Have a Mice Flight!

by Lindsey Leavitt

  “This plane is taller than the White House!” Banks said. “I can’t believe you get to fly on these planes, Mom.”

  The president beamed at her children. “This job has its perks. Let’s go inside. I’ll give you a tour.”

  They walked up the stairs to the entrance of Air Force One.

  “We have an hour,” President Abbey said. “Let’s explore.”

  “Can I take your bag?” a crew member asked Macey.

  “Sure,” Macey said. “Could you keep it close by? We’re just looking around.”

  The backpack was set on a couch near the front entrance, so Macey could grab it when they were done with the tour. Once the humans left, the mice scrambled out of the backpack.

  “Why couldn’t she keep her backpack?” Ava asked. “I wanted the presidential tour.”

  “You just got a free ride to Air Force One,” Dean said. “We are the luckiest mice in the world.”

  Ava did feel lucky. She had seen movies and TV shows with airplanes. She knew that on a regular flight, passengers entered the plane and smiled at a flight attendant. Then they found seats. That’s what most planes are filled with—seats.

  Ava also knew Air Force One was very different. There were hallways. There were doors leading to rooms—an office, a conference room, even a bedroom for the president. There were two full kitchens. The colors were tan and brown, but it was still very fancy.

  “Well”—Gregory hopped out of the backpack—“we might as well go meet the Mouse Corps.”

  “The Mouse Corps?” Ava asked.

  Gregory had already jumped off the seat. Wait…Gregory was the one looking for an adventure?

  Ava and Dean stared at him, openmouthed.

  “Yes. The Mouse Corps. They should know we’re here.”

  “But…but…don’t you think we should stay by the backpack?” Dean asked.

  “Do you want to see more of the plane or not?” Gregory asked. “The president said we have an hour.”

  Ava readjusted her floppy aviator hat. You didn’t have to twist her arm to see more of a plane! “Gregory, you’re my new favorite mouse. Let’s go meet the Mouse Corps, whoever they are.”

  Gregory, Ava, and Dean ran up the stairs and into the communication center. A woman in a blue flight jacket was talking on the phone. They waited until she turned. Then the mice slipped into a small hole in the corner.

  “Here we are,” Gregory said. “Welcome to the Mouse Corps.”

  “What is this place?” Dean asked.

  The Mouse Corps command center was just underneath the top deck. Humans didn’t know it existed. There were loads of buttons, TV screens, and speakers. Mouse-sized, of course.

  Behind this was a lounge room with soft seats. Three mice sat on the ground, playing a game of cards. They nibbled on bits of fruit from a bowl.

  One mouse stood up and shook Gregory’s hand. “You must be Gregory. I’m Charlie. Welcome to Air Force One!”

  Dean nudged Ava. They were thinking the same thing. Charlie did not look like someone who worked on a plane. He did not have on a pilot hat or jacket. Instead, he had on a backward cap and basketball shorts.

  Gregory paused. “Um…so, you’re the head of the Mouse Corps?”

  Charlie saluted. “Yes, sir. I know, you probably expected a suit. But mice aren’t supposed to be seen, right? So no one sees how we dress anyway.”

  “Well, yes, but dressing the part helps me take my job seriously,” Gregory said.

  “I understand,” Charlie said. “It’s different in the White House. In the Mouse Corps, there are only a few of us. So I tell all my mice to wear what they like.”

  This made a lot of sense to Dean and Ava. Gregory always wore a suit, so he probably didn’t agree. The other mice waved. One lady had on a tutu and hiking boots. The other guy had on sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt.

  “Where did you come from?” Ava blurted out. “I mean, I didn’t even know you existed!”

  “Well, we know all about you, Ava and Dean Squeakerton,” Charlie said. “You two are pretty famous. For mice. Is it true you found a Lego for the Treasure Rooms?”

  “Who told you about that?” Dean asked.

  “Your dad. In his radio broadcast. Sometimes he tells stories about the other Squeakertons. We listen to a lot of radio here.”

