The four musketeers sat around the kitchen table talking late Friday night.

"Are any of you guys going to the history exhibit tomorrow?" Tootie asks curiously, as she sips at her Pepsi.

"I know I am, my teacher is offering extra credit, and I didn't do so hot on my last test on European Socialism" Jo responded while stifling a yawn. "All I have to do is take a couple of pictures of some of the fossils and artifacts and bring them in to class in the next couple of days."

Blair nodded her head, "I think I'm going to go for the same reasons. Mr. Dullard, err I mean Mr. Bullard rarely offers up such opportunities for make up so I'm going to do the extra credit. What about you Natalie, are you going to go?"

"I kind of have to, I'm covering the event for the Eastland Gazette" Natalie rolled her eyes; history was one of her least favorite subjects.

Tootie stood up and walked to the other end of the room, "I guess I'm the only one not going, I'm going to go shopping with my mom in New York."

"I wish I could trade places with you." Blair looks at Tootie enviously.

"You would trade places with a person just so you could go shopping?" Jo asks incredulously.

Blair pauses a minute to think this over seriously, "Yes, in a heartbeat."

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired and I'm going to bed before Mrs. Garrett catches us awake at this ungodly hour." Natalie declares as she gets up and joins Tootie on the other side of the room.

"Yeah, I think I'll hit the sack too." Tootie chimes in behind Natalie as they walk up the stairs to their room.

"Oh come on guys, the night is still young." Jo looks at her watch.

"Yeah, and it's only just past midnight on the weekend." Blair answers and yawns.

"Party poopers."

"Let's let the children go to sleep. I want to tell you all about my date with Eric."

"Fine, just don't nauseate me too much."

"Nauseate you? I thought you liked hearing about my dates since you don't go on many." Blair flips her hair and smiles condescendingly.

Jo narrows her eyes. "Of course they nauseate me, all you ever want to talk about is yourself and what you do, which is mainly shopping and dating and it makes me sick."

"What about you? All you talk about is your bike and The Bronx; I could care less about either!" Blair stands up and yells in Jo's face.

"Blair, you better get out of my face or else you'll be eating through a straw!" Jo holds out her fist just inches away from Blair's face.

Blair backs off and pretends that she isn't afraid, "Oh come off it Jo, we all know you're threats are empty!"

"I'll show you empty, Blondie!" Jo chases Blair up the stairs to their bedroom, where Natalie and Tootie are in their respective beds, trying to sleep.

"Guys, could you knock it off for one night so we can go to sleep?" Tootie mumbles from under her covers.

"Yes, please stop. Why can't you two just get a long? You break out into fights too easily."

Jo calms down and goes over to where her bed is. "You guys are right, if I have time I'll kill her tomorrow, but I'll go to bed right now."

Blair rolls her eyes and sits on her own bed. "I'm going to bed too, I need my beauty sleep."

"Yeah, you do." Jo chimes in smiling evilly.

"Well, if we are talking about who needs beauty sleep; you should be in a coma." Blair laughs at her own joke.

"Guys…" Tootie and Natalie plead in unison.

"Okay, we're going to bed." Jo answers as she glances at Blair, whom nods her head in agreement.

…….

"I don't know if I can take living with Jo and Blair anymore, they fight constantly." Natalie complains to Mrs. Garrett as she helps clean up the breakfast tables.

"Well, friends fight. You and Tootie fight occasionally. I think it's just how Blair and Jo's relationship works, they fight like sisters." Mrs. Garrett smiles reassuringly as she pats Natalie on the shoulder.

"If you say so Mrs. Garrett, but I don't even know how I'm going to deal with them at the history exhibit later today. I have an article to work on and people to interview and I'm going to have to deal with more of their stupid fights."

"Don't worry about it Natalie, they shouldn't fight too much, because they have extra credit work to do."

"Okay, well I better help set up for the exhibit, I'll see you later."

"Okay, see you later, Natalie." Mrs. Garrett walks upstairs to the girls' room.

"Hey Mrs. G." Jo tells her cheerily as she puts on her denim jacket.

"How are you Mrs. Garrett?" Blair answers just as cheerily as Jo does, while she brushes her hair.

"Hey girls, I just wanted to tell you that I've had Natalie and Tootie come to me this morning and complain about you two." Mrs. Garrett sits on Tootie's bed.

"Whatever for?" Blair continues looking in her mirror applying makeup and flipping her hair.

"Yeah, what did we do know?" Jo sighs and sits on her bed.

"What you and Blair always do, fight."

"But, Mrs. Garrett, that's just how we are." Blair goes to sit next to Jo and puts her arm around her."

"Yeah, that's what makes our friendship so much more interesting than Natalie's and Tootie's." Jo smiles at Blair and pushes her arm off her shoulder.

Mrs. Garrett couldn't help but to smile at them. "Okay, but could you tone it down some, at least till after this exhibit, which has everyone in a frenzy, including me, since I'm catering the thing."

"We will" Blair and Jo respond and continue getting ready.

"Thank you, girls. Remember, I'm going to need your help later on, cleaning up."

"Don't worry Mrs. G., we won't forget." Jo responds as she watches Mrs. Garrett leave.

"For a minute there, I thought we were in serious trouble."

"Yeah me too." Blair sighs exaggeratedly.

"You know, how much I hate it when you do that."

"Yeah, that's why I do it."

Blair and Jo continue to argue not knowing that Mrs. Garrett can hear them as she walks down the stairs.

Mrs. Garrett exhales, "I don't think those two will ever change."

……………

"So Mr. Dull-, I mean Bullard, what kind of rock is this, exactly?" Natalie asks while holding a small strange red rock that is part of the early Native American display.

The balding history teacher strokes his chin for a moment and then begins monotonously, "Well, Natalie, this is a very special rock. The Cherokee believe that if you and another person you are conflicted with hold it at the same time you will trade places with the person."

"Like Freaky Friday?"

"Yeah, I guess so. The reason for it is so they can easily resolve conflicts within the tribe. You know the saying, you don't know someone until you actually walk in there shoes? It's exactly like that."

"Yeah, right." Natalie rolls her eyes and places the rock back in its display area." It would be neat if it did work though."

The rock sits on its pillow in the display area and it begins to glow a bright crimson.