Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
A âÈêLITTLEâÈë PROBLEM
âÈêIâÈçM OPEN, TIKI!âÈë
Ronde Barber threw his hands up into the air as he ran. Way back down the street his twin brother hauled off and threw a perfect spiral, high and long. Ronde, in full stride, reached out to grab it. He could feel his fingertips brush the ballâÈ'
HOONNNKKK!!!
The car horn made Ronde wince, pull his hands in, and dodge to the left, all in the same instant. Ronde leaned against Mr. EvansâÈçs parked Oldsmobile, while the speeding car swerved to avoid the bouncing football, then continued on down the block, its horn blaring.
The driver yelled something out the window about âÈêâÈö kids! Playing in the middle of the street!âÈë But Ronde couldnâÈçt make it out, and he didnâÈçt care to. He knew it was nothing he wanted to hear.
âÈêMan!âÈë he said breathlessly as he retrieved the ball, then trotted back to where Tiki was standing, shaking his head. âÈêWhyâÈçd you throw the ball, dude? DidnâÈçt you see him coming?âÈë
Tiki shook his head. âÈêThat guy was bustinâÈç it! He wasnâÈçt even there when I let it loose.âÈë
âÈêHe must think this is the highway,âÈë said Ronde. Amherst Street was a dead end, and kids were always playing in the middle of the road. That was one of the great things about living here, in his opinion. Cars came by only every ten minutes or so.
âÈêCome on,âÈë Tiki said. âÈêLetâÈçs play that down over.âÈë
The twins were in the middle of one of their favorite pastimesâÈ'a kind of fantasy football that was the perfect way to spend a late summer afternoon. It had been eight whole months since theyâÈçd played in a real football game. Eight months! Every year by the end of August they were totally football-crazy.
Luckily, today was Labor DayâÈ'only a few days until real football started back at Hidden Valley Junior High!
âÈêI would have had that ball, easy,âÈë Ronde pointed out as they walked back to the manhole cover that served as the line of scrimmage. âÈêStupid cars.âÈë
âÈêMan, I canâÈçt wait till weâÈçre playing again for real.âÈë
Ronde had to laugh. âÈêI never thought IâÈçd see the day when we couldnâÈçt wait for school to start.âÈë
The next day school would be back in session, and they would be ninth graders at lastâÈ'not to mention that theyâÈçd be team co-captains of the Hidden Valley Eagles, reigning champions of the entire state of Virginia!
âÈêThis yearâÈçs going to be awesome,âÈë Tiki said. âÈêOur last year, and weâÈçre gonna go out with a bang!âÈë
âÈêA big bang,âÈë Ronde said, a huge smile on his face. âÈêCan you say âÈæall-starâÈç?âÈë
âÈêCan you say âÈætwo-time state champsâÈç?âÈë
âÈêCan you say âÈæundefeatedâÈç?âÈë
âÈêCan you say âÈærecord booksâÈç?âÈë
âÈêUh-huh.âÈë
âÈêUh-huh.âÈë
They exchanged their special handshakeâÈ'not the one everybody on the team used to celebrate big moments, but the one known to just the two of them, that they brought out only for very special occasions.
âÈêCan you say âÈæNFLâÈç?âÈë Ronde said, voicing their deepest wish, the one they both dreamed about at night.
âÈêThe only thing is,âÈë Tiki said, his smile fading, âÈêevery kid in school is expecting us to do all that.âÈë
âÈêSo?âÈë
âÈêSo, you know itâÈçs not gonna be easy. What if weâÈöâÈë He swallowed hard. âÈêYou knowâÈöâÈë
âÈêDonâÈçt talk like that!âÈë Ronde told him. âÈêYou know what Mom would say.âÈë
âÈêAnd Coach, too,âÈë Tiki said.
âÈêStay positive!âÈë
Ronde and Tiki understood that once you let negative thoughts into your brain, they made themselves at home, took over the placeâÈ'and all of a sudden, your confidence was gone, and so was your game!
