“How do you switch it on?” she asked, staring at the phone’s smooth face.
“Here, let me.” Cai calmly held out his hand, then studied the phone while Antonia hopped up and down beside him.
“It’s a smart phone,” he said, pressing a button at the bottom. “My dad has one. Let’s just hope it doesn’t have a key code like Dad’s does.”
A picture of the world and the time in digital figures appeared on screen, then an arrow with the words, ‘slide to unlock’. Holding his breath, Cai slid his finger along the arrow. There was a sharp click and the screen’s image changed to rows of coloured boxes.
“Phew! No code.” Cai pressed the green box with the phone symbol, then typed 999.
Antonia bent her head closer to Cai’s as she listened to the phone’s shrill dialling tone. Seconds later a woman’s voice answered, clear and calm. “Which emergency service do you require: fire, police or ambulance?”
“Coastguard, please,” said Cai. “A man is stranded on the headland, just east of Sandy Bay.”
The lady took more details, then reassured Cai that help was on its way. Cai’s hands were trembling when he finished the call.
“That felt weird,” he said, handing the phone back to Antonia.
Antonia squeezed his arm. “You did brilliantly,” she said, perching on a rock to put on her shoes and socks.
“Here,” said Cai, handing her the mobile. “You take this and I’ll carry the cable.”
“We’ll hand the phone in at the police station. If it is Mr Brewer’s, he won’t have to know who found it or how. Let’s do that now.”
“Wait!” Antonia paused, adding quietly, “I’d like to stay and make sure that the rescue services come. I can’t get Mr Brewer’s face out of my mind. He looked petrified and some of those waves were really big. I’d feel happier knowing that he’s been rescued.”
Cai nodded and they waited anxiously until out of the distance came the deep throb of a helicopter. Antonia jumped up, shielding her eyes to stare at the sky.
“There,” she shouted, her voice catching, “a Sea King.”
The roar of the incoming helicopter became deafening. Antonia stared at its massive red and grey body in awe. She’d seen the Sea King rescue helicopters flying over the bay before, but never this low. It was brilliant! The downdraft blew her hair all over her face. Antonia swept it away impatiently, her eyes never leaving the helicopter as it banked and flew along the coastline. The enormous side door was open and two figures dressed in overalls hung out, staring at the rocks. Antonia swallowed and rubbed away tears with the back of her hand.
“Woohoo!” yelled Cai, his face shiny with excitement as a man with a safety harness was lowered on to the rocks beside Mr Brewer and waved back at the helicopter.
Antonia burst out laughing. “We did it!” she yelled back. “Mr Brewer’s going to be fine.”
“It’s not fair,” grumbled Cai, as they made their way off the beach. “I’d love a ride in a helicopter. Why can’t I get stranded on the rocks?”
“Because you wouldn’t be my friend if you were that stupid!” said Antonia helpfully. “Besides,” she continued, “we go swimming with dolphins. It doesn’t get better than that.”
Chapter Fourteen
Antonia wasn’t looking forward to Monday. She knew Lauren would taunt her about accidentally turning up at the Stage Struck beach party. Leaving the house much later than usual, Antonia walked slowly round to Sophie’s. Her friend had tired of waiting for her and met Antonia at the corner of her road.
“Lazy legs!” Sophie scolded. “What took you so long? I thought you weren’t coming. Have you heard about the director of Stage Struck?”
“Yes,” said Antonia. “You couldn’t miss it.”
Mr Brewer’s rescue had made it on to the local news and the Sandy Bay radio station.
“He’s recovering in hospital so they’ll probably have to stop filming, won’t they,” Sophie said glumly.
“I don’t know,” said Antonia. “What about the assistant director? Wouldn’t she be able to take over? I don’t think they’d just pack up and go home. It’d be too expensive to come back again.”
Sophie perked up. “I hope you’re right! I’ve just got friendly with one of the girls who works on the scenery. She promised to show me all the props they’d brought with them and the paints they use to touch things up.”
“Why don’t you ask Lauren or Becky? I expect they’ll know what’s happening,” Antonia suggested.
“No way!” Sophie was outraged. “In case you haven’t noticed, I only speak to Lauren when I have to. You’re my best friend, Antonia. If Lauren’s mean to you, then I’m not going to be chatty with her.”
“Thanks,” said Antonia, knowing she was lucky to have a friend as loyal as Sophie.
School wasn’t as bad as Antonia had expected. Lauren was too busy answering questions about the director’s dramatic rescue to remember Antonia being at the beach party. A large crowd of children gathered round her and Becky in the playground, and Lauren’s face was positively glowing with the attention.
“Well, Danny said to me, yes, Danny Appleton who plays Josh…yeah, course we’re mates. I’ve got his mobile number and everything…”
But it wasn’t until after lunch when Antonia overheard Lauren reminding Mrs Howard that she needed to leave early as the assistant director was starting filming at 3pm, that Antonia had her brilliant idea. She was out of her seat in a flash to share it with Cai, but Mrs Howard made her sit down again.
