I'M ON A BOAT!

"You should just try it. It's not that cold. I'll do it with you!" One would think I would need more of an argument to strip down to my bra & underwear and jump off a small boat into the freezing water at Millsite.

My moment of insanity happened when he took my hand & we jumped.

Another Friday night at home w/my parents watching another random movie that dad picked out from Variety Video. Receiving a text from Weston hours beforehand, I decided to actually hangout w/him. After the annoying game of phone tag, he came in his red jeep. Since our days at SRJH, the adventures of Sponge bob (Weston) & Patrick Star (me) included: going on lots of "unofficial dates," going to Prom together then saying goodbye for 2 years while he served an LDS mission.

At the infamous Grants I learned (to my surprise) we were going to a Millsite bomb fire, which I'd never condescend to attend & Weston never would have even been invited to while in High School. Promising Weston that I would be his wing man, as the night progressed I realized how degrading it is to go from unattainable girl he crushed on to wing man. So I jumped at the first chance to get away from Weston's womanizing ways to go trolling. (In Emery, it's no surprise that trolling is something people would do) "Trolling" for those like me who wouldn't know what it is, is casting a fishing line while out on a boat then cruise around WAITING for fish to take the bait & bite. Dane, Landon, Chad & I trolled & it was pretty useless, not catching or seeing any fish in the dark. Apparently, all of them have caught fish every single time they had trolled. Dane, the driver of the boat, stopped & started to ramble about skinny dipping. Completely, unaware of how serious he was. I was so annoyed that he was still talking. I reassured him that all of us there wouldn't look if he jumped in. Thankfully, he kept his briefs on. I was in an awkward spot being the closest to him. I didn't look at him! Even though it was dark & it took him FOREVER to jump, I was fascinated by the turn of events. I had to encourage him to jump in so he would be in the water instead of a few feet away from me. As he jumped he received applause & cheers from his fellow passengers. Turning back around as Dane skillfully & smoothly climbed back into the boat.

"It's not that cold, you guys should try it!" Landon & Chad both quickly denied Dane's invite. As for me, I couldn't believe he actually did it. Amazed at the stupidity of his actions, I hesitated answering. I couldn't comprehend what had happened. I actually envied him for a split second. Then I started to think, if Dane did it I could do it! Having this constant obsession to outdo people, I shouted, "I have been so sheltered," as I took off my wrapped tied wedges. Stunned, all of the boys, who looked away when Dane took off his clothes & jumped in, stared at me in astonishment. The hardest moment for me was not jumping in, but the seconds before removing my well-thought out outfit. It's just like having a swimming suit on & it's dark, I told myself. I stood there looking into the water deciding if I wanted to get wet and be cold the whole night. Landon assured me that I could use his jacket if worse came to worse.

"I'm not cold anymore. I'll even jump with you!" Dane said, as he grabbed my hand. Once I make up my mind there's no turning back. Dane counted it off "1, 2, 3!" I stepped back pulling him back with my hand. "Wait, okay, go!" "1, 2, 3!" There I was in my underwear, holding Dane's hand (still wet and in his underwear) as I jumped off a boat into the freezing lake with an audience of 2 Emery boys watching. The chill of water, sent shivers up my spine. The biggest rush I had ever felt. Screaming as I swam up for air, the echoes of my accomplishment was heard by Weston as well as the other Emery kids warm by the fire. I couldn't believe I did it. Dane quickly got back into the boat as all three boys got up to help me back in which is harder then what Dane made it look like. I scraped my knee and bruised my other leg as I was pulled back into the boat. As we put our clothes back on, I felt a sense of connectedness. Before, I had never would have guessed I would have shared a liberating experience with him. Dane overwhelmed me w/high fives & his admiration. I felt I conquered the world, well at least Emery County. A part of me wanted to crush those BYU jokes and comments made earlier by everyone there.

As soon as I got back to land consequences caught up to me. I chugged down a whole can of mountain dew*when I drink mountain dew crazy things happen. Not my choice of drink, but it always is w/Weston. I had the worse stomach ache of my life. It was so painful, not only enduring the rest of the hicks sharing their stories around the bomb fire, but having to listen to Weston trying to pick up on a girl. For about 2 hours I sat there unable to move to leave or get away from Weston. More and more super super seniors came & finally about 12:30pm people decided to leave. 8 of us got on to that same boat almost sinking it. Thankfully, Weston journeyed through the dark to grab his jacket for me, because I was all wet. Sitting next to a boy nicknamed Red (for redneck) I watched Weston guide our boat safely all the way back to the other end of the lake. If it couldn't get any worse I endured a car ride w/that girl & her cousin, HE DIDN'T even ask her out! I suffered, trying to be a good wing man letting him talk his next victim around the campfire as I was dying from caffeine. To make it up to me, Weston played & sang some Taylor Swift songs that can be described as painful making me laugh hurting my stomach more. As we arrived to my house, all I wanted to do was to run into my house and chug some alca seltzer. Always the gentleman, he made me wait so he could open my door. I had never gotten into my house so fast closing the door as I heard Weston, apologizing & telling me to call him tomorrow. Truthfully, only w/Weston do random things happen...

"Take this moment capture it, remember it. I don't know how it gets better than this, take my hand & drag me head first FEARLESS!"-Taylor Swift