Tuned Out

Tuned Out — page 3 — Bridget had her high-tech digital-sound headphones resting around her neck Her dad understood how much she loved them In fact he had helped create them at his tech company Lingo The headphones had blue and green LED lights that lit up and pulsed to the beat of whatever song Bridget was listening to They were also wireless so no cords got in the way when she was grooving to music being played from her smartphone Yeah okay I’ll try Then she scowled and added I still can’t believe you’re making me go Bridget and her best friend Emma shared the same musical taste Lately they were into one band in particular Crush Crush was a popular all-girl rock band They wore colorful outfits and played upbeat music Both Bridget and Emma knew all the words to every single song Bridget had even made some mash-ups of their songs on her computer Tonight Crush was finally playing a concert in Cyber Hills But Bridget would miss it She’d be on a weeklong road trip to South Dakota with her aunt uncle and cousins 6

Tuned Out — page 4 — Bridget’s dad had told her the trip would be a good chance for her to bond with her cousins She only got to see them once or twice a year But Bridget wasn’t happy about going on the trip She felt it was unfair that she had to miss the concert for a stupid road trip The Crush concert was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity Those big stone faces on Mount Rushmore would be there forever At least Emma had promised to take a lot of video at the concert with her smartphone so she could show Bridget later It wouldn’t be the same as actually being at the show but it was better than nothing I know you’re upset about missing the concert Bridget’s dad said But this trip was planned months ago Canceling it isn’t an option Bridget rolled her eyes Yeah I guess Knowing that her aunt and uncle had specially planned this trip for her and her cousins didn’t make things any better At least hanging out with Matt was possibly the one thing that almost made Bridget okay with missing the Crush concert She and Matt had 7

Tuned Out — page 5 — always hung out at family gatherings He had just finished his freshman year in high school and Bridget hadn’t seen him since the previous summer He loved music and technology just like Bridget He was the only family member who called her by her nickname Gadget Matt was always introducing Bridget to cool new music Now Bridget was excited to tell him all about Crush Hug Bridget’s dad put out his arms and she gave him a quick stiff hug Just give this trip a chance he whispered so no one else could hear Who knows You might have fun Sure Bridget grumbled But she doubted it Text me if you need anything With that Bridget clambered into the backseat of the minivan Climb aboard Uncle Dan yelled from the driver’s seat Aunt Katie had taken out the middle seats to fit in a cooler and the family dog Lola a 8

Tuned Out — page 6 — springer spaniel with brown spots who was resting on a big pillow The dog is going to be more comfortable than the people Bridget thought as she took the middle seat in the back She was sandwiched between Matt and his seven-year-old sister Chloe Hey she said to Matt but he was so busy playing a game on his smartphone that he didn’t even look up Bridget frowned Usually Matt was nonstop talk once they saw each other But it was a long drive He was probably as annoyed about going as she was and they had plenty of time to chat about music Chloe acted shy just as she always did at first But Bridget knew that in an hour Chloe would be bugging her to play a game or something 9

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