed.
"I like your voice, it makes you sound all tough"
She raised her eyebrows, as if to say she was the complete opposite of tough, and smiled.
"How old are you?" I asked.
"I'm 15,16 in March. You?"
"15,16 in November. I win"
"So, are you in my grade then?"
"I would assume so,if we're the same age" Damnit,stupid question Reese.
"Although, I honestly doubt you'll be seeing much of me anyway"
"Why?" I knitted my eyebrows together in confusion.
"How do I put it, I just can't put up with school. Im not dumb, it's just I can't make friends, I always pick fights with the teachers and I don't learn anything anyway. At my old school I just used to hang out by the water fountain during the classes I didn't like, or didn't want to got to. The teachers stopped punishing me eventually, I did it so often they just gave up"
I stared in awe at her for a moment,shocked by how similar we were.
"Are you like the female version of me or something? The only difference is that I'm dumb, like really dumb. I love hanging out by the water fountain! It's so nice and relaxing, I sometimes stay there all day!"
She smiled at me, "It really is, isn't it?"
"Reese, let's go!" Hal called from the doorway.
"Wait a minute" she ran upstairs, and came back with a pen in her hand, writing her number on the palm of my hand.
"I know you only live across the street, but it seems like you get grounded a lot" she whispered.
I smiled, before following my Dad out of the house.