Page 57 of Mob Princess

Kickball?

Me

Absolutely. Grand slam queen here.

I loved playing kickball. Basically, the rules of baseball with a ball that’s not whirling through the air toward my head. I have great eye-foot coordination. I could kick hard and run fast. I was usually the last kicker because I could get a home run by kicking it far enough and running fast enough to make it around all three bases before anyone caught me. When there were people already on all the bases before I kicked, I would chase them all the way to home base. And voilà—a grand slam.

I should see if there are any adult leagues nearby.

Sean

Least favorite subject

Me

I didn’t really have one. I didn’t enjoy chemistry, but that was because I was sick the week they taught nomenclature. I never fully got it so the rest of the year was fake it till you make it. That got me through finals. Barely.

Sean

That was me with vectors in calculus. Shane and I were both out after tonsillectomies when they introduced it. Finn had to teach us. Lucky for him neither of us could talk so neither of us could complain about how boring it was. He wasn’t any good at it. No patience.

Can I ask more about that? Before we discovered each other’s family connections, it would have been fine. I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. But now? Will he think I have an ulterior motive? Or will he understand I just want to get to know him like I did before I knew he’s an O’Rourke, and he knew I’m an O’Malley and Tremblay? FML. This isn’t the first time I’ve thought that.

Me

Are you the younger twin?

Sean

Yeah. By three minutes. Three glorious, spacious, quiet minutes. Then I got bored.

I send him the sideways crying-laughing emoji.

Me

You and your brother got tonsillitis at the same time?

Sean

That was entirely coincidental. We didn’t catch or develop all the same illnesses. He got swimmer’s ear every summer. I had braces for six months longer than him. The braces were the only time it was easy for people outside our family to always tell us apart.

Me

Are you really that identical?

Sean

Yes. Down to our mannerisms and voice. People say we sound exactly the same. Everyone in our family can tell us apart. My mom always knew I was the one getting in trouble despite how we’d both deny it.

Me

Was it ever strange knowing it’s so rare to have a mirror image of yourself? Or is that you’ve just known nothing else so you don’t think about it much?

Sean

It’s only strange when I think about it in the sense that most people don’t have a mirror image of themselves.

Me

---