Higher, Further, Faster by Liza Palmer

Author:Liza Palmer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Published: 2019-02-05T00:00:00+00:00

“I GOT EVERYONE THE SAME THING. I COULDN’T remember—just, take ’em,” Bianchi says, handing us each a soda.

“You panicked,” I say, taking Pierre’s and mine from him.

“I did not panic. I made an executive decision,” Bianchi says, passing the last two sodas down to Maria and Del Orbe.

“He panicked,” Del Orbe seconds, right before everyone else echoes him.

“You’re welcome, strangers who used to be my friends,” Bianchi says, sitting down next to me.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” The voice booms through the loudspeaker and all five of us immediately sit up straight and look to the skies. “We want to welcome you to today’s air show!”

A B-52 bomber streaks across the sky, its high-pitched scream of an engine forcing some in the audience to cover their ears as it roars overhead. The bomber’s almost birdlike cry belies the plane’s absolute gigantic wingspan. All of us lean into the sound.

“Okay, that was cool.” Maria sounds like she’s a kid again. I look over at her beaming face, finally beginning to let go of the lingering stench of yesterday’s run-in with Jenks.

The announcer comes back on and introduces a helicopter aerobatics team out of Houston.

“I saw the Silver Eagles back when I was a kid. They’re disbanded now but, man, they were cool,” Pierre shouts over the rumble and din of the air show.

“What a shock! Pierre talking about helicopters,” Del Orbe says. We watch as the helicopters zoom and whip around, smoke spilling from behind them. By their fourth trick, what we’re watching doesn’t even feel real.

“They made me want to fly. Made me want to join up,” Pierre says.

“Please tell me you’re aware you’ve told us this literally a thousand times,” Bianchi says to Pierre.

“Which is a mere sliver of the times you’ve talked about wanting to fly combat, so…” Pierre trails off. Bianchi feigns as if he’s been truly shattered.

“Not to change the subject, but—” Del Orbe cuts in.

“Totally doing it anyway,” Maria finishes.

Del Orbe barks out a laugh and continues. “I want to make sure we get over to see Senator John Glenn. He’s got a meet-and-greet over by the stage. I’ve got a list of questions, and I plan on following each and every piece of advice he gives me to a tee,” he says.

“What a shock! Del Orbe talking about becoming an astronaut,” Pierre says. Del Orbe shoves Pierre and they dissolve into laughter.

“We’re going. And that’s that,” Del Orbe says.

“No. No way. I’d just make a fool of myself,” Bianchi says, his face flushing.

“Oh, you should go talk to him. I mean, why not, right?” I ask, nudging him.

“Why not? Did you not hear when I said that I would just make a fool out of myself?” he asks.

I clap my hands together. “It’s decided. We’re going. When is it?” I ask Maria.

“Three p.m.,” Maria says.

“Done,” I say. And everyone just moves on as Bianchi seems to slowly descend into panic about the upcoming event.

The helicopters finish up and the unmistakable growl and purr of an engine begins rumbling closer and closer to the show center.

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