It's a Twin Thing

Maybe it's because I spent so long in middle school, or maybe it's why I spent so long in middle school, but I kind of dig kid lit. We needn't debate its comparative merits here, but let's agree it has some: there is some great writing out there intended for young audiences.

Anyhoo, this morning when I was browsing through one of the several emails I get from folks recommending books to me, my attention was captured by Let it Glow, a collaborative middle years novel co-written by Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy. Meyer I was familiar with, having read both her Lunar Chronicles and Archenemies series, and the book was billed as a "charming, Parent Trap-esque holiday romp," so how could I resist?

I downloaded the audiobook and listened to the tale of twins separated at birth as I cleaned house today, and it was delightful until... the girls decided to switch places! Oh, sure, I should have expected it, especially with the blurb and all, but really? Why would anyone put themselves through such an awkward experience?

I taught many sets of twins over my career, several of them identical. In the early days, it was school policy to put those siblings on separate middle school teams to give them time and space to develop their individuality. Later on? Parent requests to have their kids in the same classes took precedence. Their reasoning? Convenience. It was an extra layer of effort to keep track of different assignments and expectations. 

But back before that, I taught a student named Patricia who had a twin, Anne on the other team. Even though my best friends when I was in middle school were identical twins who were as easy for me to tell apart as anyone else in the world, I have never been able to consistently and definitively identify the twins I've taught, and these kids were no exception. 

I taught Patricia, so I didn't know her sister, but when they were together, it was only the glimmer of familiarity in Patricia's expression that clued me in. (That, or I remembered what outfit she was wearing that day.) There were times in class, though, when Patricia seemed kind of out of it, and I wondered if she had some attention or focusing issues. Most of the time, though, she was on target, and just another of the 21 students in the room.

Years after the twins left middle school, I ran into one of their friends out in the community. After we caught up on what she had been doing, I asked if she stayed in touch with any of her friends from our class. Sure enough, she mentioned Patricia and Ann and filled me in on their lives, too. 

Then she laughed. "Did you know they used to switch places all the time in middle school?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Really?" I answered. "I had no idea." 

She chuckled again. "They were so bad!" she said.

Later, after we parted ways, I thought about the girls trading places and I realized that all those times when Patricia seemed lost and uncomfortable, it was probably because it was her sister. I got a knot in my stomach just thinking about it. 

Then I shrugged and sighed. I hope it was worth it.