Before me lay a gorgeous cove, bigger than I'd expected, surrounded by high, dark stone walls that shaded part of the water. Waves splashed rhythmically against a rocky beach, and a narrow outlet showed only a tiny peek of the sea beyond. And there were the dolphins!I gasped as one of the creatures leaped out, twisting as he came down with a splash. Several dorsal fins were visible nearby, and as I watched, the black-and-white dolphin poked his head into view, seeming to smile at me as I stood there stunned by the beautiful sight. The dolphins were so close -- not as close as at the aquarium, of course, but without the thick glass between us. It was amazing!It took a good few minutes before I realized I wasn't alone. When I looked down for a second, trying to remember if I had my cell phone with me so I could take pictures, I saw a flash of color at the edge of the beach.A girl was sitting there, so still she might have been made of stone herself. My eyes widened as I recognized her. It was the girl from the bookstore! I remembered how she'd been holding that dolphin book when I first saw her.Then I remembered something else. Kady had told me this girl was bad news -- that her brother was in a gang, and her sister was no good, either . . . I gulped, wondering if I'd just gotten myself in big trouble . . .

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Excerpted from Dolphin Dreams by Catherine Hapka
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