Secret Friends Read online

  Antonia shrugged. It was no secret that the two girls disliked each other. When everyone lined up for lunch Lauren shoved Antonia, making her fall against Cai and Toby.

  “Slow down, Antonia,” Miss Brown sighed. “If you weren’t always in such a hurry you wouldn’t keep bumping into people.”

  “It wasn’t my fault!” said Antonia indignantly, but Miss Brown had moved on.

  “Loser,” hissed Lauren.

  Taking a deep breath Antonia ignored the comment. Even though it was difficult, she’d found that not reacting was the best way to deal with Lauren. Afternoon lessons went a little quicker and finally the bell rang for home time.

  “Sure you don’t want to come to Sea Watch?” Antonia asked Sophie as they stacked their chairs in the corner of the classroom.

  Sophie shook her head. “What, to get pecked and pooped on by frightened birds covered in oil? No, thanks. You go enjoy yourself. I’m going to paint a picture of the beach.”

  In the cloakroom Lauren tried to barge Antonia again, but she smartly sidestepped so the bigger girl fell against the coat pegs and scraped her arm.

  “I’ll get you for that,” Lauren bellowed as Antonia made for the door.

  “Just let her try,” muttered Cai. “I’ll sort her out if she does.”

  “Thanks, but I can handle her. She doesn’t scare me,” said Antonia lightly.

  “I don’t like Lauren. She’s a bully.” Cai ran a hand through his dark curls. “Aunty Claudia doesn’t like bullies either. She’s says deep down they’re all cowards.”

  “Your aunt’s so cool.”

  “I know. She’s not like a normal aunty, is she? I swear she talks to animals. You should have seen her with this guillemot this morning. They were practically having a conversation.”

  Antonia laughed. “There is something very special about Claudia,” she admitted. “I can’t wait to help her with the birds. I hope they’re not too badly oiled.”

  Claudia was looking slightly frazzled when they arrived at Sea Watch. Her clothes were smeared with oil and her curly brown hair was wilder than usual.

  “We’ve been working flat out,” she said, pointing to the sink where two ladies wearing thick rubber gloves and disposable plastic aprons were bathing a guillemot. “We’ve cleaned nineteen birds and the coastguard just brought four more in.”

  “Tell us what to do and we’ll help,” said Antonia.

  “Well, the oil doesn’t just mess up the birds’ feathers, it’s also poisonous when swallowed. First the birds need their stomachs cleansed with a special solution. I’ll do that, you and Cai can take over from Sally and Tess who are on the second stage, cleaning feathers. They’re using a special type of washing-up liquid. It’s not perfumed. Squeeze a blob on to your hands, then rub it on the bird. Talk to it as you bathe it. Remember a soothing voice can work wonders when an animal is frightened. Rinse the washing-up liquid away with clean water, then put the bird in one of the pens in the back room to dry. The gloves and aprons are in that cupboard.”

  Antonia and Cai went to the cupboard.

  “There’s room for both of us in this,” laughed Antonia, holding up a plastic apron.

  “Tie it round you twice,” said Claudia. “You’ll have to manage with the gloves. Everything came in one-size only.”

  “Jumbo,” chuckled Cai, pulling on gloves.

  Sea Watch was beginning to fill up with regular volunteers. Antonia waved at Karen and Eleanor, two Year Six girls, also from Sandy Bay Primary.

  “Isn’t it awful?” called Eleanor. “The coastguard told my dad it was only a minor oil spill. I dread to think of the damage a major one would cause.”

  The girls disappeared into the back room to clean out the bird pens.

  Claudia came over carrying a bedraggled guillemot, its feathers glued together with tarry black oil. “Be careful with this one. He’s a wriggler,” she said.

  Antonia and Cai took their place at the sink.

  “Good luck,” said Sally, snapping off her rubber gloves. “It’s hard messy work. We’re exhausted, aren’t we, Tess?”

  Cai held the bird still while Antonia squeezed a gooey blob of washing-up liquid on to her hands.

  “Steady, boy,” she murmured.

  At first the bird struggled ferociously, snapping his mouth open as he tried to fight everyone off. Cai held him firmly while Antonia worked the washing-up liquid into his sticky black feathers, talking to him in a low soothing voice.

  “Poor thing! You’re in a bad way. You might need a second wash.”

  The bird cocked his head and fixed his beady eyes on Antonia. Gradually he stopped wriggling. His breathing slowed as he relaxed until finally he was so still it looked like he’d fallen asleep.

