The Summer That Changed Everything

Chapter Eight - Part One

Felicity, her patience waning, waited as Jared prepared for the impromptu day ahead. She danced from foot to foot as she waited for Jared to exit his house and join her on the drive. He emerged from his home, a backpack slung over his shoulder, and locked the door. With a sense of adventure in the air, the two set off down his driveway, the day ahead promising the unexpected.

“Is your mum on the early shifts again?” Felicity asked, breaking the silence, wondering why she hadn’t spotted or heard one of her favourite people.

Jared and Layla’s mum was a nurse, and none of us could keep up with her shift patterns as they changed so often, even her own children sometimes struggled to keep up. But being the lovely woman she was, she would accept and swap any shift she could, if it helped her colleagues at all. So, Felicity was never sure whether she would see Joanne when she would pop round. But she loved to spend time with her when she could, as she was always such a friendly and happy presence, despite her taxing job. Felicity bet she had such an excellent bedside manner.

Jared and Layla’s father wasn’t in the picture, and he had separated from Joanne when the children were young, claiming he wanted nothing to do with his old family and wanted to start a new life. Thus, Felicity was only used to spending time with Joanne and thought of her as a second mother. And hoped the opposite extended to Layla and Jared.

“Yeah, she is,” Jared answered. “You should be glad of it, too. Because I don’t think she would’ve appreciated you almost knocking down the door at this time of morning.”

“Oops, sorry.” Felicity grimaced. She wasn’t sure how she could’ve been so thoughtless, but she put it down to her blood, which was probably 90% caffeine.

“It’s okay. You would’ve got around my mum by battling those pretty, big brown eyes of yours. That always works with me.” Jared’s laugh calmed and flattered her at the same time. Felicity briefly looked away, fighting the blush that appeared on her cheeks. “Why were you even awake so ridiculously early, though? That’s so out of character for you.”

Felicity shrugged, not wanting to get into the actual cause for obvious reasons. “I couldn’t sleep, so I got up. It sometimes happens.”

“On the rare occasion, it seems,” Jared teased, and Felicity was relieved when he let the matter drop.

That was the thing about Jared. He knew exactly when he could push a topic and when it was best to leave it alone. Felicity appreciated that about him. That’s why their friendship worked so well.

Deciding to forgo the car, the pair headed towards Manchester Piccadilly train station via the local bus route. Even though both possessed driving licences, and it was only just over an hour away by car, neither of them could decide which one wanted to be in charge of the journey. They also thought it would be cheaper to buy train tickets with their railcards than to split the petrol costs.

Perhaps it was silly of them, but in the excitement, they forgot to check train times. But luck was on their side, and for once, the trains were on time, so they eagerly booked their tickets. They legged it to the platform - as was typical; theirs was the one furthest away from their chosen entrance - and hopped straight on to the direct train to Blackpool. As the sights of Manchester left their peripheral vision, Felicity bounced in her seat, feeling the thrill of their lucky journey.

“I take it you’re excited?” Jared asked, eyeing her from across the small table that supported their bags and a few snacks.

“Just a little,” Felicity laughed, holding her thumb and forefinger barely an inch apart. “I missed out on my seaside trip with Mum and Dad, so I’m glad we could fit it in.”

“And I’m glad I am the lucky one to accompany you,” Jared said with a wink. He sat forward and placed his forearms on the plastic table. She wasn’t sure whether his words were genuine or if they had a sarcastic flourish to them. What she did know was that his little wink sent butterflies whizzing around her stomach. She averted her gaze from his piercing eyes. “I only hope it’s a good day for you because I know how much you’ve wanted it.”

“I’m sure it will be,” Felicity shook her head. “Honestly, as soon as I smell that sea air and hear those seagulls, I’ll be in my happy place,” she said, her voice filled with the joy of the seaside.

Again, they appeared to be the luckiest people in the world. The train arrived in Blackpool without delay (which is a rare feat, as trains in England were never the most reliable). Felicity thanked her lucky stars. They got off the train at Blackpool North train station and headed through the town centre to the beachfront. Felicity easily led the way, as her frequent trips in her younger years made it so she knew the town like the back of her hand. Jared followed along obediently. Once they got to their desired destination, the beach was on one side of the street, while all the amusements, shops, and fish and chips shops were on the other.

Felicity did not know where to start.

The closer to the beach they got, the more people surrounded them. It appeared everyone had the same idea as Jared and Felicity. They must’ve seen the hint of sun in the morning and packed up to spend the day on the beach.

Usually, the number of people surrounding Felicity would unnerve her, as she didn’t always handle sizable crowds well. But because she had her eyes on the sea, she didn’t care.

“So, what do you want to do first?” Jared asked as they sauntered past the Blackpool Tower.

“Hmm,” Felicity hummed. She checked her watch and realised it was barely midday. They had made good time, and they had most of the day ahead of them. “How about the amusements?” she suggested, her eyes sparkling with the anticipation of the fun activities that awaited them.