  Ava’s leg jiggled. She wanted to know all about the Mouse Corps. She wanted to join someday. “Um, can you please answer my question?”

  Charlie laughed and led them into the break room. “Sure. As you know, the president’s pilot goes through tons of training. He has to take many tests so he can fly such a special plane.”

  “Of course,” Gregory said. “Everyone who works for the president is smart.”

  “It’s the same for the Mouse Corps,” Charlie said. “We’re a group of mice from all over the country. These mice are very clever. We all have to find a way to D.C. to join the corps. Some mice hitch a ride on a train, or on a truck, or even in a suitcase. The mice have to be in good shape. They also have to learn everything they can about planes.”

  I can do all of that, Ava thought. If she studied hard in school and exercised and kept learning about planes…maybe…maybe this could be her job someday!

  “Do you live here all the time?” Dean asked.

  “We work in shifts on both planes,” Charlie said. “Our home is built into the hangar, but of course we sleep and eat on the plane during very long flights. We radio in all the activity and news to your dad. Then mice around the country can know what is happening in the world. It’s very important.”

  Ava nodded seriously.

  Dean looked bored. “Did you say there’s food on this plane?”

  Charlie laughed. Gregory gave Dean a stern look.

  Ava wanted to push all the buttons and spin in the captain’s chair. She wanted to press her face against the little windows in the hall. Instead, she stared at Charlie. Creepy stared.

  Charlie cleared his throat. “Any other questions?”

  “Yes!” Ava bounced on her tail. “Do you help fly the plane? What does that green button do? How many miles an hour does this plane fly? What’s the wingspan?”

  Dean pinched his sister. “Ava, let the man speak.”

  Charlie grinned. “Your dad told me you love planes.”

  “My dad?” Ava asked.

  Gregory rolled his eyes. “I radioed your father the second you little mice ran away. Remember, I’m always prepared. Always.”

  “Can I get a pair of wings?” Ava asked. “I mean, those little pins they give people on flights.”

  “Maybe. If you earn them,” Charlie said.

  Ava was just about to ask what the red light was for when it went off.

  “That’s weird,” Charlie said. He stuck on earphones. The other members of the Mouse Corp hurried into the cockpit.

  “What’s going on?” Ava asked.

  “They must have decided on a last-minute flight. The flight deck is preparing to leave.”

  “Like, into the sky?” Ava asked.

  “Yep.” Charlie took off his headset. “I’ll have these guys listen to the radio for more information. Let’s go spy on the humans. It’s the best way to find out what’s happening.”

  Ava, Dean, Gregory, and Charlie scampered down a mouse chute to the president’s suite. The suite did not look like anything you might expect on an airplane. There were large white chairs, plush carpet, and soft music.

  Macey and Banks were already in their seats. Macey’s backpack was on the seat next to her.

  “Did you travel in the backpack?” Charlie asked Gregory, who was still cramped in the chute with Ava and Dean.

  “Unfortunately,” Gregory said.

  “Well, you can’t get back in there now. Not with the kids around.”

  The plane rumbled underneath them.

  Charlie scanned the room. “Looks like we’re starting to move. We should go.”

  Ava squeaked. “I wanted to watch through a window.
”

  “We’ll find you a window without humans once we’re in the air,” Charlie said. “We need to get our seat belts on for takeoff.”

  “Hold on a second,” Dean said. “Let’s listen to what the humans are doing.”

  The mice held on to the wall and waited.

  “Do we get to eat on the plane?” Macey asked the president, who sat across from her children. “I’m starving.”

  “Yes. You can order whatever you want,” President Abbey said. “They have a chef. We’ll probably eat when we’re over Indiana.”

  “What do you mean, over Indiana?” Banks asked.

  The plane rolled backward. Ava grabbed her brother’s tail.

  “I mean, we’re taking a trip!” the president said. “I know you’ve been a little homesick since we’ve moved to Washington. So I’m taking you to Kansas to see your friends!”

  “Home? We’re going home?” the kids asked together. “There’s no place like home!”

  The mice had enough information. They started back up the chute.

