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spluttered. “Here, drink this.”
    He handed her his water bottle and Antonia drank from it gratefully.
    “Better?”
    “I’m sorry!” Emily face was bright red. “Now I’ve embarrassed you again. Look, if you change your mind about the stardish, then it’s yours.”
    Antonia’s eyes were smarting with tears from her choking fit. She pulled a tissue from the pocket of her dress and wiped them before blowing her nose. Her heart was thumping and her hands trembled slightly. Fragments of the speech she’d rehearsed for Emily reached her lips, only to fizzle out. She closed her eyes for a second, determined totell Emily what she thought of her parents’ shop but as she was about to begin, she remembered her promise to Claudia. Would it really be breaking that promise to say something to Emily? Maybe if she said something about conservation in general, Emily would take the hint?
    “Do you like Sea Watch? Are you going to keep going?” asked Antonia.
    “I love it—everyone’s so friendly,” said Emily. “I can’t wait for the summer holidays when I can spend all day there.”
    “Have you done any conservation work before?”
    “Nah.” Emily bit into her sandwich. “I’ve not really been into stuff like that. I keep telling you, I joined to make friends.”
    “The work we do at Sea Watch is very important. If we don’t look after the sea life then there’ll be nothing left for the future,” said Antonia.
    “Yeah, Claudia already told me that but let’s face it, there’s not much we can do about it, is there? We’re just kids.”
    “There’s loads you can do,” said Antonia earnestly, “You could—”
    “Is that the time?” Emily wolfed down the rest of her sandwich as she checked her watch. “Sorry, but I’ve got to go. Rehearsals start in five minutes and I need the loo. Are you going to Sea Watch after school?”
    Cai nodded.
    “Great,” she added. “Eleanor and Karen are coming too. We’ll walk with you. Waitfor us by the gates.” Emily scrambled to her feet, accidentally treading on Cai’s lunchbox. “Whoops, sorry. Don’t think I broke it. See you guys later, then.”
    “Well done,” said Toby a huge grin stretching across his face. “Antonia scares another person off with a lecture on conservation.”
    “I don’t lecture!” Antonia protested.
    “He’s only joking,” said Cai laughing. “Toby’s as keen on conservation as we are, he’s just too busy playing football to help at Sea Watch. I mean, where would the world be without football?”
    “That’s right,” chuckled Toby good-naturedly. “I’m preserving the game, so there’s something left for the future.”
    “Very funny,” said Antonia, forcing a laugh. But on the inside she was frustrated at her failure to talk to Emily. Then suddenly she remembered and said, “I thought we were going to the harbour after school tonight?”
    “Oh, I forgot to say. Aunty Claudia doesn’t think it’s a good idea. She said it would be better to wait until we see the boat again.”
    Toby put his rubbish back in his lunchbox. “I’ll leave you guys to it,” he said. “I’m going to play football.”
    “Wait for me,” said Cai. “Do you want to play, Antonia?”
    “No thanks,” said Antonia, sore with disappointment. She didn’t want to wait until the fishing boat did more damage. Shewanted to try and find it now, and she’d been looking forward to playing detective at the harbour all day. The boys sprinted off, leaving Antonia alone.
    Moments later a shadow fell over her and she looked up to see Lauren and Becky’s sneering faces.
    “Well, look who it is. Billy-no-mates,” said Lauren.
    Becky chuckled.
    “Shall we ask her to play with us?”
    “No!” said both girls together and, giggling, they walked away.
    Suddenly Antonia longed for Sophie. They’d been friends for ever. A proper chat with Sophie was just what Antonia needed to cheer her up.
    Miss Brown was not in a good mood after lunch and gave 5B