Chapter 333

The coach yelled "Three, two, one!" and they jumped from the plane together. Maria Lewis felt like she was free-falling at lightning speed, wind roaring past her ears. She couldn't open her eyes, and her heart was pounding like crazy. Then all of a sudden, she felt a strong jolt upwards—the falling stopped. That weightless, floating sensation kicked in, like she'd just landed in some dreamworld. From behind, the coach called out, "Parachute's open! You're good! Try opening your eyes and check out the view!" Maria slowly blinked her eyes open and saw a wide stretch of green beneath her, with a few tiny moving specks on the lawn. The whole way down, the coach was still shouting tips and directions. She followed everything he said, and landed with perfect form. Coming back to solid ground threw her off; her legs felt like jelly and wouldn’t budge. The coach undid the safety straps, gave her a thumbs-up, and said, "Nice job!" She grinned, just as she spotted a cameraman jogging over from a