âÈêOkay, same play again,âÈë Tiki said, clapping his twin on the back. âÈêThird and ten, right?âÈë
âÈêRight.âÈë
Ronde loved these sessions of theirsâÈ'no pressure, and you could let your imagination go wild. In real life he played cornerback and kick returner. But here in the street he could be a wide receiver, or a running back like Tiki, or even quarterback if he felt like it. It was a real summer luxury. Starting tomorrow it would be back to school, and the team, and the Barber boys would be all business.
âÈêHut! Hut!âÈë Tiki shouted. Ronde took off at full speed. He made one killer move, then another, and whooshed down the side of the street, alongside the parked cars. The ball met him in full strideâÈ'
HONNNKKK!!
âÈêNot again,âÈë Ronde moaned, flattening himself into the side of a parked car to let the new intruder pass. But then he saw that it was their mom, driving the old brown station wagon.
She rolled down the window and pulled up beside him. âÈêCanâÈçt you see when thereâÈçs a car coming, Ronde?âÈë
âÈêSure I can!âÈë he said. âÈêI knew you were there, Ma.âÈë
She frowned. âÈêYouâÈçve got to keep a better eye out than that,âÈë she said, âÈêor IâÈçm going to have to put my foot down.âÈë
âÈêYes, Mom,âÈë Ronde said.
âÈêNow come on home,âÈë she said. âÈêIâÈçve got a pile of new clothes for you and your brother to try on.âÈë
She continued on down the street and pulled into their driveway, while Ronde trotted after her, tossing the football to himself as he went.
Ronde hated trying stuff on, and he wished his mom would let him and Tiki pick out their own clothes. But Mrs. Barber was very strict about certain things. Every year she waited for the Labor Day sales, then spent the day hitting all the stores, looking for bargains.
âÈêI donâÈçt intend to pay extra money just so you boys can dress in the latest styles thatâÈçll be old-fashioned the day after tomorrow,âÈë she would say.
The clothes she picked out were always well made, so they would last a long time. Mrs. Barber worked hard at two jobs, and she knew that money didnâÈçt grow on trees.
Ronde and Tiki helped her take the bags inside. Then the free-for-all began, both boys grabbing whatever items caught their eye, trying to get their pick before the other one claimed it.
âÈêDonâÈçt fight over them!âÈë Mrs. Barber ordered. âÈêThereâÈçs plenty for both of you. I got two of everything too, just in case youâÈçve grown a size. Whatever doesnâÈçt fit, IâÈçll just return tomorrow.âÈë
Ronde gathered his choices in both arms and headed up to their bedroom. There he started trying on jeans, shirts, pants, and sweaters.
Tiki was over by his bed, doing the same thing.
âÈêHow do these look?âÈë Ronde asked, showing Tiki the brown corduroy pants he was wearing.
Tiki shrugged. âÈêNot too bad.âÈë
âÈêGreat,âÈë Ronde murmured. âÈêAt least you didnâÈçt laugh.âÈë
âÈêHa!âÈë
âÈêFunny,âÈë said Ronde, getting ready to try on another pair. âÈêVery funny.âÈë
âÈêHey,âÈë Tiki said suddenly, looking down at his legs. âÈêThese pants are too small for me.âÈë
âÈêToo small?âÈë Ronde repeated. âÈêDidnâÈçt Mom say she got a size larger, just in case?âÈë
âÈêWell, not these,âÈë Tiki said, taking them off. âÈêSee for yourself.âÈë
Ronde eyed the pair of pants. They were gray, and he kind of liked them. Of course, if they were small for Tiki, they were sure to be small for him, too. After all, they were identical twins. Until junior high theyâÈçd shared all their clothes.
To RondeâÈçs surprise and shock, the pants fit him perfectly. He whipped them back off as fast as he could, hoping Tiki hadnâÈçt noticed.
No such luck. TikiâÈçs eyes were bugging out, and he wore a big grin. âÈêHey,âÈë he said, âÈêstand next to me, Ronde.âÈë
âÈêWhy?âÈë
âÈêJust come on over here by me,âÈë Tiki said, pointing to the floor at his feet, âÈêand letâÈçs stand back-to-back.âÈë
âÈêWhat for?âÈë
âÈêWhat do you think?âÈë Tiki said, pointing again. âÈêI bet you IâÈçm taller than you.âÈë
âÈêCanâÈçt be.âÈë
âÈêCome on. LetâÈçs just see. What are you, chicken?âÈë
Seeing that there was no way out, Ronde sighed and stood back-to-back with his brother in front of the mirror.
