Keep Going by Jackie Bright

Author:Jackie Bright [Bright, Jackie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-27T22:00:00+00:00

She picked up her diary from the night table and heard another loud bang from downstairs. Paige sighed and tucked the book under her pillow.

She grabbed her Gameboy and headphones and forced a smile.

“Tetris time,” she said aloud as her stomach growled.

I wonder what goodies I have in my secret storage? Paige and Jessie used to hide candy under their desks. Their parents were too big to climb under and find them. When George gave Jessie’s desk to a neighbor last fall, he found her candy. He laughed at first but then cried for hours.

“Candy later, Tetris now.” She put her spongy headphones over her purple hairband and clicked on the game.

The Tetris tune filled her ears. Sets of cubes slowly dropped from the top of the screen. Each group consisted of four cubes in various shapes. Paige rotated and flipped them to make solid lines that would vanish. An L shape appeared. Paige rotated it and sent it to the far right. An O shape came next. Fingers flying, Paige boldly dropped it straight down. Another O shape appeared. Paige slammed it down beside the previous O. She next rotated another L and stuck it beside the O’s. Another line completed.

Two S shapes appeared next. Those tricky S’s. Paige smiled at the challenge. Bring it on. She was unstoppable today, feeling one with the game. Paige hummed along to the

music, excited as shapes fell quicker. She focused hard, her tongue sticking out of her curled lips. She squinted her eyes and did not blink. Time was flying by. 12 lines. 14 lines. Paige’s stomach ached for food but she did not care. 21 lines, 23 lines. The catchy music, based on an old Russian ballad, filled her head. It was adapted from an 1861 poem called “The Peddler.” It is a tragic story of a peddler meeting his lover in a field where she buys a ring from him. He leaves to make his fortune but is robbed and killed before returning to his beloved.

Twenty-eight lines. All Paige saw were cubes and possibilities. The music swelled in her ears as the cubes dropped faster and faster. She did not notice her father enter her room. She was consumed by tunnel vision. 34 lines, new record! Paige took a deep breath and blinked hard but quick.

Keep going.

Keep going.

Suddenly, George ripped the Gameboy from her hands, detaching the headphones from her ears. Paige’s jaw dropped in shock. She threw the headphones off her head and her hairband went flying off with them.

“Dad! Why did you do that?!”

George stood beside the bed, glaring down at her, his eyes dark and full of rage.

His face was flushed with anger and his mouth was clenched.

“You play this stupid thing too much! It’s going to fry your brain! I have been calling you and calling you! Your supper is ready!”

“No Dad! Give it back!” Paige pleaded. George turned and started to leave the room. Paige hopped off the bed. “Dad, please! I need it!”

George quickly spun around and scowled at Paige as he stepped towards her.

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