hard on behaving like a dolphin and was overjoyed when her voice clicked out her reply. “Yes, I’ll be your new Silver Dolphin.”
“Bubbly!” The littlest dolphin squealed with excitement and swam in circles around Antonia.
“Bubbles, calm down,” said Spirit sternly. “Bubbles is my youngest,” he added. “Then there’s Star, my wife, and Dream, my daughter.”
Dream was only a bit larger than Bubbles, but seemed much more grown-up.
“Hello,” she said indifferently.
Star was very pretty, with similar markings to Spirit only she was lighter in colour. She swam up to Antonia and gently rubbed her nose against Antonia’s. “Thank you,” she said. “It’s not easy being a Silver Dolphin, but we will help you as much as we can.”
“How will I know when I’m needed?” Antonia stuttered.
“You will hear our call,” said Spirit.
Antonia touched her silver dolphin necklace.
“That’s right,” said Spirit. “The necklace is our link with you. I will call you again over the next few days so you can practise answering. Star is right. It’s not easy being a Silver Dolphin. The work can be hard and dangerous.”
Antonia’s stomach fluttered. She desperately wanted to be a good Silver Dolphin, but would she be good enough?
“Can I teach her some swimming moves?” asked Bubbles. He leapt out of the water, his body making a perfect arch.
“Show off!” said Dream.
Spirit clicked a laugh.
“Not yet, Bubbles. Antonia needs time to take all this in. Let her go home now and we will call her again soon. Always wear your charm, Silver Dolphin. It is the only way we can call you.”
Antonia didn’t want to go back home. She wanted to swim with the dolphins, especially Bubbles, and learn all they could teach her. But she didn’t dare disobey Spirit so she whistled a goodbye and headed back to the beach.
As she stepped out of the sea the water poured off her. By the time she’d padded back to her bag and shoes only her hair was slightly damp. Antonia clasped her hand over her dolphin charm. It was silent now, but its body still felt soft and slippery. Just like Star when she’d rubbed Antonia on the nose. Antonia grinned, then catching sight of her watch the grin immediately vanished.
“Oh, no!” she gasped.
It was nearly four o’clock. Her mum would be home any minute and if Antonia wasn’t there she’d be in huge trouble. Shoving her feet in her shoes she snatched up her bag and raced up the beach.
When Antonia arrived home she was surprised to find the house empty. For a guilty moment she wondered if Mum had gone out to look for her, but then the front door banged open and Mum and Jessica crowded into the tiny hall.
“Sorry, darling,” Mum said, slipping out of her shoes and giving Antonia a hug. “We were late leaving school. Someone fell over in the playground and needed a plaster.”
Antonia wriggled free.
“That’s OK. Can I have something to eat?”
She was starving. It must be all that swimming, she thought, touching her dolphin charm.
“Yes, sure. What’s that you’re wearing?” replied Mum.
“It’s a necklace. I won the Sea Watch competition.”
“Did you? That’s fantastic. Let’s have a proper look.”
Antonia swept back her long blonde hair so Mum could look at the necklace.
“It’s beautiful.”
“I know.”
Antonia longed to say more. She wanted to tell her mother how the necklace had called her into the sea to swim with real dolphins. She was dying to say that she was the new Silver Dolphin. But she kept her mouth tightly shut. Mum would probably think she was mad. Besides, she had a feeling that the necklace might not work if she told people about it.
“Clever girl,” said Mum proudly. “What did Sophie say? I bet she was pleased for you.”
“I think so,” said Antonia, remembering Sophie’s comments and feeling slightly uncomfortable.
“No doubt she was surprised. It was a poster competition for the Sea Watch charity, wasn’t it? It must be the first art competition she hasn’t won.”
“Yes, it was…I’m going to volunteer for Sea Watch as well,” Antonia added. Mum was right. Sophie must have acted strangely because she’d been surprised. “Can I go to the beach with Sophie tomorrow afternoon? She said her dad will take us.”
“Of course you can,” said Mum. “Dad and I are going into town tomorrow afternoon so it’ll save dragging you around with us. Now what would you like to eat?”
That evening Antonia found it hard to stop fidgeting. Her fingers kept straying to the dolphin necklace. What if the dolphins called her now? How would she get out of the house without Mum and Dad finding out? They’d never agree to her going down to the beach on her own. By bedtime Antonia was so jumpy she didn’t think she could possibly sleep. Looking out of her bedroom window before drawing the curtains on the summer night Antonia saw the dolphins swimming in the bay. Bubbles, easily identifiable as the littlest, kept leaping out of the water. Antonia grinned, sure he was putting on a show just for her. The sight of the dolphins, her dolphins, reassured her. She didn’t think Spirit would call her in the night, but if he did then she would find a way to answer his call. Antonia stopped worrying, climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep, to dream of dolphins.
Early the next morning Antonia’s dad took her to Sandy Bay beach for her surfing lesson. Jessica insisted on going too.
“When can I learn to surf?” she asked as she watched Antonia pull on her wetsuit.
“When you can swim as well as Antonia,” said Dad, ruffling Jessica’s hair.
“You’ll love learning to surf, it’s great,” said Antonia enthusiastically.
Jessica frowned.
“But that won’t be for ages. Antonia’s brilliant at swimming. She swims like a dolphin.”
Antonia jumped. What did Jessica mean?
“Naomi’s sister says you’re an ace swimmer,” said Jessica wistfully.
Antonia laughed with relief. Naomi was Jessica’s best friend and her sister was in Antonia’s class.
“You’ll soon be able to swim like me if you keep practising,” she said as she fastened her wetsuit and picked up her board.
“Enjoy
