Thunder rumbled as Riley, Maya and I made our way through the subway rocking bright green trash bags. "There she is again." Riley said gesturing to the woman who seemed to have a constant presence in the subway. "Crazy hat's always here." Maya commented as we observed her sitting across from us. "What do you think her deal is? Former movie star?" I questioned as I tore off my garbage bag and threw it away "Olympic figure skater?" Riley considered "Bum on a bench." Maya dead panned. "But look at how she looks at everyone." I started, "What goes on in a head like hers?" Riley added "I guess we'll never know." We said in unison. "Hey, crazy hat!" Maya shouted causing my eyes to widen "What goes on in your head?" She questioned as the woman moved her attention towards us "And a new adventure begins." I said amused as we stepped closer to the bench. "You, you and you, c'mere! I'll teach you about life." The woman said patting the empty space on the bench "Can't." Riley started as Maya took a seat "Stranger." She added. "You want us to sit on the bench, we're gonna need three forms of identification." I finished gesturing between Riley and I while Riley held up three fingers confirming my statement. "Trust me." A cop said gaining our attention "I know who she is. She's all right." He told us "Okay, copper." Riley said giving him a salute "Hey! That's officer copper to you." He responded doing a salute of his own as Riley and I sat down. "Mornin', Evelyn. Never gonna stop rainin', is it?" He said towards the woman "That's okay, Eugene. These three little dollies are about to give me one of their designer ponchos." She informed him "They're garbage bags, Eugene." Riley told him taking out one of the spare bags from her backpack "But you have to put a hole for your head." I warned him "Ah, so you can breathe." He stated "So the garbageman doesn't throw you out." Riley said looking down in remembrance as I patted her back "Yep, that happened." Maya told him grinning "I was yelling, but he didn't care." Riley added "We rescued her from the truck." I told him "They chased me all the way to 33rd street." Riley said smiling "Wow, now that is a friend. Me? I don't Chase nobody for nothin'." Eugene responded "What if I stole a banana?" Maya challenged "I'd be very disappointed in you." He told her pointing at her "Okay." She sighed in defeat. "I have observed you three are good friends." Evelyn, as the cop called her, stated as she looked between us "Don't miss a thing, do you, crazy hat?" Maya commented "No, I don' you're about to be late for school, and I'm about to be late for addressing the united nations. Have a good day, dollies. Be good people, learn all you can." She told us while Riley handed her the garbage bag before she stood up and walked away. "How does that happen to someone, Maya?" I questioned frowning "Do you think that could ever happen to us?" Riley asked concerned just as a man in a business suit handed Riley some money. "Well, at least nothing worse than that could ever happen." Maya said amused right before we watched the cleaner walk by and pick Riley up from the bench and toss her in his cart. "Raven! Maya!" She shouted "Guys?" She questioned as the man pushed her further away. Maya and I shared a look before she scooped up Riley's backpack "Okay." We said and followed after my sister.

