Page 27 of Alice & Meg: Summer Vacation
The line surged forward, a good twenty feet at least, and stopped again.
Meg bounced slightly on her toes.“Oh, we’re almost to the stairs down to the dock!”
The rest of the group returned, and with them?Ice cream glory.
King handed Meg a cone that looked like it had been engineered for a carnival.Five inches of towering vanilla soft serve with a blizzard of rainbow sprinkles.
Her eyes went wide.“Holy cow!How am I supposed to eat this before we get on the boat?”
Wrecker handed me one identical to Meg’s.My mouth watered.
King shrugged and took a bite of his own cone, already half gone.“Start licking, babe.”
Reva choked on a laugh, and Hero patted her back with a smirk.“That’s not how you act when I tell you to start licking.”
The group erupted into laughter, including some of the people in line behind us.The mix of sugar, sun, and club energy was downright contagious.
I dug into my ice cream, careful not to let it drip all over my hands.The line kept moving, slow but steady, and soon we’d be boarding the boat that promised to soak us to the bone.
And with Adley in the front row?Oh, it was going to be a damn good day.
Meg
This was not what I wanted to happen.
Adley was in the front seat of the jet boat, but my butt was right next to hers.
“Uh, can I switch seats?”I called to the boat driver, who looked to be about my age, tanned from long hours on the water, and clearly someone who had taken this boat out hundreds of times.
He turned around and shook his head with a grin.“We’re full, darlin’.You can wait till the next boat if you want.”
I turned around to shoot a glare at Alice, who was seated exactly where I wanted to be, four rows back in the middle of the boat.The driest spot.
“Traitor!”I called out.
Alice smiled sweetly.“No, you just shared important information that I used to my advantage.”
She was sandwiched between Wrecker on one side and Cyn and Rigid on the other.That woman had planned her position like a poker player with a full house.
I turned back to the front and sighed dramatically.The front row consisted of me, Adley, Greta, and Bear.It had all happened so fast.One minute we were making our way onto the boat, and the next, I was being herded into the front like cattle to the splash zone.Lo was right behind me with Hero, Reva, and Wendy.Behind them were Slayer, Clash, and Raven.
Adley looked at me, her eyes wide.“You said we weren’t going to get wet.”
I squeezed her hand.“You’re going to find out in about five minutes that I am a liar for the fun of it.”
The driver, whose name tag readTucker, adjusted his mic headset and gave us a nod.“Welcome aboard the Thunder Jet!Get ready for an adrenaline-packed forty-four-minute ride across the beautiful Wisconsin River.We’re gonna do some power stops, fishtails, and high-speed fun.Hold on to your hats and your stomachs.”
The boat backed away from the dock, the engine hummed low before building to a rumble that vibrated under my seat.As we moved out of the loading area, the calm water sparkled under the afternoon sun.For the first twenty minutes, it was smooth sailing.Tucker took us past sandstone cliffs and scenic overlooks, providing commentary as if he were hosting a travel channel special.Eagles nested in high trees.A heron took off from the shoreline.The breeze was warm, and it was almost, dare I say it, peaceful.
But then Tucker leaned into the throttle.
We flew.
The boat surged forward, and then, BAM!, Tucker yanked the throttle back.The entire front of the boat dipped, and water exploded up and over the front, dumping a wave of icy lake water right onto us.
“OH MY GOD!”Adley shrieked.
It hit so hard and fast, I could do nothing but gasp and sputter.I pushed wet hair out of my eyes and heard Alice and Cyn cackling from four rows back.
