Bubbles of Friendship

Hi there, I'm Flora! I live deep beneath the waves in the Sapphire Sea, where the water is always a clear, cool blue. My best friend is Aurora, a five-year-old sea turtle who loves to snack on seagrass. Most days, we just drift through the kelp forests together. I really like my quiet life because I’m a little bit shy, and meeting new people sometimes makes my fins wiggle with nerves.

One morning, I noticed someone new near the Great Reef. She was about my age, with bright orange scales on her tail and hair that floated like silk. She was Maya, and she looked very busy poking around the sea anemones with a magnifying shell. Aurora nudged my arm, trying to get me to swim over, but I hid behind a giant leaf of kelp. My heart did a tiny somersault because I wasn't sure what to say.

I watched as Maya searched for Glow-Berries, which are my favorite things to collect! Suddenly, we both spotted the same sparkling blue berry tucked inside a coral nook at the exact same time. We both darted forward and our hands almost touched. We stopped, eyes wide, and looked at each other with nervous smiles. Taking a deep breath of bubbly water, I finally found my inner strength and whispered, 'Hi, I’m Flora.'

Maya’s eyes sparkled with curiosity and she gave me a big, toothy grin. 'I'm Maya! Do you love Glow-Berries too?' she asked excitedly. Soon, we were racing through the reef together, our shyness completely forgotten. We laughed as bubbles tickled our noses, and Aurora even joined in, flapping her flippers to keep up. It was so much easier to talk and play once I realized how much we had in common.

By the time the sun began to set, turning the water into a glowing violet kingdom, Maya and I were the best of friends. Being shy didn't seem so scary anymore because I had found someone who loved the ocean’s treasures just as much as I do. We promised to meet at the Glow-Berry bush every single day, two new friends swimming side-by-side in the big, beautiful sea.