Pretty Little Liars

Chapter 21: Sabrina the Mermaid

After school, Sabrina finds herself with Zoe, venturing through backyards and farm fields, on their way to Zoe's secret spot. Sabrina is doing her best to block out everything from her past coming into the light and surprisingly enough, being around Zoe is helping. She's kind of like the first breath of air you get when you come up from underwater after.

"I hope you're ready for an adventure!" Zoe bumps Sabrina's hip with hers as they approach the bridge.

It's covered in more graffiti than the last time Sabrina saw it. More names with hearts were added and poor attempts at artsy murals cover the surface. Apparently the structure is one of Rosewood's oldest, with a wide river swarming underneath to a dirt bank, surrounded by trees and moss.

"Come on!" Zoe calls out, racing for the bank, the body of murky water waiting below. She flings off her backpack and then lifts her Rosewood High t-shirt over her head, tossing it into the dirt.

Sabrina shyly tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. "You want to swim?"

Zoe nods. "Yeah, it'll be fun."

"I didn't think we would be doing anything that would involve getting wet."

Zoe's face falls. "You're not afraid of water, are you?"

"No," Sabrina quickly assures, hugging herself. "I just didn't bring a swimsuit."

"Well, that's what underclothes are for." Zoe shrugs off her converse and shuffles out of her jeans, exposing her caramel legs that glow in the fall sun.

It's hard not to admire Zoe's beauty, but Sabrina feels creepy staring for too long. She averts her gaze and reluctantly follows suit. Even though her size is something that others think should be shameful, Sabrina's confidence is a new revelation she has discovered about herself through theater. In middle school, she was a bit insecure, but what young teenager isn't? She slips out of her camisole and drops her cardigan on her own backpack. She slides out of her skinny jeans, leaving her clothes in a heap together before joining Zoe at the edge of the bank. She self-consciously hides the fact that she's wearing an ugly matching beige bra and undies set, while Zoe sparkles in a red lace and black panties that almost expose her whole ass.

"Jump on the count of three?" Zoe suggests excitedly.

"One..." Sabrina starts it off.

"Two..." Zoe joins in. "Three!"

The girls dive into the water and Sabrina almost gasps for air when she plunges underneath. It's colder than she thought it would be and the temperature nearly gives her a full body shock. She goes to the surface, where Zoe is.

"It's so cold!" Zoe yelps, her body covered in goosebumps.

"We are so getting sick after this." Sabrina laughs, but in the back of her mind, she's actually a little worried about that.

"It'll be worth it." Zoe's teeth chatter and she playfully splashes Sabrina. "I have this saying that works a lot when it comes to worrying about things: fuck a moose."

Sabrina laughs again, kicking her legs underwater to keep herself afloat. "Why a moose?"

"Why not a moose?" Zoe grins, spitting water out of her mouth like a dolphin. She paddles further along the water, kicking her legs behind her and looking like a mystical mermaid. "This way is the secret treasure."

Sabrina bites her bottom lip, glancing over her shoulder at their stuff left on the bank. People still come through here. What happens if someone tries to steal their things? She looks back at Zoe, who doesn't have a care in the world as she digs her arms into the water. Fuck a moose, Sabrina thinks to herself and decides to follow.