**********

"Belgium, 1831." Dad started as we sat in history "No!" I shouted, Dad shot me a look before continuing "In 1831, Belgium-" "No!" Riley interrupted "Raven, Riley?" Dad questioned us "What's our thing?" We asked in unison "What's your thing?" He said confused "What are we going to be, dad?" I asked, "Are we gonna be okay?" Riley added "Raven, Riley, listen to me very carefully." Dad instructed us as he bent down to our eye level to look between us "Okay." We conceded "In 1831, Belgium declared its independence from the Netherlands." Dad informed us. Riley and I shared a look "What will people be thinking of us if we end up living in a subway?" Riley question "With nothing but our trash ponchos." I added panicked "What if nothing happens for them, sir? Raven and Riley can't end up like that. They're my meal ticket!" Maya rushed out frantically "What the? I just saw you girls at breakfast!" Dad exclaimed in disbelief. We turned to look at Farkle as he pounded his fists on his desk while speaking in a foreign language "Calm down, Farkle. You're speaking in Dutch again." Dad told the boy. Farkle kept talking before looking down at his hand and giving his face a slap. He looked up and pointed at Dad as he spoke in yet another language. "No no no. You slapped yourself way too hard. You went all the way to Spanish." Dad told him amused. Farkle slapped himself again "My education should not be based on your daughter's moods." He told our dad who raised his arms in a 'what-can-you-do' motion "Neither should mine, but it is! Guys, two daughters ask their father, "what's our thing?" This question will resonate in the hearts of all parents from the moment it's asked until the day their child feels comfortable in the world. Pretty soon you're all going to join the work force. What's your thing? What do you aspire to? How will you affect people? That's the only history that matters." Dad told us. "Thank you, daddy." Riley and I said with a smile "Thank you, daddy." Farkle whimpered as Maya smiled at Riley and I. "All right, guys, tell you what. Let's split the class into two separate businesses and see how you do for yourselves. We'll see if anyone's got anything to worry about, okay?" Dad said questioning towards Riley and I at the end. "Excellent." Farkle chortled wiggling his fingers evilly "What will our companies be?" The boy asked with an innocent smile "Doesn't matter." Dad told him before looking around in thought "Uh Muffins, okay?" He said as he picked up the muffin mom gave him this morning from his desk "You three are going to be "Raven, Riley and Farkle's muffins.'" He said as the three of us shared a smile "That'll be your thing for the week." Dad added. "I already got my thing. Raven and Riley's are gonna be a success and I'm gonna sponge off them until they get sick of me." Maya informed our dad as she smiled at the two of us "We will never get sick of you." We told her smiling right back "I am set for life!" Maya exclaimed happily as she held up her arms in victory "All right, let's get out there and make some money cash, cabbage, cheddah-cheeeze!" Farkle exclaimed getting back on track "Those are your values, Farkle?" Dad questioned "What else should a company value but profits?" Farkle asked "If Logan and I had a company, we'd treat our employees well." Lucas said "And make sure we did right by our customers." Logan added "You two are everything that's wrong with this country." Farkle accused pointing between the two cousins. "Then you do have a company, Lucas, Logan. 'Hart and Friar muffins' So these two competing companies will hire the rest of you guys as employees. Everyone else in school will be your customers. Let's see what happens." Dad instructed "Here's what happens, we crush you." Maya stated as she turned to Farkle "We will be bajillionaires, and you will eat your words using plastic cutlery." Farkle retaliated "You're cute when you're menacing." Maya countered slyly as Farkle gaped "I don't know what to do now." He admitted "I know." Maya smirked as the bell rang and we packed up and left the classroom.

**********

After baking all evening yesterday, Farkle Riley and I sat at the stall we had set up in the hallway across from 'Hart and Friar muffins' stall. "Yay!" Riley said handling Farkle the money as I dinged the bell and handed over the muffin. "Yay!" She repeated as the process continued "Last muffin from this batch." Farkle shouted out to the queue behind us and they crowd groaned disappointed "Why are their muffins so white?" I heard Maya question Lucas and Logan "One dollar." I said with a smile ready to hand over the muffin to Darby "Hold on." Farkle said snatching the muffin from my grasp "I don't think so." He told us as Rikey and at looked at him in confusion "What are you doing, Farkle?" Riley questioned him "It's the law of supply and demand, Riley. We supply, they demand. Let's find out what our last muffin is worth to them." He declared before holding the last muffin in the air. "Dollar and a quarter!" Darby bid "$1.50!" Sarah countered as the queue rushed forward holding out their money "Hey! What's so great about their muffins?" Maya shouted "We've got plenty of muffins right here." Lucas added as everyone silently looked at the them for a second before turning back to our stall "$2.
00!" Darby offered "$2.50!" Sarah bid "I'll give you my brother!" Darby shouted desperately and my eyebrows raised up into my hairline.

