waded up the beach. The Silver Dolphin magic made the sea water pour off them like a mini waterfall until their clothes were completely dry. Antonia shook out her damp hair and Cai pulled a face as he ran his fingers through his.
“The water makes my hair go extra curly,” he laughed.
They sat on the warm sand to put on their sandals, then went through the gate that led to Claudia’s garden.
Claudia was talking to a builder who was making a deepwater pool for injured sea animals. She waved and called out, “Are you staying to tea, Antonia?”
“Not tonight, thanks,” said Antonia. “I promised I’d be home early.”
“See you tomorrow then,” said Cai after they’d put their rubbish in the Sea Watch bin.
“See you,” said Antonia.
On the way home Antonia stopped halfway up Sandy Bay Road to look at the sea. A funny feeling was bothering her, and her thoughts strayed to the building site at Crane Point. Staring at the bright blue water, Antonia strongly sensed that Mrs Howard wasn’t the only one who would be keeping them busy that term.
“A ntonia!” Sophie was waiting at the end of her drive, but when she saw Antonia she ran to meet her. They hugged until they almost toppled over.
“When did you get back from Australia? Did you have a good time?” Sophie bombarded Antonia with questions as they walked to school.
“I got you a present,” said Antonia, when she could get a word in edgeways. “I’ll give it to you when we get to school. Do you think Mrs Howard will let us sit together?”
“I doubt it,” Sophie giggled. “I expect Miss Brown has told her that we chat too much.”
In the school playground Antonia swung her bag to the ground and rummaged inside for the miniature wooden boomerang she’d bought for Sophie. As she handed it over Lauren Hampton barged past. Antonia dropped the neatly wrapped present, but luckily Sophie caught it.
“Watch it!” cried Sophie hotly.
“Watch what?” asked Lauren nastily. “It’s not my fault that Antonia got in my way.”
Sophie went red with indignation, but Antonia steered her to another part of the playground before she could protest.
“Ignore her,” she said. “She’s not worth it.”
“Ooh!” exclaimed Sophie crossly. “I don’t know why she’s always so nasty to you. Thanks for the boomerang, Antonia. It’s lovely. I’ll ask Dad to help me hang it on my bedroom wall.”
Cai and Toby arrived as the bell went and they all walked into school.
“Let’s sit together,” said Cai, but Mrs Howard had other ideas.
“Just my luck,” groaned Antonia when her new teacher called out, “Charlie West, Lauren Hampton, Antonia Lee and Harry Lucas on this table, please.”
Antonia hurried to her new place, hoping to sit next to one of the boys, but Charlie and Harry beat her there and she was forced to sit next to Lauren.
“Move up, Toni,” said Lauren, making herself as wide as possible when she sat down.
“It’s ‘Antonia’. I might not know you’re talking to me if you call me Toni.”
“Good. Then I won’t have to talk to you, Toni,” said Lauren unkindly.
It was one of the longest days Antonia had ever spent in school. The work was much harder than it had been in Year Five and Antonia’s brain felt rusty after the long summer holiday. Lauren had a brand new pencil case and a bumper pack of gel pens that she laid out, taking up more than her fair share of the desk and she grumbled each time Antonia accidentally touched one.
“My dad got me those,” she boasted. “He’s got this great new job over at Crane Point. It’s my birthday next week and Dad said I can have a huge party. I’m going to invite everyone in the class.” Lauren paused and her eyes narrowed to mean slits. “Well, almost everyone,” she added.
At the end of the day Antonia’s table was the last to be let out as Lauren wouldn’t stop talking. When they were free to go Antonia rushed to the cloakroom to get her bag.
“Slow coach,” teased Cai. “Don’t you want to go home?”
“I’m not going home. I’m going to Sea Watch with you.”
“That is home!” said Cai.
Antonia grinned. Sea Watch was like a second home for her, and Claudia treated Antonia like she was part of the family. Shortly after arriving at Sea Watch they were joined by Emily, Karen and Eleanor, straight from their first day at their new secondary school. Antonia felt a little shy when the girls first came in. They looked so grown up in their new green school uniform. But underneath they were still the same, chattering excitedly about their day as they all went outside to see how the deepwater pool was coming along.
“Not you lot again,” teased the builder good-naturedly. “I’d be finished much more quickly if you stopped checking up on me.”
“Let’s go and see what Claudia wants us to do today,” said Antonia.
Claudia had an important job for them: cleaning out Tilly the seal’s pen and feeding her. Tilly had been in a very bad way when she first arrived at Sea Watch, but under Claudia’s watchful eye she’d regained her health and was slowly putting on weight.
Antonia and Cai wore plastic gloves and aprons to clean out the pen. They scrubbed out Tilly’s water bowl and refilled it with fresh water, then swept and hosed down the enclosure. Tilly watched them with big eyes, her whiskery nose inquisitively nudging the cleaning equipment.
“She’s like a puppy,” laughed Cai, when Tilly tried to follow them back to the Sea Watch building.
Tilly grew very excited when Antonia and Cai returned with a bucket of fish. Grunting loudly, she almost butted the bucket from their hands. She was wolfing down her last fish when a familiar sensation swept over Antonia. Spirit was about to call. Seconds later the silver dolphin charm hanging round her neck vibrated.
Silver Dolphin, the charm called to her. We need your help.
Spirit, I hear your call, Antonia called back silently.
When Antonia first became a Silver Dolphin she’d always cover the charm with her hand even though she knew only a Silver Dolphin could see it move and hear its shrill whistling.
She glanced over to Cai to check he was following and together they ran down the garden, hurdling the low gate that opened on to the beach.
“New shoes are a pain,” grunted Cai, as he struggled to get his off.
“Sandals are much easier,”
