Thankfully, the boat that Marcus had used to get to Mako had not drifted off from where had had anchored it off the beach. He did not want to go back into the water, but he shrugged off the momentary indecision and swam out to the vessel. The water did not shock him this time, which came as a relief. A naturally strong swimmer, the swim took Marcus very little time and he soon enough managed to pull himself into the boat. He shrugged off his soaked backpack and sat down on the boat's only seat. He gazed back to the island and shook his head. "I need to go back and get my climbing axe at some point."

He quickly pulled the anchor and started the outboard, gunning the motor and speeding back to the mainland. When he pulled up to the dock, the boat's owner was waiting at the end of the pier. Marcus threw him a line and killed the motor, letting the remnants of the boat's momentum carry it into its place at the docks. "Have a fun time out there?" The owner asked, tying off the rope with a flourish.

"Not bad." Marcus said, slinging the backpack over his shoulder and stepping onto the dock. "Nice place. What did you say that island was called?"

"Mako." The man smiled.

"What about Mako?" A brunette girl asked, walking down the dock and hugging the boat's owner.

"Oh, nothing." The owner laughed. "He was just asking what it was called."

"Planning a trip?" She asked Marcus, noting his waterlogged appearance.

"It would be a return trip." Marcus chuckled. "And maybe in a while. The cliffs there are actually pretty fun to climb. And the view form that little mountain thing in the center is pretty spectacular."

"You made it to the top of Mako?" The brunette asked.

"Yeah." Marcus shrugged. "Hey, listen, I would love to stay and chat but I have to get going. Thanks again for letting me borrow your boat."

"Not a problem." The owner smiled and extended his hand. "If you ever want to borrow her again, let me know. Heaven knows I don't get enough time to take her out."

"I will." Marcus shook the man's hand before heading down the docks. He heard the sound of feet hurrying down the dock after him and sure enough the brunette appeared on his left a few seconds later.

"Mind if I walk with you?" She asked breathlessly.

"Uh, no, I guess not." Marcus said. "Would you mind holding my bag for me? I need to get out of this shirt."

The brunette eyed the bag for a long moment as Marcus offered it to her before raising her hands in front of her and shaking her head. "Don't take this the wrong way, but no thanks. I have a thing about, uh, bags."

Marcus rolled his eyes before setting his bag on the hard wood of the dock and pulling off the long sleeved shirt he had donned for his climb up the rock face. He threw the wet shirt over his shoulder with a careless flick of his wrist and a few drops of water came loose from the fabric. "Oh, sorry." He apologized to the brunette when he saw the damp spots on her shirt. He only then saw her horrified expression and he raised an eyebrow. "It's just water… I didn't think it was such a big deal."

"Ihavetogo!" She said almost too quickly for Marcus to discern her words. She dove into the water, still fully garbed in her clothes, and disappeared from Marcus's vision. The boat's owner made his way down the dock to where Marcus stood in stumped confusion.

"Something wrong, kid?" He asked good-naturedly, bending over and picking up Marcus's bag and handing it to him.

"I'm not sure." Marcus admitted, still watching the spot where the girl had dove into the water. He took his bag back and slung it over his shoulders. "Thanks. Say, do you know the quickest way to Principal Santos's house?"

"Oh, Rita?" The man asked. "What, are you enrolling in the school here?"

"Yeah." Marcus nodded. "She told me to swing by this afternoon, so that I could meet her and all that. She seems pretty cool."

"Yeah, she is a right gem." The owner agreed. "Those nieces of hers are a bit funny, but my Evie and her little friends seem to get along with them alright so they can't be too bad."

"Yes." It was Marcus's go-to response whenever he wasn't sure how to respond to something. "So… those directions?"

The owner quickly pointed him in the right away and Marcus set off on his trek, the water in his shoes squelching every time he took a step. "Probably should have brought a change of clothes." He reflected as he walked down the road. He pulled out his phone which, thankfully, he had placed in a plastic bag before his climb. He pulled up the principal's email and scrolled through the text until he found her address.

"Hm." Marcus matched up the numbers on the address that he had been sent to the numbers on the gate in front of him before shrugging and pushing through the gate. He rapped on the front door with his bare knuckle several times before stepping back and waiting. He glanced down at his attire and sighed. "So much for a good first impression." His shorts were still dripping wet, his white T-shirt was sticking to his frame and his shoes audibly protested every time he moved.

The door opened a few moments later and Marcus's jaw dropped. He had only been in town for a few days and thus had only met a few people, and yet he was almost one hundred percent certain that the person who answered the door was not Rita Santos. It was the brunette from earlier, accompanied by a boy of Marcus's age with black hair. "Hello." The boy said, clearly not aware of the stunned look on the girl's face.

"Uh, hi." Marcus said. "My name's Marcus White. Principal Santos wanted to meet with me before school started Monday… Is she home?"

"You are going to school here?" The brunette blurted out.

"Y-yeah." Marcus said, taken aback by the upfront tone of the girl. "Hey, where did you swim off to earlier? I really am sorry about getting that water on you. I swear it wasn't on purpose."

"I-it's fine." The brunette forced a smile. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself by the way. I'm Evie. This is Zach. Principal Santos is right inside, come on in and take a seat…."

Marcus lifted his hands slightly and let them fall to his sides, drawing attention to his soaked attire.

"Maybe we should have her meet you on the porch." Zach suggested.

Marcus dipped his head appreciatively. "Probably a good idea." He agreed.