The Summer That Changed Everything

Chapter Two - Part One

Without being aware of it, the excursion into Manchester town centre had put a spring in Felicity’s step, and it gave her a happier outlook on the summer. She realised it was partly down to reacquainting herself with Jared after so long. For that evening and a couple of days after, she didn’t mope around the house like she had no other purpose. She went to bed with a book, fell asleep, and awoke at socially acceptable times. When she arose, she made the most of her day, mainly sorting things out for her impending move to university, a mix of excitement and nervousness bubbling within her at the thought of moving away.

During the week that followed, Jared hadn’t invoked the ‘last resort‘ clause, a clause in their friendship pact that allowed them to call each other up should they require some company. Felicity began to wonder whether he meant it at all or whether he just felt sorry for her after she bared her troubles to him. She tried not to let it get her down, as it occurred to her it could also be some unknown, unfunny joke of Jared’s. If that was the case, Jared’s sense of humour had changed since Felicity last spent time with him. She wasn’t sure she liked it.

This Morning consumed none of Felicity’s attention as it blared on the fancy television in her living room. She ate her cereal and drank her cup of tea in unfocused bliss, giving herself a rare morning off from packing duties. Usually, her parents wouldn’t like the idea of her eating in the living room; they much preferred their mealtimes at the dining table (when they weren’t dining in a fancy restaurant, of course). But they were both out of the house attending to important business matters. So, she used this as a weak rebellion to add some excitement to her otherwise dull day.

The presenters on television discussed a nonsensical news item about which food items should be kept in the fridge and which shouldn’t, a topic that seemed trivial to Felicity. She couldn’t bring herself to care, but no doubt it caused an uproar among viewers who disagreed. She could only imagine the fuming Facebookers furiously typing away at their keyboards, because they had nothing better to do with their days... or lives, for that matter.

Her eyes glazed over as she shoved another spoonful of cereal in her mouth. Bright sunshine poured through the window, drawing her eyes to her front garden. She thought about how silly it was that she wasn’t outside, enjoying the weather. Perhaps she should sit out there and read in the garden; she would at least get some rays and smell the fresh air. After all, it was during the mere two days of summer that Manchester seemed to get. No doubt it will rain heavily tomorrow. Her contemplative mood seemed to be as changeable as the Manchester weather.

A buzzing from her phone on the arm of the sofa refocused her eyes and made her jump. She placed the bowl down on the coffee table in front of her and grabbed her phone. It appeared someone had read her mind, sparking a surge of surprise and curiosity within her.

She’d received a text, and it read:

I think it’s about time I spoke to my last resort, don’t you?

Felicity smirked, and she replied:

Well, it would be rude if you didn’t. Considering we lovingly dubbed each other that.

His response was almost immediate:

Only the best nickname for the saviour of my summer that is my last resort. Shall I pick you up in an hour and we’ll do something fun?

Felicity’s fingers flew over her keyboard:

Your last resort shall eagerly await the arrival of her last resort

Felicity put her phone down and let a huge grin consume half of her face. With a new lease on life, she sprinted to wash the dishes. She knew World War 3 would start if her parents came home and realised that she hadn’t done an ounce of housework. After that, she ran upstairs into her bedroom. She took a while to decide what to wear, but dismissed the worry soon after. It was only Jared. Why would he care what she wore?

Right on cue, Jared texted Felicity an hour later, telling her he was outside. She gave herself the once-over in the mirror; she had to make sure her makeup and hair looked good for her to be seen out in the real world. Excitement took her, and she almost ran down the stairs, careful not to trip in her commotion. Grabbing her small bag from the hook beside the front door, she fluffed her hair once more and exited her house.

She spotted Jared in his car at the end of the long driveway and threw him a casual wave, acknowledging his presence. Still smiling, she locked the door and put the key in her bag. After one last check of the door (one can never be too sure), she skipped down the driveway towards Jared’s shiny car.

She couldn’t remember stepping foot in Jared’s car before, but she knew he took pride in working hard and saving up for a car he really wanted.

Jared rolled his window down as she got closer. “Get in, loser, we’re going shopping!” He hollered at her in a terrible American accent.

“Oh my gosh, are we actually?” Felicity gasped as she opened the door of the passenger side. Using the leftover amusement, she threw herself into the seat and clipped in her seatbelt.

“Well, no. I mean, we can if you want.” Jared shrugged, dropping the persona back to his endearing Mancunian accent. His cheeks had turned a little pink, and Felicity stifled a coo at how cute he looked because she knew he wouldn’t appreciate it if she did. “I couldn’t resist the chance to quote Mean Girls.” His humour filled the car, making the atmosphere light and enjoyable.

Felicity laughed. She hadn’t laughed that loud in a long time. And especially not recently. With her forearm, she bashed the side of Jared’s arm, which he deflected with great skill, a playful interaction that showcased their strong friendship, which they had fallen back into quite easily.

Still laughing, she asked. “Where are we actually going, then?”

“Anywhere you want,” he winked, with his hands poised on the steering wheel.

Felicity thought for a moment, thrown by the casual wink. She shifted her gaze to the window ahead and pondered where she’d like to go, embracing the spontaneity of the moment.

“Hmm, I don’t know. Wherever it is, I hope there’s food involved,” Felicity decided.

Jared laughed and rolled his eyes. “Lucky for you, I already have a place in mind, but I didn’t want to dictate. Food is on the agenda, yes, but we have to work up an appetite first. Don’t we?”

Well, that wasn’t at all terrifying.