Maya Before the Bell- 適合中級的英語短篇故事

Maya carried a shallow glass bowl in both hands. Clear water filled the bowl, and a single pink blossom floated at the center. She has practised balancing the bowl during lunch, so her steps stay steady. The corridor, however, buzzed with quick voices and swinging backpacks. A mural that showed a bright nebula stretched across one wall. Its swirling colors flashed whenever someone passed. The sudden lights blinked across the water and distracted her for a moment. At the same time, the doorway ahead was blocked by shifting bags. Maya paused, counted her breaths, and searched for a gap. The bell has not rung yet, but metal chair legs scraped nearby.

Maya tucked her elbows close and waited for the line to loosen. When nothing moved around her, she bent low. She slid beneath the row of coat hooks that ran along the wall. This new path kept the bowl close to the floor, away from flying elbows. Halfway through, a puddle of juice spread across the tiles. Her right shoe skidded, the bowl tilted, and water climbed the glass edge. Surprise burst across her face as a drop leaped out, yet the blossom stayed afloat. She straightened near the project table, only to find one metal leg shorter than the others. The surface rocked under the bowl and tapped against her knuckles. Without thinking, she folded her timetable and wedged it under the weak leg. The table settled; water turned tranquil again, and the blossom drifted in calm circles while the bell rang.

瑪雅雙手捧著一個淺玻璃碗。碗裡滿是清水，一朵粉紅花瓣在中央漂浮。她中午已經練習過平衡碗，所以步伐穩定。走廊裡卻充滿快速的交談聲與搖晃的背包。牆上延伸著描繪星雲的壁畫，有人經過時，旋轉的色彩就閃過水面，令她分神。同時，前方的門口被晃動的書包堵住。瑪雅停下來，數著呼吸，尋找空隙。鈴聲尚未響起，但金屬椅腳已在附近摩擦。

瑪雅將手肘收緊，等待隊伍鬆動。四周不動，她便彎身低頭，滑到沿牆排列的掛鉤下方。這條新路讓碗貼近地面，避開亂動的手肘。走到一半，地上出現一灘果汁。她的右腳打滑，碗向一側傾斜，水面攀到玻璃邊緣。一滴水跳出，花朵卻仍漂浮。她在作品桌旁站直，發現其中一條金屬桌腳較短，桌面搖晃並碰到她的指節。她立刻把課表折起，塞到那條短腿下。桌面穩住，水面再次平靜，花朵在安定的圓圈中轉動，鈴聲隨即響起。