"Did you finish your essay for Social Studies?", asked Fern while she was talking to her friend Tracy.  Fern Robinson was a smart and organized person.  Somehow she knew that Tracy who was a procrastinator would not have started her essay.   "What Essay?", asked Tracy.  Tracy Danworth was not as smart as Fern.  Fern and Tracy had been friends for more than four years now.  They met in fourth grade and they were thick friends even in eighth grade.   They had their fights occasionally.  But that did not stop them from being there for each other.  Both of them knew they were friends for life.  Tracy was a tomboy.  She loved playing sports and video games.  Fern on the other hand loved to read and write poetry.  "The essay you are supposed to write about a famous renaissance artist." , Fern told Tracy.  

Tracy suddenly realized that she had totally forgotten about the essay. "Thank you Fern for reminding me.  I guess, I did not understand what to do in this essay thing.", Tracy told Fern as they were walking home from school.  "When is it due", Tracy enquired.  "Its due TOMORROW!!!" , screamed Fern.  "What?", said Tracy now totally scared.  She had spent so much time trying to figure out an Artist whom she can write about for her essay.  There were so many of them.  All of them very talented and creative.  It was too hard to choose.   There was Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael...  Too many to name.  Tracy had spent a few hours trying to figure out whom she wanted to write about.  That's all that she did for the essay.   "You spent all that time wasting and thinking about who to write about in the essay?", Fern angrily asked her friend.   "You have barely twelve hours now to finish up the essay.  It is going to be hard Tracy.  I am not sure how you are going to finish the essay",  said Fern  very unsure.  "I wish I could go back in time and fix it", said Tracy.  "Lets go home and start over and see how much we can finish.  I might have to pull an all nighter for this", said Tracy.   "Fern, do you think you can have a sleep over tonight and help me finish the essay", pleaded Tracy to Fern.  Fern's eyes lit up.  She always liked sleepovers, especially at Tracy's.  "No problem.  My parents were anyway going to be in late after they had dinner with their friends.  I can call them and get permission", said Fern

Fern gave a call to Mrs. Robinson and got permission for sleep over.  "Lets Hurry back now.  We need to get working on that essay NOW!", said Tracy in a rush.  They must have taken few steps when they tripped over and fell into this covered pit.    There was something in there.  Tracy flashed her flashlight from her iPhone.   They saw this huge thing that looked like a box.  It had a door.  Fern and Tracy carefully opened it.  They were surprised to see the inside of the box two huge clock like device.  One of it had different years engraved.  The other had different places engraved.  Fern and Tracy were smart enough to understand what they had stumbled upon.   It was a time machine.  Tracy could not believe her luck.  She had just wished for a time machine to complete her essay.  There was no doubt that they were going to Florence, Italy, during the renaissance time.   As soon as they set the year and place on the devices,  there was this noise and the machine started to shake.     In no time they were in this unknown place which they had only seen in their textbooks.  They were also dressed like women in Italy during the 15th century. 

Tracy could not believe they were in Florence.   "Let me record this on my iPhone.  Nobody will believe this otherwise", she thought.  Not far away, she could see two familiar looking men having an argument.  They were talking gibberish.  Neither Fern, nor Tracy could understand anything. "What are they talking?", Tracy asked Fern.  "They are speaking Italian", Fern answered with a smile.  "Here take this", said Fern pushing an earpiece to Tracy.  "What is that?", asked Tracy with curiosity.  "Its headphones that was there in the time machine.  I took two just in case.  It works, it translates everything that you hear to english", said Fern excitedly.     Tracy and Fern started walking towards the corner where the argument was happening.

Fern and Tracy were surprised to see the faces in the crowd.  Two of them were very familiar.  They couldn't believe their eyes.  It was the great masters, Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo.   Fern and Tracy were amazed.  They had decided to write about Da Vinci.  He was one of the most diversely talented person.  He was not only an artist, he was also a Mathematician, an Engineer and a scientist.
" HA! HA! HA!  you call yourself a great artist?  How come you did  not finish that stupid bronze horse statue of yours", mocked  Michelangelo.   " Well, my  chariot man needed the bronze for making guns and other things for the war", said Leonardo Da Vinci.    As Michelangelo stormed off after the fight the two girls saw that Leonardo was disturbed. "I feel really bad for Master Leonardo Da vvinci" said Fern. " Excuse me Master Da Vinci why are you looking so disturbed" asked Fern.   "My soul is gone,  I think I am going to give up art forever", said Master Da Vinci. "Do not say that, I am your biggest Fan", said Fern trying to make Master Da Vinci feel better.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?", questioned Master Da Vinci.   "We are young artists who would like to learn more about you, Master Da Vinci", replied Fern immediately.  "What do you want to know about me, my young artists?", asked Da Vinci.  They told him wanted to learn more about their work for their school.  The next two hours was spent  going around Florence with the great master seeing some of his art and inventions.   They saw the Mona Lisa, Last Supper paintings that he had created and many of his inventions.  There was so much more, but Fern and Tracy had to be back home.  They thanked Master Da Vinci and ran back to their time machine.  They were back home in a blink of an eye.   It didn't feel like they had gone for long.

Tracy tried to play back her recording but her phone had run out of battery and nothing got recorded.  Thank god her brain did not run on batteries.  Fern too pitched in and helped Tracy with her essay.   The next day they submitted the essay.  Two days later Mrs. Burns, their Social studies teacher met them in the hallway.  "Impressive essay Tracy.  I felt I visited Florence when I read it",  Mrs. Burns commented.  Fern and Tracy looked at each other.