The Last Prince of Sapphira: A Merman Romance (REWRITING)

Undertow

Surveying the shallow dark sapphire waters, I winced as I placed both of my feet in, chills running down my spine as I stood on the shore.

" Come on Valerie, are you going to stand there or get in?!"

Cassidy yelled a few feet away, her head floating above the water, as tendrils of her long flaxen blonde hair surrounded her face in a golden halo.

Nearly holding my breath, I pushed past the iciness of the water and walked further in.

The shore started to faded away with every step I took, and soon my whole body was submerged into the water.

Smiling at my best friend, I flailed my arms as I swam closer to her, the sun rays creating pockets of light within the deep waters.

Granted, I was never a big fan of water. For the longest time I feared the Ocean, it's darkest depths, the unpredictability of the tides.

But I made a promise to myself after the death of my grandmother, I would live each day with fervor. There was no going back.

"Not so bad huh?" She said.

I nodded, laughing a little at my innate fear of the water.

" I guess it's not so bad, minus the sharks."

Cassidy snickered, rolling her emerald green eyes.

" Relax, besides there's no such thing as sharks, especially not in New England. Let's just enjoy the rest of our summer before school rolls around. Just thinking about it gives me a migraine."

She floated on her back, the sun shining on her golden tan skin.

I had to agree, it wasn't so bad. The weather was  a comfortable temperature,  reaching the mid-80s with gusts of wind occasionally blowing to and fro.

I felt my braids being weighed down as water coursed through them, mimicking long strands of seaweed.

I kept telling myself to relax and enjoy the water, the weather, and the rest of summer vacation.

Cassidy's family owned a beach house in Rockport, MA even though we both lived in Beverly and attended school there. Rockport was a small quaint port town that was 25 miles east of Boston.

Since the divorce of her parents last year, she lived with her mother now, while her father moved to California.

" So, any new semester resolutions?"

Cassidy asked, her eyes fully shut as she lay on the water.

" Let's see. Graduate in flying colors, land a dream job of working at publishing company in Seattle, and maybe join the school paper. How about you?"

She opened her eyes, and quirked a dark blonde eyebrow.

" Really, that's it?"

" Yeah, I guess so."

" What about Jay?"

" What about him?"

I countered, irritation filling my voice.

With an exasperated sigh, I say,

"Sorry, that was uncalled for. From now on there's nothing going, there won't ever be anything."

"Did something happen?" Cassidy asked softly.

" It's kind of a long story," I stated, feeling a sudden heaviness penetrate my heart.

Cassidy nods understandingly, sighing gently.

" If you ever want to talk about it, I'm all ears."

" I know. But what about you? Any new semester resolutions as we step into our senior year?"