Spirit, I hear your call, Antonia answered in her head.
Antonia ran, following the Coastal Path until it forked, then taking the right-hand lane that led down to Gull Bay. The dolphin charm beat out a rhythm on her neck. Antonia loved the feel of its silky-soft tail thrumming against her skin, urging her to hurry. She ran on, past the tiny beach shop, shuttered now but due to open at the start of the holiday season in a few weeks’ time. At last she arrived at Gull Bay.
She pulled off her shoes and socks and left them with her bag at the top of the beach. The powdery sand felt cold and crunchy under her feet as she ran for the sea.
“Eeek!” The water was freezing and numbed her feet and legs.
Ignoring the discomfort, Antonia splashed through the surf until the icy water reached her thighs. Taking a deep breath, she lunged forward and swam. A few seconds later her legs melded together, flicking at the sea like a tail. Excitement fizzled through her. The water didn’t feel at all cold now. Expertly, Antonia used her hands like flippers and, arching her body, leapt in and out of the water as gracefully as a dolphin.
Spirit, I’m on my way, she whistled.
The thrill of becoming a Silver Dolphin was something Antonia knew she’d never tire of. Using Spirit’s vibrations to guide her, she swam underwater to him. She didn’t have to travel far. Spirit and his family were waiting a little way round from the headland. Seeing Cai approaching from the other direction Antonia swam faster, reaching the dolphins first and shooting him a playful smile.
“You came quickly, Silver Dolphin,” said Spirit, rubbing his nose against Antonia’s in greeting.
Spirit was a proud-looking animal with intelligent eyes, a silver head and a striking yellow blaze that ran along his side from his face to his dorsal fin.
Cai swam up, and as he greeted Spirit, Antonia said hello to Star, Dream and Bubbles.
“Flipper Feet,” squeaked Bubbles, splashing her in a friendly way.
“Today it’s a litter-picking task,” said Spirit. “There’s a lot of rubbish in the sea by the cliffs.”
“Can we help the Silver Dolphins, Dad?” Bubbles asked.
“Yes, but be careful. Don’t touch anything sharp and keep away from plastic bags.”
“Bubbly!” clicked Bubbles. “Race you to the cliffs, Silver Dolphins.”
Without waiting for an answer, Bubbles swam away, his body flashing silver as he dived in and out of the water.
Antonia, Cai and Dream gave chase, but Bubbles won, reaching the cliffs before them by several tail-lengths.
“Yuk!” said Antonia, suddenly noticing the floating rubbish.
There was a plastic drink bottle, two empty crisp packets, a chocolate bar wrapper, an empty sandwich container and a train timetable that was soggier than old cornflakes.
“City people,” said Antonia, squinting at the timetable. “These times are for underground trains.”
Cai was from the city, but was living with his Aunty Claudia while his parents worked abroad in Australia.
“Country people are just as bad for littering,” he said defensively.
“I know,” said Antonia. “What I meant was that this rubbish comes from visitors and not from local people.”
Fishing the chocolate bar wrapper and timetable out of the water, she stuffed them into one of the crisp packets.
Cai emptied a strand of seaweed out of the sandwich carton and tucked the rest of the litter inside it.
“Is that all?” he asked, looking around.
“I found something,” said Dream, nosing a polystyrene coffee cup towards him.
“Thanks.” Cai scrunched up the cup to make it fit inside the sandwich carton. “Let’s get this ashore and find a bin.”
“Bubbly!” clicked Bubbles, somersaulting. “That was quick work. Now we can play.”
“Not today,” Antonia said, pulling a sad face. “We have to go to school.”
Bubbles smacked the sea with his tail.
“You’re always going to school!” he said disgustedly.
Antonia and Cai laughed. “It feels like it,” they agreed.
“Can’t we have one quick game of sprat?” asked Bubbles, his dark eyes pleading.
“Bubbles, I’m sorry, but we have to go. Mum works at our school so I can’t be late or I’ll be in trouble with her too.”
“Next time,” clicked Cai. “We’ll play sprat and seaweed tag.”
“OK then,” Bubbles agreed.
Bubbles and Dream swam with the Silver Dolphins back to where they’d first met.
“My shoes and bag are at Sandy Bay. I’ll wait for you there,” said Cai.
Antonia shook her head. “You’d better not. I think I can get to school on time from Gull Bay, but there’s no point in making us both late,” she said.
“Bye, Bubbles, bye, Dream.”
Clutching the rubbish, Antonia struck out for Gull Bay. There wasn’t a second to lose. If Antonia wasn’t in school before Mrs Howard called the register, she’d have to sign in at the office where her mum worked as a receptionist. Then there’d be trouble. Mum would want to know why, having left the house before Jessica and her, Antonia had managed to arrive after them. With determined strokes, Antonia swam on.
When Antonia finally arrived at school, hot and out of breath, the playground was deserted. She hurried indoors, hung up her fleece in the cloakroom and went straight into the classroom. The class watched in silence as she came through the door. Warm with embarrassment, Antonia sat down.
“Sorry I’m late,” she mumbled.
“You’re just in time,” said Mrs Howard. “I’m about to call the register. I suppose you’ve been watching the filming too?”
“No, I…” Antonia hesitated. She didn’t like telling lies, but she couldn’t tell Mrs Howard where she’d been.
Luckily for her the door opened and Charlie came in late too. With an exaggerated sigh, Mrs Howard stood up and lectured the whole class on how lateness would not be tolerated and how they were not to let the excitement of having a film crew around stand in the way of their education. At playtime Lauren grabbed Antonia by the arm as she came out of the girls’ toilets.
“So what happened to you this morning?” she asked, pushing her large face into Antonia’s.
Shaking her arm free, Antonia carried on walking.
“Where were you?” Lauren persisted, following her. “You were watching the filming, weren’t you? That’s why you were late.”
“None of your business,” Antonia answered, heading for Sophie, Cai and Toby who were standing in a group on the opposite side of the playground.
“I bet you didn’t get any autographs. The director said the actors were too busy to sign autographs until lunchtime.”
Antonia stopped walking and swung round to face Lauren, her green-grey eyes holding Lauren’s small, hazel ones.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I was nowhere near the film crew this morning,” she said firmly and, giving Lauren a pitying look, Antonia moved