âÈêLook at that!âÈë Tiki crowed. âÈêIâÈçm at least three inches taller than you!âÈë
âÈêThree inches? No way!âÈë Ronde protested. âÈêMaybe one inch at most.âÈë
âÈêThree, my man. One, two, three. Maybe even four!âÈë
âÈêWait a second,âÈë Ronde said. âÈêSomethingâÈçs wrong with this picture. Maybe IâÈçm just all scrunched up.âÈë He went over to the chinning bar that was set into the doorway of their room, and hung from it for a few seconds. âÈêNow try again,âÈë he told Tiki.
But he hadnâÈçt stretched out at all. Tiki was right. He was at least three inches taller than Ronde.
Tiki looked him up and down. âÈêYou look skinny, too, next to me,âÈë he commented. Making a muscle, he said, âÈêCome on, letâÈçs see yours.âÈë
Ronde rolled up his sleeve and matched biceps with Tiki. âÈêTheyâÈçre the exact same.âÈë
âÈêNo way! Come on, now. YouâÈçre not blind. IâÈçm taller than you, and IâÈçve got bigger muscles.âÈë
Ronde opened his mouth to say something, but he couldnâÈçt for the life of him think of a single word. His head was pounding, and the whole room was starting to spin. He sat down on the bed and put his head into his hands.
This was a major disaster!
âÈêCome on over to the scale,âÈë said Tiki, grabbing RondeâÈçs arm and dragging him to the bathroom. âÈêHereâÈ'look at that. I gained fifteen pounds!âÈë He stepped off and said, âÈêYour turn.âÈë
Sighing miserably, Ronde stepped onto the scale. The needle stopped at 82, the same exact weight heâÈçd been at the beginning of the summer!
âÈêHey, Mom!âÈë Tiki yelled.
âÈêShush!âÈë Ronde told him, but it was too late. Their mother was already coming up the stairs.
âÈêMom, guess what! IâÈçm bigger than Ronde!âÈë
âÈêNot by much,âÈë Ronde said through gritted teeth.
âÈêMuch, much bigger!âÈë Tiki went on. âÈêLook. Look at this,âÈë he said, dragging their mom into the bedroom. He tried on a shirt, showing her that the sleeves didnâÈçt come all the way to his wrists. âÈêIâÈçll bet this fits Ronde perfectly!âÈë
âÈêAAARRRGH!!!âÈë With a roar Ronde leapt at Tiki, forcing him down onto the bed. Grabbing a pillow, he slammed his twin with it, over and over again.
Far from stopping Tiki, this just egged him on. Between gasps of laughter, Tiki said, âÈêDonâÈçt be mad, Shorty. I canâÈçt help it if you didnâÈçt grow all summer! Ow! Ha, ha, ha! Ow!âÈë
âÈêCut it out, Tiki!âÈë Ronde shouted, slamming him once more with the pillow, then letting go of it to grab TikiâÈçs arms and pin them to the bed.
âÈêStop it! Stop it, both of you!âÈë Mrs. Barber demanded.
In an instant it was over. When their mom got that tone in her voice, they both froze in their tracks. âÈêNow let me see what all this fuss is about.âÈë
She stood them back-to-back, and Ronde could see the surprise and concern in her face. âÈêThatâÈçs strange,âÈë she said. âÈêWell, Ronde, I guess youâÈçll be hitting your growth spurt any day now.âÈë
Seeing the tears he was fighting back, she went on. âÈêDonâÈçt worry, baby. In the end youâÈçre both going to be the same exact size. ThatâÈçs the way it is with identical twins. It looks like your brother just got himself a little head start.âÈë
âÈêItâÈçs not fair!âÈë Ronde protested. âÈêWhy couldnâÈçt I have been the one to grow first?âÈë
âÈêBecause IâÈçm better than you,âÈë Tiki teased, drawing a little punch in the arm from Ronde. âÈêOw! Ha, ha, ha!âÈë
âÈêTiki Barber, do not let me catch you making fun of your brother again!âÈë
âÈêNo, Mom,âÈë said Tiki, his smile vanishing.
