The Tucker Girls
Serena: I've been forced to begrudgingly move across the US for my senior year of high school. It's every seventeen-year-old girl's worst nightmare - that is until I lay eyes on Hunter Bowden. I've never believed in love at first sight, but he has me second guessing everything. Despite my classmates warning to stay away, I'm drawn to him like a moth to a flame. I want him. I'm going to have him.
Lindsey: Texas is the fresh start I needed, but knowing that doesn't alleviate my guilt for being the reason we suddenly moved. Still scarred from my last high school experience, I'm determined to lay low and get through my last two years without incident. Unfortunately, Serena has different plans. My sister is chasing after trouble. I just hope she doesn't end up shattered like me.
The Tucker Girls is an enemies-to-lovers, young adult romance with mature content.
The Tucker Girls
Serena: I've been forced to begrudgingly move across the US for my senior year of high school. It's every seventeen-year-old girl's worst nightmare - that is until I lay eyes on Hunter Bowden. I've never believed in love at first sight, but he has me second guessing everything. Despite my classmates warning to stay away, I'm drawn to him like a moth to a flame. I want him. I'm going to have him.
Lindsey: Texas is the fresh start I needed, but knowing that doesn't alleviate my guilt for being the reason we suddenly moved. Still scarred from my last high school experience, I'm determined to lay low and get through my last two years without incident. Unfortunately, Serena has different plans. My sister is chasing after trouble. I just hope she doesn't end up shattered like me.
The Tucker Girls is an enemies-to-lovers, young adult romance with mature content.
The sounds of the drumming bass of the party and the crowd chanting my name envelop me, drowning out everything except for Lexi, my best friend, who is silently pleading with me to climb down from this roof. She's known me long enough to realize I wouldn't have come up here if I hadn't already made up my mind. You'd think it's the pressure of letting down the entire senior class of Ulla Meyer, my high school here in Amberly, Texas, that's compelling me to perform this dangerous stunt, however, I could care less what they think about me. I'm already a god in their minds.
No, I'm not up here for glory. I've earned plenty of their empty praise starring on Ulla Meyer's football team the last three years. Football is life in Texas. We live and breathe it. Ulla Meyer won three straight district titles, and I quickly became a household name in Amberly.
None of it matters, though. I hate this town with immense passion. Its suffocating noose has been around my neck since a young age, and I can't wait to escape its death grip and never return. For this reason, I'm going to jump; for those few seconds I'm falling, I will be free of every trouble that threatens to break me.
Lunging from the ledge, I tuck my knees into my chest and seamlessly pull off a backflip as I fall from Clint Dieker's roof. Sure enough, in those blissful seconds I hang in the air, I am thousands of miles from my troubles. My mind shuts off and the thrill fills my soul completely. I can truly breathe, and it rejuvenates me.
It’s a fleeting freedom, though. Seconds later, the pool water slam's into my back like I've been hit with a baseball bat, sending pain shooting throughout my body. Pain is an old friend and I gladly welcome it back. It demands attention, picking up where the thrill ends and providing a distraction from the terrible memories that beg to creep back into my thoughts and suffocate me.
When I finally pop my head above the surface of the water, I hear the excitement of the crowd, which is still pleased by the show. Their worship falls on deaf ears as they crowd around, fist-bumping me and slapping me on the back in congratulations for the brief entertainment I offered. They all wish they could stop caring and be free, but they have no idea the price I've had to pay to get to be this way. My classmates don’t understand what it’s like to be pushed to a breaking point where things that should matter become insignificant.
I wouldn’t expect them to understand, though. Only three people in this world genuinely know me: Lexi, Brady and Elijah. They are the only redeeming things about Amberly and are closer to family than friends. We've known each other since elementary school and have been inseparable since. The four of us live by our own rules, and maybe that's the reason for our popularity - other than Elijah, Brady and I starring on the football team.
