What effect does having fun in the waves have on Auggie?
A.
It makes him angry at Nathan.
B.
It makes him listen to Angie.
C.
It makes him forget that he is afraid of water.
D.
It makes him fear that the water is going to rise.

here's the story


The Hole in the Rock
by T. Herlinger

"Hey, Nathan, let's head back—it'll be dark soon," I said as my little brother Auggie and I gathered our things.
Nathan waved me off. "There's plenty of time, and besides, we haven't explored the 'hole in the rock' yet!"
Nathan was our neighbor and had just turned 13, the same age as me. Our parents had invited him to join us at a beach cottage for the weekend. We were heading home tomorrow, so our folks let us explore the beach all day, as long as we returned by dark. The thing about Nathan was, he always pushed things too far—constantly taking thoughtless risks and sometimes hurting other people in the process—and today was no exception. The "hole in the rock," our parents had declared, was strictly off-limits. It was a door-sized hole in the cliff that led to another beach, but getting trapped was easy if the tide caught you unaware.
At that moment, Nathan was heading straight for it. "Nathan!" I called, but he just laughed and kept walking. I stomped my feet and thought, Why does that boy always have to push the limits? Now what were we supposed to do? The tide was coming in fast, though it was still a ways out.
"C'mon, Auggie," I sighed, "let's go after that fool, but you need to stick close by me, OK?" Auggie was 8 and game for anything, except swimming—he was dreadfully afraid of the water.
"OK, Angie," he answered obediently.
When we reached the hole in the rock, we cautiously entered the stony tunnel and soon came upon a small, sandy beach. There stood Nathan, skipping stones from a craggy ledge like he didn't have any worries. I was about to scream at him, but then I noticed Auggie staring with his mouth agape.
"Wow, it's really beautiful here!" he said excitedly, and he was right. The beach was a little piece of paradise with its smooth sand and shimmering water. I took off my shoes and waded into the surf, and even Auggie ventured in, getting his toes wet. Before long, we were splashing each other and playing in the waves. Auggie seemed to have totally forgotten his fear of water.
Suddenly, I heard a high-pitched wail. "Angie, look," Nathan was screaming, "the tunnel!!" I turned to look, my heart pounding—the water was already a foot deep at the opening, and even deeper each time a wave struck!
"Auggie!" I yelled, and my terrified little brother raced toward me. Together we scrambled to the tunnel while Nathan kept yelling, but I ignored him—I knew he was safe for the moment on that ledge, and I had to get my brother to safety. Grabbing Auggie's hand, I waited for a wave to pass and then dashed inside the tunnel. The water felt like molasses, but somehow we made it through. Releasing Auggie's hand on the other side, I told him firmly, "Now run for those rocks and stay there while I go back for Nathan."
But just as I turned to go, a dripping wet and frightened Nathan emerged from the now knee-deep water in the tunnel.
"You know what that was?" Nathan asked when we were all resting on the rocks. I rolled my eyes, certain he would say "awesome," but for once, I was pleasantly surprised. Nathan hung his head and murmured, "The most horrible thing I've ever done."
"You can say that again!" I said, punching him in the shoulder. But on an impulse I gave him a quick hug. Then, taking my brother's hand, I said wearily, "Let's go home!"