Something Changed: Day 13

Word Count: 78,083

Summary of Events:

Luke learned from Ella that she not only went to the same school as Arsenio and his friends, but had been getting bugged by them lately because of the fact that she was Luke's girlfriend, which upset Luke as he didn't believe Arsenio had any reason to be harassing him in the first place. On Saturday Luke was woken up when his cellphone informed him that he'd received a text from Ella . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Are you going to the end of school fun day event? she’d asked.

Luke vaguely remembered Vance having talked about it. It was a day that would be spent at the Canada’s Wonderland amusement park that happened to be located in the city on the last Saturday of June. He hadn’t been to an amusement park in years, and there was a good reason for it.

No, he replied. I can get nauseated without an amusement park just fine.

As much as Luke didn’t mind thrills on occasion, getting lurched and launched around at high speeds while eating unhealthy food so as to make himself nauseous was, by no means, his idea of a good time.

Good, Ella replied. I’m not going either.

I really don’t know how people can think those sorts of places to be any fun, Luke said.

I know, Ella said. Would you want to make some alternate plans for that day?

What sort of plans do you have in mind? Luke asked, feeling curious and eager.

We could hang out at my place, Ella replied. If you don’t mind not hanging out with your best friend.

Actually, I think that’d be Finn’s first weekend at work, Luke replied. He’s got a job landscaping, and I think they wanted him to work the weekend to get kind of initiated into the routine and what they do and stuff before he goes to a more 9–5-type schedule, so I wouldn’t be able to hang out with him.

Oh, okay, Ella said.

You’re still good for this afternoon, right? Luke asked.

Yes, Ella replied.

Good, Luke said. I think I shouldn’t have to cancel this weekend.

Are you planning on getting a summer job? Ella asked.

Yeah, Luke replied. I’m going to be prepping my résumé this week and turning it in to a couple music stores. I’d like to get a job at one of them.

Cool, Ella said.

How about you? Luke asked. Do you have any summer work plans?

No, Ella replied. I haven’t really thought about it, actually.

I think you should check out the art stores, Luke said. You know a fair bit about art stuff, after all.

I might, I don’t know, Ella replied. I’ll have to think about it.

Never hurts to start saving money, Luke said. I’m saving up to get myself an electric guitar and a good, compact amp, and once I have that, then everything’s getting put away.

For what? Ella asked.

Going to Europe, Luke replied. Finn and I want to go together.

That sounds cool, Ella said.

You should save up so you can join us, Luke said. You could probably even be our tour guide around Italy and France.

We’ll have to see, Ella said. When are you planning on going?

When we’ve graduated, Luke replied.

Oh, so, like, in a few years, Ella said.

Yeah, Luke said. Not that soon wouldn’t be nice, but we might as well take advantage of the time that we have to make lots of money so that we can afford to go and stay.