Grounded by Aisha Saeed

Author:Aisha Saeed
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Abrams
Published: 2023-05-09T00:00:00+00:00

When Nora gives us two frantic waves, It’s pretty clear that things aren’t going according to plan. Ruqi is about to bust through the door.

As gently as I can, I say, “Wait, Ruqi. We have to figure out how to do this so we don’t get Nora in trouble. Then, we can find Cookie’s ca—I mean, Snickerdoodle.”

“But how?” Sami asks. “We can’t just go in and look.”

I sigh. He’s right. Everyone will know we’re not supposed to be in there.

“Can we distract them? So we can look?” Hanna asks.

“Four kids walking into a sky lounge is the distraction. There’s no way these people won’t notice us,” Sami says. His shoulders wilt.

“We can’t just give up,” I tell them. And then, something Dad always says just hops out of my mouth: “When something is hard, you don’t just give up. You stand tall and show up. Time to show up.”

Ruqi squeals, “Showtime!” the way random people on the subway sometimes do. Suddenly, I have our distraction.

“Showtime!” I exclaim with a laugh. Sami and Hanna look at me like I’ve lost my mind. “They’ll look away from us. I know what to do. There’s a kind of show people do on the train back in Philly. I’ve seen it in New York too. Everyone looks away, especially if it’s bad. I’ll handle everything. Just follow my lead!” I don’t tell them that I purposely do watch these subway shows to make the performers feel better. I’m so energized I almost skip through the door.

Sami stares wide-eyed and whispers, “A show? This. Is. Bananas.”

“You saw Snickerdoodle,” I say. “It’s either save her or whatever cat that was or leave them in danger because we’re too scared to do the right thing.” I take a breath and repeat, “Follow my lead.”

I puff out my chest, grab Ruqi’s hand, and walk through the sliding doors of the sky lounge like I’m supposed to be there. I look around the carpeted, high-ceilinged room, with plush leather chairs shaped like fancy boxes—boxes filled with people. I see from the walls of windows that the storm is still raging wild as ever. I swallow. So many people. A few look up at me and I nod calmly. Finally, I spot it: a coffee bar, with foam cups. I beeline to it, grab a couple, and give one each to Hanna and Sami, who look at me confusedly.

Can I do this?

When I see a flash of lightning out the window, something sparks in me, and I pull Ruqi to the front of the crowded room. Before I can change my mind, I yell, “WHAT TIME IS IT?”

Ruqi, without missing a beat, hollers with me, “SHOWTIME!”

A few heads immediately look down and away from us when I shout this. They know the deal.

“Yes, it’s showtime, folks! And have we . . . um . . . has the Jet Atlantic sky lounge got a show for you! Please show us how much you appreciate it! With tips! Twenty dollars? Fifty

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