Page 25 of Old Acquaintances

These people remember me in my prime, when I had no back pain or crow’s feet, and could hold a handstand, the way I’d like to be remembered. Everyone’s different and the one thing we have in common is freshman year of college. We’re trauma-bonded over burgeoning adulthood, 99-cent frozen pizza, holding hair back, and the fear of choice.

I hear my name and notice my carry-on bag flying through the air. I catch it, and Tucker raises his eyebrows in surprise.

He muses, “Wow. It’s almost like some childhood acquaintance taught you how to catch things.”

“And no one told you not to throw everything.”

In the car, I talked around him. I talked to Johnny, he talked to Johnny, but we did not interact directly, none of which seemed to bother our mutual friend. I stared out the window at the distant ocean when a girl was mentioned. A woman, I guess I should say. He’s not twenty-two anymore. Any woman Tucker dated would be beautiful and charming, he wouldn’t give anyone else the time of day. He’s not interested in dating girls like me, awild thing, as he liked to say.

I was only wild around Tucker. Wild wasn’t even the word I’d use.Free, might have been more apropos. Free because I trusted him implicitly, even when I didn’t recognize it.

We stand in the driveway a second before Johnny says, “So, I guess this is the last time it’s just the three of us.”

I point to the house. “Aren’t there people in there?”

“I mean right here. Right now.” He lifts his sunglasses. “It was the three of us for a really long time.”

Tucker makes uncomfortable sounds. “That ended a long time ago, man.”

The three of us, innocent and young.

A long,longtime ago.

Johnny snorts. “Remember when we snuck out for the community pool and you two dared each other to go skinny dipping?”

I brighten, saying, “I remember the alarm tripping and you two leaving me naked in the pool.”

“That was your own fault. You didn’t have to do it.”

“He dared me!”

Tucker insists, “And I came back for you.AndI didn’t sneak a peek when you jumped over the hedge nude because you were afraid you didn’t have time to put your bathing suit back on.”

I lifted my eyes to his. “You totally snuck a peek at my cooch.”

“Hand to God.” He is very serious. “And I was twelve, I really wanted to see some breasts.”

I swing my bag to the other shoulder. “Well, jokes on you because I didn’t have any boobs at twelve.”

He ducks his head. “I’m painfully aware of when you developed.”

My jaw drops. “Is that why you were always daring us to go skinny-dipping? You littleperv.”

“And you fell right into my trap.” He flicks the skin under my chin, and I snap back, grabbing my neck.

Johnny ignores us, as usual, and whistles. “And the science experiments in my bathroom? My dad said you were bad for our plumbing, Ella.”

“My dad said that about me, too,” I say.

Tucker leans over and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. “Hal was talking about you shedding.”

I push his shoulder away. “You’re the one who was always obsessed with my hair. If you didn’t have such a fetish for pulling on it, it wouldn’t have been an issue.”

“Well, if it wasn’t your wig hair that made me horny, it was for damn sure those gnarly ballerina toes of yours.”

“Next time I lose a toenail, I’ll be sure to save it for you.”

Johnny steps between us. “Okay, okay.”

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