Tangerine

Paul thinks back to Joey’s first day at Tangerine Middle, noting some of the disturbing things he said, like when he called Theresa a “guide dog” (147). Joey also suggests that Paul has been hanging around with the unsavory crowd at Tangerine Middle for too long, if he believes that they are good kids.

Science class is tense with Joey in the group with Tino and Theresa, but it starts out promisingly enough. Theresa tells them that they will be researching and writing about a new tangerine developed by her older brother, Luis. She and Tino are quite proud of his work, and Paul is keenly interested. When Joey suggests that they write up the information and put it on a disk for the computer, Tino defensively responds that they don’t have a computer. This leads to an altercation between the two, and Joey angrily stomps away. He accuses Paul of being a coward and of hanging out with “lowlifes” (150). While Joey storms off, and Tino is suspended for trying to strike Joey, Paul stays firm with the original group.

Mom calls a meeting of the Homeowners’ Association to the house, and Paul decides to sit in. There have been a series of burglaries in the neighborhoods, executed while the houses are tented for fumigation. They also discuss the fact that the Donnelly house now sports 10 lightning rods on top of it; Mom doesn’t like the looks of it, though Mr. Donnelly could be forgiven, seeing as how the house has been struck by lightning three times previously. The association also discusses the mysteriously disappearing koi from the neighborhood pond, and the fact that—in their efforts to stop the muck fire with copious amounts of water—they now have a potentially deadly mosquito infestation.

After the meeting adjourns, Paul returns to the home office to finish up some homework on the computer. While there, he spies a file he’d not seen before, entitled “Erik—Scholarship Offers” (155). He notes how carefully organized it is, as well as how impressive the listed schools are—though none seem to have overtly expressed an interest in Erik as of yet. Paul discreetly exits the file as he hears his Dad come home, but he decides he will review it more carefully later.

Joey does not return to school, though Paul is unsurprised and a little relieved. After soccer practice, he and Henry D. go to the Tomas Cruz Groves/Nursery to meet Luis and discuss his new variety of tangerine for their science project. Theresa warns Paul that Luis is special to the family and that he must be respectful of him.

On the tour of the groves, Paul is impressed, both by Luis, whose passion for the work is obvious and infectious, and by the trees themselves. Luis explains that by grafting trees, you can make the trunk of any tree support whatever citrus you want. He says that their family has done this work for 45 years.

When Paul returns home, he experiences another flashback. The memory takes place at their old backyard in Houston, where the family is testing Paul’s flawed peripheral vision. Erik sneaks up on his blind side, scaring him. He gets new glasses so that he can see better, but his fear remains: “I could see Erik lurking behind me, in the shadows of the clock” (163).

Paul recounts how the family is “becoming big fish in this little pond” of Tangerine County (164): Dad is in charge of the county’s Civil Engineering department; Mom has taken leadership roles on the Homeowners’ Association board; and Erik’s football fortunes, despite the early pratfall, have taken off as planned. Paul is also part of a winning team, as the War Eagles have now won their last seven games. Paul puts it in militaristic terms: “[w]e have destroyed every enemy” (165).

Paul decides he wants to see the groves again and shows up uninvited. While Tino acts irritated, Luis welcomes him, asking what he likes so much about the tangerines. Paul says he loves the smell of the groves, not to mention the taste of the tangerines. Luis is positively rapturous about his trees, and Tino clearly reveres his brother. Paul helps them lay out watering hoses in the grove until he is exhausted and badly sunburnt.

Tino is grudgingly impressed with Paul’s work, sharing the story about how Luis injured his knee picking fruit when he was younger. He tells Paul that, despite the injury, Luis was a star goalie on the Tangerine High team: “They had to put him in there [as goalie] because he was handicapped” (170). This favorable comparison prompts Paul to reveal that he was the one who told the authorities that Tino and the other soccer players were likely the vandals. Tino kicks him hard, then appears to let the situation go with this warning.

Mr. Donnelly, the local journalist, invites the Fisher family over to his house so that they—particularly Erik—can meet some football recruiters. While Erik behaves politely in front of the guests, he makes Arthur wait in the car, saying “[h]e smells too much like bug spray” (173). While Erik and his parents talk football, Mr. Donnelly takes Paul aside and tells him the story of Paul’s soccer coach, Betty Bright. As it turns out, Betty was once an Olympic hurdler and one of the best athletes ever to come out of Tangerine County. Her career was derailed when an East German athlete hit her during a competition—drawing no foul. America boycotted the next Olympics because they were held in Moscow.

When the family returns home, Paul experiences another flashback, this time to their old garage in Huntsville. He remembers seeing his grandparents come through the garage with their overnight bags and asking what happened to Paul’s eyes. Mom asks him not to say anything negative to his grandparents, as she invites them in and leaves Paul in the garage to watch his brother out in the yard: “Leaving me to stare out at Erik, who was staring back in at me” (177).

The last regular season game ends in a draw: The Manatee Middle competitors drive off in a rainstorm, and although the War Eagles are willing to play, the game is called on account of weather. Thus, it turns out that the only other undefeated team happens to be the Lake Windsor Seagulls, who they will face in the title game.

Mr. Donnelly decides to do a story on Tangerine Middle’s soccer team, complete with an attendant story about the amazing but ultimately disappointing history of their coach, Betty Bright. Paul wonders how Coach Bright will actually feel about reliving those memories: “Did she mind this painful memory splashed across the front page of the paper? Did she mind having to relive that punch in the eye?” (181).

The War Eagles embark on their journey to Lake Windsor Middle to play in the championship game. Paul notes how odd it is to be driving past such familiar territory. The other soccer players observe how wealthy the neighborhood appears, joking about Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

As the game begins, Paul notices that Mom is on the home team sidelines, rather than on the visitor side—which is what Paul technically is. The game is tense and exciting, with Paul making numerous saves at the goal. When it starts to look as if Lake Windsor will lose, their coach comes over to Coach Bright and argues that Paul is ineligible to play because he actually lives in Lake Windsor. Coach Bright responds that their star football quarterback, Antoine Thomas, is not eligible to play for them, either, as he actually lives in Tangerine. Thus, the game goes on. Paul finally understands why Shandra didn’t want any publicity that day: She didn’t want anyone finding out that Antoine, her brother, was playing for a team he mightn’t be eligible to play for.

The game ends with a penalty shot from Gino, captain of the Lake Windsor team; Paul saves it, and the championship is theirs. When Mom walks over to congratulate him and take him home, Paul insists that he get to ride the bus with the rest of the War Eagles. He finally belongs to the team.