Heart of a Dolphin

by Catherine Hapka

  I shot a sidelong look at Zoe, wondering if I should invite her to join us. Before I could decide, I heard someone calling her name. A moment later, a pretty young woman with thick, wavy dark hair burst in through the gate in the hedge.

  “There you are!” she called, hurrying toward us. “I thought you’d fallen into the sea.”

  Zoe laughed. “Sorry, Marta.” She waved a hand at Emma and me, introducing us. “This is Marta, my nanny,” she told us after that. “Well, she’s mostly my little sister’s nanny now. But she treats me like I’m four years old, too.”

  Both she and Marta laughed at that, and then Marta muttered something under her breath in what sounded like another language. Whatever she’d said made Zoe laugh again.

  “Marta’s from Spain, in case you were wondering,” she said.

  That brought me back to reality. Zoe’s dad was an airline pilot, and she had a nanny from Spain, and she was rich enough to live in Brooke’s old house with its pool and fitness room and air-conditioned garage. Maybe it was better if I didn’t invite her to the library—or anywhere else—after all. As nice as Zoe seemed, I had to remember that she came from a different world from mine. Maybe too different.

  After she and Marta and Bongo left, Emma bounced the tennis ball with her racket. “So I meant to tell you about her,” she said, glancing toward the hedge to make sure the other girl was really gone. “Or should I say warn you about her?”

  “Warn me? Why?” I was distracted, thinking about what Zoe had said about dolphins’ signature whistles.

  “Morgan says she’s a wack job.” Emma lobbed the ball across the net, where it bounced off to the side and rolled up against the fence. “She heard she got kicked out of her school in New York for, like, selling drugs or something? I don’t know, maybe it wasn’t that, but she’s trouble, anyway. And her mom is some kind of super-rich heiress who likes to flit all around the world and dump her kids on the nanny.”

  “Really?” I wasn’t sure I trusted anything Morgan said. But it didn’t matter. I was already planning to keep my distance from Zoe, especially since Emma seemed to be planning to do the same thing. Sure, Zoe seemed okay so far—nicer than Brooke, anyway, that was for sure. But the last thing I needed right now was another rich girl coming between me and my best friend.

  Crystal the waitress was sick all weekend—or so she claimed when she called off, anyway—so the whole family was pretty busy for a while. I wasn’t allowed to actually work as a waitress since I was too young, but I could wash dishes and watch Will and fetch stuff from the pantry as well as anyone else.

  On Sunday afternoon, I was stacking clean plates on a shelf over the flat-top grill when my dad stepped over and patted me on the back. “Thanks for pitching in this weekend, Snappy,” he said. “I know you’d probably rather be hanging out at the cove with Emma.”

  I smiled weakly. I hadn’t seen Emma since our tennis game on Thursday. That was weird, but I was trying not to think about it. After all, I’d been busy here, so even if she’d stopped by my house a dozen times, she might have missed me.

  “It’s okay,” I told Dad. I finished with the plates and then turned to face him. “Actually, I have been going down to the cove as often as I can. But I haven’t seen Squeak again at all.”

  I’d told my family about seeing the friendly dolphin last week, though I’d left out the part about playing with him in the deep water. I definitely didn’t need Mom to freak out and ban me from the cove for swimming alone.

  Anyway, I wasn’t technically alone, I’d reminded myself. I was with Squeak.

  Dad scratched his chin, looking thoughtful. “I see,” he said. “Well, I suppose we shouldn’t be too surprised, hmm? He probably headed back to warmer waters as soon as he could. Especially if he missed his pod.”

  My heart sank. “Do you really think so?”

  “I don’t know.” He squeezed my shoulder, his eyes gentle. “But you know the sea is always changing, and all its creatures, too. Dolphins don’t come here very often, especially on their own. Maybe we need to focus on how special it was that Squeak was here at all, rather than being sad that he seems to have moved on.”

  Just then, Jacob crashed in asking if the next order was ready yet, and Dad hurried off. But I couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d said for the rest of the day—or that evening, either, as I sat on the beach staring out at the empty waters of the cove.