  Cai stared at Antonia, his brown eyes astonished.

  “What?” Antonia pushed her hair over her shoulder with the back of a gloved hand.

  Cai shook his head. “You,” he said with a note of wonder. “Look how you calmed the bird. You’re so like Aunty Claudia with animals. It’s weird.”

  Antonia blushed. “You are too,” she said defensively. “Animals listen when you talk to them.”

  Cai shrugged, but he looked pleased.

  The sink of water was black by the time Antonia had finished washing the guillemot. It made her wonder how badly polluted the sea was. She hoped Spirit had taken Bubbles, Dream, Star and the rest of his pod far away from the ship. A sudden burst of panic gripped her. Did Spirit know about the wreck and the oil leak? What if he brought the pod back too soon? In her mind she saw Bubbles fighting for breath, his blowhole and beautiful silver skin coated in tar. She closed her eyes, forcing the picture to disappear. Panicking wasn’t going to help the dolphins. She had to do something practical, like swim out and warn Spirit that it wasn’t safe to come back yet. But could she do that? Antonia didn’t know whether she could become a Silver Dolphin just because she wanted to. She’d always become one after hearing Spirit’s call. Once she’d finished rinsing the soap from the guillemot’s feathers she’d go and talk to Claudia. She’d been a Silver Dolphin once so she’d know.

  Pulling the plug on the dirty water she waited impatiently for it to drain away.

  Chapter Four

  It was always hard to get Claudia alone at Sea Watch and today was no exception. A small group of volunteers stuck closely to her, watching how she dealt with the newly admitted birds and asking hundreds of questions. It was late afternoon by the time all the birds had been bathed and left to dry in the small back room. Most of the volunteers went home after that, leaving Claudia to make notes on the treatments given. Antonia helped Cai to clear up the mess in the sink, then, as he went outside to hang the aprons out to dry, she hot-footed it over to Claudia’s desk.

  “Is everything all right?” asked Claudia.

  Before Antonia had a chance to reply, Cai came back.

  “Yes, I just came to say…” Antonia hesitated. She desperately wanted to ask Claudia if she could become a Silver Dolphin without waiting for the dolphin’s call, so she could warn Spirit about the oil spill. But she couldn’t ask when Cai was hovering.

  “Is there anything else that needs doing?” she finished lamely.

  Antonia wasn’t surprised at the look Cai gave her. It was a silly question. There was always something to do at Sea Watch. Claudia must have thought the same, but she didn’t laugh. She took Antonia’s hand and stared deeply into her grey-green eyes. Antonia caught her breath. She wanted to blink, but her eyes stayed firmly open as if she was caught in a spotlight. She felt slightly dizzy, as though Claudia was tapping directly into her thoughts.

  “You know what needs doing,” Claudia whispered.

  “But can I…” Antonia hesitated, aware of the open curiosity on Cai’s face.

  You’ll have to work that out for yourself.

  Antonia jumped. Claudia had remained silent yet she could hear her voice in her head as clearly as if she’d spoken aloud. Had she imagined it?

 
; Go work it out.

  Claudia smiled knowingly, then dropped Antonia’s hand.

  Silver Dolphin.

  Claudia kept smiling and suddenly Antonia realised she had her answer. She was the Silver Dolphin. It was up to her to work this problem out for herself.

  “Home time,” said Claudia. “See you tomorrow?”

  “Yes,” said Antonia, feeling happier. “Definitely.”

  Hurriedly she said goodbye to Cai. As she ran down Claudia’s road Antonia calculated she had an hour before Mum would expect her home for tea. She headed towards the beach. Minutes later she was there and Sandy Bay was in full view. Eyes widening in surprise, Antonia stopped to stare. The beach was heaving with people. Not tourists building sandcastles or lying in the sun, these people were scavenging. Armed with bags the size of sacks they were raiding the beach like hungry ants in a larder. Several people had waded out to sea where wooden crates were still floating ashore. One man wore a wetsuit. Two police officers stood on the stone pier watching the events as if they could hardly believe what was happening.

  Antonia was shocked. She hadn’t expected this. She thought the Princess Romana would have been fixed by now and sailed away, leaving behind only the damage caused by the oil spill. But the boat was slumped against the horizon looking like one of the bedraggled birds that had come into Sea Watch.

