too!” she said. “And nobody understands.”
“ On Thanksgiving,” continued Tucker, “I always feel an obligation to put a little on my plate or my family gets mad, because they love it so much.”
“ What about it don’t you like?” asked Victoria
“ The consistency, I guess,” said Tucker thinking carefully about it. “I have a sharp gag reflex.”
“ Really?”
“ Yeah, it cut short a promising career in gay porn.”
Victoria laughed.
“ I’m sorry,” continued Tucker. “That wasn’t very appropriate.”
“ Are you kidding?” said Victoria, still laughing. “I think you’re hilarious. Besides, I’m much worse. You never have to worry about what you’re saying around me.”
Tucker bought Victoria a doughboy and they walked back to the kiddie rides to watch Lenore going around in circles on a miniature dump truck.
“ I want to go on the Ferris wheel,” shouted Lenore, tripping out of the truck when the ride had ended and running up to Victoria, “but I want you to go with me.”
“ OK,” said Victoria, passing her half-eaten doughboy to Tucker and taking Lenore by the hand. “We’ll be back in a minute.”
Tucker was left standing alone with Aly, who stared at him as though he were a bug she was trying to decide whether or not to stomp on.
“So,” stammered Tucker, “what have you been doing for the past 10 years?”
“ If you hurt Victoria,” said Aly, putting her face about an inch away from Tucker’s, “I’ll kill you.”
“ Why are you so mean to me?” demanded Tucker. “What did I do to you?”
“ You were like every other guy in high school that made me feel bad about myself for four years.”
“ What are you talking about?” said Tucker, throwing his hands up. “I hardly ever spoke to you.”
“ Of course not,” said Aly. “I wasn’t a cheerleader or a perky blonde. So I didn’t exist. I dressed a little differently, so I was a weirdo. And you were a jerk to judge me on appearances.”
“ Well, I was wrong,” admitted Tucker. “I’m sorry I thought you were strange because of the way you dressed. I’m sorry I found your demeanor a little dark and off-putting. And I’m sorry I didn’t get to know you better. In short, I’m sorry that I was a 17-year-old boy. But if I was a jerk then, you’re an even bigger jerk now for thinking I’m the same person I was in high school.”
Aly stood for a moment watching Tucker with her face frozen and her mouth wide open, like she had just been slapped. Then she looked down at the leaves and said, “You’re right. I shouldn’t judge you for the idiot you were over 10 years ago.”
“ Thanks,” said Tucker, rolling his eyes.
“ It’s just that Victoria has dated a lot of jerks and I didn’t want to see her get her heart broken by some misogynistic boob-starer.”
“ Boy,” said Tucker, “stare at your boobs once and you get slapped with a label.”
“ Touch my boobs once,” said Aly, “and you get slapped with a restraining order.”
“ Thanks for the warning,” said Tucker. “I’ll try to control myself.”
“ Truce?” said Aly, offering her hand and showing the slightest hint of a smile for the first time all day.
“ Truce,” said Tucker, shaking her hand.
“ Of course,” she added, “I still think you’re an idiot.”
“ And I still think you’re a weirdo,” said Tucker with a smile.
He had just let go of her hand when Lenore came running up and grabbed it.
“Come on, Auntie Aly,” she said, tugging her toward another ride and disappearing into the crowd.
“ So what were you two talking about?” said Victoria, biting her lip, expecting the aftermath of a fight.
“ Oh, you know,” said Tucker, “old times.”
“ Oh, good,” said Victoria, letting out a long breath. “I was worried you two were going to hate each other.”
“ No, no,” said Tucker, “we’re good. I was just …”
“ I love this song!” yelled Victoria as the horrible band
“ On Thanksgiving,” continued Tucker, “I always feel an obligation to put a little on my plate or my family gets mad, because they love it so much.”
“ What about it don’t you like?” asked Victoria
“ The consistency, I guess,” said Tucker thinking carefully about it. “I have a sharp gag reflex.”
“ Really?”
“ Yeah, it cut short a promising career in gay porn.”
Victoria laughed.
“ I’m sorry,” continued Tucker. “That wasn’t very appropriate.”
“ Are you kidding?” said Victoria, still laughing. “I think you’re hilarious. Besides, I’m much worse. You never have to worry about what you’re saying around me.”
Tucker bought Victoria a doughboy and they walked back to the kiddie rides to watch Lenore going around in circles on a miniature dump truck.
“ I want to go on the Ferris wheel,” shouted Lenore, tripping out of the truck when the ride had ended and running up to Victoria, “but I want you to go with me.”
“ OK,” said Victoria, passing her half-eaten doughboy to Tucker and taking Lenore by the hand. “We’ll be back in a minute.”
Tucker was left standing alone with Aly, who stared at him as though he were a bug she was trying to decide whether or not to stomp on.
“So,” stammered Tucker, “what have you been doing for the past 10 years?”
“ If you hurt Victoria,” said Aly, putting her face about an inch away from Tucker’s, “I’ll kill you.”
“ Why are you so mean to me?” demanded Tucker. “What did I do to you?”
“ You were like every other guy in high school that made me feel bad about myself for four years.”
“ What are you talking about?” said Tucker, throwing his hands up. “I hardly ever spoke to you.”
“ Of course not,” said Aly. “I wasn’t a cheerleader or a perky blonde. So I didn’t exist. I dressed a little differently, so I was a weirdo. And you were a jerk to judge me on appearances.”
“ Well, I was wrong,” admitted Tucker. “I’m sorry I thought you were strange because of the way you dressed. I’m sorry I found your demeanor a little dark and off-putting. And I’m sorry I didn’t get to know you better. In short, I’m sorry that I was a 17-year-old boy. But if I was a jerk then, you’re an even bigger jerk now for thinking I’m the same person I was in high school.”
Aly stood for a moment watching Tucker with her face frozen and her mouth wide open, like she had just been slapped. Then she looked down at the leaves and said, “You’re right. I shouldn’t judge you for the idiot you were over 10 years ago.”
“ Thanks,” said Tucker, rolling his eyes.
“ It’s just that Victoria has dated a lot of jerks and I didn’t want to see her get her heart broken by some misogynistic boob-starer.”
“ Boy,” said Tucker, “stare at your boobs once and you get slapped with a label.”
“ Touch my boobs once,” said Aly, “and you get slapped with a restraining order.”
“ Thanks for the warning,” said Tucker. “I’ll try to control myself.”
“ Truce?” said Aly, offering her hand and showing the slightest hint of a smile for the first time all day.
“ Truce,” said Tucker, shaking her hand.
“ Of course,” she added, “I still think you’re an idiot.”
“ And I still think you’re a weirdo,” said Tucker with a smile.
He had just let go of her hand when Lenore came running up and grabbed it.
“Come on, Auntie Aly,” she said, tugging her toward another ride and disappearing into the crowd.
“ So what were you two talking about?” said Victoria, biting her lip, expecting the aftermath of a fight.
“ Oh, you know,” said Tucker, “old times.”
“ Oh, good,” said Victoria, letting out a long breath. “I was worried you two were going to hate each other.”
“ No, no,” said Tucker, “we’re good. I was just …”
“ I love this song!” yelled Victoria as the horrible band
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