Jessica seriously thinks she’s all that because she got invited onto somebody’s boat last weekend. One boat. One. Meanwhile, I’ve spent basically my entire life being invited to places. I don’t even mean that in a mean way. It’s just true. People are always texting me about parties, dinners, beach days, bonfires, random events, and honestly half the time I don’t even know who organized them. Mom says I should be more humble. I am humble. I just happen to also be correct. Anyway, today I was at the marina because Dad thought it would be “good experience” for me to learn how to drive one of the speedboats.

Apparently rich people are supposed to know how to do things like that. I showed up looking cute, which I feel is important to mention because nobody appreciates how hard it is to look effortless. The boat itself was gorgeous. White leather seats, shiny chrome everywhere, and that clean lake smell mixed with sunscreen and gasoline.

Everything was perfect until I actually had to make the thing move. The second I pushed the throttle forward, the whole boat surged across the water. I wasn’t expecting it. At all. The engine growled underneath me and the vibration traveled through the floor so suddenly that I almost dropped my sunglasses into the lake. Not my best moment. Water sprayed up the sides while the boat bounced across the surface and I kept trying to correct it. Which only made it worse. Every time I thought I had everything under control, the boat would jerk again and I’d immediately overreact. Story of my life, honestly.

Meanwhile Mr. Hayes looked completely unbothered. He kept reminding me to relax and stop forcing everything. Easy for him to say. He’s not the one trying to maintain perfect hair while being attacked by wind at thirty miles per hour. Eventually I loosened up a little. Not because he was right. Because he wasn’t. Mostly. But somehow the boat started responding better. The steering felt smoother, the movement stopped surprising me, and suddenly I was gliding across the water like I’d been doing it forever. Which is exactly how things should be. I learn fast. By the end, the lake looked like glass and I almost didn’t want to go back to shore. Almost. I still had pictures to take.

And unlike Jessica, I actually have standards.