  With a frustrated sigh, Antonia dropped down on to the beach and weaving her way through the crowds made for the rocky arm where the bay ended. There were people on the rocks too and Antonia had to scramble further round than she wanted to before she left everyone behind. She kicked off her sandals, peeled off her ankle socks and wedged them under her school bag. Gingerly she made her way across the slippery barnacle-encrusted rocks to the sea. The water was cool and it made her hot feet tingle. Antonia stood for a moment trying to quell the nervous butterflies dancing in her stomach. What would happen when she waded further into the sea? Would her legs meld together so she could swim like a dolphin or would she just end up with a soaking wet dress? There was only one way to find out. Antonia took a step forward and then another. Nothing happened and Antonia felt a rush of disappointment. Now what? She was a good swimmer, but there was no way she could swim out and find Spirit unless she became a Silver Dolphin.

  “But I am the Silver Dolphin,” she said aloud.

  Antonia fingered the dolphin charm hanging round her neck. When Claudia had explained Silver Dolphins to her she’d said that for the magic to happen she had to believe in it.

  “So believe it,” she told herself.

  “I am a Silver Dolphin. I am a Silver Dolphin.”

  Antonia whispered the words, knowing they were true.

  She continued to wade out into the sea until the water reached her chest, then plunging forward, she swam. Immediately her legs melded together, flicking at the water like a dolphin’s tail. Antonia’s cheer came out as a whistle. The magic had worked! Antonia was so excited she began to porpoise, leaping in and out of the water as she swam. A long while later she slowed down, then stopped to tread water using her legs like a tail to keep her afloat. She’d swum a long way. She couldn’t see Sandy Bay beach and even the Princess Romana was a tiny dot in the distance. Antonia was bursting with happiness. Discovering she could be a Silver Dolphin when she wanted to was amazing. She couldn’t wait to share her news with Bubbles. But how was she going to find her dolphin friend?

  The sea stretched away from her in a vast expanse of blue that went on for ever. If she wasn’t careful she could get so lost that she might never find her way home. Squashing her rising panic Antonia realised there was a way to find her dolphin friends. Opening her mouth wide she called out to them in dolphin clicks and squeaks.

  Chapter Five

  At first there was no reply. Treading water, Antonia listened to the sound of the sea filling her ears like the breath of an enormous sleeping beast. Occasionally a wave smacked against her, but apart from the sea sounds there was nothing else to hear. Antonia scanned the horizon, unsure whether to swim on or to give up and go home. Then suddenly her body began to tingle. At once Antonia recognised the sensation. It was caused by vibrations in the water. Was something coming her way? The vibrations grew stronger and then turned into a welcome clicking sound.

  “Spirit,” she called.

  “Silver Dolphin?” Spirit sounded incredulous. “Is that you?”

  “Yes,” clicked Antonia, excitement making her squeak. “Where are you?”

  “Not far. Stay where you are. I’ll come to you.”

  Spirit’s voice was serious and Antonia felt a pang of uncertainty. Was he annoyed because she had come without being called? As she waited Antonia’s stomach churned uncomfortably.

  A while later Antonia felt more vibrations in the sea. These were stronger, pinging against her skin like hailstones. She scanned the sea’s surface and at last she saw two dolphins, their bodies making silver arches as they leapt in and out of the water. As they drew closer Antonia recognised the bigger dolphin as Spirit. The smaller one was almost identical except that the blaze across his flank was more amber than yellow.

  “Bubbles!”

  Antonia hadn’t realised she’d been holding her breath until it came out in a sudden rush of air. Spirit couldn’t be angry with her if he’d brought Bubbles along. Antonia longed to swim to meet Bubbles, but held back, remembering why she was here. Bubbles also recognised the importance of the occasion and slowed, letting Spirit greet Antonia first. Spirit swam right up to Antonia, his liquid eyes holding hers as he gently rubbed her, nose to nose.

  “Silver Dolphin!” he exclaimed. “What brings you here? Did another dolphin call you?”

  “There’s been an oil leak from a ship that ran aground in the storm. I came to warn you to stay out at sea. It’s not safe for you to come inshore until the oil has broken up.”

  “You mean you came on your own to warn us of the danger? No other dolphin called you?”

  Antonia nodded.

  A strange expression crossed Spirit’s face, then he lightly touched the top of Antonia’s head with his flipper.

  “I knew it,” he whispered. “Yours is a very powerful gift, Silver Dolphin. Use it wisely.”

  Antonia flushed. What did Spirit mean by that? She was going to ask, but Spirit moved back to include Bubbles in the conversation and the moment passed.

