Читать книгу Broken Promises - Summer Waters - Страница 6

Antonia Lee trod water, staring around at the empty sea. Where was everyone hiding? Movement over by the rocks caught her eye. Antonia squinted into the sunlight. Was that Cai? She thought she could see his curly brown hair sticking over the top of the rock. Antonia turned her back, pretending she hadn’t noticed him. Casually she swam in the opposite direction, then diving down, she doubled back underwater. In one hand she trailed a long piece of crinkly brown seaweed. If she could sneak up on Cai and tag him then it would be his turn to be ‘it’. She had almost reached the rocks when Cai broke cover. Like a rocket he shot past her, a huge grin on his face.

“Not ‘it’,” he called triumphantly.

Antonia grinned back as he disappeared. Cai hadn’t been a Silver Dolphin for very long, but he was a quick learner. Already he was as at home in the water as their dolphin friends, Bubbles and Dream. Antonia swam on, her eyes searching for the dolphins. At last she saw them, hiding together in a kelp bed. Antonia paddled through the kelp, parting it with her free hand. A school of tiny fish darted across her path, startling her. Taking advantage of her surprise, Dream and Bubbles made a dash for a new hiding place. The chase was on. Antonia pretended to follow Dream. Then, in a sudden change of direction, she lunged at Bubbles, tagging his tail with the seaweed.

“‘It’!” she cried.

“No, you are,” clicked Bubbles, flicking the seaweed back at her.

They played until the seaweed had almost disintegrated. Then, calling a truce, they floated on the sea’s surface, enjoying the warmth of the sun on their faces.

“We’d better get back,” clicked Dream eventually. “Dad’s taking the pod fishing soon.”

“Spoilsport,” clicked Bubbles, flicking water at her.

Dream looked slightly cross until Cai flicked water back at Bubbles. That started a water fight with everyone splashing so hard they churned up the sea like a whirlpool.

“Enough,” panted Antonia. “We have to go now. It’s nearly tea time.”

“Goodbye,” said Bubbles, solemnly swimming forward as if to rub noses with her.

“Goodbye…BUBBLES!” she shrieked as, catching her unawares, he doused her with water.

Bubbles clicked a laugh. “See you soon, Silver Dolphin,” he called, keeping a safe distance away.

“I’ll get you for that,” Antonia laughed back.

She waited for Cai to finish saying goodbye to Dream, then rubbed noses with the older dolphin. The dolphins swam out to sea, leaping in and out of the water, their silver bodies curving like half-moons. Antonia and Cai headed in the opposite direction, swimming in companionable silence until Antonia suddenly exclaimed, “We’ve forgotten the rubbish.”

She flushed guiltily, but Cai just laughed.

“Well remembered,” he said placidly.

Somersaulting neatly they swam back to the rocks to collect their bundle: several crisp packets, an old shoe and two polystyrene cups all wrapped up in a split carrier bag.

“What would have happened if we’d left this behind?” Antonia idly wondered. “Do you think Spirit would have been cross?”

“No,” said Cai. “Spirit knows we’re not perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. We might not have been allowed to play with Bubbles and Dream for a bit, though.”

“We shouldn’t make mistakes,” said Antonia emphatically.

“Everyone does,” said Cai wisely. “Don’t be too hard on us just because we’re Silver Dolphins.”

Antonia lightly touched the silver dolphin charm hanging round her neck. As Silver Dolphins, Antonia and Cai were guardians of the sea. Whenever Spirit called for their help a special magic let them swim like dolphins so they could sort the problem out. Silver Dolphin magic was very rare. Antonia and Cai only knew one other person who had it: Claudia, Cai’s great-aunt. She had been a Silver Dolphin before deciding that she was too old to do the job properly. Now she ran a marine conservation charity called Sea Watch instead.

They parted company at Claudia’s beach.

“I’ll take the rubbish,” said Cai. “It can go in the Sea Watch bins. Where did you leave your shoes?”

“Gull Bay,” said Antonia. It was her favourite beach after Claudia’s because not many tourists knew about it. “See you tomorrow then.”

“See you,” said Cai.

Antonia swam on. She was enjoying every minute of the school holidays. So far, she’d spent most of it at Sea Watch with Cai. Leaping in and out of the water Antonia relished her freedom. Gull Bay was quiet with only a handful of people left on the beach. Antonia swam until she could see the seabed then, standing up, she waded ashore. Water poured from her clothes, leaving them as dry as if she’d been playing in the sun. Only her hair was slightly damp. Her sandals were where she’d left them, at the far end of the beach. Ramming her feet into them, Antonia padded across the sand.

She was almost home when someone called her name. Turning, Antonia saw her other best friend, Sophie, running towards her. As usual, Sophie was carrying her sketch book.

“Hi, I can’t believe we haven’t seen each other since the holidays started,” panted Sophie, catching Antonia up.

“Me neither,” said Antonia guiltily. “What have you been up to?”

“Helping Dad and drawing mostly. I’m getting really good at cats. A lady in one of Dad’s classes has commissioned me to paint her cat for her. She’s going to send me a photograph to copy from when she gets home.”

“Well done! That’s brilliant news!” Antonia exclaimed.

Sophie’s dad was an artist and in the summer he ran art classes for the tourists. Sophie was very good at art too and her latest project was sketching and painting cats. And now someone was paying her for it!

They reached the end of the road.

“Let’s do something together soon,” said Sophie.

“Definitely,” Antonia agreed. “I’ll ring you.”

Antonia ran the rest of the way home. Pushing open the front door, she could hear lots of banging upstairs.

“Mum?” she called out.

“Up here, darling,” Mum shouted back. “Come and give me a hand.”

Antonia went upstairs and found her mother slowly backing out of the cupboard on the landing.

“Help me with this,” she panted.

Antonia reached out and took some of the weight of the large bin bag her mother was carrying.

“What is it?” she asked.

“The put-you-up and the airbed,” said Mum. “Aunty Sue phoned today and arranged for Abi and Ella to come and stay for a week.”

“Great,” said Antonia enthusiastically. She hadn’t seen her cousins since Christmas and it would be fun to have them to stay. Abi was eleven, a whole year older than Antonia, but they got on really well. Jessica, Antonia’s seven-year-old sister, and Ella, also seven, were good friends too.

“I can take Abi to Sea Watch. She’ll love it. When are they coming?”

“Wednesday.”

“But that’s the day after tomorrow,” Antonia squeaked.

“That’s why I’m getting the beds out to air,” said Mum, laughing.

“It’s going to be such fun,” said Antonia happily. “Which bed is Abi having? I’ll put it straight in my room.”