“I’m not a baby, Jasmine,” Arjun said. “Stop treating me like one. I’m doing what you asked about the scuba checks and picking up the garbage. So what if I want to have a little fun by diving a little deeper?”
“It’s not safe for you to dive as deep as I do,” Jasmine said.
Arjun rolled his eyes. “It’s just a couple of feet. Geez. I’m just as good at diving as you are. You just don’t want to admit it.” He walked away from her.
Jasmine spied her dad coming on deck. “Can I be your dive buddy today?” she asked.
“I thought you and Arjun were diving together today,” said Dad. He frowned. “Is something going on?”
If I tell Dad what Arjun is doing, Arjun will have to stay on the boat, Jasmine thought. Then I’ll have to stay on the boat too.
She forced a smile. “Nope, it’s all good. I just like swimming with you.”
Dad smiled back at her. “Tomorrow, OK?” he said.
Sure, Jasmine thought glumly. Tomorrow.
* * *
The sunlight lit up the colors of the reef. But it didn’t spotlight the person Jasmine was looking for—Arjun.
Jasmine checked over her shoulder for her brother. Where is he? She didn’t see him anywhere. Then she looked down.
There was Arjun, diving deeper than he was allowed. Jasmine glanced at her parents. They were focused on taking readings of the coral.
They’re trusting me to watch over Arjun, Jasmine thought. If they see what’s happening, we’ll both be in trouble.
Arjun looked up and saw her. Jasmine waved at him to join her. But instead of listening, Arjun swam up and left—straight toward a school of yellowfin goatfish.
Jasmine swam quickly toward her brother. She had to stop him. The current pushed her hard against the reef, scraping her arm. It hurt, but she couldn’t worry about that now.
Arjun swam into the middle of the fish. He reached out and tried to touch them.
That’s it! Jasmine thought, swimming hard and fast toward her brother. I’m taking him to the surface. And I’m telling Mom and Dad I don’t want to be his buddy anymore. He never listens!
Jasmine broke into the middle of the activity. There were so many fish, it was difficult to find Arjun. The fish’s silver scales glinted in the water and kept the reef hidden from view.
Jasmine swam among them, looking for her brother. When she spotted him, she grabbed Arjun by the shoulder and pointed toward the reef. Arjun shook his head and gave her a thumbs-down.
The fish swirled and moved around them. Bubbles from Jasmine’s and Arjun’s regulators sped upward. Some of the fish darted away.
Jasmine pointed to the reef again, then pointed to the surface. Arjun turned away.
For a heart-stopping second, Jasmine thought he’d swim from her. What will I do then? she worried. It’s not like I can call Mom and Dad for help.
Jasmine forced herself to take a breath and exhaled. She reached for her brother, but he was already turning back to her.
Arjun pointed to the reef, and Jasmine blew out another breath. He’s listening—finally.
Brother and sister swam carefully toward the edge of the school of fish. The reef was just ahead. But Jasmine stopped short when she realized what was blocking their path—a whitetip reef shark.
The shark had been drawn in by the activity. Now it was looking for food, and Jasmine and Arjun stood in its way.
CHAPTER 6
STOP, THINK, BREATHE, ACT
Once the shark started feeding, it wouldn’t know the difference between Jasmine, Arjun, and the fish. It would just be focused on eating.
Don’t panic, Jasmine thought. You know the drill. Stop, think, breathe, act. Stop where you are, think about what needs to be done, take a breath, then act.
Think, Jasmine told herself. The best thing was to get out of the column. Swim down and around. Most of all, stay with Arjun.
Jasmine inhaled and let out a long breath. That helped calm her racing heart. Then she reached for Arjun. If she could hold on to his vest, she could make sure they didn’t get separated.
But Arjun, already scared, panicked when Jasmine touched him. He jerked sideways, shoving her aside. As he kicked away, his fin caught Jasmine’s mask and ripped it off.
Jasmine snatched the mask before it could sink away. She put the mask back on, but it was full of water.
Quickly, she tilted into a forty-five degree angle, pressing her thumb against her forehead to hold the mask in place. Then she took a breath through her regulator.
Instead of breathing out of her mouth, Jasmine exhaled through her nose. Since her nose was covered by the mask, the bubbles filled the space. As they bubbled into the mask, they pushed the water out from the bottom.
There! Now I can see again! Jasmine thought, looking around. She spotted Arjun trying to swim away from the shark.
