Twins

Twin sisters Maureen and Francine Carter are dropped off for their first day of sixth grade at O’Connor Middle School. Maureen is worried about being in Cadet Corps and eating lunch alone, while Francine is dreading P.E., which she is taking instead of Cadet Corps. Francine encourages Maureen by saying that she will likely get straight A’s as always, but Maureen is still worried.

Maureen makes fun of Francine’s old-school hat, so Francine asks a girl named Amber if she likes it. Amber loves the hat but confuses Francine with Maureen. Internally, Maureen reflects that Francine used to be “the talker,” whereas she was “the thinker.” However, Francine has been changing lately, and Maureen feels distant from her sister. Francine is dressing in a more retro style to distinguish herself from Maureen, but kids in the hallway still confuse her with Maureen. Kids in the hallway also gossip about how the twins had the best grades in fifth grade. This year, the twins have Language Arts, Science, and Advisory together, but their other classes are separate. Maureen believes that this is due to a computer fluke.

Maureen notes that there are many differences between her and Francine, but nobody else notices them.