Mia remembered the reason she had ended up in the water in the first place. Her tube had sprung a leak and was half submerged next to her.

“It’s gone down,” she called.

“Ah, right. Time out while I get you a new one.”

The umpire went over to the pile of unused tubes by the side.

“And, Mia?” Mia’s friend Suki gave her arm a gentle poke. “It might help if you follow the rules?”

Suki was being friendly, and smiling, so it didn’t sound like she was being told off. But Mia still remembered that her team, the Yellows, had just lost a point because of her ignoring the right way to play, and doing her own thing.

She thought of Bear, and Ursula. They had only kept afloat, and reached the island, by working together and doing it right.

So, Mia just said, “No problem.”

The game started again, with much splashing as the ball was chucked around the pool. A few minutes later, Mia and her new tube were right at the end of the pool. The ball smacked into her hands. The goal was next to her, and it was undefended. But from this angle, she couldn’t actually get the ball into it.

It was so tempting! All Mia had to do was give the edge of the pool a hefty kick with both feet. She would go shooting backwards, and then she would be able to get at the goal.

But that would mean the ball was moving, in her possession. It would be the same as carrying.

All this went through Mia’s head in about half a second. The game was still going on, and the only Yellow in range was Suki. So Mia chucked the ball over to her first, and then she gave the end a kick. Her tube zipped away from the edge. Now Mia was in range of the goal, but with no ball.

Meanwhile Suki had caught the ball, but she didn’t have anyone clear to pass it to. Except Mia, who now had a clear shot at an empty goal.

“Take it!” Suki shouted, at the same time that she passed the ball back. Mia grabbed it and threw it into the goal, all in one movement. The umpire blew her whistle and the Yellows had equalised!

It felt good to score the goal, but it felt even better when Mia thought how she had done it. By working with the rest of her team.

The next goal came very quickly, and it was the Yellows again. This time Mia was at the other end of the pool and she didn’t have much to do with it. She was happy that her other team mates got their own chance. Then the last whistle went, and the Yellows had won.