Chapter 6

Splash! Rhiannan laughed as she surfaced from the water.

"Come on, Nikita! It's your turn to o on the diving board!"

"Do I have to?"

Before Rhiannan had a chance to reply, two boys ran past, shouting and laughing as they dive-bombed into the water.

"Who are they?" asked Danielle.

"Oh … it's that boys' soccer team we met yesterday," said Sapphire with disdain.

"That's right," laughed Marianna, "The Brownies."

"For your information, it's Ben and Daniel!" shouted Ben.

Daniel covered his yes and groaned and Rhiannan laughed at his reaction. Daniel looked up, surprised, and Rhiannan smiled at him.

"I am Rhiannan and this is Danielle, Nikita, Marianna. You already know Sapphire."

Daniel swam over to Rhiannan, ignoring Ben's whisper, "But they're the enemy!"

"Shut up, Ben," yelled Matthew as he too dive-bombed into the pool.

Nikita sniffed in disgust. "Actually, this is how it's done," she called back to Matthew. She dived gracefully off the board without making so much as a ripple in the water.

"See Nikita, that wasn't so bad!" shouted Danielle, as she as Marianna slipped into the pool.

"Where's Kai and that other boy?" asked Marianna.

"By 'that other boy' I think you mean Luke. He's the read-headed boy over there. With the laptop. Oh, and Kai just said that he had something to do. He wouldn't talk about it," said Matthew.

There was silence for a while as Sapphire stepped up to the diving board. Sapphire thought: I really hope I don't get upstaged by Nikita's dive.

Matthew thought: Sapphire looks so beautiful standing there. She is such an amazing girl.

Nikita thought: Saph really shouldn't be worried. She is such a good diver.

Danielle thought: Go Saph! Go Saph! Go Saph!

Marianna thought: It is so good that we haven't become complete enemies.

Rhiannan thought: Daniel is so sool and funny. So unlike Kai.

Daniel thought: He he he! I'll just swim up behind Marianna and give her a 'shark bite' on the ankles.

Ben thought: What should I have for lunch? A Snickers or a Picnic?

Luke thought: Now, if –x2 yz(5√2000)50x 5? ….

Rhiannan screamed, and just at the wrong moment Sapphire hesitated, toppling off the board. She landed with her back against the water with a loud thwack. She swallowed water as she sank beneath the surface.

Matthew was immediately aware of the situation. He quickly swam to Sapphire and carried her towards the edge of the pool. Luke left his laptop and tan to help carry Sapphire back to his deck chair. The others quickly climbed out of the water, concerned about Sapphire.

Sapphire slowly opened her eyes and after her vision returned, she saw eight faces looking down at her. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but then turned over and coughed out large amounts of chlorinated water onto Luke's shiny new black leather shoes. He ran screaming back inside the hotel, "My hoes! My shoes!"

He was quickly followed by Ben, who was shouting, "Which do you think is better? Snickers or Picnic?"

As Sapphire groaned, Danielle, Nikita, and Marianna helped her back to their rooms.

Rhiannan waited until the others were out of sight and said to Matt, "She's too good for you, you know. She doesn't need a hero."

"Well if it weren't for your carrying on, she wouldn't have needed me in the first place."

Daniel looked from one to the other, unsure of what do to. Rhiannan glared at Matt, and turned on her heel. As she walked back into the hotel, Matthew said to Daniel, "I don't know how you can stand her. She is such a stuck-up bitch."

"How dare you talk about her that way. You don't even know her!" said Daniel angrily.

"Fine! Be that way!" said Matthew as he walked away.

Daniel was left standing by the pool, where such a good day had turned so bad.