Toe to Toe (On Pointe Book 1) by Penelope Freed (comprehension books txt) 📗

like that.” I take a breath and tell her the truth. “You don’t get to decide who Tyler wants to date. And you don’t get to tell me what to do either.”

Tears are running down Hannah’s cheeks and she angrily dashes them away, staring me down. I can see she’s trying to say something so I sit in silence, waiting for her to get it out. “I thought you were my best friend,” she finally manages to get out.

“We haven’t been for years, Hannah. Even before I joined cheer, if we’re being honest. Really ever since…” I swallow hard, dammit I don’t want to talk about my mom right now, this is about how Hannah is being a selfish brat, not about why I can’t be her best friend.

“Since your mom died.” Hannah finishes for me.

I nod. “Yeah. But Hannah, even if we were as close as when we were kids, it still doesn’t give you the right to be mad that I have new friends, or that Tyler chose me over you. It’s his choice to make, not yours. And seriously, you can’t honestly expect someone to know you like them if you never do a damn thing about it.” I add. I’m equal parts irritated and sad at this point. The adrenaline rush I was riding fades and I feel myself start to droop. This day has been a fucking roller coaster.

Hannah is silent for a long beat. “Did you remember I had a crush on him when you invited me on that double date?”

Shit. Now I feel about two inches tall. “Maybe,” I say quietly.

Hannah rolls over to face the wall, ending the conversation. “Guess I’m not the only self-centered bitch in the room.”

Chapter 18 Hannah

“Did you girls sleep okay last night?” My mom and dad are already sitting at a table in the hotel lobby, steaming mugs of coffee in front of them. No, I want to say. I slept terribly, tossing and turning all night long. Olivia’s words running through my brain

The world does not revolve around Hannah O’Brian.

“I’m fine. Just tired.” I set my bags down near my dad, dropping a kiss on top of his head. Olivia has already wandered off to the breakfast bar and is loading up a plate with bacon.

We didn’t speak a word to each other for the rest of the night. By the time I got up in the morning, Oliva was already dressed, packed, and scrolling through her phone, ignoring me until it was time to meet my parents for breakfast.

Did you even notice anyone else from the studio?

I got dressed and ready for the day in the deafening silence of our room, a sick, hollow feeling in my stomach haunting me. It’s not nerves, nerves wouldn’t leave me feeling like I’m about to burst into tears at the slightest provocation. No, I know what this is. It’s shame.

Am I really that self-absorbed?

You would have ditched Lisa backstage.

I silently load up a plate with scrambled eggs and fruit before heading back to our table and sitting down.

“Are you excited for the classes today?” My mom is trying so hard to act like everything is normal. If everything was normal, I would be chatting non-stop about whoever they’d hired to be the guest teacher today, or maybe what kind of classes were on the schedule. Normal would have me thinking only about myself and what I needed today.

You can be just as self-centered a bitch as me.

“Uh. Yeah. I guess,” I mumble around a mouthful of food.

“How did you sleep Olivia?” My mom’s question interrupts Olivia as she is walking by our table. She glances up from her phone, a piece of bacon dangling from her teeth.

“Fine. I got up early and walked on the beach a little.” She doesn’t stop at our table though, she keeps walking and squeezes in next to MacKenzie and Haley, laughing as she tries to fit in at their table. I’d heard her silently leave the room around five this morning, but I hadn’t asked where she was going. I was terrified she’d have some other flaw of mine to point out.

My dad studies the scene at the other table, then eyes me. I hold very still, trying not to squirm. “Everything okay, pumpkin?”

“Yeah, you know. We just spent a lot of time together yesterday.” When they don’t look convinced, I wave my hand in the direction of the table where Olivia is goofing off with the little girls. “I guess she promised them she would eat breakfast with them this morning.” I shrug. I have no idea if I just lied through my teeth or not, knowing Olivia it could go either way.

We haven’t been friends for years.

The rest of breakfast is quiet, my mom assuming I’m nervous about the day of classes and competition ahead. I’m happy to let her think that.

The second we arrive at the theater I find Katy and Lisa, eager to stay as far away from Olivia as I can. I’m determined to do better today. The hurt in Lisa’s eyes when I said I didn’t care if she stayed with me or not haunted what little sleep I got last night. I can’t think about Ms. Parker pointedly telling me to stay and watch Lisa’s solo without feeling ashamed all over again. I can’t even recall seeing the younger kids all weekend. Olivia was right.

If Katy and Lisa notice the tension between Olivia and I during the morning classes they are kind enough not to mention it. Instead, they manage to keep themselves between us, like a human wall. I appreciate not having to explain to them what happened, even though it makes me feel even worse that they don’t expect an explanation from me. Am I always so self-absorbed?

Normally, I would spend the master classes obsessing over every correction, watching myself in the mirror, comparing my body to everyone around me, starstruck over whoever they had brought in to teach the class. Today,