Country Girl by Hayley Smith (book club recommendations .txt) 📕

"Hey Marrissa!" Someone called cheerily and I saw one of my friends, her name was Lora and she was rather snotty, but so were everyone else I associated with.

"Good afternoon, Lora," I said, smiling at her new blue dress that ended just a couple of centimeters below her knees that clashed with her skin color drastically, yet nobody had the nerve to tell her that, but I wouldn't have anyway, she was pulling it off pretty good with her curves.

"Ready to go on a spree? I saw this awesome shirt yesterday that I had put on hold just for you to heck out," Lora said, grabbing her arm and pulling her into the mall, if there was one thing she loved, it was shopping, her father owned the mall, yet Lora didn't get any discounts.

"Thank you so much, I can not wait to see it!" I said, following her as we reached the store, I had no idea what it was called since it was some french name and I had taken Spanish instead of French since I had never met someone who spoke French.

"Here, Marry, here it is," Lora said, grabbing a shirt from a on-hold rack and I gasped, my eyes wide. It was the newest shirt from the new hot designer Albarto Felign(Fell-line), his family was odd, all of the people associated with him had the oddest of names.

"Wow!" I managed to squeak out, reaching out and trailing my fingers lightly over the silk-like fabric, but it was stretchy to cling to my curves and move with them "I love you, Lora!" I hugged her, careful not to squish the shirt, and took it lightly from her hand when she held it out to me. "I'm going to pay," I took out my credit card I had received on my birthday two years ago and walked over to the cashier, paying for the shirt quickly before walking back to Lora.

"We're going to get ice cream, can you buy? My mom said I can't have it but I miss it sooo much!" Lora said in her light voice, she never whined even when the words were close to a whine, her voice was never like that.

"Of course! Let's go get ice cream," I said and she smiled and thanked me before dragging me off to the food court and towards the best ice cream place around.
*
Once I had bought our ice-cream; cookie dough in a cone for me and mint chocolate chip in a bowl for her. She had to have a bowl because whenever she had a cone, she dripped it on her clothes.
We ate our ice-cream in silence, but I froze once I was finished and I saw a girl with a horse on her shirt and gasped, looking at Lora.

"I have to go see Sugarcoat today, at four," I exclaimed to Lora.

"Oh god, Marrissa, get out of here now, it's 3:30 and God knows you like to be early," Lora said, her bowl empty and she grabbed my napkins and said "Bye, now don't keep that sweetheart waiting," and I smiled and whirled around, running out of the mall and suddenly glad I had wore flats today.
I heard 'All American Girl' start playing from my phone in my small purse, announcing the call from my mom and pulled it out, listening to the first few verses.

'Since the day they got married
He'd been praying for a little baby boy
Someone he could take fishing
Throw the football, be his pride and joy'

Then flipped it open, holding it to my ear as I ran.

"Marrissa, how many times were you going to let it ring? And you can't go see Sugar right now, family meeting immediately!" My mom said and I sighed exasperatedly.

"First, mom, her name isn't sugar, it's Sugarcoat, and second, okay, but it had better be worth it, if it isn't it is all your fault that she is lonely for nothing," I said, my chocolate brown eyes flashing everywhere, in search of a taxi as I stood by the road, cars flying by in my home-city of Brooklyn. NY.
My dark brown hair whipped around my waist as I watched, suddenly in my revery my mom's voice broke through again.

