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colour that blended somehow with my blades as they cut through the water. It was as though I was in tune with every single thing around me. I’d never felt anything like it before.
    The circuit took me almost to the island and as I turned to row back towards the lakeside, I could see the sailing boats in the distance more clearly. Then the nearer I got to the lakeside again, the more I had to concentrate, because this patch of water was full of boats and I didn’t want to crash into anyone. It was a relief when I turned again and headed back to the peace of the water near the island.
    Much later, when I was on my third lap, I realized that Holly was catching up with me. That meant she was on her fourth lap, which was amazing. Every so often she glanced round to check where she was going, but she never actually looked straight at me, which made me feel awkward again. It was a shame she didn’t seem to like me, because she obviously loved rowing as much as I did and I thought how great it would be to have someone to talk to about it.
    Eventually she overtook me and I impulsively called, “Wow! You’re doing really well, Holly!” She did a kind of grunt which might have been “Thanks”, but I couldn’t really tell.
    I didn’t mind when the session came to an end this time, because I was tired and happy. Celia had helped me to get better at turning the boat neatly and backing it down, and she’d explained how important it was not to tire myself out with short hard strokes, but to ease off with longer slower ones sometimes. I had such a feeling of satisfaction that I went straight over to Izzy afterwards to talk about it. She was happy too because she’d been on her own for the last part of the session and managed without the rope.
    â€œOkay,” said Ryan, calling us all to attention. “Great work from you all today. I think every single one of you has made progress. Now, on Saturday afternoon when you come, I’m going to set up a quad scull. I’d like Holly, Sasha, Mikki, Charlotte and Tilly to try working in the quad as a team. The quads that we’ve got here are nice and wide, so you’ll feel very stable. Four of you will be sculling and the fifth will be cox. If you’re cox you have to make sure you’re really bossy!” We all laughed. “No, seriously, a good cox has to be able to shout out instructions to the team so that they work together in the best possible way. Anyway, I won’t go into that now, but you five will hopefully all get a chance to try being cox. And actually, every one of you is doing so well –” Ryan smiled round at all of us – “that there might be a few more of you ready for a quad either later on Saturday or in the following session. ”
    My spirits were sinking fast. I couldn’t imagine anyone taking instructions from me. It was a real worry. But then I tried to snap myself out of it. Really, it was only Holly who I didn’t think would take instructions from me. And I was cross with myself for letting her get to me so much. Once, at primary school, when I was scared of an older girl who was always teasing me, Mum had told me I should grow a thicker skin. I can remember her exact words. “You need a nice thick skin, then no one can touch you, darling!”
    I was sure that was good advice. But getting out of the minibus when we got back to Silver Spires, and watching Holly’s hair swing from side to side as she waltzed along, it seemed to me that growing a thicker skin was going to be easier said than done.

Chapter Six

    The next two days whizzed by and on Saturday afternoon, the sun was shining brightly again and my whole body felt alive at the thought that we were off to the lake. I’d managed one more turn on the rowing machine on Thursday lunchtime but not at all on Friday, because Holly was always on it. I wasn’t so worried about having to be in a quad scull with