I was never very good at first impressions. My uncle’s friend had suggested a kayaking club, and today was my first day. I’d been warned that most of the members would be older. My uncle had told me that everyone would be supportive, but I was still nervous that I would be treated like a child. I had been kayaking with my uncle in the mountains every summer since I was 6, and I figured I had as much skill as any of the other members. Now 17, tall and skinny, my skin was accustomed to the cool wash of moving water, and the gentle sting of splashing waves.

	I parked my green van in the lot and walked into the boathouse. Right off the bat, I realized I was extremely out of place. There I was, standing in a surfer’s shirt and swim trunks, as 23 people in fancy wet suits stared at me.
      “Hi.” I said timidly. “I’m Jake.”
      Deciding that I was of no importance, the people went back to talking. I sat down in the corner, seething. It wasn’t my problem that I didn’t have enough spare money to afford a wet suit. My family was never very wealthy, but we lived just as happily. That was what mattered, right?
	To escape my discomfort, I reviewed today’s course in my head. This river was a level 4, only one level above my usual skill. I looked around, relieved to find that several other people also looked nervous. One man, stout and well-built but older looking, with thick glasses and a big beard, was nervously shifting from foot to foot. Level 4’s were not easy. A woman who was obviously the leader interrupted my thinking. “Hello! Welcome to another great day outside. Today we are going to Razorback River, a level 4. Remember, if you feel that you may not be secure with this challenge, you can leave at any time. Don’t forget to pick up a first aid kit on the way out, and have fun!”
      We begrudgingly hauled ourselves up and headed for the door. The bearded man stayed behind, twiddling his thumbs anxiously.
      I decided to try to make a friend. “Hey. I’m Jake. What’s your name?” I asked him.
      “Tom.” He mumbled.
      “Nervous?”
      He murmured a reply before grunting and glaring at me as he hastily walked away. I sighed. So much for that idea. Grabbing a first aid kit, I walked out back into the sun.
	