Ulla Meyer refers to us as The Untouchables due to our unquestionably cliquish nature and their inability to lock any one of us down since Mick Pearson, a pathetic excuse of a human being, broke up with Lexi and devastated her heart freshman year. I proceeded to break some of his bones, and since then, no one has had the guts to pursue her.
Needless to say, I have trust issues to a fault. Elijah, Brady and Lexi may not be as extreme as me, but we all grew up with shit parents, so they understand my insistence to keep our circle tight. We're the only family I will ever need.
"You're an idiot," Lexi grumbles as she shoves a towel against my chest the second I emerge from the pool.
"Call me that again and I'm dragging you into the pool with me," I playfully threaten, considering she's one of the few people here not in swimwear. "Besides, this is far from the stupidest stunt I've pulled. You should stop being surprised by now."
"It's not you that I'm worried about," Lexi retorts, jerking her head toward the roof.
I spy Brady lining up the same jump I just took, and I immediately understand Lexi's frustration. Always the follower, Brady plans to imitate my stunt because, unlike me, he craves the attention and the worship of his fellow classmates. He eats it up like candy.
"Brady!" I yell, drawing his attention away from his peers. I wave for him to come down to me, though he silently refuses my request with a shake of his head.
He's going to force me to drag him off the roof. Brady can make the jump, but it's risky, and I value his safety too much to allow it. If he misjudges the angle even slightly, he'll hit concrete. But, unlike me, he has a future worth living for, and I won't let him throw it away attempting to impress the mindless sheep around us.
"I'll go drag his ass down," Lexi replies when I start to move towards the house. "You're dripping wet. Clint will be pissed if you get his parent's hardwood floors soaked."
"Alright. Just be careful."
Lexi responds with an eye roll, though I know beneath her tough exterior she appreciates my words. Her frigid mother never bothers to care about her wellbeing, so she needs someone to tell her that she matters - which she absolutely does. Lexi's the closest thing I have to a sister.
I ponder where I can get my next thrill from as I wipe myself dry. There’s a poker game in Clint’s den that I may be able to still get in on. It’s only a few minutes after ten o’clock, so I need to kill a few more hours before I consider going home.
"Nice jump," a voice calls out as I dry off my face.
I pull down the towel, expecting to see the praise coming from one of my classmates. The blonde girl I find standing there doesn't look familiar, though. I'm at a loss for words as I stare at the flawless beauty in front of me. She's one of the few girls at the party tonight not in a bikini - besides Lexi. Her bright blue eyes, that mirror the color of the pool, take me in as I try to place her, but eventually concede that she's a complete stranger to me.
"Do I know you?"
"Nope. I'm new to Ulla Meyer. My name is Serena Tucker," she replies, flashing a warm smile.
"Nice to meet you, Serena," I reply as I continue studying her for a single blemish but come up empty. Damn. She's perfect and easily the most attractive girl at our school.
Ulla Meyer is one of Texas's most privileged private schools, dripping wealth from the most affluent families in our area. We have our fair share of hot girls, but Serena puts them all to shame.
Serena's cheeks blush when she notices me eyeing her head-to-toe, particularly appreciating her legs that go for miles. Her eyes dazzle as she intently meets my gaze, communicating an interest I've seen countless times from my peers. She likes what she sees as well.
"You're Hunter, right?"
"Yeah, that's right," I reply, surprised that she already knows my name. Someone has done her homework. "Where are you transferring from?"
Just before Serena can respond, Brady crashes into the pool sending the crowd around us wild. Water sprays everywhere, including onto Serena, who squeals as she's rained down on. She slides in closer to use me as a shield, but it's too late. She's already soaked but also beaming with excitement. Most girls would have freaked out at getting doused, but Serena surprised me by laughing at the whole experience. Her easy-going demeanor is easy to like, as well as her smile that she flashes up at me when she's finally clear of Brady's aftermath. She's radiant, and I immediately feel drawn to her. I'm desperate for anything that will brighten the darkness that hovers over me every day, and I'm tempted to latch onto her for that very reason.