  On Tuesday morning, Dad told us kids we all had the day off. Crystal was back, and weekdays weren’t that busy at the restaurant anyway.

  So I pulled my hair back in a ponytail and grabbed my sneakers from the bin in the coat closet, sitting down by the back door to put them on.

  Jacob looked up from his books, which were spread all over the table. “What, no flip-flops today?” he joked.

  “I want to go to the library, and I hate riding my bike in flip-flops,” I said, carefully double-knotting my laces so they wouldn’t catch in the spokes.

  “The library?” Will had finished his breakfast and was playing with his Legos in the corner. I hadn’t even realized he was listening, but now he rushed over to me. “I want to come, too!”

  I frowned, shooting my older brother a look. “I thought you and Jacob were going body surfing in the cove today.”

  “Library! Library!” Will chanted. “I can ride my bike with you!”

  “No way,” I said. “Last time you rode your bike to town, you almost steered right into the harbor!”

  Jacob chuckled. “Here’s an idea, bud,” he said to Will. “How about we go with Annie, but we walk to the library instead of ride?”

  Will brightened immediately. “Yeah!” he cheered.

  “What?” I cried at the same time.

  Jacob shrugged and smiled, pushing back from the table. “I could use a break from studying,” he told me. “Besides, I was thinking about hitting up the library soon anyway—I heard they got in the new study guides I was looking for.”

  I gritted my teeth, wanting to argue but knowing there was no point. Will was already jumping into his flip-flops, and Jacob had that look on his face that said his mind was made up. If I wanted to go to the library that morning, I was going to have company.

  It took almost half an hour to hike down to the library, even though we took a shortcut trail through the pines to avoid the big loop the road had to take around the swampy area just behind the Point. By the time we hit the harbor, my ponytail was limp and my feet were sweating buckets inside my sneakers—plus I was pretty sure I was growing a blister on my left big toe.

  It took another fifteen minutes to walk around to the opposite side of the harbor. Tons of tourists were strolling around over there as usual, and it looked like all the outside tables at the Dockview were already full, even though it was the middle of the morning. As we passed the place, I glanced across the water toward Dad’s restaurant, but it was mostly invisible behind the maze of masts and sails in the marina.

  We kept going, passing antique shops, souvenir stands, and more. Will tried to convince Jacob to buy him something at every food place we passed, from the popcorn stall to the ice cream parlor to the fish-and-chips place, but Jacob wheedled him past all of them somehow.

  The lighthouse library was out at the far end of the harbor, where the water spilled into the Sound. When we finally got there, an older couple was snapping selfies in front of the picturesque building. The woman smiled at us, and her husband lowered his phone and hurried forward.

  “Hello there, kids,” he said in that friendly, jovial, overly loud tone a lot of tourists used, like they wanted to make sure everyone knew they were having fun. “You from around here?”

  “Uh-huh.” Jacob smiled back. “Something we can help you with?”

  The woman nodded and came forward to join her husband, squinting at us over the rims of her oversized sunglasses. “We heard there’s a wonderful seafood restaurant in this town,” she said.

  I opened my mouth to tell them about Dad’s rest
aurant. But the man was already talking again.

  “Yes, we saw it on a website—it’s called the Dockside, I believe?” he said.

  “The Dockview.” Jacob’s smile didn’t waver. Lifting his left hand, he pointed back in the direction we’d just come from. “It’s that way, just before you hit the marina—you can’t miss it.”

  “Thanks, son,” the man said, but his wife just raised her eyebrows and turned away quickly as she caught a glimpse of Jacob’s missing fingers. I winced, but as usual, Jacob didn’t seem to notice.

  “Enjoy your day,” he said to the couple.

  Will had been staring at the tourists like they were some kind of museum exhibit, but now he was clearly getting bored. He dodged around them, bumping into the man as he passed, and yanked open the library door. I shot the husband a small smile, ignoring his wife. Then I followed my brothers inside.

  It felt cool and dim and dry in there after the bright, sticky summer heat outside. Jacob nodded to the librarian, a prune-faced old man with a goatee who was perched on a stool behind the counter reading a book.

