The summer of 1869 we moved to Abilene, Kansas. That was one of the best years of my life. My family, which consisted of my brother, my father, and me, Charlotte Louise Graham, arrived a couple of weeks before school started. The day was hot for the month of August and just seemed to go on forever. I could feel beads of sweat dripping down my back and my forehead.  My brother, Jesse Graham, was lucky and able to go to town with my father. I had to stay home and complete the “womanly duties,” as my father would say. My duties consisted of sweeping, dusting, mending, and washing the laundry every Tuesday. I was just thankful that I was a terrible cook and didn’t have to add that to my chores, too.
“Charlie, I want you to complete Jesse’s chores, as well as your own, while we are gone,” instructed my father.
“Aw, Father, do I have to?”
“Yes, you do. Now get a move on it,” he sternly replied.
“Well, how about that,” I grumbled to myself as I walked away.
They left and I tried to hurriedly get my chores done so that I could read in my favorite place. My favorite place was in the cherry tree in the orchard. My mother loved our cherry trees and I always felt closer to her when I was around them. Mother died two years ago and we were still adjusting to living without her. Father struggled with it most of all.
I grew out of my clothes not long after she died, and ever since I have been wearing Jesse’s hand-me-downs. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love wearing pants. They are so freeing, and I am able to do so many things I wasn’t able to before, like play baseball and climb trees. Tree climbing was an especially favorite hobby of mine. I planned to do just that when I finished my chores. 
Since it was not Tuesday it only took me a few hours to finish all my chores. I grabbed my new book Little Women and climbed the cherry tree to the crook about halfway up.  I was at the part in the book where Amy burned Jo’s manuscript when I heard the wagon rumbling in the distance. It was then that it hit me; I forgot to milk the cow.
“Shoot!” I called out.
I jumped out of the tree and rushed inside to drop off my book. I grabbed the milk pail as I ran into the barn.
“Now, Betsy, be a good girl and please don’t kick the pail over,” I crooned to the cow and rubbed her side.
As I milked, I could hear the wagon getting closer and closer.  My hands started to cramp up but I milked on.
“Come on, come on, Betsy!” I said to her as if it would make the process go faster.
“Charlie, Charlie we’re home and we have a guest.” Jesse  yelled.
I swiftly finished and headed outside with my pail in tow. “Coming,” I called.   All of a sudden I tripped over something. The milk pail went flying. I fell right into a pile of manure. The milk pail flew all over our guest.  Jesse stood clean as a slate right next to him.
“Boy, Charlie! You really messed up this time!” Jesse said with a laugh.
“I am so sorry!” I said as I stood up from the manure pile and walked over to him.
“What in heavens’ name happened to you?” my father asked. 
“Well, Father, you see Charlie was carrying the milk pail and tripped into the manure while all the milk landed on Michael,” Jesse said trying to hold back a laugh.
“Charlie!”  my dad bellowed.  “Is this true?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Well, I’ll be, how do you end up getting into the darndest scrapes?” He asked with a laugh.
“I’m not sure father, but may I go get cleaned up?” I asked embarrassedly.
“Yes, you may. While you’re at it, show Michael to Jesse’s room, those two will be boarding together while Michael helps us around the farm.”
With that, I started off towards the house with Michael following behind. When we got to the door, he reached out to open it for me. Surprised, I just walked in. We didn’t say much. I just showed him to Jesse’s room and laid out an extra pair of clothes for him. After I went into my room I grabbed some clothes and headed out to the creek to wash off the manure.
When finished, I braided my hair and slowly walked back up to the house.
“Charlie, it’s nice you finally decided to join us,” Dad told me.
All of them glanced up as I took my seat which happened to be across from Michael.  I looked at him across the table and watched him blush from my stare. He had dark brown curly hair and green eyes. He had a defined jaw and straight teeth. He really was handsome.
After supper, I went straight to bed.  While changing into my nightgown, I thought about the incident over and over again, wondering how mother would have handled it. Later on, I heard them all walk up the stairs to their rooms.