**********

"All right, progress reports. What's up in make-believe corporate America?" Dad questioned as we where in class "'Hart and Friar muffins' report. We started with 100 muffins, made each with all-natural and organic ingredients." Maya said for her spot in between the Texan cousins as they stood in front of the chalkboard "And you selected these ingredients because?" Dad asked "Because that's the right and responsible thing to do." Maya answered "You really believe that?" Dad asked knowingly "I dunno! You spend a day with these guys." She admitted defensively as the two boys looked at her slightly offended "So far we've sold 14 muffins at a dollar each." Lucas continued their report "Okay, how much do they cost you?" Dad asked "They didn't cost us anything to make." Logan told him "How's that possible?" Dad questioned confused "Well, my mother bought them for us." Lucas admitted "She wanted us to sell healthy food." Logan added with a smile "How's that workin' out for us so far, huckleberry?" Maya quipped sarcastically "As soon as we sell them all, we'll pay her back." Logan defended as he her turned to her "We stand by our product, sir." Lucas said gesturing between Logan and himself "So do I. They're everywhere." Maya added as she moved to stand beside the stack of muffin boxes in the room. "How are your profits, Friar?" Farkle asked Lucas "Let me teach my class, Farkle, okay? I decide what to say and when I'm gonna say it, and I decide who to call on and what I'm gonna ask them!" Dad admonished "How were my profits, Friar?" Lucas asked knowingly "Yes!" Dad growled frustrated "Well, I have those right here, sir." Lucas said opening his report book "None." He admitted closing the book "I'm sorry, what?" Farkle questioned mockingly cupping a hand to his ear "None. And it's not right, sir." Lucas said turning to my dad "Our muffins are good for you." Logan added on "I'm sorry, what?" Farkle repeated cupping his ear once again "None!" Lucas and Logan groaned "We can't even give them away." Maya said picking up a muffin and throwing out to the sea of students. We watched as it came right back and hit her on the head. "All right, let's talk about a real make-believe company." Farkle started as he herded our friends out of the way "Farkle's muffins!" He exclaimed "Raven, Riley and Farkle's muffins." I corrected as Riley and I joined him at the front "Yeah, keep tellin' yourself that." He told me, and Riley and I frowned at each other "Unlike our competitors, our profits are through the roof, and so are our employees." He reported as we all looked at our classmates who were shaking in their seats "Why are they like that?" Dad questioned "They ate the product, sir." Farkle answered "Raven? Riley?" Dad asked us "Everybody seems to like our muffins, dad." Riley said as I nodded in agreement "Oh, my sweet innocent children. Can't you see why?" He questioned us "Because they're filled with love." I said with a smile "I don't think that's what they're filled with, Raven." He told me as we looked back to sit everyone still shaking at their desks "Yeah. Why do they come out so white, Farkle?" Riley questioned our business partner "Because they're 100% carbon, hydrogen and oxygen." He answered "Uh, explain that to the non-scientists, Farkle." Dad instructed
"Sugar! They're all sugar! Just one big sugar cube!" He shouted evilly "What?" Logan exclaimed in disbelief "Ours are oatmeal, honey and locally-harvested berries." Lucas added frowning "Farkle, you said all-natural!" I reminded the boy "Sugar!" He exclaimed "You said organic!" Riley continued "Sugar!" He exclaimed again "You said delicious!" I added in exasperation "Sugar!" He and class exclaimed in unison "Farkle, we're a business.
Businesses do not just mislead their customers to make a little bit of money!" Riley told him "Ha-aaaa!" He yelled in our faces "We're done for, muffins are pure evil!" I told him taking a muffin from our box "Are you gonna eat that because if you're not gonna eat that I would eat that right now is what I would do is I would eat that right now is what I would do?" Darby questioned frantically hyped up on sugar "You know how you succeed, Raven, Riley? You give the people what they 's why we're a success And they're not." Farkle informed us "This isn't fair, Mr. Matthews! I had to listen to Logan and Lucas and his mother talk about "Good eatin'" and "wholesome livin'" and "the natural cornucopia of the earth's bounty" Maya complained mocking the Texan people "Have you ever even heard me talk?" Logan questioned her in disbelief "Huh-hur-rrrr!" She yelled getting in his face "Wow." He said shocked and amused "While these three just poured sugar into a muffin cup It isn't fair!" She added gesturing to my team "What isn't fair?" Dad asked her "That I'm not on their team!" She exclaimed frustrated "Maya, what we did isn't okay." I told her "But we didn't know and we're not going down for this." Riley added "We'll talk." We said a we each raised a hand "To who? To everyone who loves our muffins? Enjoy the taste of success, Raven, Riley. It's sweet." Farkle told us "Not to us." I responded "I have a very bitter taste in my mouth." Riley added "You must've eaten one of ours." Maya told her holding up one of their muffins "Maya, you played fair. We didn't." I told our blonde friend "We have no integrity. You do." Riley backed me up "And what does that get them? We can buy and sell their business. In fact, I like the sound of that. Yeah! I propose a merger between Raven, Riley and Farkle's muffins and Hart and Friar muffins." Farkle stated "Why the merger, Farkle?" Dad asked him "We both have what we each need, . We have profits. They have integrity. I'm buyin' it!" Farkle answered "My integrity is not for sale." Lucas and Logan said together "Mine is." Maya stated raising her hand "Maya!" Lucas said appalled "We owe your mother a hundred bucks." She told him "Put 'er there, partner!" Lucas said living to shake Farkle's hand with Logan following behind. "Our new company will be called 'Farkle'." He declared "Your names are no longer part of the company." He told us "Why not?" Riley and I questioned "What's the first thing that happens after a merger, daddy?" Farkle said to our dad "What's the first thing that happens after a merger, daddy?" We repeated looking at our dad "Downsizing. When two companies come together, employees become vulnerable." He answered "Don't tell him!" Riley hissed "Uh, Riley, I think he already knows." Dad defended as we watched Farkle sit in dad's chair and switch the name plate around to say ' Farkle' "Lucas, Logan, fire half of the company. Start with Raven, Riley and Maya." He instructed the two boys as Riley and I scoffed in disbelief "Why do we have to do that?" Lucas questioned frowning "Because you're both full of that Texas "gee willikers" hooey. You charm people. So you'll be the faces of the company and I'll be the behind-the-scenes hermit genius." He informed them "Mr. Matthews?" Logan questioned "How do you argue with that?" Dad said shrugging in defeat "Always liked you, Matthews. You got moxie." Farkle told him "Thanks, chief!" Dad said saluting him "Raven?" Lucas questioned at the same time as Logan questioned Riley "Yeah?" My sister and I drawled happily looking at the boys "You're fired." They told us sheepishly. I felt the smile drop off my face. "Fine." We huffed before making our way out of the room.

