Page 35 of Places We've Never Been

As our tubes spread across the river, they reminded me of the game Frogger. A classic. I tried to think of variations of that game that hadn’t been done. But after a while, I gave up and relaxed back into my tube, trying to let go of my irritation with Ezra.

The journey was scenic as we were carried through canyons and by trees that seemed like they wanted to be in the river, too, with the way their roots crawled down the banks, dipping their branchy toes into the water.

The sun beat down on my shoulders and I laid my headback, letting my hair drape over the edge and into the water. I must’ve closed my eyes because after a while they snapped open as a jolt jerked me upright. I had collided into a stranger’s tube.

“Sorry,” I said.

“No problem,” the guy said, flashing me a smile. He looked around my age with dark hair and friendly eyes.

I waited for the water to send us apart again, but instead it was like our tubes had been glued together in the collision. I tried to paddle away but made no progress.

“This isn’t awkward at all,” I said.

He laughed. “You here alone?”

I nodded behind us. “No. I got separated from my group.”

“Welcome to the Oliveras family,” a woman on the other endsaid.

I smiled her way. “Wow, you take new members so easily.”

“The river forces us all to make friends.”

“We can’t disappoint the river,” I said, even as I was begging the river to send me on my way. Up ahead were some small rapids, where we would probably pick up speed.

“Here,” I said. “Maybe if I shove off your tube.”

“Maybe if we both kick off each other’s?” he suggested.

“Yeah, let’s try that.” We each placed our feet on the side of the other’s tube. “One, two, three.” I gave a hard push, but his shove must’ve been twice as hard because my tube toppled over backward, flipping me.

The cold water shocked me as I went under with a scream and then popped back up again right as we hit the rapids. My tube was launched ahead, and I knew it was pointless to chaseafter it because in seconds it had traveled halfway to the bend ahead.

“Here.” The guy reached out and I grabbed hold of his hand. He dragged me closer and I clung to the side of his tube. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I needed to pee anyway.”

“Um…”

“I’m totally kidding.”This is why you don’t have a boyfriend, Norah.As my tube rounded the corner ahead, I sighed.

“What’s your name?” he asked, obviously realizing he was stuck with me.

“I’m Norah.”

“I’m Ty.”

I did not want to spend the next hour and fifteen minutes clinging to the side of some stranger’s tube, even if I did know his name. And even if now that I was much closer to him, I saw just how cute he was—golden brown skin, thick lashes, toned abs. Willow would love this; she knew how to talk to strangers. “Where are you guys from?”

“Arizona,” he said. “You?”

“California,” I answered.

“Oh, nice. Beaches.”

“Not really. We’re right in the middle of the state. So more like farmland.”

“Oh.”