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

and sat up. “You can have my life. Everyone loves you more anyway. I’m done with it all.”
    “Marissa Lou, stop it!” Katie yelled in frustration.
    “Why not, it’s true,” Marissa Lou said, crossing her arms over her knees and rested her head on them, not wanting Katie to see her eyes burning from tears.
    “I swear to you, it’s not true,” Katie said sitting up and closing the distance between them. She then grabbed Marissa Lou’s hands, forcing her arms to un-cross. Partly so she wouldn’t hit her again, and partly to demand her attention. “I love you and so does everyone else. We always have. You are Marissa Lou for Christ sakes. That name alone makes people swarm in your direction. I’d be lying if I said I weren’t one of the many that are envious of you. Hell, look at you, but I would never try to steal your life or intentionally hurt you.”
    Marissa Lou looked down at their intertwined hands and the tears that she had been fighting began to drip off her long dark eye lashes. Katie noticed the tears when a drop fell on her hand. She quickly looked up at her friend’s bent head and her heart melted in her chest.
    “Maybe there is still hope for us,” Katie whispered to herself. “Maris, I miss you so much. Will you please forgive me?”
    “I don’t know,” Marissa Lou whispered.
    “Marissa Lou, please. I’m begging. Tell me what I can do. I’ll do anything.”
    “It’s too late. What’s done is done.”
    “So that’s it? It’s over after all these years?”
    “I don’t know,” Marissa Lou said again.
    “Oh,” Katie replied sadly and dropped Marissa Lou’s hands, letting her own hands fall to her side. “I understand,” she said defeated and got up to walk away.
    “Maybe, if you call me sometime, I’ll answer,” Marissa Lou called out to her.
    Katie stopped and turned around to face her. “Really?”
    Marissa Lou shrugged her shoulders. “Baby steps.”
    “Baby steps,” Katie repeated before turning around to leave again.

Chapter Eleven
     
    For the next week whenever Katie saw Marissa Lou she’d give her a friendly smile or wave to her. At first Marissa Lou was hesitant, even put off, but after a few times she began to wave back with a playful eye roll. The first time it happened, Katie had to hold herself back from running up to her and giving her a hug. Instead she silently relished in the small victories.
    By the following Friday, Katie’s confidence was sky high. So much in fact, after they won their game against one of Pamlico High School’s biggest rivals, West Craven, Katie excitedly rushed up to Marissa Lou like old times.
    “I can’t believe they won,” Katie said jumping up and down.
    “Did you really have any doubts with us keeping them going?” Marissa Lou said brushing her shoulders off proudly. “We are the backbone of the team after all.”
    “Be as that may, I still almost pee’d my pants. It was too freaking close.” Both girls laughed at that, then Katie said, “Hey, I heard there is going to be a party at the Lower Bluffs to celebrate the win. I guess people were confident it would happen.”
    “Yeah, I heard something about it,” Marissa Lou said sounding uncomfortable and shifting her feet.
    “Oh, are you going to go?” Katie asked hopeful.
    “I, umm, I don’t know,” Marissa Lou stuttered awkwardly. Normally she would be the first to agree, but nothing was normal any more.
    “Please, you have to come,” Katie said and quickly grabbed both of Marissa Lou’s hands and squeezed to make sure she knew she was serious.
    “I don’t know. It might be awkward. Don’t you think?”
    Katie looked at her confused. “I don’t see why it should be. I can call Jess and Becca, so they’ll be there too. It’ll be like old times.”
    “Hardly,” Marissa Lou said softly to herself, but Katie heard her. She looked around the field at all the smiling faces before turning back to Katie.
    Katie pleaded for her to say ‘yes’ with her big