Echo's Lucky Charm
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The next day was the test. “It’s going to be simple, since this is your first test,” Bay said. “See that butterfly fish? I want each of you to guide her to swim in a circle, then circle back the other way. Pearl? Why don’t you start us off?”
Pearl gulped, suddenly more nervous than ever. She swam up and took a breath. Then she focused on the butterfly fish.
For a moment, nothing happened. The fish just stared back at her, her bright yellow fins waving in the current.
Oh no! Pearl thought. What if I can’t do this?
She glanced at her friends. They were all smiling at her. She smiled back and tried again, imagining that all their magic was mingling with hers.
And this time it worked! The butterfly fish swam forward, curving into a circle. Pearl carefully guided her all the way around, then back the other way.
“Well done, Pearl!” Bay said. “You’ve passed. I’m proud of you. Harmony? Why don’t you go next …”
Pearl was relieved that she’d passed the test. But when she looked at Echo, she still felt nervous. Did Echo really believe she could do magic without that shell, or would she mess up again like she had for the past two days?
When it was finally Echo’s turn, Pearl saw her touch her fin to the spot where her lucky charm used to be. For a second, Echo looked nervous.
“It’s okay,” Pearl whispered to her. “You can do it!”
Echo rubbed her fin. “Thanks!” she whispered back. Then she swam forward—and guided the butterfly fish in two big, smooth circles.
“Yay, Echo!” Flip cheered, and Splash did three flips in a row to celebrate.
“We knew you could do it!” Pearl told her friend proudly.
“I wasn’t totally sure I could,” Echo said with a smile. “But it helped to know you all believed in me!”
Pearl smiled back. “I know exactly what you mean.”
After school, Pearl and Echo swam out to see the hermit crab. “Do you want to try again to make him leave?” Pearl asked. “Maybe if we asked again nicely or found another really good shell …”
Echo didn’t answer for a second. Swimming closer, she touched the shell with the tip of her muzzle.
Then she backed away. “No, it’s all right,” she said. “I don’t need it, and he does. I’m glad he’s happy.”
Pearl rubbed her fin. “Me, too,” she said. “Come on—let’s go find Splash and Flip. We need to celebrate passing our very first test in dolphin school!”
WHEN SCHOOL ENDED FOR THE DAY, Splash dashed out of the cove at top speed. “Hey, wait up!” Flip yelled, swimming after him.
Pearl and Echo followed. “Splash is still acting weird,” Echo said as they swam. “What do you think is wrong?”
“I don’t know,” Pearl said. “But I hope he’ll tell us. Maybe then we can help him.”
They caught up to the boys outside. “What’s the matter with you, anyway?” Flip was saying, sounding annoyed. “You’re acting like a real barnacle-head today!”
“No, I’m not,” Splash said. “I’m just in a hurry to get home, that’s all.”
“You mean because of the shark migration?” Echo asked. “I don’t blame you for being worried about that.”
“Yeah.” Pearl shivered. “I’m glad the migration will be over soon!”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with sharks,” Splash said. “I already told you that.”
“A-ha!” Flip said. “You just admitted there’s something wrong.”
“No I didn’t,” Splash said. “There’s nothing wrong.”
“Then why did you say ‘It doesn’t have anything to do with sharks’?’” Flip said. “That’s admitting there’s something wrong—just not sharks, right?”
Splash’s fins drooped. “Okay, you caught me.” He blew bubbles out of his blowhole in a big sigh. “Anyway, I hate trying to keep a secret from my best friends.”
“A secret?” Echo said. “What kind of secret?”
Splash looked around, then swam closer and lowered his voice. “If I tell you, do you promise you won’t be upset?”
Pearl looked at the others. What kind of secret would upset them? Wondering made her feel a little nervous.
“We promise,” Echo said after a moment. “Right, guys?”
“Sure, I promise,” Pearl said.
“Me, too,” Flip added. “Now what’s your big secret, Splash?”
“I’ll show you,” Splash said. “But you have to promise one more thing. You can’t tell anyone else, no matter what. Nobody. I mean it.”
