In Over Her Head (9 page)

New Discoveries

“O
kay
, gang!” Patrice says, his eyes wild with excitement. “This is it! We're here!” He spreads his arms wide.

Piper leans in and gives A.J.'s arm a squeeze.

Grrr! I wish she would just keep her hands to herself!

“So, guys, there have been some major discoveries in these parts over the past few years, but no one has searched this spot exactly. Captain Steele and our team of experts have calculated that after three hundred and fifty years' worth of ocean movement, the treasure — including Queen Isobel's jewels — may be in this very area. Exciting, no?”

“Hannah!” Henry nudges me with his elbow. “Just think, right now we could be floating over millions and millions of dollars in sunken treasure! Pretty cool, huh?”

I nod. “Oh my gosh, Henry, it's awesome!”

“Piper didn't spike your hot chocolate with Gravol this morning?” He laughs.

“I don't think so.” I giggle. “Actually, I made it in and out of the shower, got through an entire breakfast, and then to the morning meeting
on time
and
all
Piper/problem-free.”

“The day is not over yet,” Henry warns, smiling mischievously.

“What could she do now?” I whisper. “We're in shallow water, Henry. No waves mean —” I hold up my wrists to show him “— no wristbands! Even if she took them, it wouldn't matter. I don't need them.”

Piper glances over at my wrists and smiles, sending an uncomfortable shiver down my spine.
Is it just my imagination, or is she up to something?

A
s the morning goes on, I can't help but be impressed by how Patrice just knows how every shot should be set up, exactly where each camera should be, and a million other things he has to juggle and make decisions about at any given moment in the day. This is so different than being on camera back at the TV station, not that being on TV anywhere isn't fun, 'cause it is, but for some reason, this just seems extra cool! Despite everything that's happened, I'm really glad I came. Actually, I think this was meant to be!

“Okay, kids, we're ready in five!” Patrice says, joining us in the gear room. “Our lighting is perfect, the underwater camera crew is in position, and the excavators are already down there blowing sand around. The only thing left is to get you kids down there with your metal detectors so you can find some treasure!”

“Ready!” Piper calls.

“Ready!” Henry calls.

“Me, too, I'm ready.” A.J. says.

“Hannah?” Patrice snaps his fingers. “Let's go.”

“I'll just be a sec.”

“What's wrong? What are you looking for?”

“My mouthpiece for my regulator. It was here earlier. I saw it. I know it was here,” I say, looking through my gear bag.

“We must have another one?” Henry asks.

Patrice nods at his assistant. “Sarah, there's a box of mouthpieces in the storage room — second shelf on the left. Run!”

“I'm sorry, Patrice. I know I can find it,” I cry.

“Where do you think you left it?” Piper asks sympathetically.

“I don't know. It was here yesterday,” I answer, frantically searching the pockets of my gear bag.

“Let's all help Hannah look,” Piper suggests, her smile sugary sweet.

“Wow, Piper. What a good friend you are,” says Henry, flatly.

“Where is Sarah?” Patrice looks down at his watch and scowls. “She should have been back by now! I'm sorry, Hannah. Everyone is geared. The cameras are rolling and we need to start filming, with or without you.”

“What! I'm going to miss the dive? Patrice! I'll keep looking.”

Patrice shakes his head again. “Let's go.” He motions for the group to follow him out to the dive deck.

Suddenly, Sarah comes running into the gear room, exasperated and out of breath. “They're gone, Patrice!”

“Did you look in the middle of the second shelf? I know they're there!”

“They're not on any shelf. They're gone.”

Patrice shakes his head. “Come on, kids.” He waves for them to follow him out to the dive deck. “I'm sorry, Hannah. We'll have more brought in tomorrow.”

I shrug, trying to hold back my tears.

“Hannah, you should go to the middle deck and watch with the rest of the crew.”

“Okay,” I say, trying to crack a smile, but it's impossible. Then I make my way to the middle deck.

“Cameras in position,” Patrice says into his mouthpiece. “Piper, are you ready for your shot?”

“Of course!” she cries, deliriously happy. “Oh wait,” she exclaims, turning her eyes up to where we're standing on the middle deck.

“Massimo, will you take special care of Hannah today?”

“Of course,” Massimo answers, smiling.

“Maybe you can teach her how to make one of your Massimo Specials.” She throws him a devil­ish wink.

Massimo's smile disappears.

“I know how much she loves them,” Piper adds, grinning as she turns and walks to the edge of the dive deck.

“And … action!” Patrice calls out.

Piper sits down at the edge of the dive deck, puts in her mouthpiece, gives a huge, smiling thumbs-up to the camera crew, and pushes herself off.

“That was wonderful, Piper!” Patrice calls! “Okay, A.J., you're next!”

“Don't be glum,
bella
,” Massimo says, as we watch the others, one by one, descend into the water.

“I just can't believe this is happening. I'm finally not afraid, I'm not seasick, and then I go and lose my mouthpiece!”

“Are you sure
you
lost it?” He cocks an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Hannah. I don't know what to tell you, only that jealousy is a terrible thing.”

“I know that, Massimo, first-hand.”

“Now who would you have to be jealous of,
bella
?”

“Um … Piper.” I look at him strangely, wondering why he would ask such a silly question, when the answer is obvious.

Massimo laughs and slaps his leg. “You are a funny girl.”

“What is so funny, Massimo?” I frown, a little annoy­ed that I just confided something very private and he finds it hilarious.

“Oh,
bella
, why on earth would you be jealous of that girl?”

“Well, let's see … for starters, she's perfect, and amazing, and A.J. has a crush on her.”

“Ah, A.J.; that boy has your heart, I see.”

“He used to. I'm not so sure anymore.”

“He's a good boy,” Massimo says, grinning, “but that Piper, she doesn't deserve your envy.”

“I don't know about that,” I say.

“Hannah, you are a smart girl. I'm surprised to hear you talk this way.”

“Well she's just good at so many things, like for instance, she skis and snowboards and sails and scuba dives, and can cook a full turkey dinner with dressing and gravy and homemade apple pie and —”

“Cook a turkey dinner?” Massimo holds his hand up. “The girl can't even boil water.”

“But she told Gabby …”

“I've known this family for years and have spent the last six months aboard this boat with that child, and I guarantee you, she has no interest in cooking.”

“How do you know?” I ask.

“One day I asked her to turn on the burner for her father's tea. She stared at the stove for a moment and then stomped her foot and shouted that making tea was not her job; it was my job, so I should be the one doing it. The poor girl didn't even know how to turn on a burner.”

“Really?”

Massimo nods. “I told her it was easy, just to turn the bottom knob. But she said, ‘I have never touched a stove in my life, and I'm not going to start now!' I told her she should learn, that cooking is a beautiful thing and she might enjoy it. She said that being part of the Steele family means she doesn't need to learn to cook; she has people for that.”

“People, meaning you.”

“Yes.” Massimo smiles. “People, meaning me.”

“Rude!”

“So is that it? Any other reasons why you think Miss Piper is so wonderful?”

“Well, she's won Junior Miss Maple Ridge a bunch of times.”

“True,” Massimo says, nodding, “but her father is head of the committee, so that might have something to do with it.”

“She can fish.”

“Ha!” Massimo laughs. “I asked her once if she'd like to help me catch some fish for dinner. She said fishing was a disgusting sport, and she didn't know how anyone could do it.”

“Really? Wow.”

“I don't lie,
bella
.”

“Well, she reads these great novels like
Wuthering Heights
and
Jane Eyre
, and she's like a total straight-A student.”