"You alright?"
"Yes! That was a bit unexpected," she replies, attempting to assess her damp clothing. “Y’all do things differently here in Texas.”
“Are you not from around here?”
“I'm transferring in from Georgia. Someone from the student council gave me a heads up about this party tonight, so I wanted to come and meet my future classmates."
"Transferring your senior year? That sounds brutal. What did you do to make your parents do that to you?"
"My dad had a great opportunity in Dallas that he couldn't pass up," Serena answers with a shrug, though it feels like she might be holding back.
"Well, what do you think so far?" I ask, waving around at the party that is bustling around us.
"I like what I'm seeing," she says as she sweeps her eyes over my bare chest before meeting my gaze once more. Yep, she's very interested, and that's going to be a big problem.
Brady pushes out of the pool with a cocky smile, interrupting our conversation. His emergence causes Serena to edge closer to me, and I cannot help but notice her hand slipping onto my forearm.
"I told you not to jump, you ass," I grumble at my friend.
"No, you waved at me to come to you. Well, here I am," Brady boasts with a big grin, spreading his arms wide. "Besides, I needed to prove to everyone that I can one-up you."
I pinch the bridge of my nose at his idiocy. A part of me feels guilty, as I gave him the terrible idea to begin with. I pass him my damp towel, which he proceeds to wipe his face with.
"Brady, have you met Serena? She's new to our school."
"Yes, we've already met," Brady chimes in, flashing his famous smile that makes girls swoon. "Have you changed your mind about going off with me tomorrow night?"
"As tempting as that sounds, I'm still going to have to pass."
Serena's eyes are fixed on me, and I get the sense I'm the reason she's passing up Brady's offer, although I'm not entirely sure why. She just met me. She has no idea how big of a deal it is that Brady's snobbish ass is asking her out. Ulla Meyer isn’t good enough for him, as he tends to only pursue girls from Monteppe Prep Academy - our rival school in Amberly.
"Suit yourself," Brady replies with a shrug, not the least bit disappointed. "Let me know if you change your mind. You'll soon realize that I'm the best thing this town has to offer."
Brady saunters off, walking straight into a group of girls eager to praise him for his recent performance, though he barely pays any attention to them.
"He's kind of full of himself, huh?" Serena asks when Brady is out of earshot.
"Yeah, you can say that. Just wait till you meet Elijah. His ego is the size of the state of Texas."
"He's the football star, right?"
"Yeah," I mumble in agreement, feeling a pit in my stomach thinking about the football team. I was a star, too, until I broke my forearm last spring and decided against playing my senior year when it didn't heal quite right. Football was my ticket to a scholarship to Ulla Meyer - which, thankfully, they will still honor for my last year - and my best opportunity out of this town. I was talking to several college scouts before the injury disrupted everything.
"So what do you say we get out of here and you show me around town?" Serena asks, giving me a light tug on my arm.
Serena would be a fantastic distraction from all of my troubles. Forget the poker game. I can tell from our limited interactions that she'd be fun to spend time with, and she's drop-dead gorgeous.
The only problem is I can't afford any mistakes now that football is out of the picture. I'd spent the last couple of years having fun with girls and ignoring my problems, but this year I need to graduate and save all the money I can to get out of this hellish town. Allowing Serena to divert my attention would threaten all of my plans.
"Serena, you seem like a nice girl, and to be completely honest, I'm not a nice guy," I start sincerely, attempting to squash whatever this is before it starts.
"Oh, believe me, I've heard," Serena interjects before I can finish. "You're a hot topic with your classmates. Half of them adore you, and the other half despise you. The problem is I have a hard time believing you're a bad boy who drinks too much, constantly fights and sleeps with a different girl every night."
I have to blink a few times to comprehend her disbelief.
