Tangerine Summaries-7th grade

As I told you guys last week, we are going to knock out Part 2 of Tangerine in a relatively short period of time. To help this process along, I am going to post some summaries of the first few days, so we can all be on the same page when we go back to the classroom. Read through these, take notes,  and be prepared to answer questions over it.

Monday, September 18

Today Paul has a second chance at beginning the school year. He manages to talk Mom out of going into Tangerine Middle School with him. She worries about the karate-kickers and gangstas gathered in front of the school. But, Paul is persuasive and she drops him off without getting out of the car.

Paul climbs the stairs to the school office, which is on the second floor of the old building. The principal, Dr. Johnson, greets him and introduces him to Theresa Cruz who is to be his escort today, and longer if he wants.

Paul sees that while the schedules and classes at Tangerine Middle School are the same as at Lake Windsor Middle School, the two schools are very different.

Theresa stays with Paul through lunchtime. He tries to get information from her about the teachers, but she says very little. Then, when he asks her about soccer, she has more to say. Her twin brother, Tino, is on the soccer team. However, he is not at school today. He and his friends, Victor and Hernando, are suspended from school for three days because they got into trouble at the carnival. Victor is one of the team's star players. Theresa adds that Maya, a girl, is another star player. Paul asks about the goalie. Theresa tells him that is Shandra Thomas, also a girl. At Tangerine Middle School, boys and girls play on the same team. Theresa proudly tells Paul that last year the soccer team placed second in the county.

One of Paul's teachers is Mrs. Murrow who, Paul is unhappy to learn, is married to Mr. Murrow from Lake Windsor Middle School. Paul plans to avoid drawing attention to himself in that class.

After school, Theresa introduces Paul to the team coach, Ms. Bright. The coach tells him that he can be backup goalie. He agrees. He is confident that he will get some playtime during the season. The scrimmage is hardly serious with Tino and his friends missing. The goalies, Paul and Shandra, both have an easy time.

As practice ends, the same light green classic Ford pickup truck that Paul and his mother noticed after the carnival is waiting to pick up some of the team members. Paul figures that the driver is Theresa's brother, Luis.

After practice, Paul panics when he spots his mother leaving the school office. She had brought his paperwork from Lake Windsor Middle School. But, she tells him that, as she was transporting it, the IEP that he does not want Tangerine Middle School to have disappeared out of his folder somewhere between Lake Windsor Middle School and Tangerine Middle School.

Paul is now happy with his life.

Tuesday, September 19

Paul's second day at Tangerine Middle School goes smoothly in the morning. Then, Victor joins Paul and Teresa at lunch. He gives Paul a bad time, but not terribly seriously. When Paul tells Victor that he played on the soccer team yesterday, Victor says that the soccer team was not at school yesterday. Tino explains that they were in the vandalism jail. Paul finally finds out exactly what happened that day at the carnival. Tino karate-kicked one of the displays, the Ax Man display. Paul asks how they got caught. It was because Tino had a soccer ball so someone called Betty Bright, their soccer coach. She knew immediately who was involved. Paul begins to think that it sounds like he got away with telling on the Tangerine Middle School soccer team.

Practice today is different. Victor Guzman is the unchallenged leader of the team. There are about half as many players on the team as there are on Lake Windsor Middle School's team. Toward the end of practice, Paul has an opportunity to face Victor and the rest of the front line. Paul makes a great save, but Victor kicks the ball out of Paul's hands as Paul lies on the ground holding it. He claims that he made a goal, but Tino disputes the claim. They fight over the top of Paul, who is still lying on the ground.

Finally, Betty Bright, who missed Paul's save, pays attention. She follows threats of more suspensions with a command to the team to get to practice early tomorrow because she will have their uniforms for them.

After practice, the green truck picks up the kids who ride in it, including Victor and Tino, who seem to have forgotten their fight.

As Paul walks by Maya and Nita, Maya compliments Paul on his save.

As he is driven away from school Paul feels happy to be a part of Tangerine Middle School.

Wednesday, September 20

After dinner Paul and Joey are on the patio comparing uniforms. The muck fire is noticeable. Erik and Arthur are on the outside of the fence sliding around in the mud in Arthur's Land Cruiser. There is more difference between the uniforms than the colors. Joey’s is brand new. Paul’s has obviously been used by someone else.

Erik and Arthur come into the yard making rude remarks about Mike Costello and his brother, Joey. After Erik and Arthur go inside the house, Joey asks Paul what they meant. Paul tells him to forget about what the idiots said. But, Joey won’t drop it. So, Paul feels compelled to tell him that they were referring to the way Mike’s hair was burned by the lightning strike. And, they were talking about Joey trying to remove Mike’s shoes.

Joey feels like a coward because he did not stand up to Erik and Arthur. Paul reminds him that he does not stand up to them either. Joey is not surprised that they are making fun of him, but he is surprised that they are making fun of Mike.

Joey tells Paul the reason that he tried to take off Mike’s shoes. It was to make Mike more comfortable. Mike always felt more comfortable with his shoes off.

Paul has a solution. Joey can transfer to Tangerine Middle School. Joey says that it is too late to transfer. Paul thinks that Windsor Lake Middle School will do whatever Mr. Costello asks them to do. After questioning Paul about what the school is like, Joey says that he will consider it.

Friday, September 22

Today is the day that Tangerine Middle School plays Palmetto Middle School. After getting into their uniforms, the team boards a noisy old bus with no air-conditioning. The team coach is the driver. The trip takes about thirty minutes. When they reach the school, Victor leads the team once around the soccer field, then they meet the coach at midfield. Paul notices that the spectators, including the adults, are rude. So are the players.

