Free Hometown Girls: Beginnings (Hometown Girls Series Book 1) by Tressa Messenger Page B

overwhelming urge to punch her came roaring back.
    “Yeah, we were having a hard time with it and you weren’t here, so—” Katie started, trying to smooth it over.
    “Hey! This is my squad,” Marissa Lou said pointing to her chest. “I know you are on some kind of silly quest to be me, but you’re not. You got that? This is my squad, not yours, and if you don’t like it, you can take your boyfriend stealing ass somewhere else. Got it?”
    Katie stared at her with her mouth wide open, but she was right. Marissa Lou wasn’t going to make it easy on her, but she didn’t want to give in either. She needed extracurricular activities for her college applications and it was too late to join any other activities. “Got it, Marissa Lou.”
    “Good, now get your rears back in your places and do the cheer like I taught you.”
    The girls did as they were told and by the end of practice every girl knew how to plant like she wanted them to at the end of the cheer.
    Marissa Lou stepped out of line to turn the music off then turned to the girls. “Good job, girls. I think that was enough for the day.”
    The girls mumbled something that resembled “thank god” or maybe it could have been “good-bye” but Marissa Lou wasn’t really paying them attention. Not until she heard someone clear their throat behind her. When she turned around, she found Katie a few feet away, staring at her.
    “Yes?” Marissa Lou asked unconcerned and turned back around to continue to pick up her things, trying her best to ignore her.
    Staying where she was, Katie replied, “I’ve been trying to give you your space, because, umm, I know this has all been hard for you, but I really wanted to talk to you.”
    “That’s where you’re wrong, because I’m fine and dandy.”
    “Yeah, okay,” Katie said sarcastically. “You need to know, what you said earlier was wrong.”
    “Oh yeah, which part was that?”
    “The part where you said I was trying to steal your life. I hope you really don’t believe that.”
    Marissa Lou stopped what she was doing, faced Katie, and slapped her so hard on the side of her cheek that it made Katie’s head jerk to the side.
    Katie instantly grabbed her cheek and looked at Marissa Lou shocked.
    “Prove me wrong. History really isn’t on your side. I have my proof. Do you really need a list?”
    Katie silently stared at her, so Marissa Lou continued.
    “My boyfriend, my friends, my squad, it’s all I have and you are a part of all three. And the worst part is, you are the one that screwed me over, your best friend, and everyone still loves you, yet I’m treated like the asshole. What does that say for me? I must be a really crappy person for everyone to so easily walk away from me.”
    Feeling her own fury, Katie pulled her hand back and slapped Marissa Lou back. “I’m so tired of you blaming me. You are the one that gave us your blessing like you were the queen of England or something. You are the one that told me to go for him even after I told you I didn’t want to say anything!”
    Marissa Lou closed the distance between them until she was merely inches from Katie’s face. “Oh, so it’s my fault? Y’all were already there. I’m not blind. I could see it! Y’all just needed me out of the way.”
    “BS, Maris!”
    Marissa Lou slapped Katie again, except this time Katie didn’t comfort her wounded face, instead she struck her back.
    Marissa Lou screamed out and grabbed a hand full of Katie’s brown hair and knocked her to the hard gym floor. Katie grabbed Marissa Lou’s hair back and they rolled around on the floor.
    “Stop it!” Katie yelled.
    “No, you stop trying to steal my life.”
    “I’m not! I don’t care about your life,” Katie said and looped her arm around Marissa Lou’s neck and squeezed.
    “Fine! You win!” Marissa Lou squealed, then screamed when Katie didn’t let go, “You win!”
    Katie let go of her and rolled onto her back.
    “You win,” Marissa Lou repeated