"Now isn't this nice?" he said. "No!" I cried.
"As the rope tightens, tighten your legs and stand up. When you're up, relax your legs. Think of them as springs and go with the bounce. Don't fight it, and don't lean forward. Let the boat do the work.
"She's ready!" he cried.
My heart was pounding. Roger moved the boat forward, and I felt the pressure.
"Lean back!" Wally screamed,
I tried, but I went forward instead and fell on my face. The rope was ripped out of my fingers. I swallowed some salt water and coughed and choked. Wally was at my side,
"You've got to lean back and let the boat do the work, and you didn't tighten your legs and stand."
It was going too fast."
"No," he said. "It has to move at least that fast." They brought the boat around again.
"You get only three chances," Phoebe said. "If you don't stand after three, you're the gofer for the day."
"What's that?"
"You go for anything we ask you to get, and you do anything we ask you to do," she replied.
"Here we go again." Wally said, setting me up.
The boat started away. This time I held on a lot better and actually started to stand, but I leaned too far to the left and fell again. I held on to the rope too long and at dragged a little. However. I kept my mouth closed and didn't swallow any water.
I bobbed and waited until the boat came around,
"Three strikes and you're out." Phoebe warned.
"Oh, she nee... need, need, needs more of a chance," Randy said.
You want to be next?" Phoebe snapped at him.
"No."
"So shut up. Get her ready, Wally."
"I'm on it," he said. His hands were on my rear end again, only this time they were sliding in between my legs. I tried to wiggle free of him. He laughed, and then the boat went forward. I held on tightly, stiffened my legs, and rose out of the water. I was standing and skiing. I know I didn't look too good because I was falling forward and then pulling back. but I was going, and it was exciting.
When Roger sped up. I felt my heart leap out of my chest. It frightened me. and I let go of the handle. I sank slowly into the water, the rope and the handle bouncing on the waves, but I did feel successful.
They brought the boat around faster. Phoebe glared down at me. "Why did you let go?"
"You were going too fast. I couldn't keep up." I said.
"She's, she's ri... right," Randy said. "She needs to go slower fir... fir..."
"Oh shut up," Phoebe said. "We don't have all day to waste on her. Get in the boat." she ordered. "Wally."
He was right behind me, pushing up on my rear. It made me move faster and slip over the edge.
"That wasn't bad," Posy told me. "For the first time."
"It was pathetic," Phoebe said.
"Why don't you go next and show me how it's done?" I asked her.