What's Next

What's next? Written by Eva Valentino Illustrated by Victor Tavares Focus Question How does cruise change in the story? What events spark the change?

接下来是什么？ 作者：伊娃·瓦伦蒂诺 插画：维克托·塔瓦雷斯 思考问题：克鲁兹在故事里发生了什么改变？ 是什么事情引发了这个改变呢？

The bell rang to signal the start of lunch period. Cruz collapsed on a bench in the cafeteria across from his best friend Eric and wolfed down a pizza slice. Then he hoisted his backpack. He wondered why it felt as if it was weighed down with bricks. Cruz closed his eyes. Suddenly his head ached so intensely that it felt as though one of those bricks was rattling around inside his head. Are you okay? Eric asked, raising his eyebrows. I'm just rushing to get to the music room for recess, Cruz explained. No matter how much time I spend practicing guitar, I'm just not getting it.

午餐时间开始的铃声响了。 克鲁兹瘫在餐厅好友埃里克对面的长椅上，狼吞虎咽吃掉了一块披萨。 接着他提了提自己的背包。 他很奇怪为什么背包沉得像是灌满了砖头。 克鲁兹闭上了眼睛。 突然他头痛欲裂，感觉就像有一块砖头在他脑子里晃来撞去。 你没事吧？ 埃里克挑着眉毛问道。 我得赶去音乐室，克鲁兹解释道。 不管我练吉他练多久，就是练不好。

As Cruz spoke, his mouth felt exceptionally dry. He took a swig from his water bottle. When he swallowed, he thought he felt a scratchy lump lodged in his throat. Come on, play kickball with us, Eric pleaded, standing up. Not today, Cruz answered, rustling inside his backpack for a hall pass. Papers and pencils cascaded out of the bag as Cruz dug around in the chaotic jumble. As Erick stooped over to pick up the papers, a charcoal portrait of Cruz's dog, Kona, looked up at him. You're super talented, Erick said. Cruz shoved his papers into his bag and grabbed the sketch, calling out, Thanks, as he rushed

克鲁兹说话的时候，觉得嘴巴格外干。 他拿起水瓶喝了一大口。 咽下去的时候，他感觉喉咙里卡了一块发疼的肿块。 走吧，跟我们一起玩踢球，埃里克站起来劝他。 今天不去了，克鲁兹边回答边在背包里翻找通行条，弄出沙沙声响。 克鲁兹在乱糟糟的背包里翻找时，纸张和铅笔哗啦啦掉了出来。 埃里克弯腰捡纸的时候，看到了克鲁兹画的他家狗狗科纳的炭笔画。 你太有天赋了，埃里克说。 克鲁兹把纸塞回背包，抓过速写，匆匆赶路时喊了句：谢谢

As much as I'd love to play kickball, I have too much stuff to do, Cruz thought. He could barely keep track of his schedule these days. There was math club before school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while the other mornings he liked to get to school early to play basketball. After school was jam -packed with karate and hockey. On top of all those commitments, he had recently started learning to play the guitar. On weekends, he was enrolled in an art class at the Rec Center, and he often volunteered with his mom at the food bank. As he thought more about it, he realized that the past month he had spent learning guitar had been particularly busy.

虽然我也很想玩踢球，可我要做的事太多了，克鲁兹心想。 这些天他几乎都记不清自己的日程了。 周二和周四上学前有数学社团，其他几天早上他要早到学校打篮球。 放学后排满了空手道和冰球课。 除了这些必须做的事，他最近还刚开始学吉他。 周末他要去活动中心上美术课，还经常跟着妈妈去食物赈济处做志愿者。 他越想越觉得，开始学吉他的这一个月，实在是太忙了。

That afternoon, Cruise's mom picked him up from school. Hey, Mom, what's next? he asked her. Well, hockey practice starts in twenty minutes, she replied. Wait! Cruise interrupted. I thought I had karate today, he exclaimed. Nope, that's tomorrow, she replied, pointing to the hockey equipment next to him on the back seat of the car. Honey, are you okay? You look flushed, she added. Closing his eyes for a second, Cruz leaned back against the headrest. His throat felt even scratchier than before. I'm fine, Cruz lied. He didn't want to confess that he didn't feel well and risk missing hockey.

那天下午，克鲁兹的妈妈来学校接他。 嘿，妈妈，接下来是什么安排呀？ 他问妈妈。 那个，二十分钟后要去练冰球，妈妈回答。 等等！ 克鲁兹打断道。 我还以为今天要练空手道呢，他大声说。 不对，空手道是明天，妈妈回答，指了指他旁边汽车后座上的冰球装备。 亲爱的，你没事吧？ 你脸红红的，她补充道。 克鲁兹闭了一秒眼，往后靠在了座椅头枕上。 他的喉咙比之前更疼更痒了。 我没事，克鲁兹撒谎说。 他不想说自己不舒服，怕错过冰球训练。

The next morning, Cruz could barely move. His throat hurt so bad that he couldn't swallow. His whole body ached. His mom insisted that he stay home from school. She made an appointment for him to see Dr. Brown the same day.

第二天早上，克鲁兹几乎动不了了。 他喉咙疼得根本没法咽东西。 浑身都在疼。 妈妈坚持让他待在家里别去上学。 她当天就给克鲁兹预约了布朗医生。