"And why is that exactly?" I ask in confusion. She absolutely should believe it, considering it's all true - at least it was until this summer.
"I've been here two hours and I haven't seen you touch alcohol, fight, or flirt with a girl the entire time," Serena states confidently.
"Two hours doesn't really tell you much …."
"I'm willing to take my chances," Serena interjects again, throwing caution to the wind with a smirk. "It may sound crazy, but I have a good feeling about you."
"Serena, I'm complicated," I respond, stunned by her confidence in my character. She has way more faith in me than I do, but she's definitely picking up on my attempts to be a better person. I realized earlier this summer that I was becoming my father and that scared the shit out of me. I haven't touched a lick of alcohol or messed around with any girls since that revelation.
Serena inspects me closer, searching my face for the meaning behind my words as if she can somehow read my mind. My vague answer is going to have to suffice, though. I'm not going to divulge all my problems to a stranger, even when she does look like a goddess.
"Hunter!" I hear Chaz, one of the guys on the soccer team with curly auburn hair, call out over the chaos from the other side of the pool.
"Yeah?"
"Clean up on aisle Devon," he yells, jerking his thumb towards the house.
Great. Devon, Elijah's friend and football teammate, is plastered and likely making a fool of himself. This is the second time in the last two weeks. Somehow it's always my responsibility to clean up these messes, and luckily I have plenty of experience managing drunks.
"Be right there!"
"Is there a problem?" Serena asks when I turn to face her again.
"Yeah, someone at the party has had too much to drink. So, I'm going to make sure that he gets driven home."
"Alright, we'll figure out what night works for you and we can hang out then," Serena states, picking right back up where we left off.
"Look, I'm sure you are a lot of fun …."
"I am fun," Serena interjects before I can finish. "Just tell me this: are you interested in me or not?"
"I am interested …. very interested. It's just …."
"Good! Then it's settled. We are hanging out, and we are going to have fun. Let me know when you want to take me out. Anyways, I have more classmates I need to meet. See you around, future husband."
Future husband? What the hell? Serena's confidence leaves me speechless as she saunters off into the crowd. What just happened here? I attempted to do the honorable thing, and she completely shut me down. I guess this is Amberly torturing me a little more before I can escape her grasp.
Our conversation continues to swim through my head even after I shove Devon into an Uber. The only thing I'm sure of is that Serena's persistence will be a major problem. She's an enticing distraction that would make it easy to fall back into my old habits, and I can't allow that to happen. At least, I hope I don't let that happen.
When I started The Tucker Girls, I was not expecting it to like it as much as I did. It starts off at high school parties and you are instantly thrown into the high school drama. However, this book grows on you as you get further into it and all of the sudden, you are completely immersed. I found myself reading for hours straight because I could not wait to find out what will happen.
Serena and Lindsey Tucker are sisters, both in high school who have relocated to a new town and a new school. Unfortunately for Serena, it is her senior year. Fortunately for Serena, she makes friends fast and is quickly in the most popular clique at school. The same cannot be said for Lindsey. She is introverted and mysterious, wishing to hide in the shadows rather than being miss popularity like Serena. Lindsey and Serena are very close as sisters, so naturally Serena tries to help her younger sister adjust to the new school by bringing her around her new found friends. Serena has instantly become the object of many guy’s affections at her school, but she only has eyes for Hunter, the most unattainable guy in school.
Having been accepted into the clique, Serena and Hunter begin to spend more time with each other and Hunter begins to show interest in Serena. However, Hunter is forced to accept and associate with Lindsey, who he fights with every time they are near each other. As time goes on, Hunter begins to see Lindsey is more like him than Serena and maybe this strong emotion he feels in her presence is not hate at all. Before Hunter realizes what is happening, he find himself wanting to be around Lindsey more and more.
This book was a really fun read and I will definitely read the next book in the series. If you like the enemies to lovers stories, with some high school, teenage, and sibling drama mixed in, this book is for you.