The first day of school came fast enough.  I remember it well, though.  After eating early, I wash the dishes, sweep the floor, feed the chickens, and then wait for Jesse before walking to school.  Jesse and Michael came with me, both of them chatting along the way.  Just before rounding the corner to the school yard, I stopped, gently layed my books on the ground, and tucked my hair in my hat. The boys on the playground were playing baseball, and I wanted to join in. I knew that they wouldn’t let a girl play, so I decided to pass as a boy. Together, the three of us joined teams.  I was against Jesse and Michael.  Soon it was my turn up to bat, and I went to the left handed side. They must have thought I was stupid because they made me go to the right side.  This happens every time I play, so I’m used to it by now, it isn’t common to be left-handed. What they didn’t know is that I can hit both ways. I hit the ball high above the outfielder’s head and scored 3 runs. Sadly I didn’t make it home because the bell rang right afterwards. I grabbed my stuff and headed inside, right next to Jesse and Michael. Together we walked right up to the teacher’s desk.  Jesse went first.
“Name, age, and parents’ name, in that order please,” the teacher commanded.
“Jesse  Graham, 16, Martin Graham, Ma’m.”
“Thank you and now you,” she commanded and pointed to me.
“Charlie Graham, 15, Martin Graham, Ma’m.”
“Great! Now your name?”
“Michael Johnson, 16, Carrie Johnson, Ma’am.”
“Well Jesse, sit over there, and Charlie, sit in the row in front of him. Michael sit in the empty seat in the back. Oh and boys, please take off your hats.”
“Oh boy,” I thought, before I walked to my seat and pulled off my cap.  Everyone was shocked. No one realized that I was a girl, even the teacher was surprised.
“Uh, Charlie come here please,” she told me.  I went to her and she asked what my whole name was.  I told her, “Charlotte Louise Graham.”
“Thank you.  You may go and sit down.”
After that, the boys still let me play, but they would put me in the outfield and make me bat last. No one knew Michael worked for us.  We never thought it important enough to tell anyone.  After chores were done, we’d play games, or listen to each other tell about our families.  He never told us much though.  We grew close, even though they were older than me. Somehow the boys at school learned about Michael’s situation. I don’t know how they learned, but they did.  When we got to school one day, the oldest gang of boys surrounded us. Jesse grabbed me and pulled me behind him.
“Michael, we know your secret,” their leader said.
“What secret?”  Michael looked genuinely confused.
“That you’re so poor, you have to work for the Grahams.”
“That’s not true!” He yelled.
That is when the fight began.  Their leader went and punched Michael in the stomach. Michael punched him in the eye and at the same moment Jesse jumped on the bully’s back. Two guys came and pulled Jesse off the Bully’s back. One punched him in the face while the other held him down. Michael was still fighting the bully, but then two other guys joined the bully. Michael and Jesse didn’t have a chance. I didn’t know what to do.  Everyone was fighting each other so they didn’t notice that I left.  The only thing on my mind was to go to the teacher. 
“Miss Albright!  Miss Albright!”  I yelled as I ran into the classroom.
“Yes, is something wrong?” she asked.
“F-f-f-fight!” 
She rushed from the room and pushed her way through the crowd yelling, “Stop!” as she went.
What I saw when we got to the middle was one boy lying on the ground, the other leaning over him, both covered in blood. 
“Jesse!” I called before running to him and engulfing him in a hug.     
Just then, I realized who was lying down on the ground and I rushed to his side.
“Michael, Michael, are you ok?” I asked. 
He answered me with a small groan.  In a few minutes the doctor came and with help, carried him to his clinic.  Jesse and I were allowed to come with him.  It turns out that he had a cracked rib and a few bruises.  Jesse had a sprained wrist.  For a while, I had to do extra chores while they were healing. 
A couple weeks later in the middle of the night, I woke up to someone walking around in the kitchen. I tiptoed down the stairs and saw that it was Michael
“Michael,” I whispered.  “Are you ok?”
“No,” he whispered.
“Want to tell me about it?”
“Remember the day of the fight?” he asked as he stood at the moonlight filled window, his back from me.
“Yes.”
“What they said, it was true.”