“Okay,” Flip said right away.
But this time Echo hesitated even longer, looking uneasy. Pearl knew how she felt, since she didn’t really like the thought of making that kind of promise. She was used to telling her parents everything. She didn’t want to keep any secrets from her teachers, either.
“Do you promise?” Splash asked the two girls.
Finally Echo nodded. “I promise,” she said in a quiet voice.
“I do, too,” Pearl said. Splash was their friend. She knew he wouldn’t ask them to keep a secret unless it was something really important.
“Good.” Splash sounded a little happier. “Then come with me.”
He swam off away from the school reef. His friends followed.
“We’re not going to Bigsky Basin, are we?” Flip asked.
He sounded nervous, and Pearl could guess why. On the first day of school, Mullet had dared Flip to swim out into the deeper water of the Basin all by himself. He’d run into a huge tiger shark out there, and had barely escaped. Pearl still felt scared when she thought about it. She wondered if any sharks were migrating through Bigsky Basin right at that moment. Either way, she was glad when Splash said they weren’t going anywhere near there.
“So where are we going?” Echo asked, flicking her fluke to catch up with Splash.
“You’ll see.” Splash glanced behind him. “Nobody saw us swim this way, did they?”
“I don’t think so,” Pearl said. “But aren’t you going to tell us where you’re taking us?”
“To meet a new friend,” Splash said.
“A new friend?” Flip said. “What do you mean? Another dolphin?”
“No,” Splash said. “Please don’t ask any more questions, okay? You should wait and see for yourselves.”
“Okay,” Pearl said. She tried to imagine what kind of friend Splash meant. If it wasn’t a dolphin, it had to be some other kind of sea creature. But why would Splash think they’d be upset if he’d made friends with a lobster or a manta ray or something? Pearl had befriended several of the sea turtles who lived in her home lagoon. Her little sister, Squeak, was good friends with a reef squid who lived there, too.
Splash was swimming even faster now, so Pearl had to work hard to keep up. When they neared a large clump of stony coral, he stopped suddenly.
“We’re almost there,” he said, sounding nervous. “Don’t forget your promise, okay?”
“We won’t,” Echo said. “Now where’s this new friend of yours?”
“Is that him over there?” Flip swam toward a passing puffer fish. But the fish ignored him and kept swimming. “Oh. I guess not.”
Pearl looked around. There weren’t many fish or other sea creatures nearby. The only ones she saw were an eel and a couple of sea urchins. Was one of those creatures Splash’s new friend?
“Okay.” Splash blew out a stream of bubbles. “Are you guys ready to meet him now?”
“Hold on, I’m almost out of air,” Echo said. She swam up to the surface and sucked in a breath. Pearl and Flip did the same.
So did Splash. Only instead of stopping right at the surface, he kept going. He burst out of the water and did an unusual spinning leap.
When he splashed back down again, Flip looked impressed. “Hey, where’d you learn to do that jump?” he exclaimed. “You’ve got to teach me—I bet even Riptide would be impressed if we showed him that move!”
“Just come on,” Splash said wi
thout answering him. “It’s this way.”
He darted off, swimming around the coral. The others followed. Once again, Pearl had to swim as fast as she could to keep up.
But when she rounded the coral, she stopped short. Splash was just ahead—snout to snout with a shark!
CATHERINE HAPKA has written many books for children and young adults. She lives in Pennsylvania and enjoys reading, horseback riding, music, gardening, and travel. She also likes going to the beach and looking for dolphins, magical or otherwise.
#1: Pearl’s Ocean Magic
#2: Echo’s Lucky Charm
#3: Splash’s Secret Friend
#4: Flip’s Surprise Talent
Text copyright © 2015 by Catherine Hapka
Illustrations copyright © 2015 by Scholastic Inc.
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc. SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
First printing, March 2015
Cover art © Hollie Hibbert
Cover design by Jennifer Rinaldi Windau
e-ISBN 978-0-545-94083-2
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