, feeling the lukewarm sea drench up to her biceps.

She straddled a long surfboard, painted with hibiscuses and flames as she observed the ocean in front of her.

Noelani adjusted her yellow bikini, feeling the last warmth of summer around her torso.

The beach behind her was empty, the only thing laying on the sand being her huge onyx tote bag.

A nagging voice at the back of her mind said:

You should be at school.

The nag repeated it over and over and over, almost like a gnat that you can't get rid of.

But as Noelani looked towards the blue ocean, the waves swallowing themselves, she couldn't bring herself to regret playing sick and traveling the hour from Napa to a beach in Bodega Bay.

Finally the wave she had been waiting for appeared.

She had already caught a couple of waves but was waiting for high tide to start.

A wave about 10 maybe 12 feet high rose up from the sea and Noelani quickly laid on her stomach and paddled out.

Once she was close enough, Noelani popped up on her board.

The wave caught her and Noelani bent her knees a little as she rode the wave skillfully.

The water flicked onto her scalp, drenching her curls as she held her fingertips out to her left, creating a space in the wave.

As the wave ended, she caused the surfboard to jump and turn a little before making it land steadily back in the water.

Noelani straddled her board again, brushing back her hair with one hand.

This was the most peaceful Noelani had felt since touching down in California.

Another wave, about eight feet tall, rose and Noelani quickly paddled out to meet it, standing up on the board once again.

"Noelani Tatiana Morales! Get from the water, right now young lady!" A masculine voice screeched from the sand.

The voice startled her causing her to fall, back first, into the water and submerge.

She swam around a little, trying to see if there were sea turtles, coral reefs or soft sand like back home.

You keep forgetting...

This isn't home.

Noelani swam up to the surface then turned her head, feeling her hair whip onto the nape of her neck with equal speed.

Sure enough, Alejandro was standing on the beach, her blanket balled up in his hands.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." Noelani muttered as she swam over to turn the board towards the shore.

"That's right! Get out of that ocean now!" Alejandro huffed.

Noelani continued to paddle until she reached the sandbar.

With a sigh she got off of her board, holding it upright as she began to walk onto the beach.

As soon as Noelani was close enough, Alejandro snatched the board away from her.

"Erin called me. What were you thinking? I was worried sick." Alejandro said.

"I'm sure you were." Noelani said as she took her microfiber towel out of the bag to dry her hair.

"Don't get smart with me. How'd you even get here?"

"I took two buses." Noelani eyes her father.

"Jesus, Noelani. Why on earth would you do that?" Alejandro nodded his head towards his parked truck as a signal to start walking.

"I don't know. Maybe because you picked the one town in California where the nearest beach is almost two hours away."

Alejandro opened the door for her and Noelani slid in the passenger side.

Once Alejandro was in the driver's side, he sighed before looking at Noelani.

"I know that you're used to going and coming as you please and that you're used to smelling the salt in the air before smelling your coffee but I need you to start making an effort. Not just with living here but with her. With Erin."

At her stepmother's name, Noelani let out a sarcastic laugh.

"Don't laugh. I'm being serious. She thinks that you don't like her."

Noelani shrugged, "She's right. I don't."

"Why?" Alejandro started the car.

"You know why, dad. I can't believe you would even ask me that."

At her words, Alejandro tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"I mean, you cheat on mom with her. Mom forgave you and then you went and did it again! And then you married her! And now you expect me to be cool with y'all and play along in this sick ass game of house that y'all two like to play! I don't want to be here! Not with you and especially not with her." Noelani crosses her arms against her chest.

Alejandro licked his bottom lip in irritation, "You done?"

Noelani scoffs, turning her head towards the passenger side window.

"Hawaii isn't the real world. That's why your mother and I both agreed that spending your senior year here would be better."

"And this is the real world? A state full of stuck up basketball players and beach blondes? That's the real world to you?"

"It's better than cliff diving, surfing and being sunburnt all the time."

"Says who?" Noelani shot back.

"Me! Your father!"

The bass in Alejandro's voice made Noelani pause and she glanced at the man sitting next to her.

"I know you're not happy here. I know that you don't particularly like me at the moment but... I'm trying to be a good father again." Alejandro's voice sounded like he was full of pain, "I think you could be happy here. You've already made friends right?"

Noelani thought of Jasmine, Coleman, Sydney and Nimari, "Yeah. Yeah, I guess."

"It's only for a couple of months. I know that you're a shoo-in for the University of Hawaii. I'll do and buy whatever you need to be happy, except send you back."

Noelani sighed, watching the shore disappear as they drove farther and farther down the highway.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Alejandro asked.

"Okay." Noelani reaffirmed.

Anything huh?

The words had been spoken and Noelani planned on taking full advantage.

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