Growing up has always been a challenge. A conventional struggle we endure to build us for the adult world. As I sat on the bus ride back from my final school trip, I could feel all the emotions catching in my throat. I tried to swallow them, to suppress the tears developing. It was a happy day. I didn’t want to change that.

My group of friends and I sat together on the bus, laughing and showing each other funny photos of the four of us found in our camera rolls over the years. We were a tough group of boys, and we rarely showed such sentimentality. But that day, we all knew, was a special day allowing for any possibilities. We would drown in nostalgia for that day and that day only. Our final school day together.

The evening sky was darkening, and as I stared out the window longingly, I could see the reflections of us sitting there under the harsh bus lighting. We had collectively switched our phones off now, allegedly to “conserve battery”, but we all knew deep down that we meant to relish our lasts moments together.

“Hey,” my closest friend, Kim whispered beside me. “Last day of high school.”

“Yeah,” I replied. “It’s crazy.”

He nudged me and added, “All these years and you never even got a girlfriend.”

“Well, there’s more to life than that,” I said calmly. “There’s no need to rush it.”

“Wise words, old man,” Kim laughed, sighing and leaning back in his seat. “I wish I’d known…”

“C’mon, man, don’t worry. You’ll get over her,” I said.

“Mm, but when?” He asked half sorrowfully.

“Soon. You’ll pick yourself up; I know you can. You’ll be in university in a few months, and time will fly.” I tried to reassure him.

“It hurts in the present though, man.” He said, chuckling. “But I guess, like you said, there’s more to life than this broken heart nonsense.”

I smiled weakly.

“Let’s enjoy these last moments, at least.”

We discussed old friendships and events, and we talked about future plans.

“Growing up is scary, man,” Kim murmured. “Our first year of high school felt like just days ago.”

“Yet here we are… 18 years old and off to university.”

“I wish time would have passed slower,” he continued. “Maybe I wouldn’t have made so many stupid mistakes that way.”

“Nah, you still would’ve!” Called one of our friends seated behind us.

We laughed together before silence swept over us again.

“You know,” I began slowly. “I’m really gonna miss you, man.”

“Yeah?” Kim replied quietly. “Me too. I’ll miss you too.”

“Starting afresh for university feels so scary. We should’ve just applied to the same ones, haha.” I joked.

Slowly, the bus turned into the familiar road of the school, and drove past the iconic school gates. I could hear other students around me start clapping and cheering various words, saying just anything in the moment, knowing it was our last opportunity to do so.

Trembling slightly, I stepped off the school bus, and surprisingly hugged my close friends goodbye. We did our well rehearsed handshakes for the last time and smiled at each other. I then turned to Kim, and I could feel the tears building up again.

I instead pulled him into a tight hug so that he couldn’t notice, and said, “See ya, man. It has been a wild ride, all these years.”

“Sure has. Thanks for being there, always,” he said, the emotion quavering in his voice as he attempted to choke back the tears falling too.

“You too, thanks for everything.”

“Have a brilliant life, man.”

“Yeah, and you. Be careful out there.”