Lina at the Games Read Online Free PDF Page A

hoping to see. To her delight, John waved to her enthusiastically from his place in the crowded corridor. Lina bit back her grin. Even though she did her best to picture John as merely a friend, she still couldn’t quash the butterflies in her stomach each time he smiled.
    â€˜Lina!’ he called. ‘Come down here!’
    Lina pushed her way through the bodies to get as close as she could. ‘Guess what! I went to the Opening Ceremony yesterday!’ She was nearly at the place where John was standing when a stout old lady with her arms full of shopping bags grumbled at her. ‘Hold your horses, Lassie! I’m getting out at the next stop.’
    John pinched his face into a funny expression and Lina had to cover her mouth so the old lady wouldn’t catch her laughing.
    â€˜So, how was it?’ John said over the woman’s head, when Lina had recovered from her fit of giggles.
    â€˜Amazing!’ Lina gushed. ‘Just amazing!’
    â€˜Did you say hi to Dawn Fraser from me?’
    â€˜Yep,’ said Lina, grinning. ‘She said to tell you that you need to wash behind your ears.’
    John pretended to look shocked. ‘I have the cleanest ears in town!’
    â€˜But the loudest voice!’ the old lady said shrilly.
    Lina snorted in laughter again.
    The bus pulled into the next stop and Lina was shoved aside as passengers forced their way off. ‘This is why I catch the early one!’ she yelped in John’s direction.
    A new group of people got onto the bus, and as Lina stepped forward she suddenly found herself pushed right up against John. She tried to pretend she was fine with this but her ears began to burn and her heart began to pound. Trickles of sweat ran down the backs of her knees.
    Now that they were standing so close, John lowered his voice. Lina felt his breath on her ear. ‘I watched it on the televisions in the Myer windows,’ he said. ‘I think I saw you. But it could have been a speck of dust on the glass.’
    Lina’s heart was beating too hard for her to laugh at his joke. She twisted her face to try and look up at him, but they were so close that this was even more awkward, so she stared at the pattern on the shirt right in front of her.
    â€˜You know, it got me thinking,’ he continued in her ear. ‘You know how in the Opening Ceremony they all come out in teams? Under their countries’ flag?’
    Lina nodded.
    â€˜Well, wouldn’t it be great if the athletes were involved in the Closing Ceremony, too, except all mixed together? You know, like one big nation. The Melbourne Olympics is supposed to be the “friendly games”. It would be nice to see them all mingled together as citizens of the world, not divided up by countries, don’t you think?’
    Lina nodded again. ‘Sure,’ she squeaked. She shifted position slightly to move away from the briefcase digging into her hip. Somebody behind her stunk of garlic.
    â€˜So, I was thinking I might write to them to suggest it. What do you reckon?’
    â€˜Write to who?’ Lina said, twisting her head around again to try to see his face.
    â€˜The Olympic Committee,’ John said. ‘Tell them my idea.’
    â€˜Why would they listen to the idea of a sixteen-year-old student?’ Lina said, smiling.
    â€˜Seventeen,’ John corrected.
    â€˜Well, whatever age you are. Haven’t the Olympics been going on forever? Why would they change them now?’
    John shrugged and chewed his bottom lip. ‘Yeah, you’re right, I guess. It was just an idea.’
    â€˜No, no, it’s a good idea,’ Lina said quickly, worried she had hurt his feelings. ‘I just don’t see how a group of adults would listen to a kid. Adults never listen to kids.’
    â€˜Well, they should,’ John said, poking Lina in the arm. ‘Kids have all the good ideas!’
    Lina grinned. ‘Oh, this is your stop!’ she