**********

"We gave our whole lives to that company." I ranted to Maya as Riley and I carried the boxes we had cleared from our company office we had made in the janitors closet. "What happened? We can't even keep a fake job." Riley added as we stood in the subway "Oh no, all of our fears are realised." I said in realisation "We're going to end up here!" Riley panicked "Don't go crazy." Maya started before we watched a man through some money into our boxes "Now go crazy." She concluded which started Riley and I mumbling as we plunked ourselves on the free space on the bench that Crazy Hat sat on "Ah, the box of shame. What happened?" Evelyn questioned us "Class project. Fake business." Maya told her "Got fired." Riley and I added "Not so terrible. I've been fired myself once or twice." Crazy Hat comforted "Yeah, but not from fake businesses." I told her in shame "I think you could call 'em that. Now I come down here and watch people coming and going, giving their lives to fake businesses. Welp, gotta go! Big meeting!" She told us getting up "With squirrels." Maya mocked behind her back making paws with her hands. Riley and I stood up and gave Crazy Hat the dollar bills the man threw in our boxes "Yeah. Thanks." She said as we turned and sat down again "It's just us." Riley ranted "It's just us on the bench." I continued "No jobs, no future, no dollar, because I gave it to her." Riley added "What am I gonna do about my mid-afternoon snack?" I mumbled sadly as Maya picked through the garbage "I got pizza crust and a shoe." Maya offered "What size?" Riley asked hopefully "10!" Maya exclaimed after checking "What a terrible day." I declared sitting back with a huff.

**********

"Well, look who's still here." My head snapped around to see Crazy Hat looking at us still sitting on the bench "My looking at the people, huh?" She questioned coming behind us "Hey, hat, you're a sight for sore eyes." Maya greeted "How'd your meeting go?" I questioned amused "Oh, the usual. Yelled at everybody. Y'know, rahr rahr rah! Rahr rahr rah! Had 'em all running around scared of me." She told us "Sounds like fun." Maya commented "It's more fun when I come down here from my big, tall building." She admitted as she came around to sit with us "Oh, your building?" Riley questioned playing along as we shared an amused look "It was named after me." She told us "The crazy hat building?" Maya questioned "I sit here lookin' at all the people because it turns out, other people are the key to your own happiness. I watch 'em enough and I start thinkin' about what I can do for them." Crazy Hat told us "What you can do for them?" I asked in disbelief " Mm-hmm." She said leaning to look right in my face. After a few seconds she leaned back "Now you've been lookin' at all these people, now what do you see?" She questioned us as we watched two women run by carrying broken umbrellas "I see a bunch of wet people who could probably use some real umbrellas." I told her "Yeah, not the no-good kind some Farkle sells on the street just to make some "cash, cabbage, cheddah-cheese." Maya added "Huh. You saw all that just by lookin' a little." Crazy Hat commented before pausing "What's a Farkle?" She asked "Did you know that people won't protect themselves from the storm, but they'll make sure their morning doughnut stays dry?" Maya questioned after watching a man take a bite of his protected pastry "Interesting observation. Now what are you gonna tell your class about it?" Evelyn asked us "Nothing. Not going back. Tired of being humiliated." Maya answered "Tough. You know what? We're gonna go back." I declared "Crazy hat goes into buildings and screams at people and you're not humiliated, right?" Riley questioned backing me up "Rahr!" Crazy Hat roared clawing the air "Rrow!" Riley and I tried to mimic before the three of us looked towards Maya expectantly "Okay, rahr." Maya complied half-heartedly. "That was terrible!" Crazy Hat shouted in Maya's face before the three of us left her at the bench and made our way to Riley and I's apartment to plan.

