With a gasp I sit up in my bed, panting harshly. The voices. My hand roughly rubs my face. I glance at the clock. 6:12. I still have at least an hour before I have to be up for school. With a sigh, I haul myself to my feet and trudge shirtless into the kitchen. There's no way I'm going back to bed after that nightmare. Lost in my thoughts, I almost run into the countertop.

"Tank, you're up!" my mother exclaims as I walk up behind her.

"You okay?" She asks wrapping me in a brief hug. I shrug stiffly and glance toward the coffee maker. She hugs me roughly again and hands me a coffee mug. I smile a little in thanks. She quickly grabs me again in another bone-crushing hug.

"I can't believe you're a senior," she whispers against my neck. With a ruffle of my hair she lets me go. I sigh softly and watch as she grabs her purse and leaves for work. With another sigh, I begin my daily routine before school. Forty-five minutes later I have my black backpack saddled and my motorcycle started. Without a thought, I take off in the direction of my best friend, Leonna's house. In ten minutes I am standing on her front porch waiting for someone to open the door.

"Oh Tank, look at you!" her mother, Mrs. Johnson exclaims flinging open the door. Grinning, she leads me into the house. My breath hitches when I see Leonna come down the stairs. I quickly shut down those thoughts and smile a little at her. Before I can blink, she leaps the last three stairs and wraps me in a super tight hug around the neck.

"Thank god you're okay," she whispers. I smirk a little. "I didn't see you all summer and thought the worst!"

"God, you're so dramatic," I tell her, while she's still in my arms. She fake glares at me and shoves me a little. With that, we say goodbye to her parents and head out the door. She stops a little short of my bike. Her lip tucks under her teeth.

"What?" I ask over the engine. She still gives me that tentative look. Our eyes lock for a few tense moments.

"Arayna," she finally mutters in response. I roll my eyes at the mention of my girlfriend and grab her hand. Ignoring my thudding heart, I wrap her arm around my waist. Her other arm slowly follows. Once she's settled and a helmet rests over her head, I speed off toward the school. I laugh every time she screams. When we finally reach Magma Falls High School, Leonna looks about ready to pass out.

"You okay?" I tease as we walk up to the front doors. She glares a little and sticks her tongue out. I smile a little as I watch her walk into the building on her own.

As usual the teachers are all full of BS when it comes to their goals for the school year. My fellow classmates and I get the usual "senior year" mantra as well. I can tell already it's gonna be a great year. [insert sarcasm here.]

It isn't until lunch time that something actually interesting happens. As I'm heading toward the lunch room, my phone goes off in my back pocket. I sigh a little and go to answer it without looking at the caller id.

"Hello?"

"Hey, baby. Listen, I know you're in school but do you have a moment?"

I look up from the floor and notice Leonna staring at me. She smiles at me and follows me out one of the doors near by leading outside.

"Yeah, I can talk what's up?" I ask my mother, leaning against the building. Out of the corner of my eye, Leonna follows suit.

"Tank, listen. I know it's not the best time, but I thought you should know ahead of time."

"Sam, just tell me what's going on!" Leonna jumps a little at my outburst.

"Tank, it's your father." My mouth goes dry. It takes me several beats to recover. Leonna looks up at me in concern.

"He better be dead," I snarl. My whole body starts to shake. My heads swims with panicked thoughts.

"Tank. . ."

"Tell me he's dead goddammit!"

"Tank, he's here. He's here on the-" I hang up the phone. With a scream of rage, I throw my fist into the wall behind me. Leonna jumps and backs up a little. Her dark blue eyes are pleading with me to calm down.

"Tank-" Leonna starts to say. Her hand gently grabs my bicep.

"Just shut up for a moment!" I yell, twisting out of her grasp. I refuse to meet eyes. Growling, I throw my fist into the wall again. Blood runs down my knuckles but I ignore it. He's here. He finally found us on this godforsaken island. Damnit.

"I have to go," I tell Leonna, still not looking at her. Leonna nods and turns to go back into the building.

"Tank," she says quietly. I turn and look at the back of her blonde head, "just remember that I'm here for you, okay? Don't shut me out like you did over the summer."

Just like that she's gone. Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. It felt like forever ago when I had last heard those words. A single thought struck the warm feeling in my stomach.

My bastard of a father was here on the island. If he even looks at my mother there is going to be hell to pay.