“Does it feel like you’re that high up?” Riley asked her older sister, Daphne. Daphne shrugged and went back to looking at her cell phone. “Like, if you get up to go walk to the bathroom, could you just fall over or start floating?” Riley pressed on even though Daphne wasn’t responding.
Riley sighed and stood up to stand next to the window. This was her first time on an airplane and she was more than a little nervous. Even though her parents had assured her over and over that it was perfectly safe, she kept imagining all the ways the flight could go wrong.
When it was time to board, Riley lined up with her family feeling like she was going to be sick. She followed the crowd until she was strapped into her seat between Daphne and her mom.
“No need to be nervous, darling,” her mom said.
She gave her mom’s hand a squeeze. Riley pulled her headphones on in hopes that listening to her favorite song would calm her down.
She tried to listen to the flight attendants instructions, but she felt like she was in a daze. Before she knew it, the plane was roaring down the runway. She gripped the armrests tightly and shut her eyes. All of a sudden it felt like her stomach was in her throat.
Daphne tapped her arm and motioned for her to look out the window. All Riley could see was clouds and blue sky. Her mouth dropped wide open. It was so much more beautiful than she had imagined. “Wanna switch seats?” Daphne offered kindly. Forgetting to be scared, Riley hopped up immediately and climbed into the window seat. She couldn’t get enough of the view. It was official: She loved to fly!
Which of the following statements best describes the theme, or message, of the story?
Friends are a person’s most valuable possession.
You cannot prepare for change.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Things are usually not as bad as you think they will be.