  The plane was going faster now. Ava could feel it under her feet. She didn’t like that she couldn’t see what was happening. She also didn’t like the feeling in her stomach.

  “I need to sit down,” Ava said.

  Charlie led the mice to the mouse lounge. They buckled into seats. The plane kept moving.

  Dean asked Charlie all about the history of Air Force One. Charlie knew a lot. Even Gregory was impressed. Like, did you know Air Force One has nineteen televisions and eighty-five telephones? Isn’t that interesting?

  Ava didn’t ask questions. Her ears felt funny. Ava did not get to watch the wings of the plane as they soared into the air. Even if there were a window in the mouse lounge, it wouldn’t have mattered.

  Ava Squeakerton was feeling sick.

  “Why aren’t you paying attention to Charlie?” Dean asked.

  Ava was about to answer. But instead, she threw up.

  “Gross!” Dean yelled as Gregory handed Ava another barf bag.

  “There’s a bathroom down the hall,” Charlie said kindly.

  Ava wobbled out of the room. She washed her face and brushed her teeth. Charlie got her a ginger ale. She took deep breaths and tried to stop shaking.

  “How do you deal with this feeling all the time?” Ava asked.

  “You’re airsick,” Gregory said. “You’ve never flown before.”

  Dean made a face. “How does the mouse who always wanted to fly get airsick?”

  “Remind me to aim for you next time I’m sick,” Ava said.

  Charlie took her tail. “Let’s get you by a window. Then you’ll feel better.”

  Charlie hurried Ava down a hallway and through a door.

  “This is the medical room,” Charlie said. “No one ever comes in here. Look—you can hop onto the seat and look out the window.”

  Ava climbed onto the seat. And then, finally, she looked out the window. She still felt a little sick, but the view definitely helped.

  The sky had many different shades of blue. The clouds made a white blanket across the Earth. When Ava stared at the skyline, she felt less dizzy.

  Ava was in the air. She was flying. This was a dream come true.

  She closed her eyes, picturing clouds floating around her. And then…she took a nap. Ava slept through the very thing she’d waited her whole life to do.

  The plane landed so smoothly, Ava didn’t even wake up until Dean shook her.

  “Come on, Ava! You slept for two hours.”

  Ava wiped drool off her mouth. “Really?”

  “Really. Gregory and I already explored the cargo area, but now that the passengers are getting off the plane, we can explore inside! Let’s go.”

  Ava couldn’t believe she had missed so much of the flight! At least she had seen through the window for a bit. She hoped she felt better when they flew back to Washington. She hopped off the seat with her brother, ready for another adventure.

  The first stop for the mice was the kitchen. Dean had found a menu, and there was a leftover cheese plate waiting for him. And some mac and cheese. And a hamburger.

  “If you were flying on almost any other plane, you wouldn’t find food like this,” Charlie said as he dug into peach pie. “They make all the food fresh in the air. The chef is wonderful.”

  “I’m just glad Macey ordered mac and cheese,” Dean said as he swallowed another noodle. “These kids have great taste.”

  “Hey, this cheese is called Gruyère. That rhymes with ‘air.’ ” Gregory laughed. “We should call the plane Gruyère Force One!”

  Ava and Dean shook their head. The only thing worse than Gregory being serious was Gregory trying to be funny.

  “Don’t be cheesy,” Charlie said.

  Ava didn’t eat a lot. She was bummed she had missed so much of the flight. She was worried that she would always get sick like that. Then she could never join the Mouse Corps!

  Gregory sat next to her and squeezed her tail. “I have a surprise for you.”

  “What, another barf bag?” Ava asked. “More cheese jokes?”

  “No, this is even better. Come with me.”

  They left Charlie and Dean to their snacking. They left the whole second floor, actually, and slipped down a pole into the lower deck.

  The cargo area of most planes is usually filled with luggage. There wasn’t much of anything in this cargo area. That is because there are cargo planes that fly ahead of Air Force One. Yes, the president has a whole plane to carry cars and motorcycles! There is even a plane that pumps gas into Air Force One in the middle of flight.

