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

we intend to do. But I don’t think any of us could have foreseen all the other changes that have taken place so far. Things that have unintentionally taken us all in different directions. It really makes me sad when I allow myself to think about it because we were all so close for so long.” Katie paused to dry her eyes.
    Daniel rubbed her back while the others just stared at her in silence because they all knew what she was talking about and she was right. It wasn’t just Katie and Daniel’s fault, nor was it Marissa Lou’s fault. Each one of them was responsible for the demise of a friendship they once thought was impenetrable.
    “It was bound to happen,” Marissa Lou whispered, her happy buzz fading to sadness.
    “But why?” Katie pleaded.
    “You know why,” she said staring between Katie and Daniel, shocked that she even had to say it.
    “Maris, it happened. Neither of us asked for it and neither of us wanted to hurt you. But you dumped me and refused to talk to me after telling us you wanted me and Katie to be together. What were we supposed to do?”
    Marissa Lou stared at him, her eyes filling with tears.
    “Stop it!” Becca jumped up from her chair and demanded before Marissa Lou could respond. “This is such bs! Jess and I have been sitting in the middle of all this, keeping our opinions to ourselves while y’all figured out your crap, but we’re tired of it. We’ve had enough, so get over your issues or leave the group. Whichever you decide to do, we will still love you,” Becca said pointing to Jess and herself. “But don’t get all pissy when one of us wants to hang out with one of you and not the other. And stop acting like all this new stuff in your lives isn’t happening. Katie and Daniel, y’all are together so act like it. Marissa Lou, girl I love you, but you have to let it go. She can’t keep hiding their relationship from you. Randy, keep your disgusting comments to yourself. And Daniel, get over her being with Randy.”
    “I don’t care who she’s with!” Daniel snapped.
    “Yes you do. We all see it, so get over it. You don’t like him, fine, but keep it to yourself.” With that Becca sat down, crossed her arms over her chest and dared anyone to say anything different.
    They all expected Marissa Lou’s head to explode, but instead she said, “She’s right. Right here, right now, it’s done. Agreed?”
    “Agreed,” the other girls said in unison.
    It wasn’t missed on anyone that the guys in the group didn’t respond. The girls stared at them, watching them stare at each other defiantly.
    Neither of them wanted to be the first to give in, but after a while Daniel decided to be the bigger man, although it was always possible that Katie kicked him under the table. “Fine, agreed,” he said crossing his arms over his chest and continuing to stare at Randy.
    “Oh, was I supposed to agree too?”
    “Yes, Randy. I know you are new to the group and don’t have much invested here, but if you are going to be with her,” Daniel said prying his lethal stare off Randy to look at Marissa Lou and continued without looking away, “you have to agree too.”
    “Fine, whatever. I guess I agree too then.”

Chapter Thirteen
     
    After the birthday from hell, Katie slowly started to introduce Daniel’s name into conversations and she even stopped pulling away from him when Marissa Lou was around. Little by little he stopped being the weight over them that could break up the group. Marissa Lou even agreed to a double date when major events like when the county fair or concerts came to town. It was shocking for Marissa Lou to see them together at first, but it became just another thing after a while.
    Marissa Lou stayed wasted most of the time anyway, choosing being numb with the help of a variety of narcotics; alcohol, marijuana or pills, and something a little extra on really stressful times. Randy didn’t mind supplying her with whatever she wanted because a wasted Marissa