  Meanwhile, Will let out a gasp and pointed at one of the large framed photographs hanging behind the counter. “Look!” he exclaimed. “It’s Admiral Squeak!”

  Years ago, Morgan’s father had put up most of the money to convert the lighthouse into a library. To thank him and the other rich people who’d chipped in, they’d put up a whole row of those framed photos. But Admiral Zeke’s was bigger than the others and had a place of honor right in the middle, his scarred, handsome face gazing out over the lobby.

  “Hush,” Jacob told Will, clamping a hand on his shoulder as the librarian shot us all a withering look. “Come on, let’s go check out the kids’ books.”

  Will shrugged off his grip, prancing around in circles and flapping his arms at his shoulders like fins. “Look at me, I’m Admiral Squeak!” he cried. “Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!”

  “Will, quit it!” I hissed, trying to grab him as he “swam” past.

  But he knocked my arm away, his fingers tangling in my hair and almost yanking my ponytail loose.

  “Stay away!” he cried. “Squeaky dolphins have to be free!”

  I winced as the librarian set down his book and frowned. At that moment, the door swung open, letting in a blast of warm summer air along with the tourist couple we’d talked to outside.

  “Hello there,” the husband said. “Is this—”

  “Oh my!” his wife exclaimed as Will crashed into her.

  “Enough!” The librarian strode out from behind his desk. He scowled at Jacob, then at me, pointing one knobby finger toward the door. “Out.”

  “Sorry.” Jacob grabbed Will by the elbow. “We’re going.”

  “Hey!” Will protested.

  But this time, Jacob didn’t let him squirm away. I slunk after them as they hurried out, trying not to listen as the librarian started apologizing to the tourists.

  “Let go!” Will yelled as we emerged. He thrashed around until Jacob finally released him.

  “Thanks a lot, Will,” I said, feeling grumpy. “We’ll be lucky if any of us are ever allowed back in there again.”

  “It’s not my fault.”

  “So whose fault is it?” I snapped back.

  “Enough!” Jacob interrupted. “Look, guys, what’s done is done. Let’s not ruin the rest of the day by fighting, okay?”

  That sounded like something Dad would say. I frowned at my brother, not sure I was in the mood to do anything but fight just then. Realizing my ponytail was a lost cause, I pulled the elastic out and tried to smooth my hair down as best I could.

  “How about some ice cream?” Jacob turned to Will with a smile. “My treat.”

  “Yay!” Will pumped his fist, instantly happy again. “Can I have five scoops?”

  Jacob chuckled. “How about two?”

  “Okay!” Will scampered off down the sidewalk.

  Jacob and I followed. “You shouldn’t bribe him into acting like a normal person,” I grumbled. “Or if you do, you should at least do it before he gets us kicked out of places.”

  He sighed. “Whatever, Annie.” He let out a whistle. “Will! Wait for us.”

  We’d just about reached the ice cream place when the door swung open, the little bell jangling merrily. My face went tight as Morgan stepped out—immediately followed by Emma. Both of them were holding cones that were already dripping down over their hands in the heat.

  If Jacob thought it was weird to see them together, he didn’t show it. “Hi, girls,” he greeted them cheerfully. “Good day for ice cream, huh?”

  “Sure.” Morgan licked her cone, surveying me through her sunglasses. “Interesting hairstyle, Annie.”

  My cheeks burned as I quickly lifted my hands to my messy hair, not that there was much I could do until I got a comb and a mirror. Morgan smirked and turned away.

  “You’ll have to excuse us,” she told Jacob with a toss of her own flawlessly styled short hair. “We’ve got to get down to the marina.”

  “Oh yeah? What are you up to?” I could tell Jacob was just being polite—most of his attention was on Will, who was trying to sidle past Morgan into the ice cream parlor.

  But I was more focused on Emma. Why in the world was she hanging out with Morgan—again?

  “We’re going Jet Skiing,” Emma spoke up.

  “What?” I’d almost forgotten about the last time she and Morgan had talked about Jet Skiing. Since Emma hadn’t said anything about it, I’d sort of assumed she’d chickened out and decided not to do it after all.

