Jessica and I stab the ends of our paddle into the river.

Left, right, left, right.

With the current’s guidance, we float down the clear, cold river.

A mustard yellow blur enters the sight of my peripheral vision-

Jessica’s Frito bag.

She begins to to steer towards the piece of trash

next to the the bluffs.

“ No paddle the other way, we are going to smash into the rocks!” I shriek.

She doesn't listen.

I try my hardest to steer the boat in the opposite direction,

but my noodle arms don’t cooperate.

Does she want to hit the wall of stone?

The rapids fill the pack with water,

which propel the bag bobbing by our kayak.

Jessica snatches the bag from the stream.

BANG!

We hit the edge of built up rubble

and spin backwards.

The kayak starts to sway and my heart starts to flutter.

We are going to flip.

I steady my weight in the middle as

Jessica giggles, and I roll my eyes.

“Left, left, right” I bellow in attempt to turn around.

“ No it’s right, left, right!” Jessica argues.

We paddle our own ways,

and we drive into the shallow rocks.

The bank of pebbles pauses our journey down the long, river.

Now, we are behind the others.

My stomach howls, and my head aches from commands.

Never again will I ride in a kayak with Jessica Pritchett.