“Are we going underground?” Zoe’s eyes grew wide as the sounds got louder and the jerking grew stronger. She crawled to the back corner of the elevator, bracing herself. “It’s getting hot in here, Arcade!”

The elevator shook and shook. More dirt filled the air.

“I’ve always wanted to dig to China!” I shouted.

Zoe was lying on her back, wiping dirt out of her eyes. Glitter sparks flew out of the elevator vents, but when they came into contact with our skin, they turned to cool water droplets.

“This is DOPE!” I collected some drops in my hand and splashed my face with them.

“This is nothing to be excited about, Arcade.” Zoe scowled as she tried to smooth her damp hair. “I better not have to meet any new people looking like this.”

The car continued its dig for a few more minutes, and finally came to a stop. The dust and glitter settled on the elevator floor, creating a shimmery sludge.

“I wonder where we are?” I sat up and wiped my glasses with the bottom of my T-shirt.

“I don’t know.” Zoe stood up and brushed glitter off her knees. “But I bet it’s not 88th Street.”

Chapter 5
Welcome to Beijing

It’s a little cooler here. But . . . .

Where is here?

Zoe and I grab our water bottles and step out of the elevator. We’re indoors, sort of. There are solid walls on one side, large windows on the other. I can see trees, wooden structures, and rocks on the other side of the windows.

“Looks like some kind of exhibit,” Zoe says. She points to some signs on the walls that are filled with artistic symbols. They look Chinese.

A group of dark-haired children rush by us with three adults following close behind. And they all look Chinese.

I pump my fist. “YAAASSSSSS! We’re in China!”

Zoe puts her finger to her lips. “Shhh. Don’t act so surprised. We don’t want to look suspicious!”

“We just jackhammered our way here from New York City. Embrace it, Zoe, we are suspicious.”

Zoe grabs my wrist and pulls me into a corner of the exhibit. “Investigate. But try not to act so . . . so . . .”

“Different?”

“No.”

“Excited?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

“Try not to act so weird.” Zoe shakes her head and walks out in front of me. I follow her, watching out the window at all times. Investigating. We round a corner and see a large group of excited people huddled up against the window, staring out.

Zoe moves in for a closer look, and then jumps back and stuffs the heel of her hand in her mouth. She squeals.

“And you just told me not to be weird?”

Her eyes are huge. She points. “PANDAS. ARCADE, LOOK AT THE PANDAS.”

I turn and look.

“Zoe, those are giant pandas.”