Grounded: Chapter 36–Epilogue

by Aisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, S.K. Ali
Stuck at an airport during a thunderstorm, four tweens (Taufeek Stiles, Hanna Chen, Sami Iqbal, and Nora Najjar) recognize each other from the Muslims of North America conference and bond over the search for a lost sister and cat.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–18, Chapters 19–35, Chapter 36–Epilogue
40 words 9 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. budding
    beginning to develop
    “Look at these budding young activists. One day they’ll use all that imagination to change the world.”
  2. breach
    a failure to perform some promised act or obligation
    If the press gets ahold of this story, they’ll spin it into how a bunch of Muslim kids got caught in an airport security breach and how one of them was the congresswoman’s daughter.
  3. sprawl
    sit or lie with one's limbs spread out
    At the gate, the seats we had earlier in the day are taken, and floor space is limited with so many people sprawled out, trying to sleep.
  4. pelt
    rain heavily
    My parents face me as raindrops pelt the ground through the darkened window behind them.
  5. facility
    a building or place that provides a particular service
    Sneaking into a locked facility at the airport? The whole sky lounge thing they told us about?
  6. dejected
    affected or marked by low spirits
    But instead I’m met with another awful sight: Nora’s mom is marching ahead of her, talking and shaking her head while Nora follows, a dejected look on her face, her arms crossed exactly like Sami’s.
  7. compel
    necessitate or exact
    I feel compelled to check how angry he is.
  8. stoop
    bend one's back forward from the waist on down
    I stoop and gently lift Ruqi (who somehow weighs more, knocked out) along with her coat and carefully walk to the big glass fixture in the hall, gleaming in the darkness.
  9. mortify
    cause to feel shame
    Their heads rest against each other, their mouths are slightly parted, and my dad is snoring so loudly, you’d think there was a grizzly bear on the loose in addition to a missing cat. This would ordinarily be mortifying, but there are currently plenty of snores floating around the airport.
  10. implosion
    a sudden inward collapse
    “And my whole social media implosion... People are saying the meanest things...”
  11. downcast
    filled with melancholy and despondency
    I saw how mad Feek’s mother was with him. I didn’t need to hear the words to know how they landed on him—the way his shoulders had slumped, his eyes downcast. They still look downcast from all the way here where I’m sitting.
  12. confrontation
    a hostile disagreement face-to-face
    But did I mention I hate confrontation? Because I do. I hate confrontation. But I think of how Jake yelled at us and kicked us out of the luggage store.
  13. ruckus
    the act of making a noisy disturbance
    People lose their minds when celebrities are involved. What if people create a ruckus to get Cookie’s cat or demand a huge reward?
  14. maneuver
    move skillfully, as around obstacles or into a position
    When I’m doing karate, I’m strong. Confident. I’m maneuvering and strategizing and doing my thing.
  15. somber
    serious and gloomy in character
    I laugh suddenly, breaking the somber mood that everyone’s in as we’re sitting here thinking of our own problems.
  16. anticipate
    make a prediction about; tell in advance
    “I bet it helps you in karate,” adds Hanna. “Don’t you have to be on your toes to anticipate your opponent?”
  17. scoff
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    “There you go. Who needs those kids who don’t get it?” Feek scoffs. “If they can’t see you for how cool you are, it’s their loss.”
  18. queasy
    causing or fraught with or showing anxiety
    Nobody says anything, and in that pause, I feel queasy. I can’t take the quiet any longer. “I know. It’s messed up. I’m messed up.”
  19. deadpan
    speak in a deliberately impassive or serious manner
    “You can’t be serious. You’re worried about how this will sound to your dad? You told a room full of strangers ‘the cat in the hat is not all that’ without flinching,” Nora deadpans before cracking a smile.
  20. vie
    compete for something
    “Yes, yes, we should, but I get to play Salaam Stiles!” Hanna says.
    It looks like Sami is about to vie for the role when the creaking sound from the bottom of the machine comes back, louder than I’ve heard it all evening.
  21. croon
    sing softly
    I croon, “Snickerdoodle Mildred Hoffman” and shake the salmon treats.
  22. bellow
    shout loudly and without restraint
    “What is going on here?” a sharp voice bellows.
  23. barge
    push one's way
    If everyone else had barged in too, Snickerdoodle would not be staring at me the way she is right now.
  24. condone
    excuse, overlook, or make allowances for
    “I wouldn’t condone playing superheroes at an airport again.”
  25. ordeal
    a severe or trying experience
    But then, with a smile, he adds, “But way to go, kids. That cat looked like she’d had quite an ordeal.”
  26. recede
    pull back or move away or backward
    The storm has receded, and flights will be resuming shortly.
  27. parched
    extremely thirsty
    “You all must be parched,” Bruce says. “I can unlock one of these restaurants and get you some pop, lemonade. You name it.”
  28. barred
    preventing entry or exit or a course of action
    Normally, I’d just be grateful we aren’t going to be arrested or barred from ever flying through Hurston Airport again.
  29. flourish
    a showy gesture
    Bruce flicks the lights on in the store, takes a step back, and waves with a flourish to welcome us inside.
  30. frazzle
    exhaust physically or emotionally
    My parents. They’re hurrying toward me, towing their luggage, looking like the dictionary definition of frazzled.
  31. warrant
    show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for
    “Chocolate?” My mother looks surprised.
    “After their heroism, I’d say it’s warranted.”
  32. sensation
    an awareness of some type of stimulation
    Chocolate lines the walls, the shelves, everywhere I look—but that’s not why I feel this warm sensation lit like a gentle flame inside me.
  33. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    Her eyes are tired and red, and her hair looks disheveled in a way that she never allows her hair to look in public.
  34. legislate
    make laws or bills
    “We found Snickerdoodle, Congresswoman Najjar. We found her! Now the legislating to keep these animals safe can begin!”
  35. consumption
    the process of taking food into the body through the mouth
    “It sounds like maybe our family needs some new legislation. You know, to address birthday weekends and also to regulate your chocolate consumption. That’s quite a stack.”
  36. vinyl
    shiny, tough, and flexible plastic
    He whispers the last part, and I lean into his side, our hands clasped, and stare at the black vinyl travel prayer mat we just shared.
  37. giddy
    exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
    I’m glad I ran back—I mean, danced back—to Dad.
    Giddy, I take a deep breath and just let the question explode out of me, the one that storms my head every time I think about all this.
  38. pro bono
    done for the public good without compensation
    Dad won’t even need to hire me. I’ll do it pro bono.
  39. vet
    examine carefully
    Because, of course, I’d need to thoroughly vet any “mother figure” that comes into my life.
    They’d need CIA-level clearance.
  40. ecstatic
    feeling great rapture or delight
    As we near gate B8, I hear an announcement that the flight to Orlando is now boarding. I look across to where Sami is standing with his parents, and even from across the way, we lock eyes and I can tell he’s ecstatic.
Created on Fri Aug 02 09:43:22 EDT 2024 (updated Fri Aug 02 16:10:14 EDT 2024)

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