I can already feel myself calming down, a preview of the peace I know is coming. I haul myself onto the lemon and teal inner tube, my cousin Lexi into the bright red. I lay on my stomach across the top of it, so my legs stretch over the side, my toes almost skim the surface of the lake behind me. We both give the thumbs up to our cousins in the boat, signaling that we are ready.
The little speed boat’s engine starts up, slowly at first, then faster. The long ropes connecting our tubes to the boat straighten out, then stretch taut. We drag along behind the boat, gaining speed as it does.  Surf from the boat flies up into our faces, and the wind is frigid, almost stinging. My hair flies into my eyes and smacks wetly against my cheeks. I am grinning so hard it almost hurts.
Yet my mind is so quiet. I usually think about a million things at once, grabbing onto images and feelings and ideas for perusal and reflection later. But now, there is nothing, no words. There is only this. I whoop, relishing the feeling I have been anticipating all day. It figures I would find tranquility hanging on for dear life off the back of a beat-up raft. 
Turbulence from a boat passing us makes my tube jolt up and down. The quick motion somehow plants my face in the icy water.  I come back up, spluttering and gasping, and Lexi, bumping into me with her tube, laughs. From how stupid I look, from or sheer delight, I do not know. I ram her back, almost knocking her off. A cheer from Will, Lexi’s brother, back in the boat, comes in response. 
Chad drives the boat harder, making donuts and sharp hairpin turns, trying to knock us both off.  Water slaps against my skin. I grip tighter, and the rough cloth of the handles digs into my hands.  I ram Lexi again; I have every intention of winning this. I will not be knocked off first. Lexi careens sharply to the side. The side of her tube rises dangerously, beginning to tip over. She throws her weight, managing to keep on.
In retaliation, she swerves close to me again, and grabs the handle of my tube so we are right alongside each other. She holds my tube close during a sharp turn, preventing me from being able to lean the way I need to, to stay on. I kick her away again, holding onto just one handle.
“B****!”
Lexi shouts her laugh and shoots me a metal grin.
I right myself on the jolting tube as Chad makes another neck-break turn. I keep my mouth shut, not wanting to bite off my own tongue. From the corner of my eye, I see Lex doing the same.
Several minutes pass before I spot my chance. Slow and quiet as a whisper, I steer my tube closer to my doomed cousin. Lexi is too focused on avoiding a large wave to notice.  Once close enough, I hook my foot under the edge of her tube and kick up. I only manage to bounce her the first time and the second. On the last kick, I tip the side of her raft just far enough that gravity does the rest of the work.
Lexi falls into the water of the lake with a cracking, crashing sound. A belly flop. When her head pops back up, she is right next to me. She spits lake water into my face. That’s Lexi. Vengeful thing. My eyes are streaming and I am choking, trying to get the water out of my mouth. I clout her on the back of the head. We are both snorting, laughing so hard.