When they sit down, Grandma sets down some food and makes conversation about Mildred's family-filling Mary Alice in about how Mildred's father is a horse thief and is in jail right now.Grandma tells Mildred to tie up her horse outside, to take off her boots, and to come inside so that they can discuss the matter of this dollar.She listens calmly as Mary Alice explains how Mildred is shaking her down for a dollar. When they reach the house, Grandma is standing on the porch as though she's waiting for them.She gets on her big horse (seriously-she rides a big horse) and follows Mary Alice on her walk home, much to Mary Alice's horror.

She already stole and ate Ina-Rae's lunch. Another girl in class, Ina-Rae Gage, whispers that Mary Alice should just listen to Mildred because she's a scary bully.

Then Mildred tells Mary Alice to give her a dollar, which Mary Alice definitely does not have on her.

Mildred makes a fist under the desk to intimidate Mary Alice and calls her a 'rich Chicago girl.' Mary Alice retorts that if she were rich, she wouldn't have to be here right now-her parents could have kept her at home.

When she sits down next to a girl named Mildred Burdick, she gets a serious glare and can tell she's not welcome here.

They all turn to look at Mary Alice, and she feels some classic new girl anxiety. Fluke says that Mary Alice will be a junior here, and sends her to Miss Butler's classroom, where all the other students are sitting in old-fashioned school desks. He's taken on quite a few rolls since the recession hit.

But because times are tough, it turns out that the man sweeping up is actually the principal-Mr.

Mary Alice is so embarrassed…is Grandma really trying to enroll her in school by talking to the janitor?

Grandma takes Mary Alice into the basement of the school and introduces her to a man who is cleaning up down there.

Mary Alice figures they're going back to Grandma's house and is startled to find that she's being taken to the school so that she can register.

As they go, Mary Alice observes the tiny town and how the few businesses open look like they're hurting from the recession. Grandma Dowdel is at the station waiting for her, and they start to walk.Mary Alice takes the train to her Grandma Dowdel's town with her trunk of belongings and her cat Bootsie in tow.

A year down under richard peck