  “Yeah,” Morgan said, twisting her hand around to catch a drip on the far side of her cone. “We had such a blast the other day that we begged Connor and the guys to let us go again.”

  Emma giggled. “Don’t you mean they begged us?”

  My eyes narrowed. Who was this girl standing in front of me, and what had she done with my best friend? Because the real Emma wouldn’t be giggling with Morgan Pierce over some stupid boys. Especially creepy Connor Sullivan and his friends.

  “Anyway, we should go,” Morgan said. “And you should probably go to the hairdresser, Annie. Didn’t anyone tell you that long hair is totally third grade?”

  Jacob looked confused, as if he wasn’t quite sure whether she was joking. Meanwhile, Emma bit her lip, looking a little unhappy.

  “Stop, Morgan,” she said, nudging her with her elbow. “But yeah, we should go. See you guys, okay?”

  “Bye,” Jacob said.

  But I couldn’t say a word. I just stared after Emma until she and Morgan disappeared into the throngs of people around the marina.

  By Saturday, I’d almost given up hope of Squeak coming back. Still, I couldn’t resist heading down to the cove after lunch—just in case. I’d biked down to the library that morning and picked up a book about dolphins. Now, having slipped away while Will was distracted by the TV, I hurried toward the trail, looking forward to sitting in the shallows and reading.

  About halfway down, I heard footsteps on the trail behind me. For a split second, I was sure it had to be Emma. I hadn’t seen her since the other day at the ice cream place, but maybe she’d finally come to her senses. Maybe she’d seen me head down here and followed me, wanting to apologize. Maybe things could finally go back to the way they should be.

  I turned with a smile, my mouth already opening to greet her. But I snapped it shut when I saw my little brother skidding down the hilly trail toward me.

  “Hi,” Will said brightly. “Are you going to the beach? I’m coming, too—Jacob said I could.”

  I frowned, wondering if he was telling the truth. Either way, it seemed like too much trouble to climb back up to the house. If Jacob missed Will, he’d probably figure out where to look.

  “Whatever,” I said. “Just don’t expect me to entertain you, okay? And you can’t go in past your toes since you didn’t bring your life jacket.”

  “Okay.” Will pushed past me, slipping and sliding the rest of
the way down the steep trail.

  I stepped on the beach just in time to see him heading for the water. “Stop!” I commanded. “You can’t go in, remember? Not unless you go back to the house and get your life jacket.”

  Will frowned but stepped back. “Okay,” he said. “I’m going to look for interesting stones.”

  “Fine.” I kicked off my flip-flops and stepped into the shallows. The water felt cool and welcome on my feet and ankles. Realizing I still had my shorts on, I was about to turn back to shore to shuck them when a flash of movement caught my eye farther out.

  Shading my eyes with my hand, I peered out there. For a second, I didn’t see anything. Then I gasped as a familiar sleek gray shape burst out of the water, leaping and twisting in the air before splashing down again.

  “Squeak!” I exclaimed, my heart thumping. I hadn’t had a good look at the dolphin’s face, but I was sure it was him.

  “Where?” Will rushed forward, dropping the rock he’d just picked up.

  “Stop!” I told him, quickly wading back to dry land. Shedding my shorts as quickly as I could, I handed him my book. “Stay here,” I ordered. “I’ll be right back.”

  “But—” Will began.

  “Just do it!”

  I hurried back into the water. Squeak came to meet me as I reached the drop-off and started to swim. I smiled as his scarred face popped out of the water.

  “Hey, buddy,” I said. “I was afraid you were never coming back!”

  The dolphin whistled, then dove under, brushing against me as he passed.

  I smiled, reaching toward him, but he was already gone. He surfaced again several yards away, leaping out of the water.

  “Wait up!” I cried, diving under myself and skimming along just under the surface. I had my eyes open, but I couldn’t see Squeak anywhere.

  Suddenly I felt something bump me from beneath. I rolled to the side as Squeak burst out of the water, twisting in the air and landing nearby.