(Present Day)

"Are you absolutely sure you're not still sick?" Cory asked me skeptically.

"It ran its course by Saturday," I reassured him. "Besides, it's not like I had the plague or anything, just a small flu." I hadn't been to school all last week, because of the flu.

Cory gave me an unsure look before continuing. "The '60s, man. Influential musicians like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez playing guitars and singing like prophets. The times, they were a-changin'."

"The class, they are a-sleepin'," I remarked, gesturing to everyone else. "I think I'm the only one listening... and maybe Farkle."

"It's not your fault, dad. It's just the stuff you're saying." Riley said, trying to reassure him.

"I'm talking about the '60s, man." Her dad said in a crazy accent again.

"Nobody cares about when you were our age."

"Riley, it was over 50 years ago. How old do you guys think I am?"

Lucas raised his hand. "There's no right answer to that, sir."

Maya grinned. "You should teach us future class, now give us something we could use."

"Listen, Dad, you're doing a wonderful job up there and we're very happy that you're all jazzed up-"

"But history has nothing to do with us." Maya finished.

I facepalmed. "Uh-oh."

"I'm gonna snap this chalk now."

Lucas caught on. "Uh-oh."

"Snap." He exclaimed, snapping it.

"What did you guys do yesterday?"

"Hang out with my dad and Alexandra." My dad's new girlfriend, Alexandra, and I did not really like each other.

Riley grinned dreamily. "I think I had grapes."

"Do you know what yesterday was?" He asked us.

"Terrible."

"Grapes day."

"It's history. Every decision you make every day, every time you decide to turn left instead of right, you make history and you affect someone else's. And if you refuse to learn that, I guarantee you, you guys will not become the best person you can be. Because history is all about missed opportunities. 'History has nothing to do with us,' wasn't it, Ms. Hart?"

Maya frowned. "Can't remember, it was like five minutes ago."

"Fine. I am not gonna teach you guys about the '60s."

"Here it comes." I groaned as the class cheered.

"You are."

"Yay," Farkle exclaimed as the rest of the class groaned.

"History is alive even if you weren't. But now you're gonna be. You will visit the 1960s and give a report."

"Time travel," Farkle said, his eyes widening.

"Yes! I'm gonna need a TARDIS, pronto."

Farkle grinned at my reference, as Riley glanced at me confused before continuing. "How do we do that, dad? We weren't even there."

"You were."

"How?"

"You all have grandparents or great-grandparents. Choose one who was around during that time. Learn all you can about them and report back. Then we'll see if history has nothing to do with us. Living history. Now I'm all jazzed up."

"Yay." Farkle and I exclaimed.

(1961)

I, Janie G. Blue, was on an adventure. I was born in Kansas and had moved to  Honolulu with my family when I was little. I had been through so many surprising things, Pearl Harbor being one. And now I was here. Greenwich Village, New York. The next stop on my adventure.

I'm a hopeful musician, like so many people today. Lately, more and more people are being discovered as great musicians. I travel the country and play music, earning money from tips and such so that I can keep traveling. The next spot to stop was a small place called Café Hey. I like the name. I grabbed my ukulele case. Yes, I play the ukulele. So does Cliff Evans (also known as Ukulele Ike) and so did George Formby Jr. These men are some of my inspiration.

Anyway, I took a deep breath, adjusted my case and walked through the doors. I went up to the counter, where there was a man with a beanie and goatee. "You're a new face." The man remarked.

"I could say the same," I replied.

"The name's Ginsberg." He said, holding out his hand.

"Janie. Janie G. Blue." I said shaking it.

"Well, Janie G. Blue, what can I get you?" I glanced at the menu.

"Hot cocoa with cinnamon please; and if it's not too much trouble, stage time."

"It's not too much trouble at all." He said, filling up a mug.

I glanced around the room. "Looks like all the tables are full," I remarked.

"Well, that doesn't mean you couldn't sit down at one. See those two tables over there? The one on the left, Bob and Joan; table on the right, a blonde and brunette. Go left or go right. Could have different outcomes. It's your choice." He handed me my cocoa.

I grabbed it and went to walk to a table, before turning around. "I know this is going to sound weird, but have we met before?" I asked him.

He simply shrugged. "Haven't we all?" He asked as I walked up to the table with the two girls.