Coach Bright revs up the team spirit by having the team shout “War Eagles.” Then, Victor starts to chant simply “War! War! War!” As the team shouts with him, any fear dissipates. The action on the field that follows does seem more like war than a game. The referee does not control the game. But, the Tangerine War Eagles are definitely the better team.

Before half time it starts to rain. The team spends half time on the bus with the coach and a bag of tangerines getting some good advice.

In the second half, after Tino is upended, Paul finds himself playing center forward in his place. When Paul misses an opportunity to score, Victor gets in his face. A second opportunity presents itself, but someone pulls Paul’s goggles away from his face and puts mud in his eyes. Paul attacks the fullback who did it. Later, Victor apologizes for getting in his face, compliments him on his attack on the fullback, and talks like Paul is really part of the team now. He tells Paul that the team is there to back him up if anyone messes with him.

Saturday, September 23

Today, in the first game of their season, the Lake Windsor High School football team, the Seagulls, is playing a home game against the Cypress Bay High School football team, the Cardinals. Before the game starts there is already a problem. There are not enough places for the fans to sit. Cardinals fans start filling up the condemned bleachers. Mr. Bridges, the Lake Windsor High School principal, runs over to the condemned bleachers, but to no avail. A Tangerine Times photographer takes his picture.

Thirty minutes after start time, the game is still being delayed due to the bleacher situation. Then police cars arrive, along with a truck from Channel 2 News. As the police approach them, the Cypress Bay fans exit the bleachers. The game can start.

The game is slow. There is no score on either side until late in the third quarter, when a Cypress By fullback scores a touchdown. Then, they get the extra point.

Then, the skies open up and drench the field. Fans run for shelter in their cars. Dad and Paul stay near the field while Mom fears the worst for them.

Two minutes before the end of the game, Antoine Thomas scores a touchdown. It is time for Erik to make the extra point and tie the game. But, Arthur is not the holder. Antoine is. This is a surprise. As Erik starts to kick the football, Antoine takes it and runs. Antoine crosses the goal line. It is a two-point conversion. The Seagulls are now ahead. But, Erik, who did not know what was about to happen, kicked only air and landed in the mud. The game ends with the Cardinals fumbling away the last seconds.

When all the Fishers are back in the car, Dad explains to Mom that Erik helped win the game, although not in a way that people will remember. Paul mentally disagrees with Dad. The sight of Erik landing in the mud will become a memory that stays with people, he thinks.

At home Dad continues to emphasize the importance of Erik’s contribution as a decoy. However, Erik himself does not appear to be convinced.

The Fishers watch the news. At the end of the sports portion, where the station puts sports bloopers, they see Erik kicking at air and landing in the mud. The station makes a big joke of the piece. Erik’s parents tell him to just put it behind him, to forget about it. Paul knows that Erik will be making someone pay for his embarrassment somehow.

Tuesday, September 26

Today, the soccer game is against Kinnow Middle School. It is a home game for Tangerine Middle School. There are a lot of fans, including a man with Theresa and Luis Cruz who could be their father. There are no bleachers. Everyone who didn’t bring a chair stands. Joey is now on the team, but not a starter.

Victor opens a cut on his head that he got at the Palmetto game. Coach Bright has Tino’s father take Victor to get stitches even though Victor wants to stay in the game.

Tuesday, September 26, later

Back at his home, Paul answers the telephone. It is Grandmom. Mom fills her in on recent events. Later, Mom returns the phone to Paul. The call is from Cara Clifton, who attends Lake Windsor Middle School. She wants information about Tangerine Middle School. Is he going out with anyone from there? When Paul tells her that he isn’t, she tells him that her friend, Kerri Gardner, says “Hi.” When Paul asks her to return the greeting, she asks him if he likes Kerri. When Paul doesn’t respond, Cara ends the conversation. Stunned, Paul calls Joey and tells him that his girlfriend just called him wanting to know if he likes Kerri. Joey says that he was being scammed. He guesses that Kerri was listening on an extension. Paul asks Joey if Adam from the carnival is still going out with her. Joey doesn’t know. After they hang up, Paul gives the situation a lot of thought. His conclusion is that, even with his glasses, she doesn’t see anything wrong with him.

Wednesday, September 27

Paul gets put in Victor’s place during practice, the same as yesterday. Toward the end of practice, Victor watches and heckles Joey. The heckling continues after the game when Victor and “his boys;” Tino, Hernando, and Mano; follow Paul and Joey. Victor asks Joey why he is following Fisher Man. Does Joey want Fisher Man to catch him? Paul tries to encourage Joey to stay loose, but Joey has difficulty doing that. During the heckling, Joey acquires a new name, Charlie the Tuna.

Mom picks up Paul and Joey. After the car goes only ten or so yards, Mom stops the car and talks to Maya and Nita. She gives them encouragement. Mom says that she thinks that Mr. Donnelly of the Tangerine Times should write about them. As they drive toward Lake Windsor Downs, Paul tells his mother that the girls don’t need encouragement.

As they approach Joey’s house, the houses on both sides of his house are covered with tents and signs. There are many signs around them warning of the presence of poison gas. Joey tells Mom that soon his house will also have a tent. He thinks that all the houses on his street will be tented.

Mom suggests that Joey can stay at their house when his is fumigated. She says that Paul and Joey can sleep together, not a good choice of words after Victor’s heckling. Anyway, Joey has avoided Paul’s house since his encounter with Erik and Arthur. He won’t be returning now.