The Crossover

“1. ever since I watched

the clip of Dad

posterizing

that seven-foot Croatian center

on ESPN’s Best Dunks Ever;

soaring through the air – his

long twisted hair like wings

carrying him

high above

the rim – I knew

one day

I’d need

my own wings

to fly.”

The number one reason Josh wears dreadlocks is that he idealizes his father. He wants to be just like him, down to the wing-like locs. The pride Josh has about his hair runs deep, which is why it is devastating for him to lose his locs later in the story.

“JB’s the second

most phenomenal baller on our team.

He has the better jumper, but I’m the better

slasher. And much faster. We both

pass well. Especially to each other.

To get ready for the season, I went

to three summer camps. JB only went to

one. Said he didn’t want to miss Bible school.

What does he think, I’m stupid? Ever since

Kim Bazemore kissed him in Sunday school,

he’s been acting all religious,

thinking less and less about

basketball, and more and more about

GIRLS.”

Josh establishes his bond with his twin brother, JB, by showing what a great team they make. The differences he highlights widen into what they choose to do with their free time, which foreshadows the major split between these two brothers: girls.

“If my hair were a tree

I’d climb it.

I’d kneel down beneath

and enshrine it.

I’d treat it like gold

and then mine it.

Each day before school

I unwind it.

And right before games

I entwine it.

These locks on my head,

I designed it.

And one last thing if

you don’t mind it:

That bet you just made?

I DECLINE IT.”

When Josh’s tone becomes serious, the poem style is far more structured. The two-line stanzas slow the reader down, and the rhymes allow the reader to absorb every word. The style choices emphasize the importance of the point Josh is trying to make: how much he cares about his hair.

“[JB] brings back three packages

of duck sauce and a cup of wonton soup

and hands them all to me.

Dad pauses, and Mom looks at JB.

That was random, she says.

What, isn’t that what you wanted, Filthy? JB asks.

And even though I never opened my mouth,

I say, Thanks,

because

it is.”

Even though Josh is furious about JB cutting his hair and is further insulted by JB’s half-hearted attempt at apologizing, because of their twin connection, JB is still able to read what Josh wants without him saying a word. Despite their quarrel, their bond is still undeniable.

“The hip-hop soundtrack blasts.

The bass booms.

The crowd looms.

There’s music and mocking,

teasing nonstop, but

when the play begins

all the talk ceases.

Dad shovel-passes the ball to me.

I behind-the-back pass to JB,

who sinks a twenty-foot three.

See, this is how we act

Sundays after church.” 

The connection between Josh and JB and their dad is evident to all who witness them. They enjoy putting on a show almost as much as they enjoy being together. This is when they are at their best, in sync with each other’s rhythms.

“Some girl who we’ve never seen before,

in tight jeans and pink Reeboks,

comes up to the table.

JB’s eyes are ocean wide,

his mouth swimming on the floor,

his clownish grin, embarrassing.

So when she says,

Is it true that twins

know what each other are thinking?

I tell her

you don’t have to be his twin

to know

what he’s thinking.” 

The introduction of Alexis leaves JB speechless and Josh undisturbed. The greatest thing JB fears is facing girls, but Josh does it with ease. The greatest thing Josh fears is losing his dad, and later, JB can face that in a way that Josh cannot.

“Remember

when you were two

and I taught you the game?

You had a bottle in one hand

and a ball in the other,

and your mom thought I was crazy.

I WAS crazy.

Crazy in love.

With my twin boys.” 

Basketball has been in Josh and JB’s life as long as their father has. They learned the game almost before they learned to walk. For the Bells, the love of family and the love of basketball is unwavering and forever intertwined.

“The bad news, Josh,

is that

neither Duke nor any other college

accepts cheaters. Since I can’t

seem to make a decent man out of you

perhaps the Air Force or Marines can.” 

Josh’s teacher catches him passing a note and sends him to the assistant principal’s office, which also happens to be his mother’s office. While she is busy attending to a list of other duties, she instructs Josh to look through pamphlets for the Air Force and Marines. She thinks he was cheating on a test, but the note Josh passed was a love note from JB to Alexis, to which Josh “take[s] the heat”(80) for his brother. The intensity with which Josh’s mom treats his crime shows how important education and honesty are to her and the standards she expects Josh to live up to.

“Even though I know he hears me,

the only thing JB is listening to

is the sound of his heart

bouncing

on the court

of love.” 

The falling out between Josh and JB starts small. JB drops out of conversations because he can’t think of anything other than Alexis. He loses interest in the things Josh wants to do. The small things lead to more and more time apart, which is the catalyst for Josh’s explosion at his brother.

“After practice, you walk home alone.

This feels strange to you, because

as long as you can remember

there has always been a second person.

[…] JB will not eat lunch

with you tomorrow

or the next day,

or next week.

Because you are walking home

by yourself

and your brother owns the world.”

Being a twin amplifies Josh’s separation from his brother. Josh has never been alone in his life, and now he is uncertain how to behave without the company of his brother and is resentful of his absence. There is a giant hole in Josh’s day-to-day life where JB should be.

“Josh, you and JB are growing up.

I know.

You’re twins, not the same person.

But that doesn’t mean he has to stop loving me.

Your brother will always love you, Josh.

I guess.” 

Josh’s mom tries to console him about his brother’s sudden absence in his life. Reminding him that they are each their own people is something Josh doesn’t hear at this moment but is ultimately his journey throughout the book.

“Like a strong wind, Dad

rises from the clouds, strikes

down the stairs, swift and

sharp and mad as

lightning. Flagrant foul, ref!

he yells to everyone in the

gym. Now he’s hail and blizzard.

His face, cold and hard as ice.