"Can I sit here?"

"Of course!" The brunette said excitedly. The blonde shrugged. 

"I don't have a problem with it. What's your name, stranger?"

"Janie, Janie G. Blue."

"Nice to meet you, Janie. I'm May."

I raised an eyebrow. "Got a last name, May."

"Yep, but I'm not going to tell you."

"And I'm Rosie McGee!" I laughed at the girl's outburst.

(AN- I know technically Rosie doesn't come 'till later, but I'm sort of messing with this story. )

Ginsburg walked onto the stage. "Welcome, to Cafe Hey, pronounced "hehhh"."  Everyone copied the strange noise. "You're getting better at that! Tonight's gonna be legendary, man. Let's just see what flows." He snapped his fingers and the light dimmed. "Black. White. Green. Tan. No one listens to the man. Freedom is the only plan. Free to be who you am. Can't you see? That you...are...me. Karma."

(Present day)

Maya, Riley, Farkle, Lucas, and I were sitting in Svorski's Bakery. Riley smiled. "All right, status report. I got a guitar that belonged to my great-grandmother Rosie and her very weird journal."

"My dad is sending something about my great-grandfather. We don't talk about him much. His name was Merlin."

"Merlin? Was he a wizard? Hah!"

"Okay, Farkle Minkus. What was your great-grandfather's name?"

"Ginsburg." I snickered at that.

Lucas shook his head. "You make no sense to me whatsoever."

"I found a box with my great-grandmother, Janie G. Blue's things. She really liked having a middle initial. Said it made her sound mature. It has a few diaries looking things, pictures from when she lived in Kansas and Hawaii, pictures from her travels, and a ukulele."

Riley nodded and turned to Maya. "Whatcha looking at?"

"Artbook. Ms.Kossal gave it to me. It's got all the best artists and their best paintings. It's amazing...And depressing."

"Depressing?" I asked confusedly.

Farkle sighed. "She's trying to motivate you."

"Ain't working, look at these. I could never do anything near this, these people all have something to say."

"Well, you only know that because they went ahead and said it."

"You know, someday you're gonna make somebody a wonderful fortune cookie." She retorted.

Farkle looked at the five of us. "Let me take a picture of everybody." He said suddenly.

"What for?" Riley asked.

He took the picture. "I don't know, it's us. We may be important to somebody someday."

"Maybe," I mumbled.

Riley shook her head. "You guys are already important to me."

"How?" Lucas asked."

"You teach me how to be friends."

"Aww..." We all chorused, smiling.

We closed our books, and Lucas and Farkle left. Maya left her book on the table. Riley frowned, "Maya, aren't you bringing that?"

"What?" She asked. "This book of..."Why bother trying I'll never be as good as these guys"?"

"That's a very discouraging title." We remarked in unison.

"I love you, girls, but I'm leaving this here. It makes me feel bad and...it's really heavy."

Riley tried to run and grab the book but Maya dragged her out of the bakery. Yes, we're weird. We know.

  (1961)

Rosie trying to grab her notebook while May and I were reading it.

"You're making me feel bad." She exclaims, trying to grab it but failing.

"There's some pretty heavy stuff in here. "The girls with the long, blonde hair."  She turned to Rosie. "Who's that about, I wonder."

Rosie grabbed the notebook. "It's my first time here and I would like to remember everything. Maybe I'll write about it later."

"Mine too. I'm traveling the country, just me and my ukulele.

May nodded. "It's my first time here, too. I'm on my way to California. My bus broke down, bad luck. I don't understand why these things happen."

Rosie smiled. "Because if your bus doesn't break down, then we don't become friends. If I go sit at that table instead of this table, then I'm not friends with Janie G. Blue and May..."

"Clutterbucket."

"Yow," Rosie said.

I smiled. "What's in California for you, May?"

"I'm going to say Clutterbucket now. But just so you know, when I say it I am not making fun of you." Rosie said, causing me to laugh.

"Well, there's a place where people are making art and playing music."

"Sounds cool, where is it?" I asked.

"It's a place called Topanga Canyon. I'm sure I'll love it."

"Topanga...What a beautiful name for something that you want to love." She opened her notebook and wrote it down. "I'm gonna remember that."

Ginsburg got on stage. "May, take the stage, May. You're up." He announced, and everyone clapped. May stood up.

