High Tide in Hawaii

you okay?”
    Jack just nodded. He put on his wet glasses. He felt shaky and mad at himself.
I never should have tried to stand!
he thought.
    Kama picked up Jack’s surfboard from the shallow water and brought it over to him.
    â€œI told you not to stand,” she said, laughing. “You fell hard.”
    It’s not funny,
thought Jack.
I nearly drowned!
    â€œThe best thing to do is to go right back out,” said Boka.
    â€œYou go,” said Jack. His eyes and nose burned from the salt water. “I’ll stay here.” He walked over to his pack, picked it up, and took out the research book.
    â€œCome on, Jack!” said Annie. “Try it again! Stay on your belly this time!”
    â€œNo, this time I’m going to
read
about surfing first,” he said.
    â€œAw, you should just try it again,” said Annie. “Not
read
about it!”
    She ran to him and pulled the book out of his hands. Jack jerked it away from her. He slipped and fell onto the sand.
    Kama and Boka laughed again.
    â€œWhy are you laughing?” Jack snapped. “You don’t even know how to read!”
    Boka and Kama looked hurt.
    â€œJack!” said Annie. “That was mean. Say you’re sorry.”
    Jack opened his book and pretended to read it. He
did
feel sorry, but he was too upset to say so.
    â€œFine, stay here,” said Annie. She went back to Boka and Kama. “Let’s go.”
    As Jack sat alone on the beach, he looked up from his book. He watched the other kids paddling through the water.
    â€œI don’t care,” he muttered. “I’m
never
going back out in those waves.”
    Morgan didn’t send us here to surf anyway,
he thought.
She told us to build a ship. But how the heck are we supposed to do that?
    Jack heaved an angry sigh. Now he was cross with Morgan. He turned to the back of the book and searched the index for “ship.”
    Suddenly Jack heard a rumbling from under the sand. The ground started to shake. It shook so hard, the book flew out of Jack’s hands!
    Jack bounced up and down on the beach. Shells were jumping up and down, too. Rocks tumbled down from the cliff.
    It’s an earthquake!
thought Jack.
    The rumbling stopped.
    The shaking stopped.
    Jack looked around. Everything was normal again, except some rocks rolled around at the bottom of the cliff.
    Jack looked out to sea. Kama, Boka, and Annie were past the breakers. They were sitting on their surfboards, laughing and talking.
    Everything seemed okay. But Jack felt sure that something was wrong. He grabbed the Hawaii book from the sand. He looked up “earthquake.” He read:
    Earthquakes in Hawaii have been known to cause tsunamis (soo-NAH-meez), which used to be called “tidal waves.” An earthquake can cause water out at sea to be set in motion. The water grows higher and higher as it moves toward land. Just before the tsunami strikes, water may pull away from the shore. Then it returns in a gigantic wave that crashes over the land and washes everything away.
    Oh, man!
thought Jack.
A tsunami might be coming!

 

    Jack had to find out more about tsunamis quickly. He read as fast as he could:
    A tsunami can strike a few hours—or a few minutes!—after an earthquake. It depends on the strength of the earthquake and where it took place. After earthquakes, it is safest for islanders to seek higher ground.
    We have to get to higher ground now!
thought Jack, dropping the book.
    He ran down to the edge of the ocean. Boka, Kama, and Annie were still paddling out beyond the waves. Jack forgot all about their fight.
    â€œHey, you guys!” he yelled.
    They didn’t hear him.
    Jack went into the shallow water. “Hey, you guys!” he yelled. “Come back!”
    They still didn’t hear him.
    Jack ran to his surfboard, grabbed it, and ran into the ocean. He fought the breaking waves. Once he was past them, he threw himself on his board and paddled wildly.
    The wave swells grew as he paddled. He could hardly see Annie, Boka, or Kama over them. Jack paddled faster and faster, trying to reach them.
    â€œHey!” he yelled.
“Hey!”
    Boka looked back at him. He gave Jack a friendly wave, then turned away again.
    I have to get them to come to me!
Jack thought frantically. “HELP! HELP!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.
    The three kids jerked around. They paddled quickly toward Jack with worried