ELA reading - exercise 1

The Speed of Destiny

1. “Come on Dad, quit tinkering! We’ve got to get to the race.” I couldn’t stop bouncing on my toes and biting my lip—my jitters could propel me to Mars!
2. “Calm yourself, my dear Destiny. We’ve got plenty of time before lineup, and I need to adjust the frame”, he replies. “I don’t want you to drive off course.”
3. And just like that, Dad tunes into his task like it’s the only thing around. He walks slowly around the go-kart, measuring the angle of each part, and tightening where it needs. I could swear that he looks like a surgeon operating on TV. Whereas Dad is a slow and steady tortoise, I am a fast and nervous hare.
4. Everyday things like church and school—any place where I have to sit quietly—are problematic. My brain, my feet, every part of me gets itchy, wants to RACE. My grades are dismal, and most teachers no longer want me in class. So Dad had a bunch of meetings with different schools, and I’m “taking a break” to figure it out.
5. For now, Dad is teaching me at home until we do. After I found a flier for the neighborhood competition, this month’s one big project has been about physics. As he finishes the go-kart, he reviews how the motionless car is an example of energy at rest.
6. “Energy is stored in the car’s battery. When you turn it on, this transforms the potential energy into kinetic energy—the kind that makes the car move”, he said. “So even though being still doesn’t seem all that fun, it’s important all the same. Got it?”
7. “Yeah, Dad, I hear what you’re saying. But—but—are we almost done?” I just can’t help it—my mind is already down the block.
8. “After we paint your name on the bumper, there’s no stopping you”, he says with a grin.
9. “Oh yeah, I forgot about that”, I laugh.
10. Together, we painted my name in tall, jagged letters and not loopy or girly.
11. “My girl—she’s destined for speed”, he says as he closes the paint can.
12. All of a sudden, I wish I could freeze this moment—my dad is the absolute best.
13. “Hang on, I need a second to modify this”, I say.
14. I take the paintbrush and, in front of my name, write the word TEAM.
15. “Team Destiny is ready”, I say. “Let’s MOVE!”