"Wish me luck, Rosie McGee and Janie Blue."

"Wow, you're going to sing?"

"I'm going to try. She said as she got on stage.

Rosie clapped. "Yay, go get 'em! And remember, you're beautiful, man."

May started to sing, strumming her guitar.

"Car drove off, airplane flew
I stayed here, missing you I grow old, never see
That you were there, missing me Are we now? What were we then?
Will we look back, and wonder when? What could have been, what isn't yet
Will you remember or forget?"

We all clapped, except Bob, who laughed. I scoffed. "What are you laughing at, Bob Dylan?" May sat down.

Ginsburg walked back up onto the stage. "Janie G. Blue, come on up here." I grabbed my ukulele, stood up and walked onto the stage, sitting on the stool.

(I don't own this song, the Beatles do. Also, I know this wasn't written till '68, but we're pretending she wrote it.)

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free

Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise,
You were only waiting for this moment to arise,
You were only waiting for this moment to arise."

I picked up my ukulele as people clapped. I went to go sit down with Rosie and May.

"Merlin, Merlin Scoggins. Take the stage, cowboy." Ginsburg announced.

"who the heck is that?" Rosie asks.

"So that's him. I've heard about him."

I nodded. "So have I, but never seen him."

Merlin started to play guitar. "Hello, I'm Merlin Scoggins."

(Present day)

"Hello," Lucas said, turning around. "I'm Lucas Friar. My great-grandpa used to do that. He was a man named Merlin Scoggins and this record was a big hit."

Cory nodded. "That's amazing, Lucas. Why didn't you ever tell us any of that?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna tell Maya and Kenz I have a country-singing great-grandpa and that I actually do come from cowboys. Yeah because I need more nicknames to go with Hop-Along, Sundance and Ranger Rick."

Maya shook her head. "No, I'm done with that. I am so impressed with your rich Texas heritage that we are officially throwing out all of those old nicknames forever."

Lucas nodded. "Wow, thank you, girls."

I smiled. "No problem, Bucky McBoing Boing."

Riley, who stood next to Lucas spoke up. "From what I can piece together, my great-grandmother Rosie McGee was a weird, little, wide-eyed goofball who only saw the best in everybody. Who's like that?"

"Nobody." Maya and I chorused, smiling.

Lucas grabbed a record. "I'd like to play you my great-grandfather's song." He started to play the country style record.

(1961)

Merlin finished singing and everyone clapped. He walked off stage to our table, where there was an empty seat. "This seat taken?" He asked.

Rosie grinned awkwardly. "By you." She turned to May and me. "See what I did?"

May nodded. "Yeah, you're not a normal girl at all."

Merlin turned to us. "I liked both of your songs, ladies.

"I liked yours," I said, and May nodded in agreement.

He turned to Rosie. "And what do you do?"

Rosie shrugged. "Ah, who knows?"

"She's an observer of humanity," May said thoughtfully. Merlin nodded.

"Well, we need those."

Ginsburg walked over to us with a camera. "The observer, the singers, and the mystery man." He took a picture. "That's gotta be worth something to somebody someday."

Merlin nodded. "Well, thank you all for your kind words and I'll be on my way."

Rosie frowned. "Oh, do you have to go?" She asked, batting her eyelashes and trying, but failing, to be seductive.

"I try not to stay any place too long...Especially when people do that." He stood up.

May smiled. "Stay here with this one too long and she might change us for the better."

"Aww..." Rosie said, grinning.

Merlin nodded. "Yeah, anyways. You keep writing down those observations. And you, you both keep playing."

May shrugged. "What? my new song, "Why bother trying, I'll never be as good as you guys"?"

"That's a very discouraging title." Rosie and I chorused.

"You and she have something to say."

Merlin shook his head. "Well, now you only know that, because we went ahead and said it." He tipped his hat and walked away.

May gave Rosie her guitar. "Here."

Rosie frowned. "Why are you giving me this? You were great."

"No, he's going to change the world. I'm not gonna change a thing." She stood up.

Rosie frowned. "Where are you going?"

May shook her head. "Don't you worry, weirdos. I'll be right back." Rosie opened her notebook to write as May left, May looked back but then walked away, took her coat and left.

