Lost Children of the Far Islands Read Free Page A

not working. Instead, she simply sat in the rocking chair at the window, staring out at the Atlantic Ocean where it curled and broke and sprayed below the yard.
    “She’s just trying to work out some problem in her head with that new painting,” their father explained. “It’s a big deal, you know.”
    “I know,” Gus muttered impatiently. “But, Dad, she wouldn’t even tell me if I could go to Anna’s Friday night. I mean, can’t she just snap out of it and let me know if I can have an overnight?”
    “I’ll call Anna’s mom,” her dad said. “But, Gus, you have to promise me that you’re not going to talk to Anna, or Anna’s parents, about Mom being sick.”
    “I already told her Mom was sick,” Gus said irritably. “She’s my best friend!”
    “Well, please don’t tell her any more about it,” her dad said. “It’s just a family matter, and I don’t want you talking about it with anyone outside the family.”
    “But—” Gus began.
    Her father interrupted her. “You need to respect your mom’s privacy, Gus. If you can’t promise me, then I can’t let you go.”
    Gus wasn’t even sure she wanted to go to Anna’s house anymore. She and Anna told each other everything. And her dad was making her feel weird, like she shouldn’t be having an overnight at all, like her mom was really sick or something.
    But all she said was “Fine. I promise,” and stomped off to her room.
    Then Friday the strangeness at the swim meet happened, and Gus forgot all about her overnight at Anna’s. Gus and Leo were both fast in the water, although Gus won more races than Leo. Leo wasn’t really interested in winning. He got distracted easily, and was always getting disqualified for diving in before the start.
    Gus’s last race was the hundred-meter breaststroke, which she won easily. Gus’s secret goal was to swim in the Olympics someday. No one knew that, not even her coach. He had told her he thought she could win the individual medley at States the next year if she kept working hard, and she had, but she had bigger things in mind than States.
    Gus and Anna wrapped themselves up together in Anna’s giant beach towel and stood at the side of the pool to watch the boys’ race. They arranged their feet so that underneath their towel it was white foot, brown foot, white foot, brown foot. They always did this, and it always made them giggle.
    The race began, and this time Leo dove in at the right time.
    “Good start!” Anna shouted, clapping. Gus laughed, but Anna was serious. Anna had a crush on Leo, a fact that Gus did her best to ignore.
    Leo was neck and neck underwater with David Lee, who was the fastest swimmer on the boys’ team. Butwhen David’s head broke the surface, he was alone. Gus thought Leo must have fallen behind, but then she saw the dark blur under the surface, out in front. A few of Leo’s friends were screaming his name, but most of the spectators didn’t seem to realize that there was a boy under the water, leading the race. They were screaming David Lee’s name.
    “What in the world is he doing?” Anna said into Gus’s ear, but Gus had no answer.
    The crowd was now shouting Leo’s name as he touched the far wall and turned without coming up for a breath. Anna was screaming too, jumping so vigorously that the towel fell off, leaving the two of them wet and cold in their racing suits. Anna didn’t notice because she was too excited. Gus didn’t notice either, but it was not out of excitement. She was watching her brother intently. Leo’s head finally broke the surface as he touched the wall, breathing hard, his hair sleek and wet.
    He won, but of course he was disqualified for not swimming the right stroke. That didn’t stop his teammates from swamping him, yelling and cheering and slapping him on the back.
    Leo glanced up from the huddle around him and caught Gus’s eye. His expression was that of a rabbit surrounded by hounds. So Gus waded in and hauled him away by one