Mr. Hawthorne showed everyone where to sit, and Olive and Maya were happy they got to sit near each other. The girls were sitting on one side of the room and the boys on the other. Mr. Hawthorne gave a brief introduction and directed the students to copy and solve their respective grade's "arithmetic" problems that were already written out on the board

As Maya copied the equations on her slate, she stole a glance at Mr. Hawthorne. He had to have been pretty young - 25 at most. Having a male teacher was completely new territory to Maya and Olive, as not only were all the students at Larkin Academy female, but the faculty as well.

Maya couldn't help but think how much she had been missing out because of this. Mr. Hawthorne was quite handsome and Maya couldn't even believe she thought this. Just a year earlier she had told Olive she thought boys were a waste of time.

Maya quickly composed herself so her sister would be none the wiser about her crush.

Meanwhile, Olive was dutifully solving her arithmetic equations. Mr. Hawthorne was making his rounds, complimenting penmanship, calling out errors, etc.

When he got to Olive he stopped.

"You know, in the 1800s, a schoolmaster would've smacked your hand with a ruler for doing that " he commented, noting that Olive was left-handed.

Olive froze. "Oh?"

Mr. Hawthorne smiled.

"But not to worry," he walked back over to the chalkboard and wrote his name in the upper right corner, so that Olive could see he was also left- handed.

The rest of the school day was pretty uneventful. Maya found herself playing a game of baseball with some of the boys. Actually playing the game temporarily distracted her from missing it on live TV. Olive sat with some of the other girls and talked with them about their respective families.

"I have one older brother, Jeff," Maya's friend Cassie explained. "What house did you say you lived in again?"

"Uh we're with the Andersons," Olive replied.

"Oh! Jeff is your farmhand," Cassie said.

"Really?" Olive asked.

"Yep, he helps your brothers and father with chores and stuff in the mornings," Cassie replied.

"Hmm," Olive paused. It was so weird to hear someone talk about her having brothers. She had several friends with brothers and it sounded horrible. She was grateful that all she had for siblings were Maya, and that the new baby was going to be a girl.

Maya and Olive headed back to their homestead.

"Pioneer eighth grade is easy," Maya said on the walk home. "If I had gone to school in the 1800s, I could've graduated when I was like eight."

Olive laughed. The lessons had been a nice change of pace compared to the math, English and history assignments she was used to.

As the girls made their way up the path, they saw Matthew and Michael, their fake brothers, walking with another teenage boy.

"That must be Jeff," Olive said to Maya.

"Who's Jeff?" Maya asked as she stared at the handsome young man walking with Michael and Matthew. Whoever Jeff was, he had made her forget completely about Mr. Hawthorne.

"Our farmhand apparently," Olive replied.

"Hey, girls!" Matthew said. "This is Jeff. He helps us with chores - his family doesn't have a farm and he needed a job so Pa gave him one."

Jeff reached out and shook Olive's hand and then Maya's. Maya couldn't take her eyes off of him.

"I'm Mary and this is Martha," Olive said. She was delighted that Maya finally seemed to be getting into character. Maya Hummel-Anderson wouldn't give boys the time of day, but apparently she had decided that Martha Anderson was as boy-crazy as can be. Good for her.

The group made small talk for a bit longer before Jeff said he had to leave. Maya watched him walk off into the sunset and sighed. She looked back at Olive who was smirking.

Before Maya could tell Olive to shut up, Ruby came rushing out.

"Hello, girls - how was school?" She asked.

"Good," Olive smiled.

"Good," Maya replied.

"Wonderful. I need your help with supper. Go wash your hands in the wash basin and meet me in the kitchen."

The village, although it tried to be as accurate to the 1800s as possible did have running water much to the relief of the Larkin Academy students. The bathroom had a toilet and small shower that worked like normal, but to be somewhat close to 1800s plumbing, it also had a wash basin that needed to be filled up with a pitcher, as opposed to a sink.

Olive and Maya washed their hands and headed for the kitchen.

"Good. Martha, your father and brother went fishing this afternoon and are outside cooking the fish over the fire. Please take this plate out and get the fish from them. Mary - please slice up these carrots. I already have the cheese sandwiches prepared for you and Michael," Ruby said.

As it turns out, Michael Anderson, like Olive, was a vegetarian, so her dietary restrictions had been no issue in her participation with the field trip. Olive sliced the carrots and made small talk with Ruby. Olive was curious to know about what Ruby was really like - as well as all the other townspeople, but knew she'd find out at the big party on the last night. For now, she and Ruby talked strictly as a pioneer mother and daughter. Ruby really played the part, too.

"Martha played baseball today at recess," Olive said, after Ruby asked Olive to tell her more about the school day.

"Mercy me, I hope she didn't ruin her dress. I just don't know when I'll be able to afford more calico to make a new one," Ruby sighed. "I will certainly be having a talk with her later. You didn't play baseball, did you Mary?"

"No, ma'am," Olive replied.

"Good girl," Ruby smiled. "Goodness, what could be taking your sister so long with those fish?"

Meanwhile, Maya was standing around the fire with Dan and Matthew.

"I'm almost done, Martha," Matthew said.

"Hurry up, son. Your Ma's waiting on you!" Dan chided.

"There," Matthew put the last fish on Maya's plate. Maya knew she had to bring the fish inside now, but she wanted to keep talking with Dan and Matthew. Especially since the conversation had shifted to Jeff.

Maya learned Jeff was 16, the same age as Matthew. Michael was 15.

Maya also learned that Jeff enjoyed sports too.

"He's a great swimmer, too. Much better than Michael!" Matthew said, as his younger brother made his way back to the house after doing some barn chores.

Dan, Matthew, and Maya followed him into the house.

After supper, Dan seemed to be searching for something.

"Ruby, have you seen my pocket watch?" Dan asked.

"It wasn't on the rocking chair?" Ruby asked.

"No. Boys, did one of you take it?" Dan asked Matthew and Michael.

"No, sir," Matthew said.

"Why would we? It's so ugly," Michael whispered to his brother.

For the first time, Maya laughed.

"It's about time to get ready for bed, girls!" Ruby said.

Maya's smile immediately turned to a frown.

"It's 6:30!" She protested.

"Yes, and bedtime is at 7:00 on the dot," Ruby said. "You have school tomorrow - your nightgowns are on your bed. Good night!"

"Gross," Maya muttered but she followed Olive to the bathroom and then to their bedroom.

"This nightgown is so comfortable," Olive said, twirling around and collapsing onto the bed.

"I haven't worn a nightgown since I was about five years old," Maya sighed, also collapsing on the bed.

"So…Pa's pocket watch? What's up with that?" Olive asked. She had been trying so hard to avoid modern day language but it was getting exhausting.

"Oh, please, call him Dan - he's not even around right now," Maya groaned. "And the pocket watch was probably just a failed attempt to make things interesting before we die of boredom."

"Oh, things aren't interesting enough for you, Maya? Could've fooled me with the way you were looking at Jeff," Olive retorted.

"So maybe I have taken a bit of a shine to Jeff," Maya said. "And one day I'm going to be Mrs. uh Martha Anderson whatever his last name is - soon as Pa gives him our finest cow. Good night, Mary."