Secret Friends Read Online Free Page A

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 andAntonia 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 seathen 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 theseabed 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 hershoes 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.

Chapter Six
    A ntonia arrived home at the same time as Dad came back from working at the garage he owned. She waited while he parked his car and they went indoors together. Mum was preparing the evening meal while Jessica sat at the kitchen table, glued to the television. Antonia wasn’t surprised to see Sandy Bay onthe news again. There had to be something special on for her mother to allow television at tea time. She was surprised, however, to find that Sandy Bay had made it on to the national news.
    “People have been arriving in Sandy Bay all day,” the newsreader