Page 45 of Well, That Was Unexpected

The Ayung River is the longest river in Bali and runs almost seventy kilometers. It flows down the northern mountain ranges, passing by the farmlands of Gianyar before hitting Denpasar, which is where we start. The Ayung River has class II and class III rapids, which in terms of rafting difficulty means it’s got some tricky parts but isn’t considered dangerous.

Of course, “isn’t considered dangerous” doesn’t mean crap as soon as we hit the first rocky conditions and the waves crest white. Our raft swerves here and there, guided with expert ease by Sita, and we all scream as we go over a drop-off.

“HOLY SHIT!” Kiki shrieks. “That was a fucking waterfall! We just went over a waterfall!”

Up to this point, I had been clutching my paddle like a—ha!—life raft—but the drop-off undid something inside me, and suddenly, I remember why I loved rafting. Because it feels like flying. I glance over to my side and meet Sharlot’s eyes.

Her entire face is shining. She’s grinning so wide, her eyes bright and filled with life. I’m pretty sure I’m wearing the same expression, that realization that I love this thing I thought I would absolutely hate. Our bodies shift, and the way we grip our paddles changes. Before, it had been a thing we’d clutched out of fear. Now, it’s something we wield as we slice our way through the water. Behind us, Kiki and Eleanor are continuously shrieking—I think they’re doing it just to annoy Rina and the cameraman, who aren’t looking at all impressed.

Sharlot and I plunge our paddles into the water with a whoop. The raft flies and bounces and careens over the river, my heart racing. Water splashes all over me and I cry out with joy. Thisis what being alive feels like. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be so present—to not be thinking about the future or ruminating about the past—there’s just me and the Ayung River and Sharlot next to me, and I am one hundred percent here. I thought playingWarfront Heroesmade me feel alive, but it all pales in comparison with this heart-thumping, stomach-kicking wild ride. I never want it to end.

Next to me, Sharlot glances over and grins right before a huge wave of water drenches us both. She laughs unabashedly, and I feel as though I’m finally seeing the real her—so different from the girl Papa and Eleanor chatted with on ShareIt. It’s almost impossible to reconcile the Sharlot in person and the Sharlot online.

The rocky part of the river is followed by a stretch of relatively calm water. “You guys can relax for a bit,” Sita says. “I’ll let you know when things are about to get exciting again.” We all sigh happily and sit back, paddling at a slower pace. The raft floats along the river and I half listen to the chatter among Kiki, Eleanor, and Rina, who seem to have become friends. They’re arguing over whether Millie Bobby Brown was better inStranger ThingsorEnola Holmes.One thing they can all agree on: MBB is amazing in general and needs to be in more things. I nod to myself, thinking of how good both shows were, thoughEnola Holmeswas a bit too painful for me to enjoy because of the way the mother had just abandoned Enola. I didn’t care how big her reason was, I had been so upset by her leaving that I spent most of the show with my stomach puckering up and twisting here and there. I’d kept glancing over at Eleanor to make sure shewas okay, that Enola’s mother’s disappearance wasn’t triggering any dire emotions inside her, but Eleanor’s made of sturdier stuff than I am. She just kept cramming caramel popcorn into her mouth while going, “Duh, not the real chrysanthemums, Enola, the ones your mom painted!”

“You okay?” Sharlot says, snapping me out of myEnola Holmesreverie.

“Oh yeah.” I glance over at her. She’s completely soaking wet, her braid hanging heavily down her back. Her cheeks are flushed with color and she’s smiling a smile so unguarded it makes my heart stutter. I quickly look away, pretending to focus on paddling. “Are you okay?” I say, more to the paddle than to Sharlot.

Sharlot laughs. “Yes. This is amazingly fun! After my first time, I just assumed that white water rafting would be super boring, so I never bothered going again. I didn’t think it could be like this.”

I never thought it could be like this either, I want to say. In a K-drama, this is totally what the guy would say, while looking deep into the heroine’s eyes so she understands that he’s not, in fact, talking about rafting. But this is not a K-drama and I definitely can’t pull off such dramatic statements. Eleanor is likely to overhear and make gagging noises. Plus, that’s going a bit far. I don’t know Sharlot that well.

“It gets even wilder during the rainy season,” I say instead. “Then the difficulty rating goes up from Class II to, like, ClassIV.”

“Wow. That sounds hard-core.” Her grin widens. “But it also soundsfun.”

Again, this strange incongruity between in-person Sharlotand online Sharlot. I can’t help blurting out: “You’re so different from your online messages.”

Belatedly, I recall that saying this always seems to sour things between us, so I hurriedly add, “I mean in a really great way. Like, everything about you has been a surprise in the best possible way.”

The corners of her mouth lift slightly. “I guess I could say the same about you.”

“Really?” I’m surprised by that, especially given how eager and happy she was in her chat messages. She called me “perfect,” even. But somehow, in-person me is better than perfect. Mua-ha-ha-ha!

She shrugs, leaning over and lowering her voice. We’re close enough for me to see tiny water droplets on her eyelashes, and I have to resist the urge to touch her face. “Yeah, I do. I prefer this version of you.”

My god. I have no idea what to say to that, so I say the most unsexy, Papa-like thing ever: “You must be thirsty. Do you want some water?” Clearly I deserve to be put down.

Sharlot laughs. “Nah, dude. You know how much river water I’ve swallowed? I forgot to close my mouth in between screams.”

“Me too. Except in my case it wasn’t screams but, like, manly shouts. More like roars, really.”

“Oh yeah, totally. I definitely did not notice you shrieking like a toddler.”

“Whaaat? Me? Never.” We grin at each other.

Then Sharlot spots something in the distance and her eyes widen. She clutches at my arm and I look to where she’spointing, half wondering if we’re about to go over an actual waterfall. Instead, what I see is a small boy at the riverbank, squatting with his back to the river and his bare bottom over the water.

He’s literally shitting into the water. The water that’s being splashed all over us. The water that we just admitted to drinking loads of.

Sharlot and I meet each other’s eyes and we completely lose it. We double over, laughing madly, and though Kiki and Eleanor keep shouting, “What? What’s so funny?” neither Sharlot nor I can draw in enough breath to tell them.

By the time we get to the end of the rafting course, two hours have passed and we’re all exhausted, our teeth chattering from being drenched over and over again. Even in the tropical heat, the river water, flowing fresh from the northern mountains, is surprisingly cold. Back on dry land, we’re met by an assistant who’s somehow procured our belongings and dry clothes. I grab one of the fluffy towels they provide us, my sundress, and go inside the women’s bathroom, where there are showers to rinse off in. Toweling myself dry is simply heaven, and then Kiki and I spend some time brushing the tangles out of Eleanor’s hair.

Eleanor stares at us in the mirror with her wise-little-girl smirk as we fuss over her thick, long hair. “I love both of you so much,” she declares. “You’re the older sisters I always wished for. I mean, no offense to George, but boys are just so clueless. I’m a sophisticated creature; I need more than my bumbling older brother and father to help guide me into becoming a lady.”

I bite back my smile, feeling slightly sorry for George. He’s so outmatched by Eleanor. Hell, I’m outmatched by Eleanor. ThenI realize what Eleanor meant. I recall that her mom had passed away years ago, and that this wonderful girl only has her dad and older brother with her. I wrap my arms around her tiny frame and give her a tight hug.

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