Chapter 3

Chapter THREE That afternoon, Miss Cherry announced that we would be starting a new project. 'The name of our project is going to be Under the Sea!' she said. 'Ooh!' whispered the class and I felt my insides fizz with excitement. I love anything to do with the ocean, and I knew I would have a lot to say. I've had three

magical underwater adventures with my mermaid friends. 'I'm going to split you all up into groups,' continued Miss Cherry. 'Zoe, can you go and sit with Sashi and Dominic, please? Samantha, you will be working with Oliver and Jasper. And Isadora, please will you go and sit with Ava and Bruno. I felt my heart sink like a stone. Ava! Suddenly I didn't feel very excited about the project at all. Reluctantly, I gathered up my things and went to sit at a table with Bruno and Ava. She didn't look very pleased to see us.

'We did this topic at my old school last year,' she said. 'It will be so boring to do it again!' 'Oh great!' said Bruno cheerfully. 'You can help us out then, Ava!' 'Hmph!' said Ava, and stuck her nose in the air. Bruno looked at me, confused, and I looked back at him and shrugged. 'I'd like you all to start by writing down everything you know about the sea already,' said Miss Cherry, handing out sheets of paper. 'You can even draw pictures if you like!

Then we'll share our information with the rest of the class.' Bruno grabbed his pen and immediately began doodling a picture of a starfish. 'I've got a good fact!' he said. 'Did you know that starfish have an eye on the end of each arm?' Ava looked at Bruno scornfully. 'Don't be silly,' she said. 'Of course they don't!' 'They do!' Bruno insisted. 'We went to a sea life centre last summer and the guide there told us! If a starfish has five arms then it means it also has five eyes!' 'I don't believe you!' said Ava. 'That's

a stupid fact!' Bruno looked hurt. 'I've got a fact about starfish too!' I said, remembering some of the amazing creatures I had seen on my underwater

adventure with Emerald the mermaid. 'Some starfish actually have more than five arms! I've seen one with at least twenty!' 'Cool!' said Bruno. 'It must have had twenty eyes then!' I laughed, but Ava just scoffed. 'You're both making this rubbish up,' she said. Next I expect you'll tell me that mermaids are real.' 'They are!' I burst out before I could stop myself. 'Isadora's met one!' said Bruno. Ava didn't reply straight away, but she stared at my vampire-fairy wings and my fangs. 'Well, I suppose you pretend to be