Read The Shark Whisperer for Free Online Page A

was eerily quiet and dark.
    â€œSo, are we, like, just supposed to sit here? Where’s that coach dude?” Ryder complained loudly.
    Suddenly, a kaleidoscope of swirling lights lit up the stage and pool. From surround-sound speakers came a drumroll. A door in one of the rocks slid open and Coach Fred walked out. He was wearing a sparkly red sequined vest and camouflage pants. In his hand was a long three-pronged shimmering pole that closelyresembled a rake with an overdose of glued-on glitter. Tristan couldn’t decide if he looked more like an odd military and Broadway musical hybrid or a cross between a soldier and circus ringmaster.
    â€œAnd now to showcase the best and the brightest, the bravest of campers, let’s give a big Sea Camp hand for Rory,” he announced.
    Tristan, Hugh, and Sam looked at each other, clearly all thinking the same thing.
    â€œIs that the same guy as before?” Tristan whispered.
    â€œIt’s the same guy alright,” Ryder told them quietly. “I heard he’s ex-Navy, but always wanted to be in show business.”
    â€œYa think?” Tristan said.
    From the top of the amphitheater came a loud, “Woohoooo!”
    Tristan and the rest of the Seasquirts turned. An older boy, maybe seventeen or so, came flying down across the theater toward the stage. At first it seemed as if he was soaring impossibly through the air, but then they realized he was holding onto a clear handle sliding along a zip line. Just before reaching the stage he let go, did a backflip, and landed in the shallow pool.
    A spotlight came on, focusing on the top of one of the rocks to the side of the stage. It must have been at least twenty feet high. Another older camper, this time a stocky girl with dark hair, leapt up from behind some plants, looked at the Seasquirts, and did a graceful swan dive into the pool.
    The two teens swam in tandem underwater at anunnaturally fast pace and then leapt impossibly high into the air and somersaulted. Afterward, they jumped out of the water, landing perfectly right next to Coach Fred.
    â€œSo, what did you think of that? Give a big hand for Rory and Carmella.”
    The Seasquirts clapped weakly, too stunned to put much feeling into it.
    â€œThanks guys. And for our next act, notice Rusty here swimming lazily in the water,” Coach said, pointing to a lighted area and the red-haired boy Tristan and Hugh had seen earlier at the jungle wall. He was doing an exaggerated breaststroke with his head out of the water swimming slowly across the pool.
    â€œEasy to see isn’t he?”
    The white lights illuminating the pool went dark for just an instant then colored spotlights swirled across the water. The boy vanished. The white lights came back on and there he was still swimming slowly across the pool.
    â€œWant to see that again?”
    â€œYeah,” someone shouted.
    Tristan squinted his eyes and kept them trained on the spot where Rusty was swimming. But as soon as the colored spotlights came on, he lost sight of him. Yet, when the lights came back on, there he was again, swimming leisurely through the water.
    â€œSo, what do you think of Sea Camp now?” Coach Fred said, waving his bedazzled trident with flair. “These are just some of the special abilities we will behelping you to develop. Now say hello and give a warm welcome to Ms. Sanchez.”
    An older woman suddenly appeared at the side of the stage. Tristan was sure when he had looked that way moments ago, Ms. Sanchez had not been there. She was a thin, small woman with short, spiky gray-white hair, wearing square, slightly shaded eyeglasses. She had on tight-fitting leggings, though the color was hard to discern, and a long navy blue shirt with the wave and shark logo on it in white. Ms. Sanchez nodded at Coach Fred, glancing over his attire with a smirk. She then turned to the Seasquirts. “While Coach here will work with you on swimming, diving, and such,