chronicles
Walking out of school today with Phoebe, talk of our collective futures was hanging over our heads. We had just spent the day at a special court hearing our school was hosting, followed by a questionnaire session for the marshals, judge, and anybody else involved. It was really interesting, and the talk of Cornell and Harvard and work ethic made the day feel more serious. Even Grady got a fucking offer out of it, stopping the clerk on the way out to ask her if he could intern at their office. I envied that I didn’t think of that first.
But anyway, on the walk back to Phoebe’s car, with the wind blowing pleasantly and the sun on my face, I reflected on my day. “That was so interesting,” Phoebe said, breaking me out of my thoughts. “It was cool,” I replied. The warm weather in January had me thinking about the summer extra early, and all the things that would mean. Especially this summer. It was going to be so busy — Girls’ State, Governor’s School, church camp, and volunteering. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make time for my friends and my boyfriend in between all of that.
“The closer we get to becoming adults, the less scary it seems,” I say.
And, I’m not even pretending.
It really is. All the fear of college, moving away, and new places seem to fade away in favor of meeting new people, new opportunities, and getting closer to the life I’ve always dreamed of.
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I think it even smelled sweet outside.
Phoebe reflected on my words. “Honestly, I feel the same way. It’s like, those were our dreams when we were freshmen, and now they are actually happening.”
She was right, so right. Freshman year, although it felt like yesterday, was two years ago. When had we stopped being children and become adults?
Six years of friendship felt like a moment in time. How had I had the privilege of meeting this girl so many years ago?
I felt the same way about some of my other friends. How lucky I was to know people like that, to know their hearts as well as their minds. I think that if men regarded women the same way women regarded each other, the world would be a much better place.
We also talked about the fickle nature of high school friendships. We concluded that we wouldn’t speak to half the people we were friends with now, but remarked on how we fill our days with them anyway.
Going to a new place is going to be so scary.