  Gregory opened a small hatch in the ground. Underneath was a tunnel that led to…

  “A Treasure Room?” Ava asked in wonder.

  The Squeakerton family had a whole series of Treasure Rooms in the White House. Rooms filled with history. Rooms filled with family. The mice were very proud of their collection.

  This room was not nearly as fancy. All the items were tied to the wall or hung from the ceiling. But that didn’t matter to Ava. That little Treasure Room had loads of stuff to do with flight.

  Here were just five items….

  1. A patch from Gerald Ford’s flight jacket

  2. A thirty-year-old bag of peanuts

  3. A flight certificate for Socks, Bill Clinton’s cat

  4. Ronald Reagan’s bathroom slipper

  5. George H. W. Bush’s old aviator hat

  Gregory patted Ava on the back. “Did you know Christopher Columbus got seasick?”

  “So?” she asked.

  “So I bet he still loved ships and exploring. Getting seasick didn’t stop him from discovering America.”

  “Are you saying this to make me feel better?” Ava asked.

  “Is it working?” Gregory asked.

  “Sort of,” Ava said. “I guess…I guess the exciting thing is…do you ever think I can be like Charlie? And work on a plane?”

  Gregory shrugged. “Charlie isn’t a Squeakerton. He’s actually a Gunson, a mouse family that lives in the Empire State Building in New York. He somehow made it here and flies around the world.”

  “So it’s still possible for me to be in the Mouse Corps?”

  “For a mouse like you? Absolutely. You can be anything you want to be.” Gregory cleared his throat. “Now, can we please go back before your brother eats all the presidential M&M’s?”

  Air Force One really did have its very own M&Ms that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. Dean hadn’t eaten all the M&Ms, but he had eaten plenty. He’d also asked Charlie question after question about living in a skyscraper. Dean loved buildings like Ava loved planes.

  The president and her kids were just boarding the plane when the mice reached the hallway. The mice hid behind the couch.

  “That was awesome, Mom!” Banks said. “Thanks for taking us to our old school.”

  “And to G’s Frozen Custard,” Macey said. “And our favorite BBQ place. The whole trip was so m
uch fun.”

  Ava didn’t even notice the problem until Dean moaned. “Great. Now what are we going to do?”

  “What are we going to do about what?” Ava asked.

  “Uh…Ava?” Dean pointed at the humans. “Macey doesn’t have her backpack.”

  He was right. Macey walked right into the president’s bedroom without her backpack. Yes, the president has her own bedroom on the plane. Which is super cool. But stay focused on the fact that Macey kept forgetting her backpack!

  Ava’s stomach flipped, and this time she knew it had nothing to do with takeoff.

  Gregory squeaked. Gregory might be a Squeakerton, but he was usually not much of a squeaker. “So…if Macey isn’t carry-ing her backpack…how are we getting off this plane?”

  Here are possible ways the mice could get off the plane and back to the White House:

  1. They could run down the airplane stairs. But then they would be stuck in Kansas, which is very far from Washington.

  2. They could run off the stairs after they landed in D.C. But then they had no way to get back to the White House. Maybe ever.

  3. They could run into the car. But the president said they were taking a helicopter back to the White House. There was no way they could get from the plane to a helicopter without a human seeing them. Do you know what a human would do if they knew there were mice on Air Force One? The answer involves sad words like traps and exterminator.

  4. They could…I don’t know. Parachute? Build wings? Drive a car? Look, these mice did not have a lot of choices.

  5. Um…do you have any ideas?

  “But, Charlie…you get off the plane all the time,” Dean said. “So why don’t we just do what you do?”

  “We stay in these planes,” Charlie said. “Or in the hangar. Even though we travel the world, we don’t usually see anything. I’ve never been to the White House, for example. It’s dangerous, especially with this many humans.”

  Gregory sniffled. “That is so, so sad. The White House is the most beautiful building in the world.”

  “Gregory.” Dean rolled his eyes. “Come on. We need a plan.”

  Ava and Dean had come up with plans before. And they would come up with plans again. They were a team, whether in the air or on the ground.