âÈêYour job is to stick up for him, especially if somebody else makes fun of him. But whatever happens, donâÈçt let it be you doing the teasing.âÈë
âÈêNo, Mom.âÈë
âÈêNow finish up with these clothes,âÈë she said. âÈêWeâÈçve still got to go buy school supplies for tomorrow.âÈë
After she left, Ronde went back over to his own pile of clothes. But he still felt angry, and cheated. âÈêYouâÈçd better not even mention it tomorrow,âÈë he warned his brother.
âÈêAll right, all right.âÈë
That was the last they spoke about it. But several times that evening Ronde caught sight of his brother checking himself out in the mirror, making muscles and standing up as straight as he could.
That made the sting come right back, full strength. Suddenly Ronde wasnâÈçt looking forward to schoolâÈ'not in the least.
Sure enough, his troubles began before the boys even got to school. On the bus that morning their friend Paco Rivera, who played center for the Eagles and who had known the twins since they were little kids, got onto the bus and sat right behind them.
It was the first time theyâÈçd seen Paco since June, when heâÈçd gone off to Mexico with his parents for the summer, to see his grandparents and cousins in the old country.
Paco greeted them excitedly in the aisle, and the twins rose to greet him, giving him the team handshake. Then Paco suddenly stopped, squinted, and tilted his head to one side. âÈêIs it just me,âÈë he asked, âÈêor is one of you guys bigger than the other?âÈë
Tiki opened his mouth to speak, but Ronde squeezed his arm before he could get a word out. âÈêOw!âÈë Tiki cried. âÈêQuit it, Ronde!âÈë
âÈêSo, Tiki,âÈë Paco said, breaking out into a grin, âÈêyouâÈçre the big Barber now, huh? Slap me five, jumbo!âÈë
Tiki smiled back at him, and they high-fived with gusto. Then Paco turned to Ronde. âÈêTough break, little dude,âÈë he said. âÈêBut hey, donâÈçt worry. Cornerbacks donâÈçt have to be tall.âÈë
âÈêDonâÈçt be a jerk, Paco,âÈë Ronde muttered.
âÈêWhy? WhatâÈçd I say?âÈë
âÈêTiki and I are gonna grow up to be the same exact size.âÈë
âÈêYeah, but look at him, dude. HeâÈçs gonna be a monster at running back this year! WeâÈçre gonna rule, you guys!âÈë
âÈêYeah! ThatâÈçs what IâÈçm talkinâÈç about!âÈë Tiki said, nodding. The two of them high-fived a second time.
Tiki had made a promise to their mom not to say anything, and he was as good as his word. But Paco hadnâÈçt made any promises. Within two minutes every kid on the bus knew about RondeâÈçs âÈêlittleâÈë predicamentâÈ'and as soon as they got off, theyâÈçd be sure to tell all their friends. Before long âÈêShortyâÈë would be the talk of the entire school!
Ronde just sat there shaking his head as the others piled off the bus. Was it going to be like this all year long?
He finally dragged himself off the seat and out of the bus. He trudged up the steps to the school as if his book bag weighed a ton. He tried not to walk too close to Tiki, so kids couldnâÈçt tell the difference in size between them. But he still felt their eyes on him.
Since he didnâÈçt look back at them, he couldnâÈçt tell whether they were eyeing him with admirationâÈ'the star of the EaglesâÈç defenseâÈ'or whether they were comparing him to his brother, and laughing to themselves as they noticed how small he was in comparison.
Luckily, things were not so bad once the bell rang and homeroom started. No one was looking at Ronde now. They were all busy comparing program cards, catching up with friends they hadnâÈçt seen all summer, and, finally, shuffling off to their first class of the new school year.
Heading for Mr. LernerâÈçs first-period science class, Ronde heaved a sigh of relief. Finally he could think about something other than his own shrimpiness!
Âû 2011 Tiki Barber and Ronde Barber
