Free Athlete vs. Mathlete: Double Dribble by W. C. Mack Page B

everything else and just picture that one object.”
    â€œThis is stupid.”
    I waited until he closed his eyes, then closed my own. I cleared my mind again and waited for something to pop into it.
    After a couple of seconds, it did. There was a picture of a scoreboard in my head, red numbers bright and flashing.
    â€œWhat are you picturing?” I asked.
    â€œA banana split.”
    I opened my eyes again.
“Owen.”
    â€œWhat?” He shrugged. “I’m hungry.”
    â€œNever mind.” I started walking again, irritated.
    â€œWhat was I supposed to say?” Owen asked, jogging to catch up with me.
    â€œIt doesn’t matter.”
    â€œYou wouldn’t be looking all ticked off if it didn’t matter.”
    â€œI don’t look ticked off.”
    â€œWell, I’m the only one of us who can actually see your face, and I’m telling you that you look ticked off. What’s the problem?”
    I sighed. “I’m trying to get in sync with you, Owen. I’ve spent the last few days trying to create a mental bond like M&M have.”
    â€œWhat? We already have a bond.”
    â€œNot like theirs. They dress alike—”
    â€œIs
that
why you keep asking me what I’m wearing?”
    â€œThey anticipate each other’s moves, finish each other’s sentences, share the same thoughts—”
    â€œHold on, Russ,” he said, grabbing my arm. “First of all, the mind-reading stuff is seriously creepy, okay? And second, do you really want to be like those guys?”
    â€œWhy not? You do.”
    â€œNo, I don’t. I want to
play
like them, but all the other stuff is just weird.”
    â€œIt’s not … weird,” I told him. “It’s amazing.”
    â€œYeah, like unicorns and all your other sci-fi stuff.” He shook his head. “I want to be out on the court, making awesome plays with you, Russ. Not reading your mind like a freakin’ fortune-teller on the walk home.”
    I couldn’t help smiling about the awesome plays
with me
part.
    Maybe the rest of it wasn’t so important.

    When I went to my next Masters of the Mind meeting at Jason’s house, I was the last to arrive.
    â€œHere he is,” Nitu said, smiling. “It’s so unlike you to be tardy, we were going to form a Russ search party.”
    â€œSorry about that,” I said. “I had to finish a couple of things at home.”
    â€œHmm,”
Jason said, raising one eyebrow. “Not a rhyming response.”
    â€œIs everything okay?” Sara asked.
    â€œIt’s fine,” I told her, then looked at each of my team members. “I’m fine.”
    It took a couple of minutes to convince them, but when I did, we moved on to Masters business.
    â€œRegionals are coming up fast,” Sara said. “I know we want to have a new team member in place with time left to practice.”
    â€œYeah, but I haven’t been able to find a single candidate,” Jason said, sighing.
    â€œNeither have I,” I told them.
    â€œI have,” Nitu told the group. “Well, two of them, actually.”
    â€œSeriously?” I asked, surprised. She hadn’t mentioned anything to me.
    â€œYes. I think we should ask the Matthews twins.”
    I practically choked on my orange juice. “What? Why?”
    She stared at me, like it was a ridiculous question. “Russ,you’ve seen them in math class. They’ve always got a different or unusual angle to explore.”
    â€œThat sounds like Masters of the Mind,” Jason said, nodding.
    Nitu continued, “The whole point of this team is thinking outside the box, and I don’t think those two can think
inside
of it.”
    â€œThey sound perfect,” Sara said, smiling.
    â€œThen why does Russ look like that?” Jason asked.
    â€œLike what?” I asked.
    â€œLike you just drank lumpy milk.”
    Sara and Nitu gave me a