8 letters||o.piastri

one

The sun beamed down with an intense heat on the Australia Zoo as thousands of people milled around, taking in the animals that were happily lounging about. Various zoo personnel were in the enclosures for feeding, checking up or movement. Robert, as always, was doing a show in the Crocoseum with his mother keeping a careful eye.

Sophi was on the other side of the park in the dolphin enclosure, doing one of her shows. The Aquarium, as they called it, was set up much like the one at Seaworld, but had no large speakers blaring music, no fancy costumes or acts. It was just Sophi in a black wetsuit swimming about with the mammals. She'd wear a waterproof microphone and spit out facts while the dolphins played around, jumping out of the water and splashing the front few rows.

"Now, I need a very special volunteer." She already knew who she was choosing. A man had come in earlier saying he'd brought his niece there especially and had even made a large donation to the zoo. Sophi pretended to scan the stadium of children stretching their hands up and then clambered up the steps from the water to then reach the seats. She made her way to where she saw the little girl with her uncle and knelt next to her.

"What's your name?"

"Isabella!" She yelled excitedly. "And that's my uncle Daniel!"

"Well, do you want to come to the pool and meet my friends?" The girl, now lost for words, nodded and took Sophi's outstretched hand and walked by her side to the steps leading to the ledge atop the pool. She was wearing a little dress so there was no worry for the hem getting wet when Sophie brought her to another ledge where the water was ankle height.

Kermie, one of the three dolphins swimming around the pool, heaved himself onto the platform near the girls and splashed water at Sophi. She did the norm for this part, letting Isabella touch Kermie's head, feed him fish, give him a kiss (the little girl blew about five raspberries after to get the taste from her lips) and then took a picture with her next to him.

She loved watching the little children run back to their parents with massive smiles, it was one of her favourite parts of the job. But her absolute favourite was when the park closed and she could sit in the enclosure with her brother and simply be.

"So..."

"What did you do this time, Rob?" The siblings were sat on the steps leading to the dolphin pool and had their feet dangling in the water as the sun was setting prettily over the zoo, casting a warm golden glow over the two. Robert slapped a hand to his chest in mock hurt and gasped.

"Me? Absolutely nothing!" He leaned closer and dropped his voice. "But if Chandler asks, he was always missing his left boot." The siblings laughed, sending ripples across the water. "But seriously, Mum got me tickets to the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend and she's got to stay here to manage the zoo and Bindi and Chandler can't leave Grace."

"Right..."

"Can you come with me? Everything's already paid for, and we've got VIP paddock passes."

Sophi leaned back, placing her hands behind her and thinking. Did she really want to spend a whole weekend watching cars go round in circles? Then again...a whole weekend already paid for, in a warm country, and she wouldn't even really have to pay attention.

"Okay, fine."

"YES!" Robert flung his arms around Sophi, almost knocking her to the ground. "We're going to have the BEST time." He then gasped and stood up so fast his sister nearly got whiplash. "We've got to start packing!"

"Woah, woah woah, slow down there chief." Sophi stood up and sloshed up the steps. "When do we go?"

"Two weeks!"