Tangerine

Paul and his Mom make the drive to their new home in Florida, discussing the disappearing groves of citrus trees. While there are some left, many have been razed to make room for the new developments of suburban homes. As they arrive at these developments, Mom notes how “beautiful” they are, with their faux-European names: the “Manors of Coventry,” the “Villas at Versailles,” and the Fishers’ new neighborhood, “Lake Windsor Downs” (9). They are all surrounded by walls.

Dad and Erik are at their new home with packed boxes. Dad is already talking about Erik’s football practice schedule. Paul thinks, “Ok, here we are. How long did it take Dad to get to his favorite topic, the Erik Fisher Football Dream?” (11). Dad assures the brothers that their rooms are at opposite ends of the house, so they “should never hear each other” (11). Paul tries to settle in, but he cannot sleep, feeling that a “zombie” stalks the family (12).

Paul is startled awake by what he thinks is an explosion but is actually a loud thunder and lightning storm. The next morning, he and Mom see smoke and smell fire. Mom calls the fire department only to discover that the smoke and acrid fumes come from a continuously burning muck fire. The local firehouse volunteer tells her, “[m]uck fires don’t go out. They’re burning all the time. Burning right there under the ground, all the time. Sometimes the rain’ll damp them down, but they’re still smoldering” (15). Paul observes his Mom’s unhappiness with these facts.

Paul explores his new neighborhood, noting that “[e]very empty lot on our street has a Sold sign on it” (17), indicating that this sub-division is nearly complete. He discovers the “big pond” that must be the Lake Windsor of the neighborhood’s name (18). When he returns home, Mom introduces him to Mr. Costello, who happens to be the current president of their Homeowners’ Association. He asks Paul if he saw the koi—decorative Japanese carp—in the pond, but Paul did not.

Erik and Dad return home, and Mr. Costello brings his son, Mike, over. Mike is also a football player, so perhaps the two boys will become friends. Erik’s arrogance is quickly apparent, as he suggests that he will naturally become a starting player. Paul observes that the Costellos are not bound up by a football fantasy like his Dad and Erik are. He thinks that Mike “seems a pretty decent guy,” but that “[h]e’s bound to change, in one way or another once he gets caught up in the Erik Fisher Football Dream” (21).

Paul wonders about how the family will adjust to Lake Windsor, thinking that “great things are expected of us here” (22). He and Mom take a tour of Lake Windsor Middle School, where they discover that Paul’s classes will mostly be held in the portable units outside of the main school building. Mom also discusses putting Paul on an IEP, an Individualized Education Plan, because of his poor vision. They are both disappointed in the school.

The family returns to the campus to discuss Erik’s football plans for the season. Paul notices the ospreys flying overhead as the adults ignore him. They watch the football players practice for a moment, as Mom points out Mike Costello on the field and another player, Arthur Bauer whom Erik has befriended. There is also the quarterback, Antoine Thomas, who is a local star.

Mom hustles Paul back to the car as an afternoon thunderstorm breaks out, and Paul muses about the source of all these storms. Once the storm passes, Mom encourages Paul to join some of the younger kids playing soccer. Joey Costello, Mike’s younger brother, is among them. After a few minutes of playing, Paul knows that he is a better player than the Lake Windsor kids.

Paul thinks about the fact that his family has always lived in half-finished sub-divisions. He has a memory of waiting for the bus on his first day of school in another town, where Erik tells the other kids why Paul wears glasses: “The reason for the Coke-bottle glasses on my eyes was that I had stared at the sun, unprotected, during that eclipse” (33). He catches the bus to Lake Windsor for his first day of school in this town.

The principle—surprised by Paul’s assertions that he can see just fine—assigns a guide, Kerri Gardner, to help him around his first couple of days at school. Paul also insists to her that his eyesight is quite adequate. She asks what happened to his eyes, and he sidesteps the question. Afterward, he wonders why he cannot seem to remember what happened to his eyes.

While Paul plays on the computer in his room, he hears Erik and Arthur Bauer kicking the football in the backyard. They have some girls with them: Cheerleaders who want to have football player boyfriends, he thinks. He points out that Erik never learned to drive, so he will depend on Arthur Bauer, while Arthur will gain access to popularity and status through Erik. This arrangement disturbs him: “I’ve always been afraid of Erik. Now I get to be afraid of Erik and Arthur” (40).

Paul prepares for soccer tryouts, which will take place the following day, by finding his “special goggles,” which are prescription strength and indestructible (41). Meanwhile, Mom has been appointed to the Architectural Committee on the Homeowners’ Association board—a position she takes very seriously. She suggests that Paul call Joey to run some laps in preparation for soccer season, and the two boys become friends.

Joey points out the Donnelly house, which has been struck by lightning on three separate occasions. While Joey thinks it’s funny, Paul is thoughtful about it, speculating that where the house stood used to be the highest point prior to the development: “But the lightning knows. It hits right where it’s always hit. It’s just that some fool has stuck a house there” (44).