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same brown shorts he’d been wearing all summer and a spotty T-shirt that said Liberty State Park. He looked down at the shirt. “What I’m wearing now?”
    “No way.”
    “What’s the difference?”
    Calvin frowned and shook his head. He pointed toward the stairs. “Let’s go.”
    Calvin opened Zero’s bedroom closet and sifted through the shirts.
    “I outgrew most of those this year,” Zero said.
    Calvin took out a blue-checked shirt with short sleeves and held it up. “This is okay,” he said.
    Zero shrugged and pulled off his T-shirt. “We ain’t going to church,” he said.
    “It matters. Think they’ll be wearing the same clothes they mow the lawn in?”
    “Guess not.”
    They walked downtown, way early, and sat on the steps of the YMCA, watching traffic go by. The day was warm and dry. The carnival had opened at four, so plenty of kids they knew walked past, including their teammate Angel. Angel never said much at the games or practices. He was a year younger.
    “Going to the carnival?” Zero asked.
    Angel shook his head. “Maybe tomorrow,” he said. “I gotta babysit for my little brother.”
    When the Rosados’ station wagon pulled up a while later, Calvin felt a cold, empty rush in his stomach, and he swallowed hard. The twins and their father emerged from the car and walked toward them. Calvin stood up and yanked on Zero’s shoulder until he stood, too.
    Calvin’s eyes were fixed on the father, who had a tight smile and was eyeing him back. He was wearing a starched white shirt and a blue tie, and his dark hair was neatly cropped.
    “Shake his hand,” Calvin said under his breath to Zero.
    “Okay.”
    Zero stepped past the girls and stuck out his hand. “Hi, Mr. Rosado,” he said.
    “Hello, Dr. Rosado,” Calvin said, giving Zero a hard, sidelong glance.
    Dr. Rosado laughed. “Hello, fellas. Nice night for a carnival.”
    The boys nodded.
    “You played a good game against my girls the other night.”
    “Yeah,” said Calvin. “Hope we get a rematch in the playoffs.”
    Jessie was standing with one hand on her hip, looking them over. “Boys,” she said in greeting.
    “Hey, Jessie,” said Calvin. “Hey, Danielle.”
    “So,” Dr. Rosado said, rubbing his palms together. “Ferris wheel at ten o’clock, right? Or call if you need me earlier.” He kissed both girls and winked at Calvin. “See you tonight.”
    “See ya,” Calvin said. They stood on the sidewalk until Dr. Rosado had driven away.
    Calvin gave Zero a hard nudge with his elbow. “He’s a surgeon, stupid.”
    “How would I know?”
    “Pay attention to the world.”
    “Oh, like you do?” Zero said sarcastically.
    “I know things.”
    “You don’t know everything.”
    Danielle and Jessie had started walking toward the carnival grounds, side by side. Calvin and Zero walked behind them until they got there.
    The field was lined with dozens of booths featuring gaming wheels where you could win candy, stuffed animals, CDs, and T-shirts; food vendors with french fries, ice cream, steak sandwiches, and countless other items; coin tosses, basketball shoots, and face-painting; and lots more. On one end of the field were the Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, and other rides. Later there’d be a band.
    “Too early to eat?” Calvin asked as he and Zero fell into step with the twins. The smells of sausages and pizza were making him hungry.
    “Maybe we’ll start with some fries,” Jessie said.
    “Then move on to bigger things. What do you think, Danielle?”
    “Fries sound good to me.”
    Both twins crossed their arms and gave the boys a look like, We’re waiting. But they were smiling, too.
    Zero and Calvin got in line at a fried-food stand. “This is gonna cost us,” Calvin said.
    “Yeah, they’ve got it all planned, I think.” Zero opened his wallet and looked inside. “I got eighteen dollars.”
    “I got about thirty.” Calvin looked back at the girls, who were talking to a couple of their friends.