Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard Page B

Justin all the time back in Cali,” Maya said. “He’d stand up at the top and, like, think about it for ten minutes before jumping. I like how you didn’t even hesitate.”
    Emily floated on her back and smiled. She couldn’t help it: she gobbled up Maya’s compliments like cheesecake.
    Maya squirted Emily with water through her cupped hands. Some of it squirted right into her mouth. The creek water tasted gooey and almost metallic, nothing like chlorinated pool water. “I think me and Justin are going to break up,” Maya said.
    Emily swam closer to the edge and stood up. “Really? Why?”
    â€œYeah. The long-distance thing is too stressful. He calls me, like, all the time. I’ve only been gone for a few days, and he’s already sent me two letters!”
    â€œHuh,” Emily answered, sifting her fingers through the murky water. Then something occurred to her. She turned to Maya. “Did you, um, put a note in my swim locker yesterday?”
    Maya frowned. “What, after school? No…you walked me home, remember?”
    â€œRight.” She didn’t really think Maya had written the note, but things would’ve been so much simpler if she had.
    â€œWhat did the note say?”
    Emily shook her head. “Never mind. It was nothing.” She cleared her throat. “You know, I think I might break up with my boyfriend too.”
    Whoa. Emily wouldn’t have been any more surprised if a bluebird had just flown out of her mouth.
    â€œReally?” Maya said.
    Emily blinked water out of her eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
    Maya stretched her arms over her head, and Emily caught sight of that scar on her wrist again. She looked away. “Well, fuck a moose,” Maya said.
    Emily smiled. “Huh?”
    â€œIt’s this thing I say sometimes,” Maya said. “It means… screw it !” She turned away and shrugged. “I guess it’s silly.”
    â€œNo, I like it,” Emily said. “Fuck a moose.” She giggled. She always felt funny swearing—as if her mom could hear her from their kitchen, ten miles away.
    â€œYou totally should break up with your boyfriend, though,” Maya said. “Know why?”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œThat would mean we’d both be single.”
    â€œAnd that means what?” Emily asked. The forest was very quiet and still.
    Maya moved closer to her. “And that means…we…can… have fun !” She grabbed Emily by the shoulder and dunked her under the water.
    â€œHey!” Emily squealed. She splashed Maya back, ripping her whole arm through the water, creating a giant wave. Then she grabbed Maya by the leg and started tickling underneath her toes.
    â€œHelp!” Maya screamed. “Not my feet! I’m so ticklish!”
    â€œI’ve found your weakness!” Emily crowed, maniacally dragging Maya over to the waterfall. Maya managed to wrench her foot away and pounced on Emily’s shoulders from behind. Maya’s hands drifted up Emily’s sides, then down to her stomach, where she tickled her. Emily squealed. She finally pushed Maya into a small cave in the rocks.
    â€œI hope there are no bats in here!” Maya squealed. Beams of sunlight pierced through the cave’s tiny openings, making a halo around the top of Maya’s sopping wet head.
    â€œYou have to come in here,” Maya said. She held out her hand.
    Emily stood next to her, feeling the cave’s smooth, cool sides. The sounds of her breathing echoed off the narrow walls. They looked at each other and grinned.
    Emily bit her lip. This was such a perfect friend moment, it made her feel kind of melancholy and nostalgic.
    Maya’s eyes turned down in concern. “What’s wrong?”
    Emily took a deep breath. “Well…you know that girl who lived in your house? Alison?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œShe went missing. Right after