Beside me, Mike is practically bouncing on his toes with excitement. “That’s what I originally thought, but then I found this place that lets you ride the jet skis in the ocean! The sound isn’t very deep, so this is going to be way more fun.”
Was it?
The sun is glaring down on the ocean, making the water sparkle like a field of diamonds, and I have to squint against the light.
“Maybe shallow water isn’t a bad thing,” I argue lightly. “I mean…none of us have done this before, so I’m just saying perhaps we don’t have to go big so soon.”
“Dude, relax,” Zayne tells me. “It’s gonna be great! You saw that family with the two little kids coming back a few minutes ago. If they can do it, so can you!”
I have a feeling the kids rode with their parents, so that’s kind of a moot point, and I’m really not confident in my skills. When the guys all get on their individual jet skis, I can feel them watching me, and I’m tempted to ask if I can just piggyback on one of theirs.
“Ash, man, come on,” Mike says. “You were looking forward to it all morning! We’re gonna do this and it’s gonna be awesome!”
“Fine. Whatever.” I make my way down from the dock, put on my goggles to protect my contacts, and climb onto the third jet ski, telling myself it’s fine. I sit, gripping the handlebars like my life depends on it—which, at this moment, feels entirely possible. The rental guy had given us a two-minute tutorial that consisted mostly of, “Throttle’s here. Try not to fall off.”
Easy for him to say.
“Alright,” I mutter to himself. “Just like a bike. Except… on water. And way faster.”
Mike takes off first, and I can hear his roar of laughter like he is living his best life. Then Zayne races away from the dock with a triumphant roar.
And then there was one.
I take a deep breath and twist the throttle. The jet ski lurches forward, sending a spray of seawater into the air. My body jerks backward, and for a split second, it feels like I’m going to fly right off the back. But…I hold on—barely.
“Okay! Okay, I got this!” I shout, though no one can hear me over the roar of the engine.
The water was smooth at first, and I’m cruising along at a comfortable speed. It doesn’t take long for me to relax and enjoy myself. I can even feel myself grinning a little. This is actually kind of awesome. The salty wind rushes past my face, and the cool mist of the ocean feels refreshing under the blazing sun. I’m enjoying all the sensations when…
I hit a wave.
The jet ski bounces. Hard. I shoot up at least an inch or two off the seat, and my heart literally leaps into my throat. When it lands, it wobbles dangerously to the side.
“Nope, nope, nope—” I quickly overcorrect, turning the handlebars sharply. The jet ski veers off-course, cutting through the waves in an unsteady zigzag.
I’m in hell…I’m in hell…I’m in hell…
Somewhere in the distance I can hear Mike and Zayne dying of laughter. I can hear their shouts, but there is no way I can look at them without losing control completely.
Determined not to wipe out, I adjust my grip and try easing into the throttle again. This time, the jet ski surged forward smoothly. I find my balance, riding over the waves instead of fighting them. Now I’m feeling confident and starting to enjoy myself again.
Then, I get an idea.
Turning slightly, I cut across the water at an angle. The ski lifts off a small wave, catching air for a split second before landing again. Adrenaline is pumping through me.
“Holy crap! That was awesome!”
I try it again. And again. Soon, I’m zipping across the water like I actually know what I’m doing. The fear has melted away, replaced by pure exhilaration.
“I’m the king of the world!”
I know it’s a cheesy thing to say, but I am seriously enjoying the hell out of myself and have to remember to thank the guys for making me do this.
As I turn toward the dock, I see both of them waving their arms, pointing at something, and I frown.
That’s when I notice the enormous wave rolling in from the side.
“Oh, come on?—”
