Free Secret Friends by Summer Waters Page A

recovering, he splashed Dream with his tail.
    “Spoilsport,” he retorted.
    “Stop it!” said Dream crossly. “Mum and Dad have been looking everywhere for you. You’ve got to come back to the pod. Dad says a storm’s brewing so we’re all moving out to sea where it’ll be safer.”
    “Is it a bad storm?” asked Antonia, trying to ignore Bubbles, who had stopped splashing and was mimicking the serious expression on his sister’s face. She wished the two dolphinsgot on better. Antonia was longing to make friends with Dream but the older dolphin never wanted to play if Bubbles was there.
    “Bad enough,” said Dream. “Can’t you feel how the wind’s getting up?”
    Antonia had noticed the wind and now she thought about it she had a vague feeling that something wasn’t right. She concentrated on the feeling and her sense of unease grew stronger. Antonia shivered, hoping that nothing bad was going to happen.
    “I’d better go home too,” she said. “It’s nearly my tea time.”
    “I wish you could come out to sea with us,” said Bubbles.
    “So do I.” Antonia rubbed her nose against Bubbles’s nose. “Be safe.”
    “You too, Silver Dolphin,” said Bubbles, rubbing her back.
    Antonia swam with Bubbles and Dream as far as the headland then, using her legs like a tail, she trod water, watching the dolphins as they continued out to sea. After a while they turned. Bubbles leapt a somersault and Dream half bowed then together they dived out of sight. Forlornly Antonia stared at the empty sea until remembering her own family, she cheered up. It would have been nice to go with the dolphins, but she had her own home. Her parents and little sister Jessica would miss her terribly if she didn’t return and she would miss her family too. Antonia swam into Gull Bay and when the water was shallow enough she stopped swimming and paddled through thebreakers. Her legs no longer felt melded together and the salty water poured off her like a fountain. By the time she reached the spot on the beach where she’d left her shoes, socks and school bag the only thing to show that she’d been swimming with the dolphins was her slightly damp hair. Antonia stuffed her socks into her school bag, slid her feet into the sandals and shouldering her bag, made for the tiny track that led home.
    Jessica pounced on her the moment she walked through the door.
    “You’ve been ages. Was it really busy at Sea Watch? I wish I was big enough to help too.”
    Sea Watch was a local charity involved in marine conservation. It was run by an old lady called Claudia Neal. Claudia had been a SilverDolphin once, but it was too much for her now so she’d handed the role over to Antonia. Most days Antonia went to Sea Watch after school to help out, but today she’d gone to answer Spirit’s call instead.
    “Sea Watch is always busy,” said Antonia, answering Jessica’s question as truthfully as she could. Claudia hadn’t told her that being a Silver Dolphin had to be kept secret, but Antonia knew it did. The best magic always was.
    After an enormous tea of macaroni cheese, crispy bacon and broccoli followed by a dish of ice cream Antonia allowed Jessica to drag her off to her bedroom to play at being vets. Jessica got all her cuddly toys out of the wardrobe and the two girls spent the eveningbandaging paws and tails. At last Mrs Lee rescued Antonia by chivvying Jessica off to have her bath.
    Relieved to finally have some time alone Antonia made her way to her cosy attic bedroom. Someone, probably Mum, had opened the sloping window that looked out across Gull Bay. The salty wind rushed in, its chilly fingers lifting the pages of the wildlife magazine lying on her desk. Antonia pulled the window shut and stood for a moment staring into the light summer evening. The bay was empty. Where were the dolphins? Had Spirit taken them a very long way out to sea? Antonia could sense the impending storm more keenly now. She could smell it: a sharp tangy