“Story writing this afternoon, timed and in silence,” announced Mrs Howard, ignoring the groans. “I want an adventure story, but nothing too gory and no rescue stories about people getting trapped on the rocks by a high tide. I’ve heard quite enough tales about that for one day.”
Antonia liked writing stories, but found it impossible to concentrate. Her brain felt frozen and she spent ages agonising over what to write. At 2.45pm Lauren and Becky made a big show of leaving early. Mrs Howard growled at them as they handed in their work.
“Sssh! Or you won’t be going anywhere, even if your parents have both written me notes to excuse you early.”
When the bell went, Antonia couldn’t get out of the classroom fast enough.
“What did Claudia do with the cable that we found wrapped round Tilly?” she asked Cai.
Cai stared at her as if she was mad. “She put it in the bin I think. Why, do you want it?”
“Yes,” said Antonia, pulling him along the corridor and out of the school building. “Hurry, I’ve had an idea.”
When they arrived at Sea Watch, Antonia put her idea to Claudia too. “Louise, the assistant director, is in charge today. She was much nicer than Mr Brewer when they caught me trying to rescue the kittiwake. Let’s take the cable back to her and explain how dangerous litter is to sea life. She might be more helpful than Mr Brewer was.”
“We’ll go and see her now,” said Claudia decisively. “The cable’s in the dustbin. Put on some gloves to get it out, then drop it in the back of my car. I’ll just shut the computer down and tell Sally that we’re going out.”
Antonia and Cai sat in the back of the car with the cable on the floor between them. Antonia spent the whole journey nervously twiddling a strand of her hair.
“Is everything all right?” asked Claudia, catching her eye in the rear-view mirror.
“Fine, thanks,” said Antonia brightly, even though she was incredibly nervous.
What if Louise refused to help? Worse still, what if she’d misjudged Louise and she called them names like Mr Brewer had? Antonia closed her eyes, not even wanting to think about what Lauren would say the following day at school.
The ride to Gull Bay was over far too quickly. Claudia parked her car behind the film crew’s blue transit van and they walked along the last part of the footpath to the beach. Antonia’s stomach fizzed and popped like a sparkler on bonfire night, but she held her head high as she followed Claudia through a c
rowd of people towards the camera crew.
“I’m looking for the assistant director, please,” Claudia politely asked a young man holding a sound boom.
“She’s over there,” said the man, jerking his head towards a small group of people.
Antonia’s heart plummeted right down to her toes. She recognised Louise at once, looking smart and very in control as she briefed a group of actors, including Lauren.
Lauren’s eyes narrowed when she saw Antonia.
Antonia deliberately looked away. What did it matter if Lauren called her names? Louise was the important person. For the sake of the dolphins, for Tilly and for all the other sea life, they needed put a stop to the rubbish being created by Stage Struck.
“Can I help you?” asked Louise pleasantly.
“I hope so. I’m Claudia Neale, from a marine conservation charity called Sea Watch. I’m here to talk to you about litter,” Claudia said, smiling at Louise.
At the back of the group Lauren yawned loudly. “Not that again!” she grumbled.
Louise looked up in surprise. “Sorry, Laura, isn’t it? Did you have something to say?”
Blushing furiously, Lauren shook her head. Antonia hid a smile. Poor Lauren. Antonia decided it would make her feel very unhappy to be as mean as Lauren was the whole time.
Louise listened carefully to Claudia, nodding as she spoke. When Claudia had finished, Louise shook her hand. “Thank you for coming to see us again. I’m sorry you weren’t taken seriously last time. Dropping litter is inexcusable. It’s been worrying me ever since I saw that bird suffering on the cliff ledge. Now that I’m in charge, I’ll make sure that our rubbish is cleared at the end of each day.” Taking the cable from Claudia she added, “This was plain carelessness. Apart from the injuries that this lost equipment could cause, there’s also the matter of expense. We don’t have an unlimited budget. Thanks again for bringing it to my attention.”
Louise and Claudia shook hands warmly. Antonia grinned at Cai, silently giving him the thumbs up. This was better than she’d hoped for. Louise had not only promised to be more careful, but was also going to personally supervise a clear-up every day.
Subconsciously, Antonia reached for the silver dolphin charm tucked inside her polo shirt. Her fingers brushed its soft body and were rewarded with a flick of the dolphin’s tail. Antonia stared out to sea. Was it a trick of the light or could she see four silver shapes flashing across the mouth of the bay?
She was about to nudge Cai when the shapes dived underwater.
Spirit, thought Antonia with a smile.
Silver Dolphin, he replied.
Copyright
www.summerwaters.co.uk
First published in paperback by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2010
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Text copyright © Julie Sykes 2010
Cover illustrations copyright © Andrew Farley 2010
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