The twins eyed one another from across the field, their heads raising simultaneously as they sensed the other staring.
You do it, Aiden called silently.
No, you! His brother replied, glee in his tone.
The soccer ball came flying toward Xander, and Aiden watched as his brother’s face went blank, his eyes glassing over.
He’s gonna do it! Aiden thought, a childish hilarity threatening to overtake him as he watched the scene, trying not to laugh aloud.
The goalie, a bully that had been tormenting Xander at school, seemed to freeze in spot as Xander overtook his body, the ball hurling toward his face.
Aiden watched in awe, his brother’s projecting never quite losing its novelty.
Suddenly, the goalie turned and ran away from the ball, as if he was scared of getting hit, crying as he went. The ball was allowed to fly into the net unchallenged, scoring a goal for the twins’ team.
The bully’s team jeered at him, jumping on the chance to get back at the tormentor who had made many of them cry. The goaltender stopped and turned toward the spectators, his face a mask of confusion as he reclaimed his own body.
Xander chortled, running to clap Aiden on the back and the younger twin struggled to keep his giggles from attracting attention.
“Did you see his face?” he asked, snickering as he glanced at the still dazed goalie. “Maybe he won’t be so quick to make fun of your hair again.”
“Yeah, I hope so,” he said, satisfied. “I’m sick of playing today though. Wanna do something else?”
“We still have half the game to go,” he reminded Xander.
“Well can you do something about it?” Xander whined. “I want to go to the comic book store, and if the game gets canceled, then Mom and Dad won’t be expecting us home…”
He trailed off as the whistle blew, gazing at Aiden with pleading green eyes.
“I hear the new Spiderman is coming out soon,” he continued, and Aiden sighed, deciding what to do.
He was enjoying their weekly soccer game. It gave them an escape from the abuse and fighting at home, but he knew that Xander didn’t like sports nearly as much as he did.
Even as he thought it, he saw the yellowish bruise healing around Xander’s eye, a blow he had taken for Sarah the previous week.
“Please?” Xander asked again, and Aiden stared up at the cloudless afternoon. “I’ll buy you whatever comic you want.”
Aiden didn’t care about graphic novels, but when had he ever said no to his twin.
We played a full game last week, he reminded himself. If Xander wants to go to the comic book store, it will be my way of saying thanks for taking on Dad again.
Aiden sighed and nodded, grinning at the identical face beside him.
“Come on, Van Hoyts!” the coach yelled. “We have a game to play!”
Aiden closed his eyes and inhaled sharply, bringing all the air around deeply into his lungs.
“Not anymore,” Xander chuckled, as Aiden released a whooshing breath.
Without warning, the wind picked up and the sky started to darken. A few minutes after, a hard rain began to pelt down from the imposing clouds and the rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance.
The children began to run, squealing as the water beat against their small frames, jerseys plastering to skin within seconds as the weather turned torrential.
“Those of you who don’t have parents here, get inside the rec center to wait!” the coach yelled, and Aiden watched as the man looked heavenward, his face a mask of confusion.
“Come on,” Xander whispered, pulling his arm impatiently before the coach could notice they were missing.
Laughing, they splashed through the soggy field and ducked out of sight.
“We make a good team,” Xander told him as they made their way toward North Horners Lane.
Aiden smiled.
No matter how bad things got, they would always have one another.
I’m so lucky to have a brother like Xander, he thought. Nothing will ever come between us.