“Which part?”
“About being poor.  My dad died when I was 14 and I’ve had to work to help my mom.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“The others don’t seem to have the same point of view.”
  “Well, the others don’t matter, all that matters is what you think. Good night, Michael.”
“Night.”
With that, I went to bed only to be wakened by someone carrying me out of my room, down the stairs, and to the cellar, fast.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“There’s a twister coming!” my dad exclaimed.
Since my dad brought me down with a blanket, I curled up against the wall.  Soon Jesse came down.
“Jesse, where’s Michael?” I asked.
“I don’t know, Dad’s looking for him now,” he told me nervously.
With that I ran out of the cellar and onto the soft grass outside. “Michael, Michael!” I yelled.
“Charlie!” Jesse called after me, but I didn’t listen.
First I ran upstairs to the room he and Jesse share, and there was no one there. Next I looked in the barn, still no one. The wind howled and blew dust around. I ran down to the creek, and there he was sitting, watching the water.
“Michael!” I screamed. “There’s a twister coming!” He looked up.
“Charlie, look out!” he yelled. Suddenly, I was hit on the head from behind.
Black out.
Michael ran to her calling her name, with no reply. He picked her up, trying to run while he carried her to the house.
“Mr. Graham, Mr. Graham!” He ran carrying her limp body calling her father’s name. Finally, her father appeared, a worried expression on his face. He ran to Michael and took Charlie in his arms.
“She got hit on the head with a board that flew off the barn!” Michael said urgently.
Her father rushed Michael and Charlie downstairs to wait out the storm. After the storm subsided, they rushed her to the doctor. The three men sat nervously in the waiting room. Finally the doctor emerged saying she had a concussion and that she was resting comfortably. The three men impatiently rushed into the examination room.
“Charlie!” Her dad said lovingly as he rushed to give her a hug. Next came Jesse with his hug and lastly Michael.
“I’m so sorry!” he said tearing up.
“It’s not your fault.” She whispered her own eyes welling with tears.
After the doctor checked on her a few hours later, she was able to go home. Days later she snuck off to her cherry tree to talk to her mother.
“Mother, I wish you could be here. You would be so proud of us! Jesse is becoming a wonderful young man. He is so smart too. Father says that he could grow up to become a lawyer or a doctor, but for me, I would rather stay on the farm. It’s so peaceful, and I feel closest to you when I am here. The storm didn’t damage much, just the roof of the barn and the house. Michael helps care for the animals, and Father thinks he will make a great farmer someday. Well I should get back to the house, but I will come talk to you again soon,” Charlie said with tears in her eyes.
She felt a breeze tickle her neck and knew that her Mother sent her love. She started to walk to the house but then took a detour to the creek. He was there just like she knew he would be. She sat down on the bank next to him. He turned to look at her and smiled.
“I’m glad you weren’t seriously hurt,” Michael said.
“If you weren’t there I don’t know what would have happened,” Charlie answered.
“Um there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“What is it? Is your mother ok?”
“No, I mean yes, ahh! Can you just shut up and listen for once?” Michael laughed. “I wanted to ask you if you would be my girl?”
“Your girl?”
“You know, my sweetheart.”
“Michael I would love to be your sweetheart!”
Michael grinned and leaned in for a kiss.

Epilogue
“Charlie, you’re going to be late!” Her Father yelled as he headed to her favorite spot.
“Just give me a minute,” She yelled back.
Her father walked toward her and watched her try to climb out of the tree in her wedding dress.
“Here let me help you get down,” he said with a laugh.
He walk over and lifted her out of the tree.
“Now let’s get to the churche, they are waiting for us.”
“I’m a little nervous. Do I look ok?”
“You look Beautiful!”
They arrived at the church, and in a flurry she was married. She and Michael lived on the farm with her Father. Michael eventually took over the running of the farm. After two years of marriage Michael found her at her cherry tree. This is where she told him about their upcoming child. It was where he found her when she went into labor with their first child. It was also where he found her when her father died. Anytime she experienced joy or sadness this was where she could be found, sitting in her cherry tree.