EBIE ON MAGGIE
Tidy room, messy room. Early bird, night owl. Homework turned in early, homework turned in at the last minute. Ebie and Maggie Lamb.
“We look like 12:00 and 12:01, but we act like day and night,” Ebie said. When they were younger, Ebie and Maggie were almost perfect re- flections of each other. Even though they’re two grades apart, elementary school consisted of matching out- fits, matching hairstyles, the same after-school activities — the list goes
on.
As they grew into middle school,
the sisters started branching off into their own unique interests.
Over the summer, the pair start- ed a new tradition of seeing movies together. Ever since they were little, movies have been at the core of their connection, from matching Cinder- ella & Gus Gus Halloween costumes in elementary school, to seeing “Fro- zen 2” as teenagers.
Two bags of popcorn: one with butter, one without. Two slushies: one blue, one all-mixed-up.
Even with a fear of driving, espe- cially on highways, the drive to the movie theater isn’t all that bad: just two turns.
One night, they decided to go see a movie later than they normally would have.
On the way home in the dark, Ebie took a wrong turn and the pair ended up driving away from home. As the realization dawned on them, Ebie started to get flustered. Maggie immediately jumped in, calming her down and guiding them to a nearby gas station to regroup.
After a few minutes and a small army of maps, they were back on the road. This time, with a plan.
“Maggie was giving me all sorts of directions to help me get home and it was great. We got there in time for curfew,” Ebie said. “She helps me handle my anxiety really well.”
With the stars above them on nights when one of them needs to talk, the sisters have ‘hot tub time’, where conversation ranges from frustration with math homework to discussions of big grand ideas.
Listening to her sister point out the constellations above — Orion’s Belt, the Big Dipper, the Little Dip- per and the North Star — Ebie feels safe. Just like the North Star is con- stant in the night sky, Ebie knows that Maggie is her constant, her go- to person, her North Star.
“You can always find your way if you can find the North Star. Your person is your North Star,” Ebie said “You always know that they’re going to guide you.”
MAGGIE ON EBIE
Home alone, Domino’s New York-style pizza in hand, Maggie and Ebie Lamb sit
down for a sister’s night in. Maggie dives right in, while Ebie picks the cheese off first.
Tonight’s movie: “Frozen” is a particularly nostalgic watch for the pair, a familiar childhood favorite.
“Frozen is a story about two sis- ters, and the younger one is spunky, and the older one is kind of bossy, and I feel like that represents us a lot,” Maggie said.
Maggie, two years and 10 months younger, is typically upbeat and a bit hectic — constantly in motion. Her free time is spent wearing purple practice pennies and mouthguards, her hair up and shin guards on.
Ebie, almost three years older, is an early bird — a go-getter. She is al- ways excited for the day and spends her free time either on the field or the stage, wearing turf shoes, in the spotlight, or caked in stage makeup.
Even though they don’t share all of the same extracurriculars, Maggie and Ebie don’t let that get in the way. They are often seen listening to music in the parking lot before school or laughing in the hallways between classes.
“We constantly support each oth- er and lift each other up. She comes
to all of my games and I go to all of her games,” Maggie said.
As the opening scenes fill up the television screen, memories of childhood sing-alongs in detailed handmade costumes fill Maggie’s memory. The characters get older and so do Maggie and Ebie as they fight with each other and eventually make up again, reminded that their bond is the most important thing. They know that no matter what they’re doing, it’s worth doing it together.
“If anything’s a one-person job, now it’s a two-person job,” Maggie said.
As the movie progresses, constant commentary can be counted on from both of them, always eager to share their thoughts with one an- other. Later in the night, they might find themselves in the hot tub, once again dissecting their days, gossip- ing or planning their next adven- ture — just enjoying each other’s presence.
As the movie comes to an end and the credits start rolling, furniture is cleared to create a make-shift stage of silly sisterhood. The possibility of embarrassment is disregarded as dramatic duets are belted at the tops of their lungs and the ache of laugh- ter fills them.
