18 Almost Showtime!

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Almost Showtime! Scientific testing (noun). The process of investigating hypotheses. It is one of the most important jobs of a scientist. Kind of like the most important job of a professional skateboarder is to practice tricks and stunts. ANOTHER DAY HAD PASSED without a single opportunity to test the ink. At least nobody had tried to mess with my project again. Which was good since STEM Night was tomorrow. I couldn't believe it! Yesterday, I had made sure to be the last person out of the science lab before Ms. Daly locked it up. I wasn't taking any chances. In class, Mrs. Eberlin had reminded us to finish up our poster boards. When everyone started chatting about STEM Night during free time, I studied Elijah for signs of dishonesty. His arms hung loosely at his sides. His jaw was relaxed. But his eyes focused on his notebook. Not once did he look at me directly. Did this mean that Elijah was feeling guilty about something? Like, maybe, messing up my project?

第十八章好戏就要上演了！科学测试（名词）。 研究假设的过程 这是科学家最重要的工作之一。 有点像专业滑板运动员最重要的工作就是练习技巧和特技。 又一天过去了，没有一个机会来测试墨水。 至少没有人再试图破坏我的项目了。 这很好，因为明天就是STEM之夜了。 我简直不敢相信！昨天，我确保自己是最后一个离开科学实验室的人。 戴利把它锁起来了。我没有冒任何风险。 在课堂上，埃伯林老师提醒我们完成我们的海报板。 当大家在空闲时间开始谈论STEM之夜时，我研究了以利亚，寻找他不诚实的迹象。 他的双臂松松地垂在身体两侧。 他的下巴放松了。但他的目光集中在笔记本上。 他一次也没有正眼看我。 这是否意味着以利亚对某事感到内疚？ 比如，搞砸我的项目？

It didn't seem possible. But in science you can't close your mind to possibilities. You don't know unless you test something. I just had to test the ink in those poems. I headed over to the pencil sharpener in the back of the class. As I did, Rory gave me a strange look. Like he knew I was up to something. I ended up grinding my pencil way too much. I groaned. The bell blared. Everyone gabbed away as they cleared off their desks to go to recess. "Finally," said Memito, who was my desk partner. Kids lined up at the door and then took off. I was about to zip out the door, too, when Mrs. Eberlin said, "I can't believe STEM Night is coming right up." "Tomorrow," I said. Mrs. Eberlin peered up at the calendar on the wall. She wrinkled her freckled nose. "Please tell me how that happened." "I don't know," Birdie said, walking over to join me. "I guess when you're working on science, time flies."

这似乎是不可能的。但在科学领域，你不能封闭自己的思维。 你不测试什么东西是不知道的。 我只是想测试一下诗里的墨水。 我朝教室后面的卷笔刀走去。 我这么做的时候，罗里奇怪地看了我一眼。 好像他知道我在密谋什么似的。 最后我把铅笔磨得太厉害了。 我呻吟着。铃声响了。 当他们收拾好桌子准备休息时，每个人都喋喋不休地说个不停。 “终于，”我的同桌梅梅托说。 孩子们在门口排好队就走了。 我也正要拉上拉链出门，这时埃伯林太太说：“真不敢相信STEM之夜马上就要到了。” “明天，”我说。埃伯林太太抬头看了看墙上的日历。 她皱起布满雀斑的鼻子。 “请告诉我这是怎么回事。” “我不知道，”小鸟说着走过来和我在一起。 “我想当你从事科学研究时，时间过得真快。”

"Or as Ms. Daly would say," I added, "time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." We all laughed. Because it was one of Ms. Daly's favorite jokes. "Speaking of flying," Mrs. Eberlin said, "I've got to get going on the magnet station I'm in charge of for STEM Night." She brushed past the social studies center and the reading corner. Then she disappeared into the walk-in supply closet at the very back of the room. "Wish me luck!" she called out. "I might be in here a while!" I flicked a glance at Birdie. We could stay in the classroom and take off enough ink from each poem to do some testing. Birdie looked at me, reading my mind. "Now?" she asked under her breath. "Yes," I whispered back. Birdie slunk over to the bulletin board. My fingers quickly tugged along the edge of a poem until I found the thumbtack. I pulled one out when Birdie waved her hands frantically. "She's coming back." My fingers flew off the board just as Mrs. Eberlin popped back over. She looked at us funny. "What are you girls still doing in here? Shouldn't you already be outside?"

“或者用戴利女士的话来说，”我补充道，“光阴似箭。 果蝇像香蕉一样。” 我们都笑了。因为这是一位女士。 戴利最喜欢的笑话。“说到飞行，”埃伯林太太说，“我得去参加STEM之夜的磁石站了。” 她走过社会研究中心和阅读角。 然后，她消失在房间最后面的衣帽间里。 “祝我好运吧！”她喊道。 “我可能要在这里待一会儿！”我瞥了伯迪一眼。 我们可以呆在教室里，从每首诗上取下足够的墨水来做一些测试。 伯迪看着我，读懂了我的心思。 “现在吗？”她压低声音问道。 “是的，”我小声回答。小鸟溜到布告栏边。 我的手指沿着一首诗的边缘快速地拉着，直到找到图钉。 当伯蒂疯狂地挥动双手时，我抽出了一根。 “她要回来了。”我的手指飞离了木板，就在这时，埃伯林太太跳了回来。 她奇怪地看着我们。“你们几个姑娘还在这儿干什么？” 你不是已经在外面了吗？”

I shrugged. "Forgot my coat." The lie felt sharp and hot on my tongue. "That's not like you, Kate." I shrugged sheepishly. No. It wasn't. First of all, I don't usually forget things. And second of all, I don't lie. "My mind is on my project," I said, and that part was true. "Well, go outside and have some fun," said Mrs. Eberlin. "It's never this nice this time of year." But I wasn't so sure I could have fun. After all, she came back so quickly that I wasn't able to get a single poem off the board. I had more sleuthing to do.

我耸了耸肩。“忘带外套了。” 这谎言刺痛了我的舌头。 “这可不像你，凯特。” 我不好意思地耸了耸肩。否。 它不是。首先，我一般不会忘事。 其次，我不说谎。 “我的心思都在我的项目上，”我说，这是真的。 “好吧，出去找点乐子，”埃伯林太太说。 “一年中的这个时候从来没有这么好。” 但我不确定我能不能玩得开心。 毕竟，她回来得如此之快，以至于我连一首诗都没能从黑板上抄下来。 我还有更多的侦查工作要做。