Yay! Now they get to kneeboard!
I just realized that I haven't done a disclaimer yet. So, mentally insert a disclaimer for all the other chapters, okay? For now, I'll just stick with 'I don't own Maximum Ride'. I don't have enough patience to think of something clever.
"And here, in all of its dazzling grandeur, is the lake." I said to Nick, pulling the cooler out of the trunk. Ella was carrying the kneeboards over to the dock, and Mom was prepping the boat. It was the perfect summer scene.
"'Dazzling grandeur'?" Nick quoted, looking across the browning lawn to the run-down house, rusty shed, and rotting dock. I elbowed him.
"Hey, when you have as many memories here as I do, it's pretty dazzling." I replied, hoisting the cooler onto my shoulder and picking up the waterskis.
"I'll take those," Nick offered, and I passed them to him.
We continued down the steep hill toward the dock. Mom had gotten the boat started, and Ella was sitting on the back, bikini-and-coverup clad. I had on the usual one piece and and oversized T-shirt.
"Iggy and Tess will be here later," Ella called to us. I nodded. "We've given up on trying to get them up before noon." I informed Nick, flip-flops slapping as we made our way up the dock toward aforementioned boat. He nodded slightly, still taking in the lake and the boat. I gestured for him to come over.
"Here," I said, hoisting the cooler into the boat. "Gimme the skis, I'll shove them in the back."
"I've got it," he said, and attempted to get into the boat. 'Attempted' being the key word.
The boat floated away from where he had put his foot, and there were a few seconds of his legs becoming gradually further apart before he finally fell in with a huge splash. I burst out laughing when he surfaced, soaking wet.
"Oh my lord- the look on your face. Oh, you're so ticked. I wish I could get a picture of this right now. This is priceless."
He glared at me. "You knew that would happen. You planned it."
"Hey," I responded, shrugging. "I offered to take the skis."
Speaking of the skis, they had made it across and were now sitting in the lap of a giggling Ella.
"Do we have the tubes?" Mom asked. I nodded.
"I think they're in the shed for when Iggy and Tess get here." I replied.
I sat down next to Ella, and Nick sat down next to me.
"So, we're kneeboarding now?" he asked.
"Yeah. Iggy can't do it because, you, know he's blind and stuff, and Tess sucks so much she vowed to never do it again."
"That bad, huh?"
"She sprained her wrist. I didn't even know it was possible to do that kneeboarding until she did it."
"Should I be concerned for my safety?"
"Unless you're a total klutz like Tess, then probably not."
He nodded.
"Alright, kiddies!" Mom called over the din of the engine. "Let's go!"
The boat pulled out of the dock and we made our way slowly through the little cluster of houses and out into the more open part of the lake, where we sped up.
"Just so you know, the 'No Wake' buoys are anchored to the ground. If you try to hijack them, then you will fall off of the jet ski." I informed Nick. He stared at me.
"Something tells me this is not hypothetical."
"Something is right," I replied, rubbing where I had bruised my arm that day. That had not been one of my better ideas.
"Here you go, Max." Mom called, slowing. It was my favorite place to kneeboard, where the ferry came through once an hour and left huge wake that made for great kneeboarding.
"Yes!" I said, grabbing my navy and white kneeboard. It was a really good one, with padding and everything.
I yanked off the T-shirt and jumped off the back of the boat and into the water. It was unseasonably warm, considering it was late August, and felt REALLY good. Ella tossed me the rope, and and lay on the board on my belly, hooking the handle onto the notch on the front of the board. I gave Mom a thumbs-up to go ahead, and the boat went froth slowly.
As the boat got faster, I put my weight on my legs, leaning back so I wouldn't nosedive. When we were going fast enough that the board seemed pretty solid beneath me, I quickly pulled myself up, tucking my legs underneath me, unhooked the rope and tightened the knee strap across my thighs in one fluent motion. I felt like such a pro. My knees took all the stress of the waves, so it hurt at first, but I got used to it.
