Reaching Beyond the Sky | Chapter 5

 I AM GLAD THESE STORIES ARE LEAVING YOU HANGING

Chapter 5: A Stumble, Then a Step

Room 104 buzzed with energy. Posters of planets covered the walls. Models of rockets hung from the ceiling by fishing line. A small group of kids huddled around a table covered in wires, cardboard, and half-finished blueprints.

Toby hovered by the door until a girl with dark braids and bright eyes spotted him. She wiped her hands on her jeans and marched over.

“You lost?” she asked.

Toby swallowed. “Uh… Space Explorers Club?”

“You’re in the right place.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Zara — club president. You are?”

“Toby.”

“You ever built a rocket before, Toby?”

He laughed nervously. “Nope.”

“Perfect. Neither did I when I joined. Grab some gloves — you can help us test our launch pad.”

Toby fumbled with the gloves, dropped a spool of wire, knocked over a soda can — twice. Everyone laughed, but not meanly. Still, by the time he left, his cheeks were hot and his heart was sinking.

He nearly decided to never come back — but when he got home, he found himself googling how to build a model rocket. And for the first time in forever, he didn’t fall asleep watching TV.

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