Free Interstellar Pig by William Sleator

I began. Then I saw that Joe had picked up one of the windsurfers and was carrying it toward the car. I began to have an idea. "Except that, well, maybe there is something you could do. . . ."
    "What is it, Barney? A salve? An anesthetic? I know! I have some marvelous painkillers. They're in my drawer, somewhere." She turned toward the house.
    "No, nothing like that," I said quickly. "But there is something I would like."
    "Yeah?" she said, her voice becoming businesslike. "Out with it." "Uh, Zena, we're kind of in a hurry," Manny said, edging away from us.
    "It's those windsurfers. I've always dreamed of going on one of them, ever since I first saw one," I lied. The idea of putting my body on one of the contraptions seemed as much fun as jumping out of an airplane. "Could you, maybe, take me for a ride? That would be great!"
    "Certainly, Barney," she said briskly. "We're going out to the island today, but we could take you out tomorrow. We borrowed them for a couple of days." "Oh, I'd love to go out to the island!" I said. "Couldn't I go with you today?"
    "Today? You want to go out to the island with us today?" Frowning, she glanced over at the others, who had finished loading the boards into the car. "Gee, Barney, that might kind of helix up our plans."
    "Oh, please," I said, hating to beg, but seeing no alternative. "Ever since we came here, I've been staring out at the island and wishing I could sail out there. It would just mean so much. And . . . and tomorrow I can't go."
    She looked impatient now.
    Manny seemed worried. "But we really couldn't, could we?" he said, turning his head back and forth between me and Joe.
    They didn't want me on the island because they didn't want me to know they were looking for something there. Which meant that my best tactic was to make them think they were safer taking me along than leaving me behind. . . .
    "If you can't go tomorrow, we'll take you out the next day," Joe was saying. "We'll take you out all day, every day, for the next week. But today won't manage. See you later."
    "We're in a hurry now, Barney," Zena said. "And with that burn you can't go out today anyway."
    "Yes, I can," I said, thinking fast. "Dad did ask me if I wanted to go with them on Ted's motorboat. We can follow you and watch you with his super-powerful binoculars all day. That might be fun."
    "What!" Manny cried.
    There was a brief stunned silence, during which they all watched each other. Then Zena said, "Well, on twice thought, uh . . . Do you think . . . could we attempt it, Joe?"
    Now Manny was smirking at her. "Zena and her clever little gambits," he said and rolled his eyes.
    "Shut up, Manny!" Joe said. But he was glaring at Zena too. Then he coughed and smiled weakly in my direction, playing with his mustache. "You didn't inform them we were going to the island, did you?"
    "How could I? I didn't know. But now I'll tell them. We can all go out to the island with you. They said they'd take me anywhere I wanted."
    "Well . . . perhaps you could come with us, Barney. If we hurry," Joe said.
    "You win, Barney," Zena said, sour and ungracious and also somewhat suspicious. "Since it's so terribly important to you." She turned abruptly away. "Come on, vamos!"
    "Who's he going to ride with?" Manny asked.
    "Not me," Zena said. "My board's too small."
    "Well, not me, either," Manny said. "I'm so bad at it anyway. A passenger would slow me down. I'd never even get there."
    "Joe should take him," Zena announced. "He's the best one at, uh . . . aquatic activities. Confess it, Joe."
    "That's right," Manny said. "Joe's the best. He should take him."
    "Hey, now wait a minute," Joe protested. "How did all this . . . ?" He looked at me, shaking his head as though trying to come up with another excuse to get rid of me. Then he grunted. "Sure, I'll take him," he said, sliding into the driver's seat and slamming the door. He shot a glance at Manny and Zena. "Even with a passenger, I'll still be miles ahead of you two."
    We