His hands pulsing through

the air. His mouth, loud as thunder.” 

Their father’s love intensifies when he witnesses harm or unfairness come to one of his sons. Comparing him to a storm emphasizes his quickly escalated fury and his unpredictability, and underscores that his sense of protectiveness is as natural as nature itself.

“JB looks at me.

I wait for him to say something, anything

in defense of his only brother.

But his eyes, empty as fired cannons,

shoot way past me.

Sometimes it’s the things that aren’t said

that kill you.” 

When Alexis accuses Josh of not deserving the MVP title because of what he did to JB, Josh anticipates that JB will come to his defense, but he does not. JB’s “empty” eyes suggest that he’s not even interested in fighting for his brother—a message that hurts Josh most of all.

“without u

i am empty,

 the goal

    with no net.

 seems

    my life was

 broken,

    shattered,

 like puzzle pieces

    on the court

 i can no longer fit.

    can you

 help me heal,

    run with me,

 slash with me

    like we used to?

 like two stars

    stealing sun,

 like two brothers

    burning up.

 together.

 PS. I’m sorry.”

Josh takes his dad’s advice and writes an apology letter to JB. However, it’s not just one letter but two. It can be read column by column or line by line and either version ends with the same words: “I’m sorry.” Josh misses his other half, his twin, his best friend, and the poem visually represents that loss.

“on the bus

to school

when I said,

Vondie, your head

is so big,

you don’t have a forehead,

you have a five-head,

I could feel

JB laughing

a little.” 

This is the first instance that JB has shown any acknowledgment of Josh since the incident. It is a small gesture, but to Josh, it feels like a huge victory. There is nowmovement toward healing rather than the brutal silent shutout JB had been issuing for days.

“Vondie strips the ball

at center court,

shoots a short pass

to JB, who,

skips

downtown

zips

around,

then double dips

it in the bowl.

SWOOSH” 

Josh is not yet allowed to play, but he watches his brother with as much enthusiasm as if he were on the court right beside him. The playfulness of the word placement is typically reserved for when Josh is handling the ball. But he offers it here as support for his brother. It is JB’s movements that are exciting now.

“What are we getting for Christmas, Dad? JB asks.

What we always get. Books, I reply,

and we both laugh

just like the good ol’ times.

Boys, your talent will help you win games, Dad says,

but your intelligence, that will help you win at life.”

Josh and JB’s parents both stress the importance of education and intelligence. The fact that the brothers get books for Christmas also shows the discipline with which their parents raise them. They are rarely offered breaks from their hard work and effort, and they are constantly reminded of the high expectations their parents have for them.

“Sometimes

you have to

lean back

a little

and

fade away

to get

the best

shot.” 

The basketball rules often have more than one meaning. This rule is not only great advice for making the shot but is also representative of Josh’s tactic in getting back on good terms with JB. He’s laid the groundwork; now he plans to step back to see if JB will meet him in the middle.

“Dad drops

I scream

‘Help, please’

Sweet Tea

Dials cell

Jordan runs

Brings water

Splashes face

Dad nothing

Out cold

I remember

Gym class

Tilt pinch

Blow pump

Blow pump

Still nothing

Blow pump

Sirens blast

Pulse gone

Eyes shut.” 

The short two-word lines intensify the drama of the moment, moving so quickly the text offers little time for readers to catch their breath. The two words in each line also represent the two beats in each heartbeat as Josh does his best to remember his CPR training to save his dad’s heart.

“Filthy, silence doesn’t mean

we have run out of things to say,

only that we are trying

not to say them.

So, let’s do this.

I’ll ask you a question,

then you ask me a question,

and we’ll just keep asking until

we can both get some answers.” 

In this excerpt, Josh struggles to communicate with his father. Josh is wracked with guilt, believing it is his fault his father collapsed; he is angry his father didn’t seek medical attention sooner; and he is mad that he can’t play basketball. On top of these stressors, his relationship with JB is still strained. Josh has so much to say that he finds it difficult to say anything at all, so his dad offers him a new way to communicate that might shake things loose and get the ball rolling.

“Don’t you see I need to be here so they can fix the

damagethat’s been done to my heart?

Who’s gonna fix the damage that’s been done to mine?” 

When dialogue is conveyed in the poem, every character’s speech, except for Josh’s, is in italics so that the reader can differentiate between the characters in conversation visually. In this instance, it is Josh and his dad. As their series of exchanged questions deepens in meaning, Josh finally hits the core of his pain: his heart is also broken, although figuratively as a parallel to Chuck’s literal “broken,” or damaged, heart.

“I am unprepared

for death.

This is a game

I cannot play.

It has no rules,

no referees.

You cannot win.” 

Josh thrives on preparation. He is an excellent student because he studies well and prepares. He is also an excellent basketball player because he practices and cares about the game. This excerpt shows how Josh has no preparation for this part of life—the part where his father dies. His dad did not train him for this, and there was no drill to practice to prepare himself. Without guidelines or directions, Josh feels lost.

“I grip the ball,

plant my feet on the line,

and shoot the first one.

It goes in.

I look around

to see if anyone is watching.

Nope. Not anymore.

The next twelve shots are good.

I name them each a year

in my life.

A year with my father.

By twenty-seven, I am making them

with my eyes closed.

The orange orb has wings

like there’s an angel

taking it to the hoop.” 

Rather than stay in a house full of people, Josh goes to the place where he will feel the most comfort: the basketball court in the family’s driveway. His dad would watch him and JB practice for hours, but Josh is by himself now. The wings he saw on his dad’s head when he dunked on ESPN footage now seem to adorn the basketball as Josh tries to make 50 free throws in a row to match his dad’s record.