Breathe Me

How you Get the Girl

Remind her how it used to be (Yeah, yeah)
With pictures in frames of kisses on cheeks (cheeks)
Tell her how you must have lost your mind. (Uh-uh)
And you left her all alone, and never told her why (why).
And that's how it works.
That's how you lost the girl.
And now you say
I want you for worse or for better,
I would wait forever and ever (ever and ever),
Broke your heart, I'll put it back together (together).
I would wait forever and ever (ever and ever).
And that's how it works
It's how you get the girl, girl...

Alison's POV

Life is pretty great. All the girls decided to stay in my little two-story house. Emily sleeps with me in my room, Spencer, Aria and Hanna sleep in the next room. The bed in there is bigger so it fits all of them.

We paddle out to the island, camp, take old Mel's boat out to sea, etc.

"Hey, girls." I say, entering the room they're sitting in. They're licking on the special blueberry ice cream which you can only get in Bar Harbor that I showed them and drinking the blueberry soda you can only get here too. They love every second of it. To them, it's a vacation, but this is my daily life.

"Hey." They all say.

"Today I'm showing you something awesome." I grin.

"What is it?" Hanna asks.

"Surprise." I tell them. "Wear clothes you could run in, including the shoes."

"We're running?" Hanna groans.

"No." I laugh.

They all look confused and I just smile bigger.

"Trust me, you'll love it. It's one of my favorite parts of this place."

We get ready. I throw on a dark purple sports bra and spandex shorts with my light blue running/hiking shoes. I've become a lot more outdoorsy since I moved here.

We drive outside of Bar Harbor and through wooded area until we get to the place that I've been talking about.

Passing the sign that says it's name I say to the girls, "Welcome to Arcadia National park, girls." My smile is huge.

"Woods?" Hanna says with disgust.

"Not just that, Han." I chuckle. "Don't worry." I pull into the main parking lot and park the car. We all get out and I watch the girls look around in confusion. I motion for them to follow me.

We walk down the road for a little until we get to a faded and small sign behind a grove of trees that says, "Robin Nest Trail."

"Hiking?" Hanna scoffs. "Oh hell no."

Emily smiles. "This looks really fun."

"It is." I say. "But this hike is easy and it isn't about the hike, it's about what's at the top. Just wait."

"An amazing view?" Spencer asks.

"More than that, Spence."

We start the hike and it's mostly flat ground but at the uphill parts the girls are huffing and puffing, struggling to keep up with me. Even Emily, because she's used to water for her sport, not land.

I, on the other hand, have done this a thousand times and I'm scrambling up the hill. I discovered this in my first week of moving here. Tourists love Arcadia, but only the locals know about Robin Nest because it's behind some trees and you have to really look to find it. It also doesn't appeal to most tourists because they want the big hikes where the climb is the best part. But the end is the best part of this one and I learned that from taking a chance.

Finally we push through the trees and as expected we're the only ones at the end. "Here we are." I say.

The girls gasp as they look around. We're on a cliff. Two sides are a complete and utter drop off into the open ocean. But the third side, you were able to walk down.

I led them down the rocky face. There are many big flat rocks at the bottom covered in barnacle with seaweed washed over them and some mini tide pools and a big one from when high tide came. At the front a few feet below was the deep blue ocean, waves crashing against the side of the rocks, splashing you if you got too close. And the rocks were wet near the edge. You have to be careful because if you slip, the ocean will carry you away.

But it is gorgeous.

I look at the others to see them watching in awe. I decide to give them the full experience that I got the first time I came. It is a hot day, after all.

"Come on." I say, leading them down to the front rocks. "Be careful." I say. "They're slippery and if you fall you're gone."

I hold Emily's hand and smile at her.

"Alright now wait for it." I say. "Hold hands." We grab each other's hands and stand in a long chain.

They don't know it's coming and are utterly shocked when a monstrous wave comes up and douses us in salt water.

They shriek and I laugh. I got wet too, but I was expecting it and I love it. That's why I didn't wear makeup today.

They, however, all look like raccoons. Pissed raccoons.

"You bitch!" Hanna cries.

I just laugh at all of them.

Emily's POV

I'm still in shock from getting hit with the wave. Finally I snap out of it and scowl at Ali. "That was mean." I pout.

She shrugs. "It's the full experience. You're lucky. When it happened to me I was all alone and almost fell in and drowned."

I gasp. "Really?"

"Yep." She turns to all of us. "Wanna go tide pooling?"

We nod and I'm excited. This place is magical.

She starts to lead us back to the center of the rocks then turns back to us. "Oh, and we all gotta shower as soon as we get home because when salt water dries on you, your skin gets tough and it feels gross."

We come to the tide pool and she smiles at us. "Turn up the rocks and look for crabs and starfish. It's really fun. Just stay on the edges or you might step on something by accident."

I begin looking for life and it's really fun. I feel jealous of Ali. She has such a great life now. Mine isn't bad or anything, but in the time that she was gone I just assumed it was like last time. I assumed she was miserable and always on the run. But she's been in this cute little town, getting a family and discovering the most beautiful things and places.

I turn over a rock and see about a million tiny pink and orange starfish clinging to it. "I found starfish!" I yell excitedly.

The others come over to look and Ali smiles at me, then keeps looking.

I furrow my brow. "Whatcha looking for, Ali?"

"This one crab I always find." She grins. "Tiniest little guy."

"How do you know it's the same one?" I frown.

"I painted his shell with neon pink waterproof nail polish. And he always goes to the end of the tide pool that the high tide just doesn't reach. The nail polish fades, but..." She pulls out a bottle of neon pink nail polish from her pocket. "I keep repainting it."

I grin at her. She's so beautiful and I love her so much.

AN: Yes, we finally have our fluff chapters! The song is by Taylor Swift (AKA T-Swizzle mah Nizzle) and it's so cute. Sorry for the way it's sung in that vid but it's the only one I could find and in my opinion it makes it even cuter so... yeah... Anyway yeah byyyyyyyeeee. Oh, also Arcadia National Park is real and it is freaking awesome! I did rename the trail, however.

- G. Schreiber

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