Our Year in Love and Parties by Karen Hattrup

Author:Karen Hattrup
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2019-08-05T16:00:00+00:00

25

Tucker

Tucker’s entire being shifted into a new gear the moment they stepped on campus. It was mild for early March, a tease of spring in the air, and everything was how he’d pictured it, exactly like it looked from Erika’s Instagram. Green expanse and stately brick. All these kids deep in conversation as they walked to who knows where. Tucker couldn’t quite see the Bay, but he could smell it—brackish and choppy, full of crabs and jellyfish.

“This place is cool,” Bobby said. “I could never go somewhere this small, but I like it.”

“I know,” Tucker said. “Me too.”

“You’re a hundred percent going to Michigan, right?”

Tucker took a breath. “Like ninety percent. I’m almost totally sure.”

Bobby stopped to look at a campus map and adjusted their course, leading them down a brick pathway.

“So . . . are we going to see your dad?”

Tucker watched kids pouring up the steps that led to the cafeteria, shouting and laughing. Ready for the weekend.

“I don’t want to go. I don’t think we should go.”

“It’s up to you. I’m just asking.”

“Let’s forget it and have fun this weekend. It’s fine.”

Bobby nodded and changed the subject to baseball, their last season together. Tucker chimed in here and there as they made their way to Erika’s dorm, passing through a tunnel that ran beneath the humanities building. There was a long line of bulletin boards, and Tucker took in the flyers for a cappella concerts, poli-sci seminars, flag football.

There was a bright pink sheet of paper that said “YES, YES, YES” in enormous letters, and then underneath, in smaller type, “Consent is sexy.”

There was also a notice about an upcoming meeting of the Social Justice Society, with a note about discussing the campus assault. The news had just come, Tucker knew, that there would be a trial in a couple of months. He and Erika texted about it all the time.

As the boys were about to emerge from underground and back into the sun, Bobby called over to Tucker.

“Here comes Erika.”

He looked up and there she was, jogging toward him in her boots and little leather jacket, with a girl he recognized from her photos as Salma.

Tucker got a rush, seeing her again, but he was nervous, too. He’d thought a lot about this moment, about how he should say hello . . .

He didn’t have to do a thing. Erika fell into his arms and hugged him for dear life.

“How was everything with your dad?” he asked, saying it quietly into her ear.

“Awkward but not torture, I guess. How’s everything with your dad?”

Tucker paused, unsure how she was going to interpret the fact that half the reason for this trip was suddenly gone. But then he plunged forward.

“I don’t think I’m going to go.”

“I totally get it,” she said. “We can talk about it later.”

Her breath tickled the skin on his neck, a feeling that made its way down his whole body. She finally released him, and then she went to hug Bobby. At the same time, Salma stepped toward him, introducing herself.

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