  “Thank you, Silver Dolphin. That was a brave thing to do. We’ll definitely stay out at sea until the oil has broken up.”

  Bubbles made a sad face, then nudged his father in the side.

  “Dad, it might be ages before I see the Silver Dolphin again. Please can we play for a bit?”

  Spirit clicked a laugh.

  “Swim along, my little dolphin. Go have fun with your friend.”

  “Bubbly!” whistled Bubbles. “Let’s play seaweed tag. The first one to find some seaweed’s not it.”

  He dived down towards the seabed, but Spirit blocked Antonia from following with his tail.

  “You’ve come a long way. Can you find your way back?” he asked.

  Antonia looked towards the Princess Romana, a small black dot on the flat blue sea.

  “Yes, home is that way.”

  “Call me if you get lost,” said Spirit.

  “Thank you,” said Antonia.

  A fountain of water spouted up behind them as Bubbles surfaced.

  “You’re it,” he whistled, tossing a strand of seaweed at Antonia, but missing. “Whoops, sorry, Dad.”

  Spirit shook the seaweed off his head and threw it back at Bubbles.

  “I should ground you for that,” he said.

  “Aw, Dad! You wouldn’t!”

  “Hmmm,” said Spirit, a twinkle in his eye. “Better swim along before I do.”

  “Come on, Flipper Feet.” Bubbles flicked the seaweed at Antonia. “Catch me if you can.”

  Antonia hesitated, then Spirit reached out and gently rubbed his nose against hers. Self-consciously Antonia rubbed Spirit
’s nose back.

  “Be safe, Silver Dolphin,” he clicked, then he sped off, dipping and diving through the water.

  Immediately Antonia went after Bubbles with the seaweed trailing from her fingers in a long green ribbon. The water was clear and Antonia had no trouble finding her friend. She raced after him, but just as she was almost close enough to tag him, Bubbles dived deeper.

  “Missed,” he chuckled.

  Antonia swam faster, her legs furiously kicking the water. This wasn’t like playing tag inshore. There was no shallow seabed with rocks to hide behind, just acres of blue-green water with the occasional strand of seaweed floating by. With a neat somersault Bubbles changed direction, but guessing he would do something like that, Antonia was ready and somersaulted too. The gap closed and stretching out her hand Antonia looped the seaweed over Bubbles’s tail.

  “Got you,” she called. “You’re it now.”

  They played for ages, leaping out of the sea then diving deep, draping the seaweed over each other until it was battered and torn into a tissue-thin strip. Finally Antonia speared the seaweed on Bubbles’s fin.

  “Game over,” she panted. “I really must go home.”

  “I’ll swim some of the way with you,” said Bubbles.

  “No way,” said Antonia. “There’s oil, remember.”

  Bubbles made a sad face.

  “I might not see you for ages.”

  “But I’ll be thinking of you,” said Antonia.

  “And I’ll think of you back,” Bubbles clicked.

  They rubbed noses several times before Antonia pulled away.

  “See you soon,” she whistled.

  “You too, Silver Dolphin,” clicked Bubbles.

  It was a long swim back, but Antonia was too happy to notice. Spirit had been amazed to see her so far out at sea. He’d said she was very powerful. She swam faster, conscious that she mustn’t be late home. Mum was very strict about knowing where Antonia was and what time she would be back; she would be grounded for being late. As Antonia neared the shore her heart sank. If anything, the beach was more crowded than before. The man in the wetsuit had been joined by someone else and two speedboats were circling at the mouth of the bay. Quickly Antonia dived underwater, hoping that everyone would be too busy scavenging to notice her swimming ashore. She kept going until her knees bumped on the seabed and then she surfaced. A wave splashed in her face. It tasted bad and made her cough. Antonia waded through the surf, her legs working separately where seconds before they had felt joined together. The water poured off, leaving her school dress as dry as if she’d been basking in the sun. Antonia scrambled over the rocks to claim her things. Her bag was where she’d left it; luckily no scavengers had found it. Smoothing down her yellow-checked school dress Antonia noticed several dark streaks on her front. She rubbed one with her finger. It smelt like the bad taste in her mouth as she came ashore. It was oil! Shocked, Antonia picked at it with her fingernail, but it didn’t make any difference. The stains were there to stay. Pulling on her shoes and socks Antonia knew she should be upset about spoiling her dress, but all she could feel was relief. Thank goodness she’d found Spirit and warned him to stay away from the shore. Messing up her dress was a small price to pay for protecting her friends.