(Present Day)

"Janie G. Blue survived Pearl Harbor. She then traveled, playing music. She played at a small café in New York, and while she was there, she met the famous musicians Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. After a few weeks of staying in New York, she left with them to start her music career. Later in life, she moved back to New York, reuniting with a few old friends, including a girl named Rose and a man she addresses as G. in her journal. She married G and had twins, my grandmother, and her brother. Soon after though, she sadly passed away from cancer. The last entry in her journal was written by her husband, informing us of her passing, but we never found out his name."

Riley nodded. "My great-grandmother never saw her friend again. The world has never heard of May Clutterbucket."

Lucas shook his head. "My great-grandfather had one huge hit. People thought he was gonna change the world, but...he didn't. After an appearance in a small cafe in New York City, he made some bad choices. He went to jail for a little while, he went left instead of right."

"And why do you think that was, Mr.Friar?" Cory asked.

Lucas shrugged. "Don't know, maybe he needed some better friends." We all smiled at each other.

"Rosie liked observing things, I'm going to read two things from her journal. The first one's called. "Trials":
'

She went through things we can't imagine, suffered pain, loss, and trauma. But, she doesn't let it affect her. She carries her head high and puts on a smile. She thinks she shouldn't talk about it, and that no one cares. But what she doesn't understand that trials are a part of life. She doesn't realize there are people there for her. I hope she learns that she has people who can support her in her life.'"

She finished, then turned a page. "Here's the other one. It's called "the girl with the long, blonde hair."

"She said she would be gone for a moment, I am still waiting. We could have been friends, maybe in some other life. The girl with the long, blonde hair."

"It sounds like Rosie was a pretty good writer," Cory stated.

"

There's a little bit more." She said, stepping closer to Maya.

"If you quiet your voice, if you stop, because you think other people are better, then you are not who I know you are, the girl with the long, blonde hair."

Maya frowned. "You wrote that."

"I continued it, I am a continuation. That's what history's about, right dad?"

"Oh, now I get it." He said sarcastically.

"Rosie had a daughter, and her daughter had my mom. Rosie gave me my mom and she gave my dad his wife." She held up a guitar. "This has been in our family for over 50 years. But I feel like it belongs to you." She hands it to Maya. "So I hope that whenever you see it, it will remind you that even though Rosie's friend gave up, you never should."

Maya smiled at Riley then grinned and turned to Lucas. Lucas shook his head. "Oh, no."

Maya started to play the guitar, and I listened to the chords she was using. "Hit it, Kenz." She said, continuing to strum.

I grinned and started to sing.

"Hello, I'm Bucky McBoing Boing.         

I got a great-grandson
who's a Ranger Rick,
and a Hopalong,
and a Sundance, too.."

"Everybody!"

We all continued to sing the song, Riley dancing.

~<3~

I unlocked my apartment door and walked in. What I saw inside, caused me to gasp. There stood my dad and Alexandra, surrounded by tons and tons of boxes. "What's going on here?" I asked.

"I'm moving in! Isn't that great McKenzie!"

"Makenzie," I muttered under my breath. "W-when did you guys plan this?"

"Oh, we started planning it two weeks ago. I must have forgotten to tell you, Kenz." My dad said, shrugging. "Anyway, we're going to go eat dinner, if you want to come!"

I glanced over at Alexandra, who didn't look so happy that I'd been invited. "It's fine," I said, lying through my teeth. "I might go to my friend's house."

My dad nodded, before grabbing his keys. "I'll go pull the car up in front of the building." He said, walking out the door.

Alexandra waited until my dad left before turning to me. "You listen here. I know you don't like me, and I don't like you. So just because I tolerate you when your dad's around, doesn't mean I will listen to you whine and complain. Your dad and I already are talking about getting married, and when we do, I'm going to be in charge. So if you step out of line, I will make your life miserable."

I just stood there, processing what she said. She got a text from my dad, and left, glaring at me. I felt broken. Like a puzzle missing pieces. I had no clue what to do.

Suddenly,  I remembered something. I grabbed my phone, chose the contact and texted them.

'R u busy?'

'No, what's up.'

'Please come over... I have to tell you something.'

'Be there in 5.'

I took a deep breath and went to my bedroom, where I knew they'd come in. Then I waited.

Hope you liked this!
Who do you think the person will be?
Anyone else hates Alexandra?