Riley Before the Bell- 適合中高級的英語短篇故事

Riley balanced on a wooden stool in the science classroom, holding a foam globe painted midnight blue. He aimed to hang a working model that showed low earth orbit before classmates arrived for the exhibition. The string brushed a metal beam, and chalk dust drifted down, tickling his nose. The cardboard satellite, already attached with tape, swayed. He pushed the thumbtack slowly into the ceiling above his head, precariously. A hidden screw loosened, and part of the old ventilation infrastructure rattled free, dropping tiny flakes onto his shoulders. He climbed down quickly, noticing that the satellite had been dented by the fall. Several hurdles now blocked the simple task: a bent antenna, a frayed string, and a stubborn ceiling tile. Sweat collected under his hairline while he examined the damage more closely. He had hoped the first attempt would work, yet the scene only grew messier.

Riley wiped the desk clean once more and began to strategize carefully again today. A spare string had been prepared earlier and lay coiled beside the scissors. He replaced the crushed antenna with a paperclip, then shortened the string so the orbit would remain tight. While he worked, the classroom clock clicked louder than usual, marking each second as another bead of sweat slid down his temple. He climbed the stool again, but the twisted string caught his wrist. The model spun, knocking a jar of glitter onto the floor nearby.

Tiny silver specks scattered like distant stars, yet he kept steady fingers on the tack and tried a different angle. If he had known the jar stood too close, he would have moved it earlier. On the third climb, he used two tacks instead of one, spreading the weight across the beam. The extra support held, and the globe turned in a slow, dynamic arc. When he stepped back, the overhead lights reflected on the glitter sea below, making the satellite appear to glide above shimmering clouds. The model satellite hovered, fully secured and perfectly steady above the wooden desks.

萊利踩在科學教室的木凳上，雙手托著被漆成深藍色的泡棉地球儀。他想在同學進教室之前，把能示範近地軌道的模型懸掛好。細繩掃過金屬橫梁，粉筆灰飄落，惹得他鼻尖發癢。用膠帶黏好的紙板衛星搖晃不穩。他小心地把圖釘慢慢擠進頭頂的天花板。暗藏的螺絲跟著鬆動，老舊通風設備的薄片咯啦掉下，在他肩上灑出細碎粉屑。他趕緊下凳，發現衛星被砸出一個凹痕。眼前多了好幾道難關：彎曲的天線、磨損的細繩、死硬的天花板磚。汗珠沿著髮際線滑落，他仔細檢查這一片狼藉，本想第一回就成功，結果卻更混亂。

萊利再次擦乾淨桌面，開始重新周密思考。早先備好的備用細繩盤在剪刀旁邊。他用迴紋針換下壓扁的天線，又把繩子剪短，讓軌道更緊湊。做著做著，教室時鐘比往常更響，每秒都像提示音，汗珠沿著他的太陽穴溜下。他再度爬上凳子，卻被扭結的繩子纏住手腕；模型旋轉，把一罐亮粉撞落到地板。

銀色星點四散，好像遙遠星空，他依然把圖釘按穩，改用另一個角度。如果早知道那罐亮粉離得太近，他就會先移開。第三次往上，他改用兩枚圖釘，把重量分散到橫梁。額外的支撐終於撐住，地球儀以緩慢而靈活的圓弧轉動。他退後一步，頭頂燈光映在亮粉海面，衛星像在雲端滑行。模型衛星懸停在木製課桌上方，安穩而筆直地停住。