"Go backward!" Ella mouthed from where she was perched on the back of the boat. I nodded, and Nick watched me with interest.
I turned the dial to withdraw the fins, then re-gripped the handle underhandedly and twisted around. Now my back was facing them and my hair whipped around my face. I stayed that way for a few moments, grinning in exhilaration, the twisted back around. I shifted my weight toward my left leg and skimmed over the water, going over the crest of the boat's wake and now coasting over the rougher waters. My teeth chattered in my mouth and bit my tongue painfully, but I was determined. I hadn't done this in a while, but I could pull it off.
I glided over toward the wake, finally flicking upward when I got to the crest so that I caught the energy of the wave. I was airborne for a few precious moments, then landed clumsily back inside the wake. Ella cheered, and Nick looked impressed.
I gestured to Mom that I was done, so she slowed down. I slid my legs out from under my and hooked the handle back onto the board, pulling myself toward the boat with the rope.
"Beat that!" I yelled to Nick, and he donned a doubtful expression.
"Somehow, I doubt that I could. Tell me the basics."
"Well," I replied, pushing my soaking hair out of my eyes, "it's pretty simple. When you're going fast enough that the board seems firm under you, pull your knees up, unhook the handle, and tighten the knee strap. Make sure you're leaning backwards, or you'll nosedive, and trust me, that is NOT fun. To turn, just shift your weight, but I wouldn't advise doing anything more complicated than that your first time. When you're done, flick your hand. Mom'll get the message. And... I think that's pretty much it."
Nick digested this.
"Will I just use your board?"
"Nope, it's way too complicated for your wee little brain. Use Ella's. It's right here."
I passed him the bright pink-and-black board, and he looked at me doubtfully.
"Really, Max? Pink?"
"Don't blame me, blame Ella."
He turned to glare at Ella, who smiled apologetically. I laughed.
"Just get in the water, newbie," I said. He eyed the water disdainfully.
"That looks cold." he replied.
"Fine, we'll do it the hard way," I replied exasperatedly, then shoved him into the water.
He surfaced, then glared at me. "You couldn't have pushed me unless you had caught me by surprise." he said matter-of-factly, sputtering.
"Oh, I'm so sure," I said sarcastically, tossing him the rope. "Glad I surprised you then, right, Mr. I'm-so-macho-but-I-can't-stand-cold-water?"
"This is where the conversation ends," he said, gesturing to Mom to start the boat, which she did obediently. I stuck my tongue out at him.
"Mature, Max. Really mature." he called to me over the din of the boat.
"Yeah, I know." I yelled back. He rolled his eyes.
Now, the boat was picking up speed. Nick seemed to notice this, and he pulled is legs up, grabbed the handle, and tightened his strap. As an afterthought, he started to lean backward.
"This is gonna be a fail," I muttered under my breath, and Ella nodded.
"Yep," she said cheerily. "But it'll sure be entertaining."
I looked at her appreciatively. "It's times like these when I can accept that you are my sister."
Actually, Nick was doing pretty good. It looked like he was cussing like a sailor in his head, but his face adopted a determined expression. God, I hope he didn't do something stupid.
Now he was adjusting his grip and spinning, getting ready to- and that was the aforementioned stupid thing.
That moron had charmingly neglected to turn the dial, withdrawing the fins, so the board was now bucking, trying to keep form spinning. Nick's hands slipped free of the handhold, and the board skittered across the water for a few moment before finally tipping and dumping Nick unceremoniously into the water.
He popped up after a second looking irritated. I snickered.
"What did I do?" he yelled, frustrated.
"You seem to have neglected to withdraw the fins," I called back. He cursed under his breath.
"Knew I was missing something," he mumbled. Mom double the boat around, and he shoved the board on the back, then came up on the ladder.
"On three, Ella," I called. "One, two, three-"
"FAIL!" we chorused. He glared.
"Shut up."