**********

"It's been raining for six days. Here's what's real. People are wet and cold out there." I started our ores station as Riley, Maya and Is told in front of our history class "They need something to keep them safe from the storm, and we know how to give it to them." Riley continued "What if every single subway stop in New York City was stocked with donated umbrellas?" Maya added "The Matthews and Hart umbrella foundation." I declared "It's non-profit." Riley told the class "What?!" Farkle exclaimed horrified "When you come into the subway station you leave an umbrella in the stand," Maya started "and when you leave the next station, there'll be one waiting for you."Riley finished "The Matthews and Hart umbrella foundation. We got you covered." I said smiling as the three of us held up a report book each to show the class. "There's no money in umbrellas." Farkle accused "No, only people." Riley admitted "My company makes a profit." Farkle retorted with more than a hint of superiority in his tone "Yeah, but at what cost?" I asked him "Look at your customers." Riley added as we all turned to see the class who were now suffering fro coming down from their sugar high "How could something that tastes so good make me feel so bad?" Darby moaned sadly "What goes up must come down, Farkle." Maya told him before throwing Darby one of the organic muffins. Maya shielded her head prepared for it to be thrown right back but Darby took a bite and we all smiled as she let out a sigh of content "At least I was up. What do you have besides an idea?" Farkle questioned "They've got an investor!" Crazy Hat answered for us as she leant against the doorframe at the back of the classroom "Oh no." Riley and I said as we looked at each other, then Maya "She followed us." Maya added looking between the two of us. "Evelyn Rand." Dad staid in realisation as she moved to stand beside him "W-You know crazy hat?" Maya questioned pointing to the woman in question "I know she's the chairman of the board of Rand Industries. You guys walk by her building on the way to school." Dad told us "She really has a building? I asked in disbelief "With her name on it." Dad told me "You'll usually find me on the top floor of my building going, "rahr rahr rah!" She said with a laugh "You three dollies want to know how I got my name on the building?" She questioned making her way over to us "I do!" Dad said shrugging as we nodded "By knowing a good idea when I hear I've made out a check to the three dollies." She told us handing me a cheque "You can do that?" Riley questioned as she looked at the cheque over my shoulder "I can do whatever I want. Now what I want you to do is go get some umbrellas, go get 'em in some subway stations. You start. The people will do the rest. I believe in them. I've watched them. Now which one is the Farkle?" She questioned as we all turned to the boy to see him sliding down in his chair trying to hide "Mm-hmm." Evelyn murmured as she made her way over to Farkle. She leant down to be in his eye line "Stop it!" She shouted making everyone jump, "Now this is $1.00, Farkle. Somebody came by it by doing hard work. Not by pumping people up with something you knew would let them down. Don't keep the dollar. It won't fix you if you keep it. Pass it on. That's what changes you, Farkle. Take it from me." She told the boy handing him the money. I watched at they spoke to each other in another language. How many language does that boy know?! "And, you three, don't worry so much about your future." She told as she turned and made her way in front of us "Really?" I questioned sighing in relief "Really, yes. You three dollies, you're going to be just fine. Mm-hmm, now here, here's your first umbrella." She said handing Riley her umbrella before looking between Maya and me in thought. I watched as she took her crazy hat off her head and placed it on Maya's. I smiled before she turned to me and undid her scarf from around her neck and gently placed it around mine. She turned to look at us as she made her way back to the door she entered from "Nice, nice work, dad." She complimented my father "You really think that you can make a difference in these kids' lives?" She questioned him "Yeah, I do." He told her before looking around the class "I'm their teacher." He declared "Good for you." She told him before making an exit. Lucas and Logan both stood up from their desk and made their way to stand in front of us "Raven," Lucas started looking at me "Riley," Logan continued looking at my sister "if it's at all possible, we'd like to help out with your company." They told us "Aww." Riley cooed "You're as sweet as sugar." I told them before Riley and I bent over to whisper in Mays ears before turning around and heading towards the door. We both turned around to watch Maya step forward "Ms. Matthews' say you're fired." She told both boys "Huh-hur-rrrr!" She yelled alternating between their faces before walking over to Riley and I. "Yeah, we had that coming." I heard Logan say as The three of linked arms outside the classroom and Riley opened up the umbrella and we made our way through the hallway and out the door.

**********

The three of us and Evelyn sat at the same bench in the subway watching the people of New York with their umbrellas they've picked up from the stands we had set up and passing them on to those in need. We all shared a smile as Evelyn squeezed us into a group hug before the Maya, Riley and I stood up and grabbed a spotted umbrella from the one of the stands. The three of us looked back over to Evelyn and shot her a smile as Riley opened the umbrella and we wrapped arms around each other and made our way out into the streets of New York, satisfied in what we had accomplished.