      The morning’s sleepiness was immediately washed away by the cold of the water as I launched my kayak. It felt good to be floating on water again, like it was my home territory. I was right in the middle of the group, surrounded on all sides. I noticed Tom to my right. Upon making eye contact, he grunted then pushed off a rock and shot down the river. What did he have against me? I reviewed the path in my head. The river rushed through a twisting gully for a little while before reaching the first of two waterfalls. The first waterfall was short, and the rocks at the bottom were small, so it would be no problem. However, the second fall would be tricky.
	Pushing myself off rocks, steering, and leaning, I successfully navigated my way through the gully. I was keeping up with everybody else just fine. Pleased with myself, I relaxed a little with the paddling. Bad mistake! Taking a bounce off a wave, my nose sliced into the water. Paddling frantically, I managed to keep my trajectory away from the sharp rocks. Swerving around a corner, I noticed the rock ridge disappear behind me. I cursed under my breath. I had arrived at the top of the waterfall. Helpless, I spun off the edge, bracing.
	Cold water splashed up in a sort of geyser around me. The nose of my kayak went in first, practically straight down. I leaned back, trying to right myself, but to no avail. The light nose of my kayak bounced back up, and I went airborne for a moment. And then I landed with a thump on a flat rock near the center of the river.
	“D*** it!” I yelled. A few other people got washed up on the shores and I shot them weary smiles. They smiled back.
      I noticed Angry Tom coming down behind me, and decided to make one more attempt to connect. Maybe saving me would make him feel more superior and friendly. I stuck out my paddle looking expectantly at the bearded man.
	“Is little Jake-y stuck? Awwwww,” Angry Tom mocked as he went past, whacking my paddle out of the way. I gritted my teeth a little. Luckily, the next kayaker was friendly and grabbed tightly on to my paddle. Working together, we scooted my kayak off the side of the rock.
      “Thanks a lot!” I said.
      He replied, “No problem,” before moving on.
      I paddled hard to catch up with the group. Going fast now, reckless, I was swept down the gushing torrent. From here to the next obstacle, it was a straight path, save for the occasional rock. Looking down the river, I could just see the rest of the group. Still going incredibly fast, I dodged around rocks and logs with practiced skill. The small colorful dots that were the rest of the group grew closer and closer, and before I knew it, I had caught up.
      The next challenge arrived soon after I caught up: a series of small pools, all littered with plenty of rocks. Slowing myself down, I mimicked the others pushing myself from rock to rock. This wasn’t too hard, I told myself. I followed exactly the path of the others, staying safe. Occasionally, I would miss a rock, but my paddle would catch it on my way past, and from there I could push on safely. It wasn’t until the last pool that I encountered a problem.
      I watched attentively as the people in front of me took one path through. But something in my brain was unsettled. Then I noticed it. Off to the opposite side, Stinky Tom was following a very narrow path between two large groups of rocks. There, the water was moving fast. If I could successfully position myself in that chute, I could shoot ahead of everyone else. It was risky, but I was confident.
      Reaching that pool, I pushed off towards Stinky Tom. The rocks were flat and easy to push off, and before I knew it I had made it to the final rock. Stopping myself, I held onto the rock. Stinky Tom was a few steps ahead, almost out. It didn’t look easy. Calming myself, I pushed off.
      I pushed off, shooting through an opening between two rocks. Stinky Tom called at me from where he was stuck on a rock, but I ignored him. I realized I was heading towards a rock, and I would have to adjust my momentum. Sticking out my paddle, I pushed off a rock, turning me towards the right. My push was not hard enough, and the rock came closer and closer.
      However, the impact never came. Many years of water smashing into the rock had dug a hole just before the rock, creating a trough in the water surface. My kayak nose dipped in, and came out with a wave of water in front of it. And then, instead of hitting the rock, my kayak gracefully slid on the water past the rock. I shot off down the river.
      Finally, the water calmed down, and my kayak slowed down. I grabbed my water bottle and energy bar and took a rest, following the rest of the people. A few of them gave me little friendly comments. I noticed the guy that had helped me from the first waterfall and told him “Nice job!” He smiled. Then I noticed Nasty Tom paddling towards me. I grunted as he began to speak.
      “Remember little boy, there’s a big waterfall coming up next. Do you want to get out?” He pointed at the shore, smiling.
      “No thank you.” I said. “On the contrary I might extend the same invitation to you, Stinkbeard, as I noticed you struggling a little bit at the pools.” He tensed, and I braced for a blistering comeback, but he thought better of it. The other kayakers began to head towards the opening back into the rushing river. He turned around quickly and paddled off.
      I pondered how I was going to deal with the next part. It was a larger waterfall, a little bigger than I had done before, and right after the landing, the river narrowed drastically. I had to control the landing, then steer myself quickly into position. Confident, I brought my mind back to the current rapids. Splashing past here, pushing past there, I slipped comfortably through the river. The splashes of water sparkled, catching the sun for a moment, before splashing onto nearby rocks. Water droplets pattered my face, cooling me from the afternoon sun. I could do this all day, every day, I thought.
      Suddenly, I felt weightless. Had I reached the waterfall already? I looked down, and the sudden narrowing of the river confirmed my suspicions. I quickly bent down and held up my paddle, preparing for the landing. Everything went dark and wet as I plunged down into the base of the waterfall. As I came back up, I smiled, realizing that I had landed correctly this time. Instead of bouncing back out, the front end of my kayak slid slowly to the surface. With a few quick strokes with the paddle, I was perfectly aligned with the narrow passage, and I was quickly swept in. “Well, that wasn’t too bad, was it?” I said to myself, though my voice was drowned out by the constant roaring of the waterfall behind me. Patting my kayak on its side, I congratulated it for its good work. However, my happiness was rudely interrupted yet again.
	Lost in my pride in successfully surviving the waterfall, I had forgotten that the waterfall was not the last trick this river had in store. There was a rapid turn followed by a very small waterfall that led into a dangerous maze of unexpected rapids and rocks; there was only one safe path, which was right down the middle. This part was so difficult that some people went to shore, not wishing to risk their lives and their kayaks. I didn’t have that chance. Only my reaction time saved me.
      I plunged my paddle into the water, pushing with all my strength against the current. I made a quick decision to go for the middle, though if I missed, I would be poorly prepared to dodge rocks. I would have to take that risk. Like a rally car on a sharp corner, my kayak slid along the river. The river had the reins now, I could hardly use my paddle. I watched hopefully as my kayak slid into the center. Would I make it? With a scratch, my kayak stopped. I was stuck.
      Then I realized a big problem. My kayak was slowly rotating around. If I let it continue moving like now, I would get pitched backwards into the tricky area. I began to paddle forwards in a last ditch effort to hit the center. Regardless, I was sliding slowly backwards.
      A splash behind me notified me that someone was coming past. I looked back and noticed Old Tom. He was coming around on my left, attempting to make his way into the center, though I could already tell that he would not make it. And then I realized something. If I were to lean forward and grab his kayak, his momentum would turn my kayak back into the correct direction and I might be able to make it. The only downside was that I would allow him free passage into the path. I contemplated my options. Either we would both miss the middle, and I would get propelled backwards into the rocks, or I would help him, Angry Stinky Nasty Old Tom, get into the center path. With a resigned sigh, I decided to help him out.
      Time seemed to go at half-speed as he came by at my left. I placed my paddle down, pinning it against the kayak with my torso and flung my weight forward, grabbing for the side of his kayak. Surprised, he jumped, before realizing my plan. I thought I saw a genuine smile on his face as he scooted towards me to help out. The scoot did the trick, and I closed my fingers around a hard plastic edge.
      “YOW!” I exclaimed as I was violently yanked forward. Regardless, I still held on. He slid in, and then my new momentum dislodged me and sent me down after him.
      As we arrived at the livery, there was a small crowd of people that had skipped the hard part. They clapped respectfully as we pulled in. As we stepped out from our kayaks, Tom approached me with a beaming smile on his face. He stopped before me and stuck out his hand.
      “Thanks a lot for that help there. I didn’t deserve it. I guess I was just scared of looking stupid.” The crowd laughed a little. I stopped and stared at his hand. Should I decide to trash my grudge and forge a friendship, or keep my grudge, and just ignore him? After a pause, I took his hand and shook it.
      “Glad to help.” The crowd clapped enthusiastically and I smiled, most proud of myself inside.



Torrent, 6-8, Page 1