Free The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester Page B

could travel no farther when the doors swished open.
    “Welcome to your new home, Piper.”
    Piper’s feet found their way onto the highly polished stone floor and she looked about in wonder.
    The thirteenth level had three tiers, each with a balcony that overlooked the atrium where Piper was standing. A magnificent fountain dominated the atrium and unusual plants and trees created a sense of division between small sitting areas and tables. It looked exactly the way Piper would have imagined a very grand hotel. It was all very clean and quiet, but also empty.
    “Where is everyone?”
    “The residents are currently busy. Why don’t I show you around and then you can join them?”
    Piper nodded excitedly and followed Dr. Hellion on a tour down brightly lit halls, past a huge library, through a gymnasium equipped with everything from a swimming pool to a trampoline, rooms that Dr. Hellion called “learning centers,” spacious lounges, a science center, playrooms with brightly colored toy trunks, and finally, a gourmet kitchen where the aroma of fresh-baked cookies made Piper’s mouth water.
    In the housekeeping quarters, a seamstress was on hand to expertly sew together a uniform that would fit Piper’s exact measurements. Dr. Hellion allowed Piper to select from a huge wall filled with fabric bolts of every color. It didn’t take Piper long before her eye was caught by a beautiful sky blue material made of the softest cotton. Before she knew it, she was standing before a large mirror in her uniform, which consisted of a full-skirted sky blue dress with a white collar and white kneesocks. In addition to this, her wild tangle of brown hair was liberated from the two tightly woven braids and held back by a blue ribbon. The whole getup was very dainty and feminine, and for a girl accustomed to overalls with multiple patches and church dresses that had serviced generations of McClouds, Piper felt a mite conspicuous as well as a bit gawky.
    “While it’s necessary to have uniforms, we like to honor each student’s individuality by allowing them to choose their own material and color,” Dr. Hellion pointed out as she walked with Piper to introduce her to the class.
     “This is a mite tight around the arms.” Piper moved her arms about, noticing how the dress was snugly fitted about her shoulders. “Can I use my old clothes to fly in?”
    “That’s a great question.” Dr. Hellion paused, turning seriously to Piper. “You know, Piper, I’d like to ask you a few questions about your flying.”
    “What about my flying?”
    “Our agents interviewed many of the people in Lowland County who were at the baseball game and saw you fly,” Dr. Hellion began carefully. “Do you know what they said about your flying?”
    Piper shook her head.
    “They said that it scared them. Some of them said that they didn’t want someone flying around them, that it was dangerous and a threat to their safety. One girl, I think her name was Sally Sue Miller, said that she wouldn’t ever want to be friends with someone who could fly because she can’t fly and it would make her sad to be around someone who could.”
    “She said that?” Piper’s face went hot with embarrassment.
    Dr. Hellion nodded. “What do you think about that?”
    Piper shrugged, too upset to respond. She tried to blink away the tears that were welling in her eyes.
     “Piper, I care about your well-being. I want you to be happy and joyful but I wonder if flying is really bringing true happiness into your life.”
    “But I love to fly more than anything,” Piper protested.
    “Of course. I’m not suggesting that you don’t. I’m asking you to think about your life as a whole: about your parents, about your community, and about other people. Do you think flying is a good thing for them?”
    “I guess I never thought of it that way before.” Piper suddenly realized