This ocean seems like an endless void, bursting at the seams with life. Fish-like Pokémon puncture the serene surface of the water every so often, almost periodically and in rhythm with the world around it. It's been two days since my departure. Well, I should say OUR departure. I still don't understand fully why Blair came with me. She seemed so happy on the island. Didn't she have friends? What about Dante? They got along so well—apparently since a young age, too. Why would she just be willing to leave her friend like that? I would ask her why, but I'm not that confrontational.

I placed the wooden paddle down and took a break from propelling the raft. My arms pulsated in agony—the only proper punishment for two straight days of intense work. I guess I could have asked Blair to help me, but that wouldn't feel right for me. Actually, she offered to take over more than a dozen times, now that I think about it. But, each time I would just politely reject her offer. Sometimes, my pride is a real pain in the ass. It doesn't matter that much.

The water was surprisingly clear; the bottom wasn't more than twenty feet away. The schools of fish were vibrant and swam around with vigor. I dangled one of my arms into the water, feeling the coolness against my skin. It reminded me of the olden days. Back when I would spend most of my summer breaks at the community pool, chatting up the girls. That was such a waste of time.

My relationship with women as a whole has always been sour. When I was younger, I refused to admit that. However, as I got older, I began to care less and less. The same thing would happen each time I tried my luck with a girl. She would either lead me on cruelly, or just crush me right then and there. It was basically the story of my life. Back then, it would cut me very deep. I still vividly remember those dark nights: alone in my dark room, sitting on my bed completely nude, and crying out of self pity. Tears were shed quite often, but they never lost their meaning: sadness. That was a dark time in my life, but I am the only one that knows about it. My parents never seemed to notice anything that happened—completely oblivious to everything in my world. They weren't the only ones. Even my best friends were absolutely unaware of everything. I refused to tell them. On the outside, I wasn't myself—I was something better.

Around the time that all began, my personality split into two different people. There was the actual me—sad, alone, and weak. However, the other was the polar opposite—strong, self-righteous, and belligerent. I remember the day that 'he' appeared. I was hanging out after school, as always, when Justin Peck walked up to me. Now, believe me, he was massive. He said he needed gas money. I told him that, as usual, I didn't have any money. His beady little eyes began sizing me up. After a few small steps, he was leaning over me, which was very intimidating, might I add. His voice was deep, clear. "Hey, faggot. Give me the damn money, before I take it." Fear struck into my inner core, shaking every part of me. My blood pressure heightened, and my hands began trembling. "Well?"

"How about you back the fuck up, before I break your ugly-ass face." My voice was cold and sharp, like a deadly blade. The words even scared me as they exited my mouth. He backed off slight, and appeared to be taken back by my remark. What compelled me to say that? I never even thought the words. My feet tapped on the ground with a slight thud as I got off of the table. Why did I stand? What's going on? My body won't let me control it.

"What did you just say to me?" His voice was no longer controlled; it seemed to waver like a leaf in the wind. Was he scared? There's no way. He shook his head and repeated himself, "What. Did. You. Say. To. Me." His words were clean, and precise; no longer were they frail and weak.

"Wow, so you can make your voice sound intimidating. That's pretty cute, man. It's about time…" I cracked my knuckles loudly, "…I put you back on your level."

Although his eyes didn't turn red with rage, what did happen was about twice as terrifying. His pupils dilated furiously and then became tiny, almost as though they were focused on me alone. Large veins began to protrude from his temples, and the muscles on his face tensed up angrily. He took gargantuan steps towards me, the noise of them emphasizing his size. On instinct, I turned my left side towards him, spreading my legs and bending my knees slightly. I raised my arms up, in a fighter's stance. As soon as he was upon me, my memory went blank.

The memory picks back up when I see him badly injured, lying on the floor. His left eye was badly bruised, turning purple, and one of his arms appeared broken. I freaked out and ran. I ran all the way to my house. I was terrified. What in the hell happened? And so, I cried. I expected to be expelled from school. Get the shit beaten out of me by my dad. Hell, prison didn't seem that far-fetched at the time. But, something weird happened. And that weird thing was that nothing happened. I waited for a few days, but to no avail. No calls from the school, or his parents. Eventually, I built up the courage to stop pretending I was sick and to go to school.

That day, at lunch, I sat by myself. I normally did. Nothing seemed to be going on. Then, someone sat down next to me. I looked over to see Justin sitting next to me. My heart began speeding up furiously. He had a heavy-duty bandage across his nose, and his eye was still a bit swollen. His shaggy black hair looked tussled. I sat there in silence. The both of us did for a little while.

"My father taught me how to fight about two years ago." Justin began, "He told me to never get too cocky, and to never use my size against anyone smaller than me. He died about a year ago from a tumor in his skull. In one of his last days, he told me his last piece of wisdom. 'Son, I know you're gonna get tough. One day, though, you will meet someone stronger than you. One day, you will lose. And that day, you will have a great friend.' I never believed him, until now. I assumed it was him being insane due the crushing of his brain."

I looked over at him, confused. Then, he stuck out his hand, "Justin, nice to meet you."

"Uh, Drew, and you too." And from that moment on, we had each other's backs until we were separated by God himself.

"Hey, Blair."

She lazily leaned forward, and replied, "Ugh, yeah?"

"I think that's land in that direction." I pointed off in the distance.

"Is it?!" She jumped into the air to look, but fell into the water. I jumped in and pulled her back aboard. Before I got back on the raft, I made sure I hadn't lost anything. Everything seems to be in order.

"Well, you ready to make landfall?"

"Absolutely!" She stretched backward, pushing her chest outward. Oddly enough, she appears to have a womanly shape to her. Maybe my imagination was just at work.

As always, reviews are welcome. So, how is it turning out so far? I'm putting out my best effort, so I hope you're enjoying it!