Chapter One

      Antonia Lee trod water, staring around at the empty sea. Where was everyone hiding? Movement over by the rocks caught her eye. Antonia squinted into the sunlight. Was that Cai? She thought she could see his curly brown hair sticking over the top of the rock. Antonia turned her back, pretending she hadn’t noticed him. Casually she swam in the opposite direction, then diving down, she doubled back underwater. In one hand she trailed a long piece of crinkly brown seaweed. If she could sneak up on Cai and tag him then it would be his turn to be ‘it’. She had almost reached the rocks when Cai broke cover. Like a rocket he shot past her, a huge grin on his face.

      “Not ‘it’,” he called triumphantly.

      Antonia grinned back as he disappeared. Cai hadn’t been a Silver Dolphin for very long, but he was a quick learner. Already he was as at home in the water as their dolphin friends, Bubbles and Dream. Antonia swam on, her eyes searching for the dolphins. At last she saw them, hiding together in a kelp bed. Antonia paddled through the kelp, parting it with her free hand. A school of tiny fish darted across her path, startling her. Taking advantage of her surprise, Dream and Bubbles made a dash for a new hiding place. The chase was on. Antonia pretended to follow Dream. Then, in a sudden change of direction, she lunged at Bubbles, tagging his tail with the seaweed.

      “‘It’!” she cried.

      “No, you are,” clicked Bubbles, flicking the seaweed back at her.

      They played until the seaweed had almost disintegrated. Then, calling a truce, they floated on the sea’s surface, enjoying the warmth of the sun on their faces.

      “We’d better get back,” clicked Dream eventually. “Dad’s taking the pod fishing soon.”

      “Spoilsport,” clicked Bubbles, flicking water at her.

      Dream looked slightly cross until Cai flicked water back at Bubbles. That started a water fight with everyone splashing so hard they churned up the sea like a whirlpool.

      “Enough,” panted Antonia. “We have to go now. It’s nearly tea time.”

      “Goodbye,” said Bubbles, solemnly swimming forward as if to rub noses with her.

      “Goodbye…BUBBLES!” she shrieked as, catching her unawares, he doused her with water.

      Bubbles clicked a laugh. “See you soon, Silver Dolphin,” he called, keeping a safe distance away.

      “I’ll get you for that,” Antonia laughed back.

      She waited for Cai to finish saying goodbye to Dream, then rubbed noses with the older dolphin. The dolphins swam out to sea, leaping in and out of the water, their silver bodies curving like half-moons. Antonia and Cai headed in the opposite direction, swimming in companionable silence until Antonia suddenly exclaimed, “We’ve forgotten the rubbish.”

      She flushed guiltily, but Cai just laughed.

      “Well remembered,” he said placidly.

      Somersaulting neatly they swam back to the rocks to collect their bundle: several crisp packets, an old shoe and two polystyrene cups all wrapped up in