"Okay, darling, get home soon please," My mother said and hung up, not waiting for a 'I love you' or a 'I'll be there soon' and I rolled my eyes, sparkling with amusement.
I saw a taxi coming by and signaled to them with a wave of my hand and they pulled over.
I got in and told them my apartment name, pulling out the amount of money to pay them. Once we were there, I handed it to the scraggy looking taxi driver that used to scare me when I was little, but not so much anymore since I turned seventeen and my mom had a tracker placed in my bra.
I stepped out, closing the door behind me and barely had enough time to jump away from the wheels as the wheels spun, rocketing the car away, wheels turning over where my feet had been seconds before and I sighed, some things never changed.
I walked up to the door and opened it, and to the elevator, smiling at our doorman, he was a kind guy, always helping if I got myself into trouble with some people from my school, he would stop them while I ran into the elevator to get away.
I hit the number 7 that lit up a green light as the doors closed in front of me as I felt the elevator shift as it began heading up to the seventh floor.
When there was a chime of sorts, the elevator doors opened and I stepped out into my home, there was a small room around the elevator door, with seats and a door at the other side, I opened it and found it unlocked, which was unusual. I stepped inside my home and locked it behind me, walking to the living room to where my mother and father were seated on one couch, holding hands like usual, and her brother four year old brother holding a giant teddy bear in the other.
I plopped down beside him and smiled at my mom and dad, my shirt bag I had dropped behind a plant in the small elevator room to retrieve later.

"Hey, you called a meeting mom?" I said, puling my legs onto the couch beside me and suddenly glad I had wore shorts, it was pretty warm in here, I had thought we had air conditioning.

"Well, we need to tell you something... I don't know how to say this.. but dad isn't going to work anymore..." Her mom said hesitantly and my eyes went wide, my mouth hanging open.

"You got laid off?!" I gasped at my dad, my breathing becoming faster when he nodded slowly.

"Darling, you're moving," My Father said as my mom hesitated on what to say.

"What do you mean, only me?" I asked, my eyes getting wider, I hated being alone, and they knew it.

"No, you and Tristan, your mom and I have to stay here and sort things out, plus I may get another job," Dad replied and I sighed, but it ended up getting caught in my throat as I remembered, I had no idea where we were moving.

"Where to?" I asked quietly, dreading the answer by the look in my mother's eyes.

"Your mom's parents, Montgomery, Texas," My dad replied and my mind exploded.
What?!

was the only thought that managed to boil to the top of my mind.

"Momma, when are me and Missy going?" Tristan spoke up after a long moment of silence and all of our three pairs of eyes, brown and blue, turned on him.

"You're leaving tomorrow, we're going to pack you're stuff for you Trist, while you put your stuffed animals in a box, and please do not argue Marrissa, this is a hard time for all of us," My mom murmured to him then spoke louder to me, my entire system was shocked and could barely sort out the words.

"What about my boarding school? I thought I was leaving in a week, and what about Sugarcoat?" I asked, looking at my dad since my mom had stood, she picked up Trist and carried him to his room, probably to pack.

"I'm sorry, you'll be attending Montgomery High there, it's right across from the preschool where Tristan will be," He said calmly, as if he didn't care in the least what was happening with us, "And Sugarcoat is being transported to Texas right now by train, they can't have horses on planes, and she will be there before you so no worries, and your Mother's parents own a barn and horse supplies, so your perfect to go after you have packed."

I 'Humphed' and stood up, walking swiftly to my room, I pulled out my phone, starting to text Lora.

Me: U will NOT beliv wat my parents just told me

I only had to wait for a few minutes before Lora text me back, she was usually always texting people when she was alone, it made her feel popular even though she already was, and she loved to chat.

Lora: Wat did tey say? Is it good or bad?!

Me: Ther makin Trist and I move!! :( :(

Her: Wher? Why?

Me: Montgomery Texas with my grandparents, uncool!!

Her: I'm so sry! U must be realy sad :( I'm gona miss U so much!! D:

Me: My pa got laid off, it suks to high heavens, im sooo sad :( but at least Sugarcoat is comin wit me, she on her way already

Her: That's good, I hop U com bak soon, but I gota go, shoppin spree with Melly!

I rolled my eyes, I knew she would say something like that to get out of texting me, even though I knew she would miss me truly because I was the only person who would buy her ice cream and not get her in trouble for it, I thought of her as a step-sister, we knew each other since kindergarten but we were never close, but I had been the one to comfort her when she and her boyfriend Chris had broken up during one of there many fights, they fought a lot, but they were good together and loved each other.
I slipped my phone back in my pocket, dropping my purse on the ground and grabbed a couple of suitcases, filling one with shirts, another with pants and shorts, and another with work clothes that I have never used but my mom