I hadn’t opened a book all morning. I was holed up in my room, playing MLB The Show on my Xbox. I had a lineup of all-star players. I knew all their stats: batting average, RBI, slugging, OPS, WAR, ERA, WHIP, Ks. Those were the kind of numbers I could really get excited about.
My mom knocked and poked her head in. I kept playing. Justin Verlander was into his windup with a man in scoring position. Mom paused, then said, “Your game can wait, Jordan.”
I sighed. “Just taking a break from studying,” I said…unconvincingly.
Mom pursed her lips. “You can pass these exams,” she said. “I know what it’s like to fear failure. You can’t let it stop you from trying. Eric and I have faith in you.”
I nodded, not looking at her. I wanted to get back to my game. She closed the door, and I put the Xbox controller down. Now I couldn’t even concentrate on The Show.
Truth was, I wasn’t
