One Day At A Time

Chapter Thirty-Five: Spring Into Action

Soon, March ends with warm, sunny days and April starts with rain.

On the Friday before spring break, the rain pours and pours and pours outside.

Despite no one wanting to come to school, everyone shows up, excited for the break ahead.
The entire friend group is also excited to spend plenty of time together.

So far, their first plan, thought up by Lucas, is to have a day at the park on Saturday.

It sounds sweet and simple, but Ava, Lilly, and Rose can already read his mind.
He's not going to let a simple day at the park happen.

Something weird will happen thanks to him.
But nevertheless, a day at the park will be fun.

The world outside is still drenched with water when everyone wakes up eagerly the following Saturday morning, but when they all look out their bedroom windows, the sun is shining brightly.

Thanks to Lucas not having his driver's license, Rose still working on getting their permit, and Ava lacking any interest in driving at all, Lilly drives them all to the park.

"When are you taking your permit test?" Lilly asks a little ways down the road.
"I have it scheduled for next Wednesday, so soon I can drive us around!" Rose says with a grin.

For a moment or two, Ava thinks about correcting Rose, telling them that they can't have other kids in the car for a while after they pass the permit test.

But she doesn't correct them.
She looks back at Rose through the car's front mirror, confidently saying,
"I know you'll pass it."
"Yeah, you're the smartest one out of all of us." Lucas states happily.

No one can even get defensive, because he's right.
Rose has always had high grades in school, with report cards that blow everyone else out of the water.

Rose is also quite wise, a thing that Ava specifically will forever be grateful for.

They left for the park at eleven forty-five and they arrive at the park a little after noon.

Lucas has a backpack with him, a different backpack from his normal school bag.

"What's in the bag?" Rose asks him when the four of them walk over towards a large shade tree to sit under.

Lucas smiles at Rose.
"I helped my mom make us lunch."
"Since when can you cook?"
"I can't." He replies, laughing slightly. "I helped with organizing stuff in the bag."
"So you didn't do any of the actual cooking?"
"Nope."

Rose sighs dramatically,
"Thank god. I don't want to know what... concoction you would've come up with!"
"Shut up!" Lucas groans.

The two of them sit down under the tree.

Ava and Lilly come to the tree a second later, lagging behind their friends.

They're holding hands, a thing that they see as a neutral thing between being one-hundred percent romantic and out of the making-their-friends-third-wheels zone.

It's romantic and sweet in their own minds and that's all that matters.

The sky is clear and blue and the air is warm.
Though, the grass is the tiniest bit damp under them.

Nevermind the wet grass, it's a great day.
And the day only gets greater as it goes on.

They have their lunch of Lucas' mom's ham and cheese sandwiches, which are ridiculously good for how simple they are.

Rose was right, it's a good thing that Lucas left the lunch preparation to his mom.

They all talk and walk around for a while, returning to the shade tree to sit down every once in a while.