Lina at the Games by Sally Rippin Read Free Book Online

when they announced her name.
    â€˜She’s going to win, I just know it!’ Lina said proudly to no one in particular, then crossed her fingers and held her breath.
    The gun went off. Dawn dived in and within a few metres was already streaming ahead.
    â€˜Come on, Dawn! Come on, Dawn!’ Lina yelled. ‘You can do it!’
    Dawn reached the end of the pool, tumble-turned and pushed off. The crowd cheered louder. As if spurred on by their voices, Dawn began to swim even faster than before. Within seconds she had reached the finish line.
    Lina jumped out of her seat. ‘She won!’
    Even Sarah and her father were cheering loudly, and when the voice over the loudspeaker announced that she had broken a new world record, the stadium went berserk. Lina jumped up and down, forgetting for a moment that she was supposed to be on her best behaviour.
    â€˜Woo hoo, Dawn!’ she yelled. ‘You’re my hero.’
    Finally, the crowd settled down as a new set of swimmers prepared to race. Lina was still buzzing with excitement. A gold medal and a world record! It was the perfect ending to her story. She would finish off her article that night with this happy finale.
    â€˜She did well, didn’t she?’ Mr Buttersworth said, approvingly.
    Sarah nodded and Lina grinned.
    â€˜You’re right,’ he said, turning to his daughter. ‘She will make a good cover story for that magazine you two are putting together. I’ll see about lining up that interview with her over the weekend.’
    Lina’s mouth dropped open. ‘Interview?’ she squeaked.
    Mr Buttersworth lifted the side of his mouth into a crooked smile. ‘Oh yes. I happen to be friends with someone on the Olympic Committee. When Sarah said the Mother Superior wanted an article on Dawn Fraser for the front cover I pulled a few strings to organise an interview with her. Didn’t I, darling?’ He patted Sarah on the knee. Sarah looked up and met Lina’s eyes for the first time that day.
    â€˜Uh huh,’ she said disinterestedly. Then looked back down at her notebook.
    Lina felt all the blood drain from her face down into the pit of her stomach. A private interview? she thought. With Dawn Fraser? There’s no way I can compete with that! Even if mine’s the best article ever, it could never be as good as an interview with Dawn herself. I’ll never have the cover story now!
    There were still dozens of races to come, but all Lina wanted to do at that moment was go home.

L INA waited for the bus at the stop in front of her school, where Sarah and her father had dropped her at the end of the day. Indigo clouds began to gather overhead and a chilly wind pricked her bare arms into goosebumps. It had been so warm that morning, but now the weather had changed she began to wish she had brought her school blazer with her. Hurry up, bus! she thought irritably.
    Just as the first heavy drops began to spatter on the concrete, the bus drew into sight. Lina trudged up the steps. Despite her gloomy mood, she couldn’t help but smile when she recognised John’s dark head bowed in concentration over something in his lap.
    Lina snuck quietly up to his side. ‘Boo!’
    John almost bounced right out of his seat, and the pile of pencils and papers on his lap went tumbling to the floor.
    â€˜Lina! You scared the life out of me!’ he said, clutching at his chest.
    â€˜Sorry!’ Lina grinned, bending down to pick up the pencils that were rolling about in the aisle as the bus lurched into the street.
    John cleared the seat next to him and Lina sat down. ‘You don’t usually catch the bus this late,’ he said, straightening the papers on his lap.
    â€˜I know,’ said Lina. ‘I went and saw the swimming at the Olympics today. With a girl from my school.’ Even though Lina tried to keep her smile steady,  John saw it falter.
    â€˜Not your favourite person,