When asked to elaborate, both sisters confess to being able to read one another. Abby and Izzy each share times when they knew their sister was mad or upset, even when the other was holding their feelings in and maintaining a straight face to the outside world.

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When asked if they’re more similar or different, Hayden chimes in, mainly clinging to similarities. She shares that both have friendly personalities and a strong sense of humor, describing both as ‘super funny.’ While both make her laugh, she admits that each sister has a unique sense of humor, suggesting that Abby has ‘her own way.’

 

Hayden suggests that while Izzy is ‘good out the gate,’ Abby is more shy and reserved, especially around new people. She adds that Abby ultimately ‘warms up’ as she gets to know someone. It’s after her comfort grows that her sense of humor truly shines.

 

Abby agrees with Hayden’s assessment, going as far as to label herself as shy. She says she couldn’t be as publicly involved as her father, Reid Torbeck, who serves on the school board. “I kinda like that they’re involved so that people know them. It kinda feels nice,” says Abby.

 

While Reid is a relatively new face to the school board, Abby and Izzy’s mother has worked in the school system throughout their childhood. She is one of the district’s curriculum coaches, where she helps teachers use national, state, and district curriculum standards to plan instruction and assessment.

 

Abby and Izzy both enjoy school. Both enjoy reading and consider literature a favorite subject. They especially enjoy reading fantasy novels, preferring to read fiction over non-fiction. Izzy also likes math, while Abby doesn’t enjoy working with numbers. Izzy, on the other hand, doesn’t care for science. In an unintentional yet successful attempt at making this writer feel really old, they suggested that ‘everything’s really on a computer’ these days and that ‘occasionally they’ll find a teacher who ‘uses paper and pencil.’

 

Abby and Izzy are still determining what paths they want to pursue after completing high school. Izzy suggests that she wanted to become a writer when she was six or seven but has since changed her mind. For now, she’ll continue to read and hopes to own her own library one day.

 

For now, they’re content enjoying their seventh-grade year. Both enjoy playing volleyball and using the skills they gained by taking tumbling and dance classes as cheerleaders. They both enjoy traveling over the summers and on holiday breaks. And they both rely on one another to know what’s going on, even when the rest of us see a straight face.