The school bell rattles above my head, the metal clanging against itself as students begin to rush out of their respective classrooms and into the grand hallway. I stand at the end of the hallway, near the bulletin board with old cheerleader tryout posters and chess tournament advertisements. The students before me begin to turn blurry as tears rise in my eyes.

Four years spent here, within these walls; I’ve learned and I’ve grown here. This place has seen me through my best and my worst. First heartbreak, first college acceptance, first perfect report card– all here, at this school.

And now it was all over. I was done, I was “free,” some may say. But now what? I mean, hell, I’ve spent most of my time here for the past four years of my life. I’ve dedicated practically every hour of my waking day to homework, clubs, sports teams, marching band– if I had free time, it went to bettering this school and bettering myself through time at this school. So, now what?

What was I supposed to do now? Sure, I had a great college I committed to. And I had a job for the rest of the summer, before I high-tailed it out of this town. And I had my small group of friends who promised to hangout as much as possible before we went our separate ways. But still… something was going to be missing from my life. Something that I would never be able to get back, nor replace. A hallow piece of my being that I didn’t know how to reconcile.

But I digress. This change isn’t avoidable. I can’t stay in high school forever, I can’t revel in my high school days for the rest of my life. It may have been four long years of my life, but it was just four years of my entire life. I’m 17 and I’ve got my future ahead of me. Thank you high school for everything… but I have to go now.

I tilt my head up and allow myself a small smile. The world isn’t over! I remind myself. There are more things to come. I burst out of my school’s double doors among the rushing sea of other students, hopefully for the final time. I file into the parking lot and stop short of the road. Turning around and taking it in for one last time, I breathe deeply.

Everything will be alright. I’ve got this.